The contact owns a 2005 Mini Coop S Hardtop. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied, the vehicle alarm activated inadvertently and the contact noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact stated that he lifted the hood open and noticed fire coming from underneath the engine. The contact extinguished the fire with a fire extinguisher. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Engine & cooling
2005 Mini Cooper Engine problems
Owners have filed 37 complaints about the 2005 Mini Cooper's engine & cooling with NHTSA - 4% of all its complaints, most recently on May 30, 2023. They describe 1 crash, 11 fires and 2 injuries. Stalling, loss of power, oil consumption, overheating, head gaskets, timing chains and engine failure.
- Complaints
- 37
- Recalls
- 0
- Crashes
- 1
- Fires
- 11
- Injuries
- 2
- Deaths
- 1
Engine complaints
Driving at approximately 10-15 miles an hour entering a parking lot when I noticed flames coming out of the hood scoop of my 2005 Mini Cooper S. After brief inspection from my mechanic, it is believed to have been caused by the wiring harness for ABS or possibly the power steering unit since the fire originated from the rear/right hand side of the engine and those two components. I have a claim opened with USAA but during simple research, I have found tens, if not close to a hundred issues with similar...
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characteristics. I know I am not the first R53 Mini Cooper (2002-2006 run) with this problem and this should be considered a hazard and public safety issue. I have included the link to many of the cases captured by the North American Motoring Association (a primarily North American Mini car association) which details 24 pages of these issues. https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/stock-problems-issues/73527-spontaneous-engine-bay-fires.html?ispreloading=1
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper s. The contact stated that while driving at 30 mph, the vehicle overheated and smoke began coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the water pump was replaced. After the repair, the power steering ceased without warning upon starting the vehicle. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 15v660000 (steering) as possible cause of the failure however, the vin was not included. Mini of des moines located at...
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(9900 hickman rd, des moines, ia 50325) was contacted and confirmed that the vin was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
2005 Mini cooper s was traveling 50mph when it hit icy bridge spun around and rolled 3 times driver was wearing a seatbelt and passenger was not and got ejected and died.No airbags deployed. Hwy 299.*Dt *js
Takata recall. Dealership wanted to charge me $1000 to fix this airbag. Steering also stiff and at time unresponsive. Number three misfire is a design flaw. Horn does not work. Lens on headlights make light very dim.
Transmission went out at 60k miles because of the way it's made it had to be completely replaced. Many many complaints about this faulty transmission. Bmw has to pay for it.
2005 Mini cooper. Consumer writes in regards to engine electronic failure. Consumer has another vehicle complaint listed in artemis. *Smd the consumer stated the problem he experienced with his vehicle was a computer test called comprehensive component kept reading incomplete. The dealer found an internal short inside the engine basic control computer. The consumer stated the cost to replace the electronic hardware was $1968 which was excessive. *Jb
Parked at shopping mall and not running for at least 30 minutes, come out to mini cooper on fire. Smoke coming out of engine area, high pitch fan whirling, electrical smell. Power steering failed, shorted out, and caught on fire. Vehicle was not even on and parked when this happened. Appears to be a major failure many others owning a mini cooper have experienced. Bmw/mini cooper of usa did nothing for us and put it all on our and my insurances shoulders. Amazed so many cases of this same issue have happened...
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yet they do nothing and seem to expect everyone else to foot the bill. Got the run around by bmw and unless it was for my insurance company, the mini would have been scrapped. *Tr
About two weeks prior to the fire, my back bumper was hit by someone,nothing too serious just the tail light broken. Their insurance had my car fixed at world toyota collision center in atlanta georgia. On saturday morning, I picked up my car. I noticed clicking noise coming out from inside the car and the steering wheel becoming rigid as soon as I started driving. I pulled to the closest gas station (was in need of gas as well). White smoke came out from the front right after I parked. My husband lifted up the...
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hood trying to see where the smoke is from. Not even two minutes later, there was flame, yes, actual fire underneath the engine compartment. Fortunately, there were two officers next to us at that time so they used fire extinguisher to take the fire down. I'm extremely frightened and disappointed at mini cooper. Very dangerous car. *Tr
A "pop" was heard when I was driving my vehicle on i95. I was able to pull over to the side considering when the "pop" occurred, my mini lost power. As I was pulled over, the vehicle burst into flames. *Tr
My problem is with a 2005 mini cooper s. Why is their not a recall on the water pump? It has been know for going out premature and bmw has redesigned the new pumps with a metal impeller instead of previous plastic. Talking to the dealer, they made me feel fortunate that my water pump made it to 50,000 miles stating they replace many water pumps in the 1st generation series around 20,000 miles. I strongly believe this is dangerous, as the failure can cause overheating and requires you to shut off the car, and sit on...
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the side of the road. Cars are not made to over heat. This greatly increases the chance of a fire. Bmw knows they have a problem but is not recalling the water pumps until 2006-2011. I think the 1st generation minis should have the same recall as most minis including mine has/had a water pump issue and would like over a thousand dollars to have it replaced. I have caught mine early but only because I jack up my mini to clean the underbody about once a month. Mini coopers are well known for their water pumps, thermostats, and power steering, failing. I am 18 years old and would like to use this car to travel from south carolina to wisconsin in the future, yet if my coolant system (water pump or thermostat) could go out again at any time and cost a fortune to replace and leave me stranded on the side of a highway. I will be taking a plane every time I travel a few hundred miles and rent a car. This must be addressed! I just paid 1200 for mini to replace a water pump that should have had at the least 30-50 thousand miles more. *Tr
Around june 2008 my mini cooper s 2005 began exhibiting what appeared to be a failure to maintain consistent speed while driving at a constant rpm. I experienced slow, or sluggish acceleration while driving and the engine light would come on sporadically. I took my mini, which was still under warranty in for service to bmw/mini of san antonio and was reassured that I was experiencing normal shifting mechanics. They were also unable to detect why the engine light was coming on. I experienced these idiosyncratic...
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issues continuously throughout the year and began to notice the car jumping higher and lower in speed during acceleration in more regular intervals. In september of 2010 the engine would lurch into gear, seconds after failing to change gears effectively. At times, the car would suddenly drop out of gear while driving. I began taking my car into a bmw/mini certified shop in austin, tx. After much time, money, and trouble, plus many visits to the mechanic, my mini cooper's condition deteriorated completely. While in busy traffic my mini lurched forward and stalled coming to a complete stop while driving before I could get it off the busy roadway. I was almost rear ended by vehicles behind mine, these drivers had to make extreme evasive maneuvers in order not to hit me, the car in front of them, or be rear ended themselves. This unsafe and hazardous incident endangered my life, and was the last for my mini, resulting in complete transmission failure in july 2011. I sought opinions on my options, shop quotes to fix my vehicle, all around $10,000. My vehicle has not been fixed or altered, it stands as it did the day of the transmission failure. It was towed from the shop to storage. My vehicle is no longer under warranty, and there are many others who have similar circumstance documented. Why was there no recall? Class action lawsuits in california and new jersey. *Tr
Last december my steering went out on my car. I did some research online and found that a possible class action suit was in the process. I called mini north america to discuss my findings and to see if a recall was in the works. The customer service agent stated she wasn't aware of any. I took the car to my dealer and had to have 4,000 dollars in repairs. Water pump, super charger and several bearings. I then get a letter in early june of 2013 stating that a recall was in the works and to send all my information in...
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for possible reimbursement. I was told that I qualify and that a check was going to be cut and sent out by the end of june or early august. When the check didn't arrive, I continued to call mini north america and I keep getting the run around. I was told it was going to be late september or early october. I just called again today and now I'm told it will be cut before the new year. Can someone please put someone's hand on the fire and get this resolved? [[redacted]] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.S.C. 552(B)(6). *Tr
In september 2012 I noticed a loud fan noise that wouldn't turn off. The car was also overheating. I noticed that it was very hard to steer the car, but I thought that was due to the overheating. Mechanic determined failed cylinder head gasket in 11/2012. The radiator was replaced and the thermostat was replaced. In 11/2012 the water pump was also replaced. In 12/2012 the battery had to be replaced. In 06/2013 the heater core was replaced. I believe that these issues are directly related to the loss of...
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power steering and the associated fan failing, which caused the car to overheat and the battery to fail. Please see nhtsa complaints 10453158, 10444328, 10379750, 10442431,10379459 for similar cases of these same issues related to the failure of power steering and the associated pump. *Tr
When accelerating from 30 to 40 miles an hour/shifting from 3rd to 4th gear, my transmission would rev up the rpms and my car no longer accelerates. It went from about 2 to 5.5 Rpms, even after I took my foot off the gas pedal. Once it finally does shift, it lurches the car forward violently. It takes a while for the transmission to start acting up, but once the car is fully warmed up, it seems nearly impossible to have it not happen. It's even more frustrating and frightening because I do all city driving, where...
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I slow down and speed up so I am constantly having to get within the 30mph range. My car stops accelerating so I am afraid of my transmission dying in the middle of traffic or slowing down so much that is causes an accident. Bottom line: my car does not function properly and potentially endangers me, so I am afraid to drive my car. *Tr
Started vehicle in the morning of 11/14/2012. The shift indicator on the dash shows ep mode instead of d,r,n,etc. The car seemed to drive fine but there's something wrong with the shifter electronics. The car does not seem to know what drive mode is in. Putting the auto manual transmission into sports mode does not change the shift indicator on the dash. In sports modes it still showed ep. In ep mode the car does not rev beyond 3000rpm and drives rough at certain speeds. This may be a manufacturer defect with a transmission sensor, or the shifter electronics. *Tr
At low miles the transmission has to be replaced. No fore warning just gone. I'm trying to drive and at 10 mph I'm revving at up to 3000 rpm's. This should def not be happening! I'm fuming being that I have to now replace the transmission when I have not beaten on it or anything to make this happen. So far my experience with bmw has not been good. I would have been better buying anything else. *Tr
The vehicle began to feel like the transmission was slipping: hesitation, wheels skidding, rough acceleration and deceleration. The problem continues after 2 trips to mini cooper in which the car's computer was "reset" because no problems with the transmission were found. The problem described above persists, but there was also one episode where the car did not start and later turned off while driving on a congested nyc road. *Tr
Generally, I love the mini cooper having purchased it in the after market. However, not long after the warranty ran out, I had problems for several weeks with my steering wheel seizing up but an incident in february 2012 sticks out most in my mind since I was on i-95 in the rain and could not adequately steer the car to take an exit. My 11 yr old daughter was with me at the time. I pulled to the shoulder and shut the car off and was able to restart and resume driving. Financially, I could not afford to take the...
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car into the dealer but the condition and work around continued intermittently for a few weeks when I could afford the repair. In early may 2012, I took the car to the dealer for repair and it cost over $1300 to replace the power steering pump. At the time of the repair, it was noted that the cooling fan also needed repair for another $720 -- I just didn't have it. Today, my 2-yr old battery failed apparently due to draining from the fan. For now, I replaced the battery for $249. I will be incrementally getting repairs done, however, in reading some people's experience with the steering pump, I understand that there may be some relevance between the pump going bad and an impact on the fan. I'd appreciate any insights you may have on that possibility. I am reporting this not only for myself but for others who also may be impacted by the pump defect that I am learning is somewhat common. I look forward to the outcome of your engineering analysis. Thank you. *Tr
Earlier in the day I took the car on a day trip to lake tahoe driving a combination of interstate and mountain pass road. 3 Hours later, my wife had taken the car to run an errand and came home and parked the car in the garage completely off and locked. 10-15 Minutes later we hear the car alarm going off. We opened the door to the garage and saw white smoke coming from the engine compartment. There was high pitched wining also. When I opened up the door the put in neutral, the lights on the instrument panels were...
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all on with no keys in the ignition. Opened the garage and moved the car to the driveway and away from the house. Called the fire department and I used an extinguisher underneath where orange glow was visible. The glow of the flames were toward the back part of the engine compartment and low. Saw no visible flames in the main compartment when the hood was popped open when fire department showed up they used a garden hose to cool engine compartment and suggested to disconnect the battery which I did. I had the car towed to the mini dealer in reno, nv. *Tr updated 8/8/12 *cn the consumer stated the parts that seemed to have caused and were damaged in the incident were the power steering pump, power steering cooling fan, and electrical harness all in the engine compartment of a 2005 mini cooper s. Updated 08/14/2012 *js
Defective cvt transmission! The dealership said that it was no fault of ours that we needed a new transmission, but due to the way this transmission was designed!!!!!!!! *Tr
My 2005 mini cooper s out of no where buried the needle on the thermostat and was completely overheated. Unable to drive any further as I smelt smoke and possibly a sweet smell coming from the engine. Had it towed to a mechanic and have now seen that this is an item that has been recalled on all mini coopers s from 2006 to 2011, I find it hard to believe that the 2005 does not have the same pump electrical circuit board etc. As those and I feel that my car should be also recalled for this item. Obviously, I can not drive it and the price is outrageous to fix it. *Tr
Vehicle fire 5/2/2012. Car parked for 4 hrs. Returned to car & drove it <50 yards for ~2 minutes (moved it from street to parking lot). Turned it off and went in store. Returned ~4 minutes later, noticed smoke/exhaust smell; presumed it was adjacent car. Unlocked car. Car would't start (no lights/electrical at all). I then noticed white smoke coming from hood. Opened hood then noticed flame/fire inside engine compartment. Went in store, got fire extinguisher and put fire out. Invoice was >$3500 from mini...
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dealer. The dealer's assessment: "verified power steering pump has overheated to the point where it has burned up internally as well as externally (melting all three connectors and the wiring leading to them). Inspected power steering cooling fan and verified cooling fan is seizing up which very likely led to the overheating and eventual failure of the power steering pump. Removed engine compartment fuse box to examine megafuse powering the power steering pump, fuse is intact and did not burn up. Inspected power steering pressure hose and it appears the rubber section of the power steering pressure line was subjected to the heat/melting of the main power connector (it's in very close proximity to the connector) and it appears the hose has taken a level of damage from the heat. Recommend replacement of power steering pump, the wiring section/connector pigtail from the fuse box (this is the main power connector), the engine wiring harness (contains two other electrical connectors to the pump which received extensive damage), the power steering fan (likely cause of failure), power steering pressure line (high pressure hydraulic line which has been exposed to the main connector melting and subsequent heat), and other miscellaneous items associated with those components (o-rings, crush rings, hose clamps ect...)" *Tr
Engine cooling fan low speed stage failure. There has been a recall of cooling fan for the same model up to model year 2004. But my 2005 mini cooper s has the same problem. Thus, it is appropriate to extend the recall to include model year 2005. *Js
Over heating constantly no technical person knows of a remedy. Overflow tank blows out when car overheats constantly .This seems to be a problem since the beginning no matter what year the car was built and never remedied. Why not a recall? Not knowing what other damage this causes to the engine. This has to be a recall for the company to fix it is a hit and miss fix??? This is a costly process and even in the forums on mini it has been an ongoing issue. Front end fails all at the same time. (Control arms, cv joints) steering becomes hard to control. Mini help *tr
Mini Cooper engine complaints by year
Cooper engine problems, every yearSource: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data