Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2003 MINI Cooper S, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Steering129
- Visibility33
- Electrical system14
- Engine and engine cooling10
- Suspension8
- Service brakes, hydraulic8
- Power train8
- Air bags7
- Structure6
- Tires6
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 11 injuries and 1 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 176 of these cars first registered in 2003 took their annual MOT test. 62% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2003 the figure was 57%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2003 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 17.0% | 21.6% |
| Visibility | 12.5% | 7.7% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 11.4% | 9.4% |
| Suspension | 10.2% | 16.4% |
| Brakes | 9.7% | 13.9% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 9.1% | 7.4% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
23 of these cars first registered in 2003 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 211,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
11 2003 cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 1 variant: combined 9.4 L/100 km (about 25 mpg US), CO₂ 216 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper S · Minicompact · Premium gasoline | 10.9 | 7.5 | 9.4 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 2003 MINI Cooper S.
| 2012029 30 Jan 2012 | Steering On certain vehicles, the electro-hydraulic power steering pump could fail temporarily or permanently due to problems with the electronics that control the funct… |
| 2003055 7 Mar 2003 | Suspension On certain vehicles, the head of the screw securing the rear struts to the chassis may tear off. The remaining portion of the screw (stud, or shaft) will still… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
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.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What MINI told its dealers about the 2003 MINI Cooper S: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 609936 | SLIDEOUT WINCH ANCHOR STRAP REPLACEMENT. YD |
| 10162443 | Programming a Replacement EGS Module with ISTA/P. Programming a replacement electronic transmission control module (EGS) with ISTA/P requires the manual entry of the correct target basic and programmed part numbers. Programming concept. |
| 10151228 | This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI 32 02 14 dated August 2014. SUBJECT Installation of Right-Hand Drive Steering Spindle in Left-Hand Drive Vehicle is No Longer Required. Left-hand drive steering spindles are currently available. |
| 10150304 | State Inspection and Emission (I/M) Test Fails to Read 17-Character VIN. An affected vehicle may fail to pass a state-mandated Inspection and/or Emission (I/M) test due to a noncompliant 17-character vehicle identification number (VIN) being read out and displayed on the state's required tester report printout. In accordance with the OBD regulation, all MY 2005 and newer vehicles are required to support the display of their compliant 17-character VINs. These vehicles were produced to be in compliance with this regulation. If the DME was reprogrammed using the previously available BMW service |
| 10150204 | State Inspection and Emission (I/M) Test Fails Due to an Invalid VIN Number. The affected vehicle may fail to pass a State Inspection and Emission (I/M) test due to a noncompliant 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN) stored in the DME (Digital Motor Electronic). The VIN read-out displayed on the state test printout does not match the actual VIN of the vehicle. If the DME was reprogrammed using the previously available BMW service equipment (e.g., Progman, GT1), it was possible that only the last 7 of the VIN were entered into the DME, and positions 4 through 10 may only contain defaul |
| 10150086 | Electro-Hydraulic Power-Assist Steering Pump (EHPS) and Cooling Fan: Warranty Extension to 13 years/150,000 miles. On affected vehicles, the electro-hydraulic power steering (EHPS) pump can fail. |
| 10150044 | Electro-Hydraulic Power-Assist Steering Pump (EHPS) and Cooling Fan: Warranty Extension to 13 years/150,000 miles. On affected vehicles, the electro-hydraulic power steering (EHPS) pump can fail. |
| 10148439 | Electro-Hydraulic Power-Assist Steering Pump (EHPS) and Cooling Fan: Limited Warranty Extension to 13 Years/150,000 Miles. On affected vehicles, the electro-hydraulic power steering (EHPS) pump can fail. |
| 10148394 | Installation of Right-Hand Drive Steering Spindle in Left-Hand Drive Vehicle. Supply shortage of left-hand drive steering spindles |
| 10145311 | NAVIGATION SYSTEM HAS MISSING OR INCORRECT ROAD MAP DATA: The route guidance is inaccurate and therefore irritating to the customer; or it is not possible to locate certain addresses, for instance: |
| 10143579 | NAVIGATION SYSTEM HAS MISSING OR INCORRECT ROAD MAP DATA: The route guidance is inaccurate and therefore irritating to the customer; or it is not possible to locate certain addresses, for instance: |
| 10059113 | MINI: FAULTY SOFTWARE CAUSES THE CHECK CONTROL AND ENGINE POWER REDUCED LIGHT TO APPEAR. *MA |
| 10059112 | MINI: BECAUSE OF THE DME SOFTWARE, AND A DAMAGED CLUTCH, THE DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION CHECK MESSAGE APPEAR. *MA |
| 10059111 | MINI: DUE TO FAULTY DME SOFTWARE, THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHTS COMES ON, INCLUDING THE CHECK CONTROL MESSAGE FOR MOTOR FORCE DECREASE. *MA |
| 10059098 | MINI: DIFFERENT FAULTS ACTIVATES ENGINE MALFUNCTION AND OIL WARNING. *MA |
| 10059094 | MINI: A MECHANICAL FAILURE AND DME SOFTWARE ERROR OF THE VANOS ACTUATORS CAUSE THE ENGINE TO RUN ROUGH WHICH ACTIVATES THE MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT. *MA |
| 10057710 | MINI: MODELS R50, R52, AND R53 WITH THE ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC POWER-ASSIST STEERING PUMP AND COOLING FANS WILL HAVE AN LIMITED WARRANTY EXTENSION TO 13 YEARS/150,000 MILES. *TA |
| 10057570 | MINI: SOME VEHICLES HAVE TURBOCHARGER NOISE AND A LACK OR LOSS OF PERFORMANCE, DUE TO RESTRICTION OF TURBOCHARGER OIL SUPPLY, RESULTING IN OIL STARVATION AND SEIZING OF TURBOCHARGER ASSEMBLY. MODEL ALL. *PE |
| 10056114 | MINI: THERE IS A DISCONNECTION OR KINK, IN WNIDSHIELD WASHER HOSE, WHICH IS TOO SHORT, CAUSING WINDSHIELD FRONT WASHER JET TO FAIL. MODEL F56 (COOPER, COOPER S). *PE |
| 10055137 | MINI: WARRANTY COVERAGE EXTENSION/REPAIR EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE ELECTRO HYDRAULIC POWER (ASSIST) STEERING (EHPS) PUMP, WHICH HAS ITS OWN COOLING FAN, ON SOME VEHICLES AND NOT THE ELECTRIC POWER (ASSIST) STEERING (EPS) SYSTEM ON OTHER MINIS. MODELS 2002-2005 COOPER, COOPER S, CONVERTIBLE, CONVERTIBLE S. *PE |
| 10053604 | MINI: THERE IS A PROCEDURAL ERROR IN THE REMOVING AND INSTALLING OR REPLACING HIGH PRESSURE PUMP CURRENT VERSION THAT HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH THE CORRECTED REPAIR INSTRUCTION PORTION FOR THE N14 AND N18 ENGINE. MODELS R55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61. NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE |
| 10052614 | MINI: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. A WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR CERTAIN VEHICLES WITH POTENTIAL PROBLEM WITH COOLING FAN AND THE DURABILITY OF ELECTRO HYDRAULIC POWER (ASSIST) STEERING (EHPS) PUMP. MODELS 2002-2005 R50, R52, R3. *PE UPDATED ON 11/1/2013. *KB UPDATED 3/4/2014 *JS |
| 10043927 | BMW MINI: AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT IS ON: MRS FC 02, 03, 05, 06. *KB |
| 10043725 | MINI: AFTER DRIVE-AWAY LOCKING ACTIVATES, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO UNLOCK THE BOOT. *KB |
| 10041389 | BMW: SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT MAY BE ON WITH STORED TROUBLE CODES AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER. THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP MALFUNCTIONS. *RM |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Loss of power steering assist
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE
AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATION
AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATION
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation