NHTSA Safety Recalls
2003 MINI Cooper Recalls
The 2003 MINI Cooper has 4 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on October 15, 2015.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2003 MINI Cooper. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 4
- Owner complaints
- 320
- Crashes reported
- 3
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★☆
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
27 fires
frontal crash, no overall star before 2011
On a 2003 MINI Cooper, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
4 recalls on the 2003 MINI Cooper
Steering: electric power assist system
- Campaign
- 15V660000
- Reported
- October 15, 2015
- Vehicles affected
- up to 86,018
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2002, 2004–2005 Cooper, 1 other model
Suspension: rear: shock absorber
- Campaign
- 03V086000
- Reported
- March 10, 2003
- Vehicles affected
- up to 5,110
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- only the 2003 MINI Cooper
Exterior lighting: headlights
- Campaign
- 08E050000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2002, 2004–2005 Cooper, 12 other models
Exterior lighting: headlights
- Campaign
- 09E025000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2002, 2004–2005 Cooper, 46 other models
2003 MINI Cooper complaints by year
NHTSA has received 320 owner complaints about the 2003 MINI Cooper, the newest on May 14, 2025. Of these, 3 describe a crash (1%) and 27 a fire; owners reported 3 injuries.
In complaints about the 2003 MINI Cooper, the component group named most often is the steering (50%), followed by the power train (28%) and the electrical system (8%).
1 of the 2003 MINI Cooper's 4 recalls also concerns the steering.
Where 2003 MINI Cooper owners gave the mileage (281 complaints), the median was 74,651 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Steering159
- Power Train89
- Electrical System26
- Visibility23
- Engine And Engine Cooling22
- Air Bags10
Complaints received, by year
| 2000 | 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 19 | |
| 2004 | 15 | |
| 2005 | 5 | |
| 2006 | 7 | |
| 2007 | 18 | |
| 2008 | 41 | |
| 2009 | 16 | |
| 2010 | 37 | |
| 2011 | 45 | |
| 2012 | 41 | |
| 2013 | 22 | |
| 2014 | 15 | |
| 2015 | 11 | |
| 2016 | 9 | |
| 2017 | 2 | |
| 2018 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 4 | |
| 2020 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 4 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 2 | |
| 2025 | 1 |
Complaints about the 2003 MINI Cooper peaked in 2011, when NHTSA received 45. 14% arrived between 2002 and 2006, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2003 vehicles, the 2003 MINI Cooper drew 2.0× the complaints of the median MINI Cooper year in the same window: 2nd highest of the 11 ranked years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: none before 2011
- Frontal: 4/5
- Side: 4/5
The 320 complaints about the 2003 MINI Cooper are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
MINI Cooper by model year
Newest record on this page: May 14, 2025. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted