RoadVitals

2002 MINI Cooper Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
12
Latest Mar 24, 2016
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
6%
of 187 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
2

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 MINI Cooper submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Mar 24, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE ELECTRONIC LEARNING MODULE AND THE PYRAMID WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SEVERAL COMPONENTS WERE REPLACED DUE TO MANUFACTURER DEFECTS. THE GEAR LEVER, TRANSMISSION, BRAKE PEDAL, MOTOR, CLUTCH, FRONT AND REAR AXLES, AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR WERE ALL REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,457.

NHTSA ID
10851347
Incident
Jan 1, 2012
Mileage
118,457 mi
EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Feb 3, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION HESITATED IN A JERKING MOTION AND BEGAN TO DOWN-SHIFT INTO ANOTHER GEAR CONTINUOUSLY. IN ADDITION, THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR AND EP CODE ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO INTERNAL DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,416.

NHTSA ID
10446577
Incident
Feb 3, 2012
Mileage
56,416 mi
Engine
Filed Jun 26, 2009
1 injury reported

I DROVE MY 2002 MINI COOPER APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES TO DROP OFF A FRIEND WHO WAS VISITING FROM OUT OF TOWN. I WAS HELPING MY FRIEND REMOVE HIS SUITCASE AND STANDING TO THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR OF THE CAR WHEN MY LEG MADE CONTACT WITH THE TAILPIPE CAUSING ABOUT A 2 INCH CRESCENT SHAPED BURN. THE TAILPIPE WAS HOT ENOUGH THAT MY SKIN STUCK TO THE PIPE - IT IS A PRETTY NASTY SECOND DEGREE BURN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10275076
Incident
Jun 26, 2009
Mileage
15,201 mi
EngineTransmissionVisibility
Filed Nov 15, 2007

2002 MINI COOPER WITH <55,000 MILES (SAME OWNER) THE SHIFT CABLE DETACHED FROM THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT LINKAGE WHILE I ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE GEARS. GEAR CHANGES ARE NO LONGER POSSIBLE AND THE TRANSMISSION REMAINS IN THE LAST GEAR SELECTED! PRIOR TO THIS -BUT WITHIN THE LAST 6 MONTHS, ALL THE WINDOW MOTORS DIED SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE FAN BELT WOULD NOT SHUT OFF, THE ENGINE CONTINUALLY OVERHEATED (DESPITE REPEATED SERVICE BY BMW), THE HORN FUSE WOULD NOT SHUT OFF (UNTIL IT BLEW), AND THE TRANSMITION IS SLOWLY DYING. 1) THE FAN BELT WOULD NOT TURN OFF -CONTINUOUSLY, DRAINING THE BATTERY. 2) TIMING BELT WAS REPLACED 3) THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING 4) THE POWER WINDOWS *TR

NHTSA ID
10209056
Incident
Nov 15, 2007
Engine
Filed Jul 8, 2007
Fire reported

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK IN THE 2002 MINI COOPER THE CAR HAD ABOUT 70,000 MILLES ON IT AND I NOTICED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE GOING UP, AND ASSUMED MY CAR WAS JUST OVERHEATING. I PULLED INTO A SERVICE STATION AND PUT SOME WATER IN THE COOLANT RESERVOIRAND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE RETURNED TO NORMAL, SO I CONTINUED TO DRIVE. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES I NOTICED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE INCREASED AGAIN. I PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND INTO A PARKING LOT. WHEN I OPENED THE HOOD, I SAW FLAMES. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AT THE SCENE TH E CAR WAS TOO FAR GONE TO SAVE. I CONTACTED MINI REGARDING THIS ISSUE. THEY ASKED FOR MY VIN, APPROXIMATE MILEAGE, AND CONTACT INFORMATION. I SENT THEM THIS INFORMATION, BUT HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM THEM. *AK

NHTSA ID
10195587
Incident
Jun 26, 2007
Mileage
70,000 mi
Engine
Filed Aug 1, 2005
1 injury reported

DT: CALLER BURNED VERY BADLY HER LEG BECAUSE THE TAIL PIPE STUCK OUT TOO FAR. TAIL PIPE DID NOT HAVE A GUARD OVER IT. THEY WERE LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE VEHICLE IN THE BACK INSTEAD ON THE SIDE OF THE BACK. DEALER SAID TO CALL MANUFACTURER, AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT VERY NICE . MANUFACTURER SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. CALLER SHOWED A REPRESENTATIVE THE PROBLEM AND HE WANTED HER TO TELL THEM HOW TO FIX IT. THEY TOLD CALLER TO LEAVE GROCERIES IN THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT COOLED OFF.*AK

NHTSA ID
10130871
Incident
Jun 1, 2005
Mileage
18,000 mi
EngineFuel system
Filed Jan 28, 2004

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED FUEL TANK EXPLODED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, ENGINE FAILED. *AK

NHTSA ID
10055996
Incident
Jan 24, 2004
Mileage
20,000 mi
Engine
Filed Nov 24, 2003

-STALLING WHEN CHANGING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE. HAS ALSO STALLED ONCE ON THE INTERSTATE. -RPM'S KEEP REVVING BETWEEN 3000 & 5000 WHEN I HIT 55-60 MPH. ONCE I PASS 60 MPH THE RPM'S DECREASE TO A REASONABLE LEVEL. THIS HAPPENS EVERYDAY WITHOUT FAIL. *LA

NHTSA ID
10047503
Incident
Nov 24, 2003
Mileage
20,000 mi
Engine
Filed Aug 18, 2003

MY 2002 MINI COOPER S HAS SOME ENGINE MANAGEMENT ISSUES THAT HAVE RESULTED IN SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS IN TRAFFIC SITUATIONS THAT I FEEL ARE UNSAFE, AND HAVE YET TO BE RESOLVED OR DEFINITELY ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE MOST SEVERE ISSUE IS A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AFTER ACCELERATION ON CLEAN DRY PAVEMENT. LOSS OF POWER IS USUALLY IN 1ST GEAR AN CAN LAST SEVERAL SECONDS. I BELEIVE THIS TO BE A PROBLEM NOT UNIQUE TO MY VEHICLE.*AK

NHTSA ID
10033028
Incident
Aug 15, 2003
Mileage
5,000 mi
Engine
Filed Aug 5, 2003

THERE IS A COMPLETE POWER FAILURE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS INCLUDING 55 MPH. THIS DEFECT OR CONDITION CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. WHEN IT HAPPENED ON RT. 66 IN ARLINGTON VA AT 9:30 PM, IT CAUSED A NEAR-COLLISION WITH SEVERAL OTHER VEHICLES TRAVELING ON THE ROAD. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT, NOISE, OR OTHER INDICATION THAT THE ENGINE WAS ABOUT TO TURN OFF.*AK

NHTSA ID
10030816
Incident
Aug 1, 2003
Mileage
12,950 mi
Engine
Filed May 26, 2003
Crash reported

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE WE BROUGHT THE CAR HOME. MINI HAS ATTEMPTED FIX THE PROBLEMS UNSUCCESSFULLY 8 TIMES, CULMINATING WITH THE DEALER GETTING INTO A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT WHILE TEST DRIVING THE VEHICLE. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10020525
Incident
May 2, 2002
Mileage
300 mi
EngineTransmission
Filed Feb 21, 2003

CAR ALMOST STALLS WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE FROM A COMPLETE STOP. ACCELERATION RATES VARY AND SOMETIMES ARE DANGEROUSLY SLOW CAR LUNGES WHEN TRYING TO MOVE SMALL DISTANCES

NHTSA ID
10007920
Incident
Jan 5, 2003
Mileage
5,125 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .