What breaks most · 2005 to 2012 model years
MINI Cooper S Convertible problems by year
Owners have filed 138 safety complaints with NHTSA about the MINI Cooper S Convertible across model years 2005 to 2012. Three years stand out: 2005 for steering complaints, 2006 for air bags complaints and 2010 for engine complaints. The quietest years are 2008, 2007 and 2009.
- Years to check closely: 2005, 2006, 2010
- Fewest complaints: 2008, 2007, 2009
- Complaints on file
- 1382005 to 2012, all trims
- Worst year
- 200561 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 010 fires · 1 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 55kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 10Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | 0 | 1 | Steering (37) | |
| 36 | 0 | 1 | Air bags (18) | |
| 8 | 0 | 2 | Air bags (5) | |
| 7 | 0 | 1 | Air bags (3) | |
| 9 | 0 | 1 | Engine (7) | |
| 10 | 0 | 1 | Engine (4) | |
| 4 | 0 | 2 | Electrical system (3) | |
| 3 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (2) |
What fails on the 2005 MINI Cooper S Convertible
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 61% |
37 | 0 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 25% |
15 | 0 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 10% |
6 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 5% |
3 | 0 | Shop all engine and cooling parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 3% |
2 | 0 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 2% |
1 | 0 | — |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 2% |
1 | 0 | Shop all brakes (hydraulic) parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Seats | 2% |
1 | 0 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Electric power steering pump has loud whine or moaning sound with only 42,000 miles on it. Fluid level is good and so far the power steering is still working. It does get louder while turning but also annoying when just idling.
-
This historical issue has plagued many drivers of mini usa and many have reported accidents. Is it going to take the loss of innocent lives to have you force mini usa do the right thing and include all of these known defects fixed?
-
I was driving on i 280 east and newar exit 8b the engine suddenly stopped. There was loss of power steering and steering wheel became very tight. I almost got hit by a tractor. I got out of the exit (exit 7) and got myself towed. The mechanic thinks it is the timing belt that is broken.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which MINI Cooper S Convertible years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2005, 2006, 2010 carry the most filings on the MINI Cooper S Convertible. The 2005 alone has 61 complaints, led by steering.
What is the most common MINI Cooper S Convertible problem?
On the 2005 model year, the most-reported component is steering with 37 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do MINI Cooper S Convertible problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all MINI Cooper S Convertible complaints that include mileage is about 55,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.