The 2006 MINI Cooper has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 91,800 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 247 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
AIR BAGS15V2050002015-04-0691,800 affected
Defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2005-2006 MINI Cooper and Cooper S vehicles manufactured January 5, 2005, to November 28, 2006, and 2005-2008 MINI Cooper Convertible and Cooper S Convertible vehicles manufactured January 5, 2005, to July 31, 2008. Due to manufacturing, installation,…
Consequence
An improperly functioning mat may cause the passenger frontal air bag to be inactive when the seat is occupied, and in the event of a crash, the air bag will not deploy, increasing the passenger's risk of injury.
Remedy
MINI will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger seat occupant detection mat, free of charge. The recall began on October 12, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.
Complaints by component
AIR BAGS
109
5crashes1fires5injuries
STEERING
53
3crashes3fires2injuries
POWER TRAIN
15
1fires
SEATS
12
1crashes1injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
10
3fires
ENGINE
10
3fires
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
6
1fires
SEAT BELTS
5
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
3
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
3
1crashes1injuries
Total complaints247
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Electronic power steering pump issue/failure. The steering wheel was so stiff when I tried to go right that I physically could not turn the wheel. This is extremely dangerous & it happens without warning. No lights come on. You are left in a moving vehicle, without much of a way to control the…”
“The contact owns a 2006 mini cooper. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was significantly difficult to turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not…”
“Bmw issued a recall 15v-205 safety recall, to cover the airbag sensor in the passenger seat of my vehicle, a 2006 mini cooper s. The failure error was in the airbag sensor in the passenger seat, and the system warned of potential hazard with the passenger airbag. My car had a recall fix in 2018…”
“Bmw issued a recall 15v-205 safety recall, to cover the airbag sensor in the passenger seat of my vehicle, a 2006 mini cooper s. The failure error was in the airbag sensor in the passenger seat, and the system warned of potential hazard with the passenger airbag. My car had a recall fix in 2018…”
“Bmw issued a recall 15v-205 safety recall, to cover the airbag sensor in the passenger seat of my vehicle, a 2006 mini cooper s. The failure error was in the airbag sensor in the passenger seat, and the system warned of potential hazard with the passenger airbag. My car had a recall fix in 2018…”
“The electro-hydraulic power steering system stopped working on my 2005 mini cooper. The was a recall for 2002 to 2005 mini power steering pump failures but the problem continued thru 2011 because the fix that mini cooper came up with was inadequate. The essentially put a band-aid on the problem…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper. The contact stated that the while driving approximately 50 mph, the power steering suddenly malfunctioned and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. After stopping the vehicle, the contact noticed smoke billowing from under the…”
“It is very difficult to turn my steering wheel. It takes more energy than any other car I have ever driven”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2006 MINI Cooper as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.