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2002 Mini Cooper S Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Serious

105 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.44 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious15V660000

Steering:Electric Power Assist System

If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, potentially raises the risk of a vehicle crash.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Complaint volume

105 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

4Crashes
10Fires
2Injuries
0Deaths

Across 105 complaints. Severity Index 0.44.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Steering51 · 49%Air Bags12 · 11%Electrical System7 · 7%Steering · Hydraulic Powe…4 · 4%Seats3 · 3%Air Bags · Side/Window2Latches/Locks/Linkages2Steering · Hydraulic Powe…2
  1. Steering — 51 reports
  2. Air Bags — 12 reports
  3. Electrical System — 7 reports
  4. Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist:Pump — 4 reports
  5. Seats — 3 reports
  6. Air Bags:Side/Window — 2 reports
  7. Latches/Locks/Linkages — 2 reports
  8. Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist System — 2 reports
  9. Visibility:Windshield — 1 reports
  10. Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2002 · 2003 (2) · 2004 (2) · 2005 (2) · 2006 (1) · 2007 (4) · 2008 (4) · 2009 (3) · 2010 (4) · 2011 (3) · 2012 (2) · 2013 (1) · 2014 (4) · 2015 (4) · 2016 (3) · 2017 (3) · 2019 (1) · 2020 (2) · 2025 (3)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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