2004 MINI Cooper Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Cooper years
- Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 26 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 282 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 MINI Cooper. That ranks 3rd out of 26 Cooper model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (238 complaints, 84%), typically at around 74,550 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 9 fires, 1 injury. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 282owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 MINI Cooper problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering problems | 238 | 84% | 74,550 | “steering pump” (34%) | $1,550 |
| Power Train | 26 | 9% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 15 | 5% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 7 | 2% | 35,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 2% | 55,498 | — | — |
| Engine | 4 | 1% | 71,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 4 | 1% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 1% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 1% | 112,713 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 1% | 89,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 1% | 113,500 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | 36,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 0% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 0% | 60,366 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 0% | 135,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 0% | 20,150 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 MINI Cooper recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
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.
Tires:pressure monitoring and regulating systems
Problem: 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.
Risk: Due to the lack of an audible signal, the driver may not be aware of a flat tire, which could increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Loss of power steering assist (EA11005) — opened May 4, 2011, closed Jan 5, 2016, led to recall 15V660000.
- Loss of Power Steering Assist (PE10038) — opened Sep 24, 2010, closed May 10, 2011.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2004 Mini Cooper. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V660000(STEERING); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the…
Mini felt like it was getting pushed by the wind . Realized wasn't wind Mini loss of completely all functions of steering wheel. On super busy highway. Devine intervention Was in far left car went left to right lanes then hit median gaurd rail spun around Finally got it to stop. Never Hitting and…
My wife was driving our 2004 mini cooper home traveling uphill on a steep paved mountain roadway traveling a maximum of 15 mph when for some unknown reason the vehicle left the roadway; struck a tree with its left front and burst into an exploding fire killing my wife who was not able to escape the…
Mainly while cold and at low speed's the wheel suddenly becomes very hard to turn and i was told by a mechanic but it's a faulty hydraulic power steering problem
Very hard to turn steering wheel at times especially when moving slowly; coming to a turn at a light, backing out of a parking spot, etc.
Other MINI Cooper years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Cooper | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 Cooper | 1 | 3 |
| 2024 Cooper | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 Cooper | 7 | 0 |
| 2022 Cooper | 6 | 0 |
| 2021 Cooper | 7 | 2 |
| 2020 Cooper | 7 | 2 |
| 2019 Cooper | 12 | 2 |
| 2018 Cooper | 8 | 0 |
| 2017 Cooper | 28 | 3 |
| 2016 Cooper | 28 | 1 |
| 2015 Cooper | 56 | 6 |
| 2014 Cooper | 34 | 7 |
| 2013 Cooper | 47 | 1 |
| 2012 Cooper | 66 | 1 |
| 2011 Cooper | 83 | 1 |
| 2010 Cooper | 92 | 2 |
| 2009 Cooper | 151 | 1 |
| 2008 Cooper | 116 | 1 |
| 2007 Cooper | 117 | 1 |
| 2006 Cooper | 200 | 1 |
| 2005 Cooper | 372 | 2 |
| 2004 | 282 | 2 |
| 2003 Cooper | 320 | 2 |
| 2002 Cooper | 187 | 3 |
| 2001 Cooper | 6 | 0 |
See all MINI Cooper problems by year, every MINI model, or the MINI VIN decoder.
Similar MINI models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 MINI Cooper?
Owners most often report steering, power train, electrical system problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 238 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 MINI Cooper?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 MINI Cooper a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Cooper model years, the 2004 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.