2005 Mini Cooper S: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 383 complaints
383
Total Complaints
66,000mi
Median Mileage
STEERING
Top Issue
8
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

51,000 25th Percentile
66,000 Median Mileage
89,550 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

STEERING
205
AIR BAGS
62
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
22
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
11
POWER TRAIN
10
SEATS
8
ENGINE
8
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
6
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
6
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP
5

Severity Assessment

8
Crashes
31
Fires
7
Injuries
3
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"SUDDEN STRESS CRACK APPEARED DIRECTLY BEHIND REAR VIEW MIRROR. NO ROCK CHIP OR OTHER IMPACT EVIDENCE. WE'D JUST GONE FROM COOL (MID 50'S ) TO RECORD HEAT (100) IN 24 HOURS. HAVE LESS THAN 4,500 MILES ON THE CAR. CAME OUT IN THE MORNING TO FIND THE CRACK, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 6" LONG GROWING VE..."
"(1) I RECENTLY TRADED MY 2003 MINI COOPER IN FOR A 2005 MINI COOPER S AT A PRIVATE DEALERSHIP. (2) UPON INSPECTING THE 2005 COOPER S, I NOTICED THAT THE STRUT TOWERS WERE DEFORMED, BUT SINCE THIS WAS NOT A MINI DEALERSHIP, NOTHING COULD BE DONE BY THEM. I BOUGHT THE CAR THINKING THIS COULD BE FIXE..."
"(1) I RECENTLY TRADED MY 2003 MINI COOPER IN FOR A 2005 MINI COOPER S AT A PRIVATE DEALERSHIP. (2) UPON INSPECTING THE 2005 COOPER S, I NOTICED THAT THE STRUT TOWERS WERE DEFORMED, BUT SINCE THIS WAS NOT A MINI DEALERSHIP, NOTHING COULD BE DONE BY THEM. I BOUGHT THE CAR THINKING THIS COULD BE FIXE..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28