YearToAvoid

2005 MINI Cooper S Airbags Problems

NHTSA has 71 owner complaints about airbag problems in the 2005 MINI Cooper S, 23% of all 314 complaints for this model year. That is the highest airbag complaint count among 19 Cooper S model years. These complaints report 2 crashes and 3 injuries. Median mileage at failure: 58,638 miles.

Airbags complaints
71
23% of 314
Crashes reported
2
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
3
Median mileage
58,638 mi
Related recalls
1

When 2005 MINI Cooper S airbag complaints were filed

First complaint Aug 13, 2008, latest Mar 12, 2019.

2005 MINI Cooper S airbags complaints: complaints filed per month6Aug 2008Oct 2009Jan 2011Feb 2012Sep 2012Jun 2013Jan 2015Nov 2018
71 complaints filed with NHTSA from Aug 2008 to Mar 2019; peak Apr 2012 (6).

Airbags recalls for the 2005 MINI Cooper S

  1. 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.

Airbags complaints by Cooper S model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 200571 (23%)
  2. 200667 (36%)
  3. 200728 (11%)
  4. 200830 (18%)
  5. 200917 (14%)
  6. 20106 (10%)
  7. 20113 (10%)
  8. 20121 (4%)
  9. 20134 (17%)
  10. 20142 (15%)
  11. 20152 (11%)
  12. 20160 (0%)
  13. 20171 (17%)
  14. 20190 (0%)
  15. 20200 (0%)
  16. 20210 (0%)
  17. 20220 (0%)
  18. 20240 (0%)
  19. 20250 (0%)

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2005 MINI Cooper S have airbag problems?
NHTSA has 71 owner complaints about the airbag in the 2005 MINI Cooper S, 23% of all complaints for this model year, including 2 that report a crash. Median mileage at failure is 58,638 miles.
Which MINI Cooper S year has the most airbag complaints?
The 2005 MINI Cooper S has the most airbag complaints (71), compared with 71 for the 2005.
Is there a airbag recall for the 2005 MINI Cooper S?
Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for the 2005 MINI Cooper S concerns the airbag: 15V205000.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.