BMW 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. The affected vehicles may experience temporary or permanent loss of the electro-hydraulic steering assistance.
Safety risk
If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, potentially increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Manufacturer remedy
MINI will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the electro-hydraulic power steering system, replacing the components and wiring, as necessary, free of charge. Interim notices were mailed to owners on December 10, 2015. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.
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.
Safety 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.
Manufacturer 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.
Owner complaints
A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.
Component
Complaints
Median mileage
Steering
269
74,000 mi
Air bags
41
62,000 mi
Electrical system
31
65,000 mi
Power train
12
69,791 mi
Unknown or other
11
67,000 mi
Power train: automatic transmission
9
47,000 mi
Seats
7
45,830 mi
Engine
6
60,246 mi
Engine and engine cooling
6
61,000 mi
Steering: hydraulic power assist: pump
6
56,000 mi
Structure: body
5
54,000 mi
Vehicle speed control
5
2,250 mi
Service brakes
4
77,500 mi
Steering: electric power assist system
4
86,000 mi
Suspension
3
62,000 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
95,900 mi
Power train: manual transmission
2
77,000 mi
Steering: hydraulic power assist system
2
5,000 mi
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
2
172,843 mi
Visibility: windshield
2
19,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system
1
48,737 mi
Engine and engine cooling: engine
1
2,000 mi
Exterior lighting
1
87,000 mi
Exterior lighting: brake lights
1
79 mi
Fuel system, other: delivery
1
6,000 mi
Latches/locks/linkages
1
34,816 mi
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
1
85,000 mi
Parking brake
1
4,500 mi
Power train: clutch assembly
1
50,000 mi
Power train: driveline: differential unit
1
2,500 mi
Seat belts
1
86,000 mi
Wheels
1
120,000 mi
Wheels: lugs/nuts/bolts/studs
1
2,000 mi
Wheels: rim
1
2,000 mi
The 2004 model has about 1.5 times as many complaints as this one. The 2006 model has 2 times as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.
Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.