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exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
US recalls (1)
Air bags: frontal
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.
Risk and remedy
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.
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.
Canadian recalls (2)
Show 2 Canadian recalls
Seats and restraints
2015-04-07 · campaign 2015-147
On certain vehicles, the front passenger seat occupant detection mat can fatigue over time. As a result, the passenger airbag could deactivate, illuminating the airbag warning lamp and the passenger airbag ON/OFF lamp. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of personal injury to the seat occupant. Correction: Dealers will replace the occupant detection mat. Note: This recall is an expansion of recalls 2008-307 and 2013-238.
Powertrain
2006-01-16 · campaign 2006-013 · 11 vehicles
On certain vehicles equipped with a constant velocity transmission (CVT), the connection between the transmission gear selector rod and the lock plate may not have been laser-welded correctly. If the weld were to break, the gear currently engaged would remain in position. It would no longer be possible to shift transmission gear positions using the selector lever. The display for the transmission in the instrument cluster may then show a gear position that does not correspond to the actual gear position of the transmission. The potential exists for the vehicle to pull away from stop in the opposition direction to that desired, or if the vehicle was parked on an incline of sufficient grade, and the parking brake was not engaged, this could result in a vehicle rollaway condition. Correction: Dealers will inspect the transmission gear selector rod to lock plate weld and, if necessary, will replace the CVT transmission.
Owner complaints (200)
Owners filed 200 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 MINI Cooper (9 crashes, 8 fires, 9 injuries reported). Among 26 model years of this model, it ranks #4 for the most complaints (median 47).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|
| Air bags | 111 | |
| Steering | 53 | |
| Power train | 20 | |
| Seats | 13 | |
| Engine | 10 | |
| Electrical system | 10 | |
| Engine and engine cooling | 9 | |
| Seat belts | 5 | |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2006 MINI Cooper.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|
| 2006 MINI Cooper 2-DR. w/SAB | – | – | – | – |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2006 MINI Cooper version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|
| Cooper 1.6 L Automatic (variable gear ratios) | 23 | 31 | 26 | $3,150 |
| Cooper 1.6 L Manual 5-spd | 24 | 33 | 28 | $2,950 |
| Cooper Convertible 1.6 L Automatic (variable gear ratios) | 23 | 30 | 25 | $3,300 |
| Cooper Convertible 1.6 L Manual 5-spd | 24 | 32 | 27 | $3,050 |
| Cooper S 1.6 L Manual 6-spd | 22 | 29 | 24 | $3,400 |
| Cooper S 1.6 L Automatic (S6) | 21 | 29 | 24 | $3,400 |
| Cooper S Convertible 1.6 L Manual 6-spd | 22 | 29 | 24 | $3,400 |
| Cooper S Convertible 1.6 L Automatic (S6) | 21 | 29 | 24 | $3,400 |
| Cooper S JCWorks GP Kit 1.6 L Manual 6-spd | 20 | 27 | 22 | $3,750 |
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Recalls, complaints, crash ratings and fuel economy as a JSON API. Decode up to 50 VINs per call and get a daily feed of new recalls.
Explore the API →Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport
Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada).
Recalls updated 2026-10-30.