2003 MINI Cooper S Steering Problems
Owners have filed 129 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 2003 MINI Cooper S, 59% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 80,023 miles. The words owners use most often: “steering pump” (47% of reports).
- 129steering complaints
- 80,023median miles at failure
- 8mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $1,650typical repair cost reported by owners
- 31%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Steering pump: mentioned in 60 of 129 complaints (47%)
- Cooling fan: mentioned in 8 of 129 complaints (6%)
- Electric power: mentioned in 7 of 129 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical steering repair on the 2003 MINI Cooper S at $1,650, and half of them between $1,400 and $2,000.
Based on 16 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2009–2015), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 119 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 129 complaints, 8 mention a crash, 14 a fire, 4 an injury.
MINI Cooper S steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Cooper S | 1 | 20% | 25,500 |
| 2019 Cooper S | 1 | 20% | — |
| 2016 Cooper S | 1 | 11% | 57,085 |
| 2010 Cooper S | 1 | 2% | 52,000 |
| 2009 Cooper S | 1 | 1% | 80,000 |
| 2008 Cooper S | 1 | 1% | 115,000 |
| 2007 Cooper S | 7 | 3% | 61,000 |
| 2006 Cooper S | 48 | 26% | 62,000 |
| 2005 Cooper S | 212 | 68% | 70,000 |
| 2004 Cooper S | 210 | 85% | 78,000 |
| 2003 Cooper S | 129 | 59% | 80,023 |
| 2002 Cooper S | 57 | 69% | 82,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Steering:electric power assist system
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I was starting my vehicle and it made a bad knocking noise then it was like crunching noise so i stopped turn it off and waited for a while went back to the car still making a strange noise but once i put it in the drive it stopped making noise drove down the road a bit and talking about apparently…
We know of twice that our car's power steering pump failed while in motion. After bmw was finally forced into a recall for the power steering pump failure and we received a notification, we took our car to century bmw in greenville, sc. The service department checked our work regarding replacement…
Power steering pump failed while driving
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 MINI Cooper Ss have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 129 owner complaints about steering for the 2003 MINI Cooper S (59% of the 217 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 MINI Cooper S steering?
Yes: 1 safety recall list steering. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 80,023 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix steering problems on the 2003 MINI Cooper S?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,650 (half paid between $1,400 and $2,000), from 16 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 2003 MINI Cooper S?
The most frequent phrase is “steering pump”, in 60 of 129 complaints, followed by “cooling fan” (8).
See all 2003 MINI Cooper S problems or steering problems across all Cooper S years.