repaired · 2017 Q1
Air bags: frontal
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…
2006 MINI CooperProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 200 owner complaints about the 2006 MINI Cooper, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 1 safety recall, and for recall 15V-205 the manufacturer reports only 37% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 5, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2006 MINI Cooper has problems
200 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
111Air bags5 crash/fire/injury
53Steering6 crash/fire/injury
20Power train1 crash/fire/injury
13Seats
10Engine
10Electrical system
9Engine and engine cooling
5Seat belts
2Vehicle speed control
88 other systems
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 111 | 5 |
| Steering | 53 | 6 |
| Power train | 20 | 1 |
| Seats | 13 | 2 |
| Engine | 10 | 3 |
| Electrical system | 10 | 3 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 9 | 2 |
| Seat belts | 5 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 |
| 8 other systems | 8 | 3 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
1 recall
2006 MINI Cooper recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with MINI.
Mileage at failure
When do air bags problems start?
65kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 89 air bags complaints. 87% were reported before 100,000 miles.
7under 30k miles77under 100k miles12100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Air bags
30 owners mentioned a cost$1,350median
Middle half: $1,172 – $1,575
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2006 vs. every other Cooper year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Cooper median. How we score
'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2006 MINI Cooper safety ratings
2006 MINI Cooper 2-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
- Stability control: Optional
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
In owners' words
What Cooper owners report
Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
BMW issued a Recall 15V-205 Safety Recall, to cover the Airbag sensor in the passenger seat of my vehicle, a 2006 Mini Cooper S. The failure error was in the airbag sensor in the passenger seat, and the system warned of potential hazard with the passenger airbag. My car had a recall fix in 2018 for…
Blindsided Drive side impact car ignited I was cut from my car suffering emence Injuries due to the malfunction of the airbags. No air bags deployed.
CAR ACCIDENT CAUSE PROBLEMS, HAVING PROBLEMS WITH CLUTCH / FLYWHEEL WAS REPAIRED ONE TIME DRIVE SLOW WON'T MOVE FAST. NOT STEERING, HAS LEAKAGE, DAMAGE DENTS ON RIGHT SIDE FRONT END PAINT DAMAGES, NOT RIGHT COLOR. BACK BUMPER DAMAGE SCRATCHES, HATCHBACK LOCK NEEDS BE REPLACED. WHEELS DAMAGE LT RT.…
Own a 2006 Cooper?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.