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2002 MINI Cooper S
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2002 MINI Cooper S, concerning steering, and 82 consumer complaints received since 2006.
The component named most often is steering: 548.1 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 39.2 per 1,000 across all 2002 model-year vehicles and against 335.5 per 1,000 for the MINI Cooper S line as a whole.
That is about the same as the average of 81.7 complaints per model year across the 20 MINI Cooper S model years on this register; 3 complaints reported a crash and 5 a fire.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 2011 (22); the most recent in the file is dated 22 Oct 2018.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened 3 investigations naming this model year.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 29 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Defect, as filed: 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.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Filed by BMW of North America, LLC.
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 2002 MINI Cooper S (black) against all 2002 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 2002 | Cooper S line | All 2002 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 548.1 | 335.5 | 39.2 |
| Air Bags | 144.2 | 128.7 | 72.5 |
| Electrical System | 96.2 | 59.3 | 94.1 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 48.1 | 94.8 | 103.2 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 28.8 | 7.1 | 78.7 |
| Seats | 28.8 | 18.2 | 12 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 57 | 548.1 | 335.5 | 39.2 |
| Air Bags | 15 | 144.2 | 128.7 | 72.5 |
| Electrical System | 10 | 96.2 | 59.3 | 94.1 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 48.1 | 94.8 | 103.2 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 28.8 | 7.1 | 78.7 |
| Seats | 3 | 28.8 | 18.2 | 12 |
| Visibility | 2 | 19.2 | 32.9 | 39.7 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 2 | 19.2 | 4.1 | 11.6 |
| Structure | 2 | 19.2 | 12.2 | 61.3 |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 9.6 | 21.3 | 18.9 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 9.6 | 11.2 | 39.4 |
| Power Train | 1 | 9.6 | 55.2 | 121 |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 9.6 | 10.1 | 17.8 |
| Engine | 1 | 9.6 | 156.1 | 21.5 |
82 unique complaints, 104 component mentions; 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
| Action | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EA11005 | Engineering analysis | Loss of power steering assist | steering | 4 May 2011 | 5 Jan 2016 | 15V660000 |
| EA07011 | Engineering analysis | ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE | steering:electric power assist system | 14 Aug 2007 | 13 Aug 2008 | — |
| PE07022 | Preliminary evaluation | ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE | steering:electric power assist system | 19 Apr 2007 | 15 Aug 2007 | — |
Other MINI Cooper S model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 1 | 82 | 86,018 |
| 2003 | 2 | 212 | 91,128 |
| 2004 | 2 | 242 | 87,211 |
| 2005 | 2 | 307 | 177,818 |
| 2006 | 1 | 181 | 91,800 |
| 2007 | 4 | 243 | 264,557 |
| 2008 | 4 | 160 | 264,557 |
| 2009 | 3 | 103 | 236,107 |
| 2010 | 4 | 50 | 236,312 |
| 2011 | 3 | 17 | 236,107 |
| 2012 | 2 | 8 | 145,739 |
| 2013 NHTSA | 1 | 9 | 97,933 |
| 2014 | 4 | 11 | 38,495 |
| 2015 | 4 | 4 | 38,495 |
| 2016 | 3 | 3 | 38,411 |
| 2017 | 3 | 1 | 35,844 |
| 2019 NHTSA | 1 | 1 | 5,309 |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | 759 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 21,613 |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | 267,453 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All MINI Cooper S model years · MINI: 17 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 2002 MINI Cooper S have?
1 NHTSA recall campaign name this model year; the most recent, 15V660000, was reported to NHTSA on 15 Oct 2015 and concerns steering:electric power assist system. Across all model years the MINI Cooper S line has 23 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 2002 MINI Cooper S?
NHTSA's investigation file lists 3 actions naming this model year; the table above shows each action's opening and closing dates. An action with no closing date was still open when the file was produced.
What component do owners of the 2002 MINI Cooper S complain about most?
Steering: 57 of 104 component mentions (548.1 per 1,000). Next is air bags with 15. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 29 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 29 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.