Worst 2003 Mini Cooper Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
STEERING
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
POWER TRAIN
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2003 Mini Cooper.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | 140 | — | 18 | 90,995 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 53 | — | — | 72,683 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN | 29 | — | — | 73,803 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 24 | 1 | 5 | 81,913 mi | |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 15 | — | — | 33,661 mi | |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP | 12 | — | 2 | 74,121 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 11 | — | 1 | 31,869 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 9 | — | — | 22,450 mi | |
| AIR BAGS | 8 | 1 | — | 53,654 mi | |
| ENGINE | 7 | — | 2 | 86,583 mi | |
| EQUIPMENT | 6 | — | 1 | 50,622 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 6 | — | — | 72,242 mi | |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 5 | — | 1 | 60,600 mi | |
| SEATS | 4 | — | — | 79,000 mi | |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 4 | — | — | 45,834 mi | |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 4 | — | — | 38,358 mi | |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 3 | — | — | 50,333 mi | |
| STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 3 | — | — | 34,800 mi | |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 3 | — | — | 42,333 mi | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 | 1 | — | 76,195 mi | |
| VISIBILITY | 3 | — | — | 37,667 mi | |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE | 2 | — | — | 47,600 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 2 | — | — | 64,500 mi | |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2 | — | — | 94,883 mi | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 2 | — | 1 | — | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 2 | — | — | 62,488 mi | |
| STRUCTURE | 2 | — | — | 34,038 mi | |
| SUSPENSION | 2 | — | — | 123,450 mi | |
| TIRES | 2 | — | — | 8,500 mi | |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 2 | — | — | — |
Recalls for 2003 Mini Cooper
1 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~86,018 vehicles.
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.
Other Mini Cooper Years
Wider context: See the full Mini Cooper reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
Check Your Specific 2003 Mini Cooper
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud.
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