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2002 MINI CooperProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 187 owner complaints about the 2002 MINI Cooper, most often about the steering. It is covered by 3 safety recalls, and for recall 15V-660 the manufacturer reports only 31% of affected cars repaired.

38
CarFlaw IndexUse caution1.6× the Cooper median · #5 of 17 years by complaints
Safety recalls3Lowest repair rate 31%Owner complaints18717 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage77kSteering, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 26, 2025. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2002 MINI Cooper has problems

187 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
Steering614
Power train431
Visibility290
Air bags263
Electrical system133
Engine and engine cooling114
Latches/locks/linkages60
Seats42
Vehicle speed control30
15 other systems181

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

3 recalls

2002 MINI Cooper 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

Other: labels

Recall 05V-470 · Oct 12, 2005 · 960 vehicles

Risk. TOO LOW OR TOO HIGH TIRE PRESSURE CAN CAUSE PREMATURE WEAR AND/OR TIRE DAMAGE, AND COULD LEAD TO UNFAVORABLE DRIVING CONDITIONS.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Manual transmission: floor shift assembly

Recall 02V-201 · Jul 25, 2002 · 3,531 vehicles

Risk. IF SHIFT CABLE DETACHMENT OCCURS AND THE TRANSMISSION REMAINS IN ANY FORWARD GEAR, THE VEHICLE CAN STILL BE DRIVEN IN THAT GEAR ONLY.

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?

77kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 58 steering complaints. 71% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
1under 30k miles41under 100k miles17100k 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.

Power train

9 owners mentioned a cost

$7,000median

Middle half: $6,000 – $7,000

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

2002 vs. every other Cooper 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 median. How we score

'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2002 MINI Cooper safety ratings

2002 MINI Cooper w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2002 MINI Cooper frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2002 MINI Cooper side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Stability control: Optional
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
5 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2002 MINI Cooper, 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 owners report

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

SO I BOUGHT A 2002 MINI COOPER LESS THAN A YEAR AGO AND IT CURRENTLY HAS 74K MILES AND ATTEMPTING TO PULL INTO A PARKING SPOT AT THE GROCERY MY STEERING GOES COMPLETELY OUT WHILE I WAS TRYING TO TURN INTO MY SPOT AND RIPPED OFF A BLACK MOLDING THAT GOES OVER THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL AND A…
Complaint 11222671 · Jun 26, 2019 · 75,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT POWERED OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE NORMALLY. THE…
Complaint 11078341 · Mar 9, 2018 · 120,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING WOULD SUDDENLY MALFUNCTION CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD OVER HEATED…
Complaint 10852727 · Mar 31, 2016 · 30,000 miles

Own a 2002 Cooper?

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