The defect
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.
The 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.
The 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.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by ODI
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| MINI Cooper | 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 |
| MINI Cooper S | 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 |
Components: STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| MINI Cooper | 2002 | 187 | 3 |
| MINI Cooper | 2003 | 320 | 2 |
| MINI Cooper | 2004 | 282 | 2 |
| MINI Cooper | 2005 | 372 | 2 |
| MINI Cooper S | 2002 | 83 | 1 |
| MINI Cooper S | 2003 | 217 | 2 |
| MINI Cooper S | 2004 | 247 | 2 |
| MINI Cooper S | 2005 | 314 | 2 |
Other steering recalls in 2015
41 of the 863 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2015 concerned the steering; BMW of North America, LLC filed 347 campaigns in all.
| 15V887000 30 Dec 2015 | BMW of North America, LLC |
| 15V885000 29 Dec 2015 | Temsa Global Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S. |
| 15V878000 23 Dec 2015 | Chrysler (FCA US LLC) |
| 15V845000 16 Dec 2015 | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. |
| 15V829000 9 Dec 2015 | Newmar Corporation |
| 15V703000 26 Oct 2015 | Terex Advance |
| 15V687000 21 Oct 2015 | Spartan Motors USA |
| 15V679000 20 Oct 2015 | Fontaine Modification |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2015