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.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FLAT TIRE MONITORING SYSTEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTLY PROGRAMMED. IN THE EVENT OF A FLAT TIRE, AN AUDIBLE SIGNAL WILL NOT SOUND TO ALERT THE DRIVER TO A FLAT TIRE.
Safety risk
DUE TO THE LACK OF AN AUDIBLE SIGNAL, THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE AWARE OF A FLAT TIRE, WHICH COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Manufacturer remedy
DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE VEHICLE'S SOFTWARE IN ORDER TO ACTUATE THE FLAT TIRE MONITORING SYSTEM'S AUDIBLE SIGNAL. THE RECALL BEGAN OCTOBER 13, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MINI CUSTOMER RELATIONS AT 1-866-275-6464.
Owner complaints
A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.
Component
Complaints
Median mileage
Steering
230
75,000 mi
Electrical system
15
65,000 mi
Power train
12
59,000 mi
Power train: automatic transmission
10
68,000 mi
Steering: hydraulic power assist: pump
6
50,000 mi
Steering: electric power assist system
5
70,441 mi
Steering: hydraulic power assist system
5
46,995 mi
Engine
4
59,000 mi
Power train: manual transmission
4
56,700 mi
Engine and engine cooling
3
46,995 mi
Unknown or other
3
90,425 mi
Visibility: power window devices and controls
3
28,000 mi
Visibility: windshield
3
850 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
30,000 mi
Structure
2
55,000 mi
Suspension: rear
2
71,000 mi
Vehicle speed control
2
87,000 mi
Wheels
2
82,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system: fan
1
64,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: engine
1
—
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
1
6,000 mi
Equipment
1
36,000 mi
Exterior lighting
1
55,000 mi
Fuel system, gasoline
1
60,366 mi
Fuel/propulsion system
1
62,000 mi
Power train: clutch assembly
1
56,700 mi
Service brakes
1
135,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic
1
20,150 mi
Steering: hydraulic power assist: hose, piping, and connections
1
54,000 mi
Steering: hydraulic power assist: power steering fluid
1
—
Structure: body
1
135,000 mi
Suspension: front
1
36,000 mi
Suspension: front: macpherson strut
1
60,000 mi
Tires
1
62,000 mi
Tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems
1
—
Visibility
1
400,000 mi
The 2003 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. The 2005 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.