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2003 MINI Cooper SProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 217 owner complaints about the 2003 MINI Cooper S, most often about the steering. It is covered by 2 safety recalls, and for recall 15V-660 the manufacturer reports only 31% of affected cars repaired.

42
CarFlaw IndexUse caution1.4× the Cooper S median · #3 of 15 years by complaints
Safety recalls2Lowest repair rate 31%Owner complaints21739 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage80kSteering, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through August 28, 2023. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2003 MINI Cooper S has problems

217 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Steering12921
Visibility330
Electrical system145
Engine and engine cooling104
Suspension81
Power train82
Service brakes, hydraulic82
Air bags72
Tires61
13 other systems295

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

2003 MINI Cooper S recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

31%repaired · 2017 Q2

Steering: electric power assist system

Recall 15V-660 · Oct 15, 2015 · 86,018 vehicles · 26,722 repaired

Risk. 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…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Rear: shock absorber

Recall 03V-086 · Mar 10, 2003 · 5,110 vehicles

Risk. IF LEFT UNATTENDED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, AND DEPENDING ON DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE SCREW MAY BREAK.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with MINI.

Mileage at failure

When do steering problems start?

80kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 119 steering complaints. 69% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
9under 30k miles82under 100k miles37100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Steering

18 owners mentioned a cost

$1,100median

Middle half: $865 – $1,300

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2003 vs. every other Cooper S year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Cooper S median. How we score

'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'19'20'21'22'24'25
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
5 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2003 MINI Cooper S, and the recalls they led to.

  1. AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATIONDP05006 · closed Oct 6, 2005
    No recall
  2. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIREEA07011 · closed Aug 13, 2008
    No recall
  3. Loss of power steering assistEA11005 · closed Jan 5, 2016
    Led to recall 15V-660
  4. AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATIONPE05053 · closed Mar 1, 2006
    No recall
  5. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIREPE07022 · closed Aug 15, 2007
    No recall
In owners' words

What Cooper S owners report

Recent steering complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

I WAS STARTING MY VEHICLE AND IT MADE A BAD KNOCKING NOISE THEN IT WAS LIKE CRUNCHING NOISE SO I STOPPED TURN IT OFF AND WAITED FOR A WHILE WENT BACK TO THE CAR STILL MAKING A STRANGE NOISE BUT ONCE I PUT IT IN THE DRIVE IT STOPPED MAKING NOISE DROVE DOWN THE ROAD A BIT AND TALKING ABOUT APPARENTLY…
Complaint 11362320 · Oct 1, 2020 · 140,000 miles
WE KNOW OF TWICE THAT OUR CAR'S POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED WHILE IN MOTION. AFTER BMW WAS FINALLY FORCED INTO A RECALL FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE AND WE RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION, WE TOOK OUR CAR TO CENTURY BMW IN GREENVILLE, SC. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CHECKED OUR WORK REGARDING REPLACEMENT…
Complaint 11290482 · Dec 21, 2019 · 150,000 miles
OCCASIONALLY THE STEERING OVER MY MINI COOPER S IS BECOMING VERY HARD. IT SEEMS LIKE THE POWER STEERING IS FAILING. THE CAR THEN CAN ONLY BE STEERED WITH A LOT OF DIFFICULTY. I CAN NO LONGER RISK TO HAVE MY DAUGHTER OR WIFE DRIVE THIS CAR. I CHECKED THE STEERING FLUID AND IT IS AT OPTIMAL LEVELS.…
Complaint 11190112 · Mar 19, 2019 · 82,790 miles

Own a 2003 Cooper S?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.