VehicleVerdict

2003 Mini Cooper S steering problems

The 2003 Mini Cooper S has 133 steering complaints filed with NHTSA — 52% of the year's total, and up sharply from the prior model year.

133

Steering complaints

52%

Share of year

8

Crash-involved

1

Related recalls

Steering complaints by year

Cooper S steering complaints by model year215 complaints2002: 58 complaints2003: 133 complaints2004: 215 complaints2005: 215 complaints2006: 48 complaints2007: 7 complaints2008: 1 complaints2009: 1 complaints2010: 1 complaints2016: 1 complaints2019: 1 complaints2020: 1 complaints
Cooper S steering complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

Related recalls

15V660000SteeringOctober 15, 2015 · 86,018 units

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.

Consequence

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.

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.

What owners report

“POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE. THE FAILURE HAPPENED ON A SNOW COVERED CURVY ROAD, LOST CONTROL AND WENT INTO THE DITCH. NO DAMAGE, WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR SLOWED ENOUGH BEFORE CRASHING. THANKFUL NO OTHER CARS WERE IN THE OTHER LANE. WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR OUT UNDER ITS OWN POWER. WILL NOT DRIVE…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Steering · February 20, 2011 · crash

Common questions

How many steering complaints does the 2003 Mini Cooper S have?

NHTSA has 133 complaints about the 2003 Mini Cooper S steering — 52% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Are there recalls for the 2003 Mini Cooper S steering?

Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for this model year is tied to the steering: 15V660000.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.