YearToAvoid

2005 MINI Cooper Airbags Problems

NHTSA has 41 owner complaints about airbag problems in the 2005 MINI Cooper, 11% of all 372 complaints for this model year. That is #4 highest airbag complaint count among 21 Cooper model years. These complaints report 1 injury. Median mileage at failure: 65,896 miles.

Airbags complaints
41
11% of 372
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
1
Median mileage
65,896 mi
Related recalls
1

When 2005 MINI Cooper airbag complaints were filed

First complaint Feb 3, 2009, latest Nov 30, 2017.

2005 MINI Cooper airbags complaints: complaints filed per month3Feb 2009Feb 2012Dec 2012Aug 2013Jul 2014Dec 2014Aug 2015Jul 2016
41 complaints filed with NHTSA from Feb 2009 to Nov 2017; peak Jul 2014 (3).

Airbags recalls for the 2005 MINI Cooper

  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 model year

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

  1. 200541 (11%)
  2. 2006111 (56%)
  3. 200747 (40%)
  4. 200841 (36%)
  5. 200962 (41%)
  6. 201021 (23%)
  7. 201118 (22%)
  8. 201212 (18%)
  9. 201312 (26%)
  10. 20143 (9%)
  11. 20151 (2%)
  12. 20162 (7%)
  13. 20173 (11%)
  14. 20182 (25%)
  15. 20190 (0%)
  16. 20203 (43%)
  17. 20211 (14%)
  18. 20221 (17%)
  19. 20230 (0%)
  20. 20240 (0%)
  21. 20250 (0%)

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2005 MINI Cooper have airbag problems?
NHTSA has 41 owner complaints about the airbag in the 2005 MINI Cooper, 11% of all complaints for this model year. Median mileage at failure is 65,896 miles.
Which MINI Cooper year has the most airbag complaints?
The 2006 MINI Cooper has the most airbag complaints (111), compared with 41 for the 2005.
Is there a airbag recall for the 2005 MINI Cooper?
Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for the 2005 MINI Cooper 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.