2004 Mini COOPER S problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
247 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
74,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2004 model year. Data snapshot: . 231 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Steering is the most frequently named component, appearing in 202 of 247 complaints (81.8%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Steering behavior | 212 | 85.8% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 27 | 10.9% |
| Engine operation | 15 | 6.1% |
| Braking behavior | 5 | 2.0% |
| Transmission and shifting | 2 | 0.8% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Steering | 202 |
| Electrical System | 18 |
| Air Bags | 8 |
| Visibility:Windshield | 8 |
| Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist:Pump | 6 |
| Steering:Electric Power Assist System | 4 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 3 |
| Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist System | 3 |
Steering: 202; Electrical System: 18; Air Bags: 8; Visibility:Windshield: 8; Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist:Pump: 6; Steering:Electric Power Assist System: 4; Engine And Engine Cooling: 3; Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist System: 3
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 12 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 34 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 72 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 56 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 46 |
| 150,000 and above | 11 |
Under 25,000: 12; 25,000 to 49,999: 34; 50,000 to 74,999: 72; 75,000 to 99,999: 56; 100,000 to 149,999: 46; 150,000 and above: 11
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (72). 16 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 3 |
| 2005 | 3 |
| 2006 | 4 |
| 2007 | 6 |
| 2008 | 10 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 54 |
| 2011 | 78 |
| 2012 | 51 |
| 2013 | 14 |
| 2014 | 10 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 3 |
2004: 3; 2005: 3; 2006: 4; 2007: 6; 2008: 10; 2009: 3; 2010: 54; 2011: 78; 2012: 51; 2013: 14; 2014: 10; 2015: 2; 2016: 1; 2017: 2; 2018: 1; 2019: 2; 2020: 3
Pattern summary
Steering leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 212 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 27 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 15 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10175121 · 2006-12-04 (December 4, 2006)
THE STEERING FAILED ON MY 2004 MINI COOPER S WITH 84K MILE. THE POWER STEERING FAN FAILED CAUSING THE POWER STEERING PUMP TO BURN OUT. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NTO DRIVABLE AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE FORTUNATELY THE FAILURE OCCURED AFTER THE VEHICLE REACHED IT DESTINATION AND WAS PARKED. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 83,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10175121 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10200816 · 2007-08-26 (August 26, 2007)
1) NO SIGNIFICANT EVENT LEADING UP TO FAILURE 2) POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE, NO STEERING ABILITY IN VEHICLE 3) NO CORRECTION KNOWN FOR SUDDEN LOSS OF STEERING. PARTS TO BE REPAIRED BELIEVED TO BE STEERING PUMP AND POTENTIAL STEERING RACK. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 58,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10200816 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10228977 · 2008-05-27 (May 27, 2008)
I OWN A 2004 MINI COOPER S MODEL, WITH 39,000 MILES. THE CAR IS WELL CARED FOR. MY WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 30,000 AND I BEGAN RECEIVING ANNOYING CALLS AND LETTERS FROM MINI TO PURCHASE AN ADDITIONAL EXTENDED WARRANTY. I DID NOT, BELIEVING THAT SIMPLY MAINTAINING MY CAR PROPERLY WOULD TAKE CARE OF ANY FUTURE ISSUES. I TRUSTED BMW/MINI THAT THEY WOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT IF SOME UNUSUAL FAILURE OR BREAKDOWN OCCURRED. APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH AGO MY POWER STEERING WOULD INTERMITTENTLY GO OUT. AT FIRST, ONLY AFTER STARTING THE CAR AND TH…
Owner-reported narrative. 39,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10228977 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10314771 · 2010-02-27 (February 27, 2010)
WHEN THE WEATHER IS COLD, THE CENTER CONSOLE CONTROLS (HEAT, REAR DEFOGGER), THE HEADLIGHTS, FRONT/REAR WIPERS WILL NOT FUNCTION. WHEN CAR STARTS TO WARM UP, THOSE ITEMS WILL START WORKING WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED TO EITHER SIDE. WHEN CAR IS FULLY WARMED UP, WILL WORK MOST OF THE TIME UNLESS YOU HIT A BUMP. MINI SHOP SAID IT WAS A BAD COMPUTER - $800 TO FIX. ENGINE HAD AN OIL PLAN LEAK 2 YEARS AGO RESULTING IN MAJOR LOSS OF OIL. FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. WHEN GETTING ELECTRICAL PROBLEM FIXED, MINI SHOP FOUND 3 OIL LEAKS. TOTAL COST TO …
Owner-reported narrative. 39,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10314771 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10345159 · 2010-07-25 (July 25, 2010)
ON MY WAY UP DRIVEWAY I NOTICED A SHARP STINGING SENSATION IN THE LUMBAR OF MY BACK. FELT SORT OF LIKE AN "CONTINUOUS ELECTRIC SHOCK". I IMMEDIATELY ARCHED MY BACK AS A REACTION TO THE STING AND HAD TO STRAIGHTEN MY BACK IN ORDER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. WHEN STRAIGHTENING MY BACK I FELT SOMETHING HOT, VERY HOT THIS TIME LIKE SOMETHING THAT WAS ON FIRE. I COULD NOT LONGER CONTROL THE VEHICLE GRABBED FOR THE HANDLE OPENED THE DOOR AND ROLLED OUT ONTO THE DRIVEWAY WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING. THE VEHICLE BUCKED AND STALLED OUT. I IMMEDIATELY LOO…
Owner-reported narrative. 70,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10345159 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10350520 · 2010-08-19 (August 19, 2010)
THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE GOING UP HILL ON A CURVY TWO LANE ROAD. THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING FORCED ME TO GO INTO THE OTHER LANE, WHERE FORTUNATELY NO CARS WERE PRESENT. IF I WAS GOING DOWN HILL ON THE SAME ROAD I WOULD HAVE DEFINITELY GONE AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE HILL OR OFF THE SIDE OF THE CLIFF IF NOT HITTING AN ON COMING CAR FIRST. THE DEALERSHIP CHARGED ME OVER $1000 TO CHANGE THE ELECTRO/HYDRAULIC STEERING PUMP. THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH MANY MINIS ACCORDING TO FORUM POSTS. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 70,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10350520 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10216831 · 2008-02-04 (February 4, 2008)
I WAS PARKED ONE AFTER NOON LOOKING UNDER THE HOOD AND I HEARD A CRACKLING SOUND COMING FORM THE ABS PUMP. THERE WAS A SMALL PUFF OF SMOKE AND THEN THE SOUND STOPPED. AT THIS POINT I WENT ABOUT MY BUSINESS AND RETURNED TO MY 2004 MINI COOPER S AND THE ABS/TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT WERE OUT. A FEW DAYS LATER I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE BMW DEALER AND AFTER A FEW TESTS THEY DETERMINED IT WAS JUST BAD FUSES. A WEEK HAS PAST AND I HAVE HAD NO OTHER PROBLEMS. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10216831 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10249834 · 2008-11-25 (November 25, 2008)
MY 2004 MINI COOPER S HAS 48,000 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION HAS GOTTEN SO BAD THAT I CANNOT CHANGE GEARS WITHOUT GREAT DIFFICULTY. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS REPORTS ONLINE ABOUT POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE, BRAKE FAILURE AND A HOST OF SAFETY ISSUES WITH THE COOPER. I THINK THIS CAR NEEDS TO BE EVALUATED FOR SAFETY ISSUES. THANKS, KAREN *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 48,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10249834 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10233675 · 2008-07-09 (July 9, 2008)
(1) ON THURSDAY, JULY 3RD, I ATTEMPTED TO MANIPULATE A 90 DEGREE RIGHTHAND TURN IN MY 2004 MINI COOPER S DURING MY VERY SHORT COMMUTE TO WORK AND DID SO ONLY WITH GREAT DIFFICULTLY. FROM THAT POINT FORWARD MY CAR TURNS NEITHER LEFT NOR RIGHT PROPERLY AND ONLY WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY. THERE WAS NO WARNING OR NOISES OF ANY KIND TO ALERT ME TO THE PROBLEM. MY SIGNIFICANT OTHER, WHO IS A TRAINED MECHANIC, INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND IDENTIFIED THE POWER STEERING PUMP AS THE PROBLEM. I ALSO SPOKE WITH SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS HERB CHAMBERS BMW MINI OF BO…
Owner-reported narrative. 57,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10233675 at NHTSA ↗