2004 MINI Cooper S problems & reliability
247 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 MINI Cooper S, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 210 | 85% |
| Electrical System | 19 | 8% |
| Visibility | 12 | 5% |
| Air Bags | 8 | 3% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 1% |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 1% |
| Seats | 3 | 1% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 1% |
| Engine | 2 | 1% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 1% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 74,000 miles (middle 50% between 55,000 and 98,833 miles), based on 231 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Was driving car on 18 july 2020 and power steering quit working and made steering difficult, also coolant fan,low speed and high speed stopped working same time as power steering quit. The asc light came on and it will not turn off. No blown fuses in engine compartment or by drivers kick panel. I was driving the car…”
Engine · filed Jul 20, 2020
“Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact stated that while driving at attempting to make a turn, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the steering column. The contact also stated that there was a power steering fluid leak present. The failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to mini of…”
Steering · filed Mar 31, 2020
“The power steering is very stiff to drive and cannot drive my cooper because I can no longer steer the vehicle.”
Steering · filed Jan 28, 2020
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Loss of power steering assist
Engineering Analysis EA11005 · opened May 4, 2011 · closed Jan 5, 2016 · led to recall 15V660000
- Loss of Power Steering Assist
Preliminary Evaluation PE10038 · opened Sep 24, 2010 · closed May 10, 2011
Technical service bulletins
41 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 MINI Cooper S. The 10 most recent:
MINI electrical systems have continued to develop over the past few years. As a result, the demand on the batteries has increased. Breakdowns due to an empty battery or problems in the vehicles electrical system can…
M610607 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 25, 2023
Programming a Replacement EGS Module with ISTA/P. Programming a replacement electronic transmission control module (EGS) with ISTA/P requires the manual entry of the correct target basic and programmed part numbers…
M240112 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2019
NAVIGATION SYSTEM HAS MISSING OR INCORRECT ROAD MAP DATA: The route guidance is inaccurate and therefore irritating to the customer; or it is not possible to locate certain addresses, for instance:
M650610 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2018
NAVIGATION SYSTEM HAS MISSING OR INCORRECT ROAD MAP DATA: The route guidance is inaccurate and therefore irritating to the customer; or it is not possible to locate certain addresses, for instance:
M650610 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2018
This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI 32 02 14 dated August 2014. SUBJECT Installation of Right-Hand Drive Steering Spindle in Left-Hand Drive Vehicle is No Longer Required. Left-hand drive steering spindles…
M320214 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2016
Mini: because of the dme software, and a damaged clutch, the drivetrain malfunction check message appear. *ma
12 06 15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2015
Mini: different faults activates engine malfunction and oil warning. *ma
11 06 15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2015
Mini: faulty software causes the check control and engine power reduced light to appear. *ma
12 07 15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2015
Mini: due to faulty dme software, the service engine lights comes on, including the check control message for motor force decrease. *ma
12 05 15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2015
Mini: a mechanical failure and dme software error of the vanos actuators cause the engine to run rough which activates the malfunction warning light. *ma
11 02 15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2015
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2004 MINI Cooper S has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2004 MINI Cooper S?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 74,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.