2005 MINI Cooper S Convertible Air bags Problems
- Complaints
- 15about this part
- Share
- 25%of 61 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 55,806miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 15 complaints about the air bags of the 2005 MINI Cooper S Convertible, 25% of the 61 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 55,806 miles. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“When someone is sitting in the seat. Also, the light which indicates the passenger side airbag is off comes on when someone is sitting in the passenger seat. I used the same write-up on a previous complaint as the symptoms are accurate for my 2005 Mini Cooper S Convertible, with approximately 72,000 miles.”
NHTSA complaint #10412183, filed 2011-07, 72,000 miles“Airbag sensor light is on, indicating a problem with the passenger airbag. This is a common problem with minis and certain bmws. Mini has voluntarily repaired the defect in some vehicles but is refusing to repair others. Mini told me to take it to a dealer, pay for a diagnostic and they'd think about a repair. I have no faith in their willingness to provide a repair since ether have refused the repair repeatedly to other consumers. This is a common safety issue, and appears to clearly be a defect rather than an expected wearing out of the vehicle.”
NHTSA complaint #10537800, filed 2013-08, 69,000 miles“Unexpectedly, the airbag malfunction light came on. I've seen other reports of this occurring on the web. I have not had this serviced yet. It is not covered by Mini's warranty.”
NHTSA complaint #10427587, filed 2011-09, 75,000 miles“Airbag warning lamp illuminates intermittently in dash and passenger airbag off illuminates above rear view mirror in my 2005 Mini Cooper S Convertible. When some sits in the seat it comes on intermittently. When you check the connectors under the seat it goes off with wiggling. Diagnosed by Mini cooper dealership as cracked seat occupancy sensor inside the seat. Not repairable only replaceable. Airbag will not go off if passenger in the seat. Mini cooper has covered this for other models, but my car is not covered. Incurring me a $1600 quote for make my car safe for passengers.”
NHTSA complaint #10494650, filed 2013-01, 42,611 miles“The passenger detector on my passenger seat has failed. This is a known issue in Mini coopers and bmws of this age. The fix is complete $1500 seat replacement at the dealer. Bmw has already recalled the parts for all the bmws where this occurs, but not the minis.”
NHTSA complaint #10701510, filed 2015-03, 100,811 milesRelated recalls
- 15V205000Apr 6, 2015BMW 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…Covers: MINI Cooper S Convertible 2005–2008, Cooper Convertible 2005–2008, Cooper 2005–2006 +1 more
Related service bulletins
- 10039593May 1, 2011Bmw: the airbag warning light is on with a fault stored. The wiring under the seat may be pinched or damaged.
Air bags: other model years
Other parts of the 2005 MINI Cooper S Convertible
37 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
6 complaintsEngine cooling
3 complaintsBody and structure
2 complaintsBrakes
1 complaintsElectrical system
1 complaintsEngine
1 complaintsEquipment
1 complaintsOther or unknown
1 complaintsSeat belts
1 complaintsSeats
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2005 MINI Cooper S Convertible
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology