Known Recalls

Model year record

2002 MINI Cooper S

1 recall campaign on file for this model year. 106 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 15V660000

Steering: electric power assist system

Component
Steering: electric power assist system
Manufacturer
BMW of North America, LLC
Vehicles affected
86,018
Reported to NHTSA
2015-10-15
Owners notified
2016-03-04

Defect description

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.

Safety 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 vehicle crash.

Manufacturer 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.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Steering5278,000 mi
Air bags1290,000 mi
Electrical system767,537 mi
Steering: hydraulic power assist: pump485,000 mi
Seats370,000 mi
Air bags: side/window262,000 mi
Latches/locks/linkages2—
Steering: hydraulic power assist system290,000 mi
Air bags: frontal162,000 mi
Electrical system: 12V/24V/48V battery185,000 mi
Electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator185,000 mi
Electrical system: wiring: fuses and circuit breakers161,000 mi
Engine160,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system150,143 mi
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system: fan1—
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system: radiator assembly154,327 mi
Engine and engine cooling: engine136,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe135,000 mi
Power train134,000 mi
Seat belts190,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic167,537 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip161,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: pads124,000 mi
Steering: column142,392 mi
Structure1—
Structure: body: roof and pillars1119,000 mi
Unknown or other145,000 mi
Vehicle speed control186,000 mi
Visibility: windshield1—
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor1—

The 2003 model has about half as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.