Your vehicle report
2003 MINI Cooper
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 320
- Received Aug 2000 to May 2025
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Power steering cuts out while driving62 complaints · 19% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2CVT transmission fails or loses power36 complaints · 11% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Vehicle catches fire from wiring28 complaints · 8.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #15V660000BMW 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.
- Recall #03V086000On certain vehicles, the lower screw connection of the rear struts to the chassis may fail. The head (top) of the screw securing this connection may break. The remaining portion of the screw will still hold the strut in place.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 3 crashes, 27 fires, 3 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 15 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
- Power steering cuts out while driving
- Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly
- Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed
1 more problem
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 1 |
| 2001 | 0 |
| 2002 | 0 |
| 2003 | 19 |
| 2004 | 15 |
| 2005 | 5 |
| 2006 | 7 |
| 2007 | 18 |
| 2008 | 41 |
| 2009 | 16 |
| 2010 | 37 |
| 2011 | 45 |
| 2012 | 41 |
| 2013 | 22 |
| 2014 | 15 |
| 2015 | 11 |
| 2016 | 9 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 320 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 62 | 19% | – | NHTSA recall #15V660000 |
| CVT transmission fails or loses power | 36 | 11% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 28 | 8.8% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 27 | 8.4% | – | NHTSA recall #15V660000 |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 27 | 8.4% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 14 | 4.4% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 11 | 3.4% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 10 | 3.1% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 7 | 2.2% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 6 | 1.9% | – | |
| Power steering rack leaks fluid | 5 | 1.6% | – | |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Transmission will not engage reverse gear | 3 | 0.9% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #15V660000October 15, 201586,018 vehicles affected
steering: electric power assist system
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.
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #03V086000March 10, 20035,110 vehicles affected
suspension: rear: shock absorber
On certain vehicles, the lower screw connection of the rear struts to the chassis may fail. The head (top) of the screw securing this connection may break. The remaining portion of the screw will still hold the strut in place.
If left unattended over a period of time, and depending on driving conditions, the remaining portion of the screw may break. If it broke, the chassis would lean directly on the tire diminishing the driver's ability to control the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the lower screw connection of the rear struts. Owner notification began april 7, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Bmw at 1-800-831-1117.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2003 MINI Cooper.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN