2003 Mini Cooper steering problems

The 2003 Mini Cooper has 162 steering complaints filed with NHTSA — 42% of the year's total, and up sharply from the prior model year.

162

Steering complaints

42%

Share of year

Crash-involved

Related recalls

Steering complaints by year

Cooper 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

“AFTER DRIVING THE CAR UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES A SHORT DISTANCE AND PARKING THE CAR, A FIRE IGNITED IN THE ENGINE BAY. THE FIRE EXTINGUISHED ITSELF PRIOR TO THE FIRE TRUCK ARRIVING. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO LOCAL DEALER WHO, UPON INSPECTION, INDICATED THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND/OR ASSOCIATED…”
Complaint filed with NHTSA · Steering · May 3, 2013 · fire

Common questions

How many steering complaints does the 2003 Mini Cooper have?

NHTSA has 162 complaints about the 2003 Mini Cooper steering — 42% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Are there recalls for the 2003 Mini Cooper steering?

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

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

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.