2004 BMW Mini Cooper Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2004 BMW Mini Cooper, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Steering4100.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN COLD WEATHER, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY TIGHT, ESPECIALLY AT LOW SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER AND MADE A REALLY LOUD WHINING NOISE WHEN THE WHEEL WAS TURNED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE POWER STEERING FAN. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 25,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 74,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW MINI COOPER. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THERE WAS A COMPLETE LOSS OF THE POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN WITH EXTREME DIFFICULTY WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENT AT ANY SPEED RATE BEING TRAVELED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ON FIVE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS FOR THE IDENTICAL FAILURE. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS A COMMON DEFECT AND WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .