2005 Mini Cooper S Steering Problems

NHTSA component category: STEERING · data through 07/12/2026

205Steering complaints

65.3%Of all 314 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How steering ranks on this vehicle

STEERING205 · 65.3%

AIR BAGS62 · 19.7%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM22 · 7%

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL11 · 3.5%

POWER TRAIN10 · 3.2%

Share of the 314 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2005 Mini Cooper S overview page.

What owners report

“POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING AND DOES NOT RETURN UNTIL CAR IS CYCLED OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN.”NHTSA complaint 10402284 — filed 05/21/2011

“MY 2005 MINI COOPER S HAS POWER STEERING WHEEL FAILURE. IT STARTED HAPPENING AFTER THE CAR HIT 50,000 MILES WHICH I THINK IT'S STILL TOO…”NHTSA complaint 10401039 — filed 05/16/2011

“POWER STEERING HAS BEEN FAILING TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. IT OCCURS MAINLY AFTER STARTING THE CAR AND DRIVING AWAY FROM…”NHTSA complaint 10399882 — filed 05/10/2011

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Steering complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2005 Mini Cooper S have steering problems?

Steering is the most-reported problem area on the 2005 Mini Cooper S: 205 of 314 complaints on file (65.3%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2005 Mini Cooper S have in total?

314 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 6 involved a crash, 17 involved a fire, 3 reported injuries, and 1 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's steering category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the STEERING category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.