2002 MINI Cooper S
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Vehicles › MINI › Cooper S › 2002
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
These records cover every 2002 MINI Cooper S. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
1 recall names the 2002 MINI Cooper S. Newest first.
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.
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.
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.
The contact owns a 2002 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45-55 MPH, the steering wheel seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road. The contact restarted the vehicle and continued driving normally. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V660000 (STEERING). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 43,000.
The vin # of my 2002 MINI cooper s was not included in the recall for the electrohydraulic steering failure of 2002 - 2005 MINI cooper s but I am experiencing the exact issue outlined in this recall. the steering IS incredibly hard to turn when parked, as well as while driving. I noticed that the recall had about 339 complaints and roughly 85,000 vehicles were recalled, so maybe at the time no one with a similar vin as me complained.
Purchased this car used with low miles. shortly after purchase I noticed the steering on my vehicle got a little harder to steer, didn't think to much about it. then the radiator fan would not turn off when the vehicle was off. Took the car in to two different mechanics to find the problem. found out it was the power steering pump went out causing the coolant reservoir to go out. this could cause extreme safety hazards when driving on the freeway and the steering freezes!! I contacted BMW after hearing there was a recall for this same problem. I was told we missed the recall time frame. I have low miles, 60,000. the recall expired in 2017. well, my care was not having the issues. I don't feel comfortable selling the car and handing the problem to another consumer. this recall should be extended as it could be an unpleasant result.
Power steering suddenly stopped working. Making a whining noise when turning the wheel and the steering wheel itself IS hard to turn. Not leaking any fluids and the power steering fluid in the reservoir IS full.
TL* the contact owns a 2002 MINI cooper s. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v660000 (steering); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted at 865-693-4553 and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
TL* the contact owns a 2002 MINI cooper s. After placing the vehicle in reverse, the contact switched gears into drive. When attempting to accelerate forward, the power steering failed. The contact added power steering fluid and made another attempt to steer the vehicle; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the power steering was no longer covered under warranty. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.
TL* the contact owns a 2002 MINI cooper s. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v660000 (steering) and the dealer scheduled a repair appointment. The dealer later canceled the appointment, stating that the part was not available. The contact had not been able to receive the recall repair remedy for months. The manufacturer was unable to provide a date that the part would be supplied to the dealer. The contact was not experiencing a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available. ...updated 04/12/16 *bf
TL* the contact owns a 2002 MINI cooper s. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. The contact mentioned that the steering wheel was on manual control and after the vehicle was warmed up, the steering wheel functioned as normal. The contact also stated that while driving at approximately 50 mph, a clanking nose was coming from the front passenger side of the vehicle and the power steering failed. The vehicle was restarted but the failure recurred. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v66000 (steering) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer, who informed that a remedy was not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000. Vin tools confirms parts unavailable.
TL* the contact owns a 2002 MINI cooper s. The contact stated that when the steering wheel was turned to the right, there was an abnormal noise and it was difficult to make the turn. The contact later received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v660000 (steering). The dealer was notified of the failure and the manufacturer who indicated that the contact would need to wait for a second notification letter to determine when the parts would become available. The contact was waiting for months as the failure progressed and was unable to determine when the vehicle would be repaired. The manufacturer was unable to provide a time frame for the parts to become available. The failure mileage was not available. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
TL* the contact owned a 2002 MINI cooper s. While driving 30 mph, the power steering failed and caused extra effort to turn the steering wheel. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the electro-hydraulic power steering system and wiring needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v660000 (steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 67,548.
TL* the contact owns a 2002 MINI cooper s. While driving at 60 mph and attempting to avoid hitting an animal, the steering wheel seized without warning and the vehicle struck the animal. The air bags did not deploy; however, the air bag warning light illuminated. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries reported. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000. The vin was unavailable.
TL* the contact owns a 2002 MINI cooper s. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph and making a turn, the steering wheel seized without warning. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the power steering pump would need to be replaced. The vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v66000 (steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 126,000.
The airbag sensor in the seat cushion has failed and a warning light now permanently shows on the instrument panel. The passenger airbag may not function as designed. updated 11/25/15*lj updated 2/5/2016 *js updated 11/07/2017*cn
The airbag sensor in the seat cushion has failed and a warning light now permanently shows on the instrument panel. the passenger airbag may not function as designed. *tr
The passenger side heated seat malfunctioned and burned a hole into the leatherette upholstery and my wifes sweater. She was sitting on the passenger side when it occurred. This could have caused a major fire a definite safety hazard. *tr
TL* the contact owns a 2002 MINI cooper s. The contact stated that while traveling various speeds, the vehicle failed to shift gears. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was found that the shift linkage had failed. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number 02v201000 (power train). The failure mileage was approximately 34,000. The vin was unavailable.
We have had the power steering and fan go out about 3 times on this car. we have owned it new from 2002. there was a recall and we only received $525 dollars when we spend over $2000. why would we not receive a full refund as we had the work done always at the MINI dealer and we had two receipts from the dealer showing the defect. my understanding IS that the warranty IS not increased to 13 years and 150000 miles. when the defect happens the car gets noisy from the pump and when it fails the steering becomes sluggish. why would they be allowed to only reimburse part of the amount when this IS such a big issue. $2000 for steering repairs on a $27,000 dollar car should not be tolerated. *tr
I was driving about 60 mph and all of a sudden the power steering stopped working. steering became very tight and heavy. almost lost control of the vehicle. *tr
I was traveling through city traffic and the power steering ceased to operate. steering became immediately very heavy. pulled into parking lot, looked under hood, looked under car for fluids, belts, etc., and found nothing visible. got back into car, started it up and it began to work again, as normal. two weeks later while driving 65 mph, power steering again failed abruptly. power steering pump IS scheduled to be checked/replaced today at dealership today. this could be a very serious safety issue. had I been in a curve at this speed, I'm not sure I could have maintained control of the car. *tr
Power steering pump failure and drained battery (recently replaced). Car will not start, and can not access passenger or trunk door due to electrical failure. *tr
Power steering failed as I was driving, unable to steer car. After some time, power resumed intermittently. *Tr
Power steering failed in the middle of driving nearly hit the outer barrier because of the amount of force required to move the steering wheel. I feel if my wife had been driving it would have been a major wreck. I did some research and found that this IS a very prevalent problem with the MINI cooper. From my understanding canada has issued a recall on the power steering pumps. Would like to log a complaint to see if we can get MINI USA to take some action. *tr
I took my 2002 MINI cooper s in for a virginia state safety inspection and it failed the inspection because the srs airbag light was illuminated. I took the vehicle to the dealer and they found that the seat belt tensioner and wiring to the seat belt and passenger side airbag were faulty. The dealer IS charging me $1,000 to repair the problem. I have seen that there was an investigation pe05053 resulting in BMW acknowledging there IS an issue with the faulty wiring and seat belt tensioner. And it states that the electrical resistance IS high enough to illuminate the airbag light but does not exceed a limit to set the airbag off. My problem IS if the airbag light IS illuminated I cannot pass virginia's strict safety inspection and if it IS a problem that has been identified by BMW why are they not recalling all vehicles to fix this problem. My vehicle has 81,000 miles on it way under the 150,0000 mile warranty and I am right at the ten year mark.bmw told me that there IS not a recall and that there IS only a bulletin telling the mechanics that there IS an issue to be aware of. BMW would not repair this under a warranty. *tr
Power steering went out at highways speeds, after 3+ hours of driving. after cooling down for an hour, power steering came back, but only lasted 5 min., and was out for another day. Comes and goes, depending on how hot the weather/engine IS, but stays out longer and only works for short periods of time now. Please issue a recall/extended warranty as canada has soon! *tr
Power assist pump failure. *tr
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) originally opened the investigation of loss of power steering assist in model year (MY) 2004 and 2005 Mini Cooper as Preliminary Evaluation PE10-038.The investigation was upgraded to Engineering Analysis EA11-005 in May, 2011.During EA11-005 the scope was expanded to include MY 2002 and 2003 vehicles that use the same steering system.The subject vehicles now include MY 2002, the first year BMW sold MINI in the U.S., through mid-MY 2005 covering approximately 109,000 vehicles.The subject vehicles use an electrically driven pump to provide hydraulic pressure to a conventional rack-and-pinion steering gear.A pump, the electric motor, and an electronic control unit (ECU) are housed in a single component BMW calls a Power Pack.The investigation focused on contaminant-induced failure of the ECU resulting in a loss of assist without warning.When assist is lost mechanical steering is retained however increased steering effort is required to keep the vehicle on an intended path.Some consumers reported that restarting the vehicle (cycling the ignition switch) would often reinstate the steering assist.Additionally, and by design, assist can also reinstate during the drive cycle in limited circumstances.The unexpected loss of assist, and/or possibly the reinstatement of assist while driving, may contribute to a loss of vehicle control in certain driving situations.During MY 2005 production BMW introduced a revised Power Pack design (the ECU incorporated a conformal coating of the circuit board) which resulted in a significant reduction in failures.ODI identified 20 reports describing crashes consistent with a loss of power assist event possibly caused by a failure of the Power Pack.Two reports alleged an injury however both were minor in nature and did not require emergency treatment (a subsequent doctor's visit occurred in one case).Ten of these reports described low speed crashes with minimal, or in most cases no property or vehicle damage (e.g., striking a movable barrier in a parking lot).Additionally 27 other reports alleged or indicated that a crash occurred due to a Power Pack failure however in reviewing these reports, ODI either 1) was unable to confirm that a crash actually occurred (8 reports), or 2) determined that the crash circumstances (e.g., adverse road/weather conditions) or cause (e.g., the crash was caused by steering linkage failure) were not attributable to a Power Pack failure (19 reports).Throughout the investigation BMW maintained that loss of assist in the subject vehicles did not constitute a safety related defect, noting that the subject vehicles are smaller, light weight vehicles that can be reasonably controlled when assist is lost.In May 2013 BMW launched a 13 year/150,000 mile extended warranty coverage utilizing the redesigned Power Pack as a replacement part.ODI continued its investigation.In July 2014 BMW provided ODI a status of the ongoing extended warranty program, and in May 2015 ODI requested an update of complaint data.Following a review of the provided data, ODI informed BMW of its assessment that loss of steering assist failures were not adequately resolved by an extended warranty program.On October 12, 2015 BMW notified NHTSA that it would conduct a safety recall (15V-660) on approximately 86,000 subject vehicles not previously remedied with the new design Power Pack through regular or extended warranty programs.The recall covers MY 2002-2005 MINI Cooper, MY 2002-2005 MINI Cooper S, and MY 2005 MINI Cooper/Cooper S convertibles manufactured through Feb 9, 2005.Vehicles produced after this date are not included si
The office of defects investigation (odi) analyzed consumer complaints to BMW of north america, llc (bmw)and to odi that alleged failures of the electrohydraulic power steering (ehps) used in model year 2002 through 2003 MINI cooper vehicles.the analysis determined that 43 of the 52 (83%) reports were related to allegations of power steering loss and 9 (17%) were related to allegations of engine compartment fires. Although some of the reports alleging fires note small flames were visible in the engine compartment, analysis of the damage caused by these failures indicates that even the most severe incidents were limited to localized thermal damage to the ehps electrical connections and wiring insulation.none of the complaints alleging loss of power assisted steering indicated that the increased effort resulted in a crash or loss of vehicle control. A safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted. Accordingly, this investigation IS closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by circumstances.see document file for additional information regarding this resume.
In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), BMW stated that the cause of the alleged defect IS an insufficient seal of the ground cable of the power steering pump at its attachment to the chassis.water ingress can occur and the water can travel along the power steering pump power cable and come in contact with the power steering pump power cable connector.the connector can then corrode and a high thermal load condition can occur.according to BMW, this ultimately could result in a localized smoldering condition that does not propagate. To correct the water ingress issue, BMW implemented changes to the wire routing, the power steeringpump connector and the ground eyelet connection between february and july of 2002. In a review of warranty claim data sent by BMW, 67 percent of the vehicles noted in warranty claims had production dates after august 1, 2002. Additionally, odi noted eight reports of consumers witnessing flames coming from the engine compartment.this preliminary evaluation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea07-011) to further assess the scope, frequency andpotential safety consequences associated with the alleged defect.
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.