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2004 Mini Cooper S Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Serious

279 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.19 · 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.

Serious04V348000

Tires:Pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems

DUE TO THE LACK OF AN AUDIBLE SIGNAL, THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE AWARE OF A FLAT TIRE, WHICH COULD raises the risk of A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE VEHICLE'S SOFTWARE IN ORDER TO ACTUATE THE FLAT TIRE MONITORING SYSTEM'S AUDIBLE SIGNAL. THE RECALL BEGAN OCTOBER 13, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MINI CUSTOMER RELATIONS AT 1-866-275-6464.

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FLAT TIRE MONITORING SYSTEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTLY PROGRAMMED. IN THE EVENT OF A FLAT TIRE, AN AUDIBLE SIGNAL WILL NOT SOUND TO ALERT THE DRIVER TO A FLAT TIRE.

Complaint volume

279 this model-year 6 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

7Crashes
8Fires
4Injuries
0Deaths

Across 279 complaints. Severity Index 0.19.

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

Steering202 · 72%Electrical System18 · 6%Visibility · Windshield8 · 3%Air Bags8 · 3%Steering · Hydraulic Powe…6Steering · Electric Power…4Steering · Hydraulic Powe…3Visibility · Power Window…3
  1. Steering — 202 reports
  2. Electrical System — 18 reports
  3. Visibility:Windshield — 8 reports
  4. Air Bags — 8 reports
  5. Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist:Pump — 6 reports
  6. Steering:Electric Power Assist System — 4 reports
  7. Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist System — 3 reports
  8. Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls — 3 reports
  9. Engine And Engine Cooling — 3 reports
  10. Wheels:Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs — 2 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 (1) · 2003 (2) · 2004 · 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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