2005 MINI Cooper S Steering Problems
- Complaints
- 212about this part
- Share
- 68%of 314 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 70,000miles
- Trend
- FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 212 complaints about the steering of the 2005 MINI Cooper S, 68% of the 314 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 70,000 miles. 4 of these say a crash was involved and 11 a fire, according to the filers. 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.
“Complete power steering failure on my way to work this morning while turning a corner from the highway to city street. I found an open safety recall dec 2015 for 2005 model Mini Cooper S but my 2005 VIN is not included. It seems a major safety concern like this would be taken care of by the oem.”
NHTSA complaint #10876831, filed 2016-06, 180,000 miles“The power steering in my car has failed continuously. We had the entire rack replaced in 2011 - the steering fluid constantly leaks, or burns dry - for the last few months, the power steering pump does not stop running when the vehicle is parked - requiring for the battery to be disconnected at every stop, or risk a dead battery.”
NHTSA complaint #10503656, filed 2013-03, 130,000 miles“The passenger air bag weight sensor stop working. As a result my vehicle displays a warning that the passenger side air bags are off. My driver side fog light housing melted and crack apart. I used stock 55w halogen bulbs. My passenger side fog light housing has also begun to melt. My power steering is not leaking now. But it has been replaced 3 times.”
NHTSA complaint #10474200, filed 2012-09, 75,000 miles“While driving on the freeway (I-684) at 65 MPH the vehicle lost power steering assist approx. 30 miles from my home. This made the car difficult to control, especially when taking turns in and off of exits. Much force was required to maintain control and steering the vehicle for the rest of the trip home. I will report this to Mini on monday.”
NHTSA complaint #10445662, filed 2012-01, 51,000 miles“My power steering went out while I was making a left turn in front of oncoming traffic. I managed to avoid hitting the curb and pulled over after completing the turn. It felt like driving with four flat tires. After restarting, the power steering worked again. The same thing happened again two days later. In both cases, this happened shortly after starting up.”
NHTSA complaint #10473071, filed 2012-08, 30,200 milesRelated recalls
- 15V660000Oct 15, 2015BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 MINI Cooper and Cooper S vehicles and 2005 Cooper and Cooper S Convertible vehicles…Covers: MINI Cooper S 2002–2005, Cooper 2002–2005
Related service bulletins
- 10151228Mar 1, 2016This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI 32 02 14 dated August 2014. SUBJECT Installation of Right-Hand Drive Steering Spindle in Left-Hand Drive Vehicle is No Longer…
- 10148439Nov 1, 2014Electro-Hydraulic Power-Assist Steering Pump (EHPS) and Cooling Fan: Limited Warranty Extension to 13 Years/150,000 Miles. On affected vehicles, the electro-hydraulic power…
- 10057710Nov 1, 2014Mini: models r50, r52, and r53 with the electro-hydraulic power-assist steering pump and cooling fans will have an limited warranty extension to 13 years/150,000 miles.
- 10148394Aug 1, 2014Installation of Right-Hand Drive Steering Spindle in Left-Hand Drive Vehicle. Supply shortage of left-hand drive steering spindles
- 10055137Apr 15, 2014Mini: warranty coverage extension/repair expense reimbursement for the electro hydraulic power (assist) steering (ehps) pump, which has its own cooling fan, on some vehicles and…
- 10052614Dec 1, 2013Mini: see document search button for owner letter. A warranty extension for certain vehicles with potential problem with cooling fan and the durability of electro hydraulic power…
- 10150044Jul 1, 2013Electro-Hydraulic Power-Assist Steering Pump (EHPS) and Cooling Fan: Warranty Extension to 13 years/150,000 miles. On affected vehicles, the electro-hydraulic power steering…
- 10150086Jun 1, 2013Electro-Hydraulic Power-Assist Steering Pump (EHPS) and Cooling Fan: Warranty Extension to 13 years/150,000 miles. On affected vehicles, the electro-hydraulic power steering…
Steering: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | 20% |
| 2019 | 1 | 20% |
| 2016 | 1 | 10% |
| 2010 | 1 | 2% |
| 2009 | 1 | 1% |
| 2008 | 1 | 1% |
| 2007 | 7 | 3% |
| 2006 | 48 | 26% |
| 2005 | 212 | 68% |
| 2004 | 210 | 85% |
| 2003 | 129 | 59% |
| 2002 | 57 | 69% |
Other parts of the 2005 MINI Cooper S
71 complaintsElectrical system
23 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
13 complaintsEngine
8 complaintsEngine cooling
8 complaintsSeats
8 complaintsOther or unknown
6 complaintsBody and structure
4 complaintsSuspension
3 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
3 complaintsExterior lighting
2 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2005 MINI Cooper S
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 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