2006 MINI Cooper S Convertible Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2006 MINI Cooper S Convertible ranks 2nd-worst of 8 model years with a complaint index of 86 and 36 complaints. Owners most often reported airbag problems (50% of complaints), plus body/fire incidents and engine stalling, resulting in an Avoid verdict.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 86/100
- #2 of 8 Cooper S Convertible years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 36
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 1
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 0
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 2
- Injuries
- 0
- Top issue
- Airbags
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 24
- 21.5 city / 29 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 0 / 0
Top 2006 MINI Cooper S Convertible problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags18 (50%)
- Structure & Body7 (19%)
- Engine6 (17%)
- Steering5 (14%)
- Transmission & Powertrain5 (14%)
- Seat Belts3 (8%)
- Brakes2 (6%)
- Electrical System2 (6%)
- Other2 (6%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires1 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Passenger seat airbag warning light stays on or falsely indicates less than 25 lbs even when someone is seated.
- Driver seat heaters have overheated and caused smoke or small fires in the seat back while driving.
- Power steering assist cuts out intermittently, making the car hard to turn, especially at low speeds.
- The engine has stalled or misfired at highway speeds, sometimes tied to dealer reprogramming errors.
- The instrument panel lights up and the vehicle overheats and stalls unexpectedly while driving.
2006 MINI Cooper S Convertible recalls
1 NHTSA recall campaign list this model year.
- NHTSA 15V205000Apr 6, 2015Airbags91,800 vehicles
Air bags:frontal
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, and exposure issues, the front passenger seat occupant detection mat may not function properly and, as a result, the front passenger air bag may not deploy in a crash.
Risk: 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.
2006 MINI Cooper S Convertible fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 21.5 MPG
- Highway
- 29 MPG
- Combined
- 24 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,300
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Premium
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2006 compared with other Cooper S Convertible years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2006 MINI Cooper S Convertible reliable?
- Based on NHTSA complaints and recalls, the 2006 model ranks 2nd-worst of 8 years for this model, with a complaint index of 86 and 36 total complaints, mostly airbag-related.
- What problems does the 2006 MINI Cooper S Convertible have?
- Owners most frequently reported airbag sensor faults (18 complaints, 50% share), followed by structure and body issues including two seat-heater fires, engine stalling, and intermittent power steering loss.
- Does the 2006 MINI Cooper S Convertible have a recall?
- Yes, one recall (campaign 15V205000) covers a defective front passenger seat occupant detection mat affecting the airbag system; dealers replace the mat free of charge.
- What year MINI Cooper S Convertible should I avoid?
- The 2005 model has the highest complaint index at 100 and is also rated Avoid; the 2006 model follows closely at a complaint index of 86.
- At what mileage do 2006 MINI Cooper S Convertible problems usually appear?
- Median mileage at failure across all reported issues is 63,500 miles, with airbag complaints centering around 59,500 miles and structure/body complaints around 50,020 miles.