2004 BMW MINI Cooper: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2004 BMW MINI Cooper
Only 4 defect reports have been filed with NHTSA about the 2004 BMW MINI Cooper, which is too few to compute mileage percentiles or a risk score. The reports reported other steering problem.
When each failure gets reported
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other steering problem | steering | 3 | 3 | — | 60k | — | — | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Loss of power steering | steering | 1 | 1 | — | 40k | — | — | $600–$2,800 | Critical |
No fleet-size estimate is available for this year, so only raw counts are shown. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other steering problem
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 bmw mini cooper s. The contact stated that the power steering failed while she was turning a corner at approximately 30 MPH. The power steering continued to fail intermittently. The vehicle had not been inspected at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000. The current mileage was approximately 115,600.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 bmw mini cooper. While the contact was driving approximately 40 MPH, there was a complete loss of the power steering. The vehicle was driven with extreme difficulty when turning the steering wheel. The failure occurred intermittent at any speed rate being traveled. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic on five different occasions for the identical failure. The technician informed that the failure was a common defect and was unable to duplicate the problem. The failure mileage was 60,000.
Loss of power steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 bmw mini cooper s. While the contact was driving approximately 45 MPH there was a loss of power steering. The vehicle was driven to the side of the road, and the engine was turned off. The vehicle restarted and resumed normally. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. The technician was unable to duplicate the problem. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was 40,000. The current mileage was 85,000. Updated 12/03/10. *lj
What the reports on file say
The complaints recorded against the 2004 BMW MINI Cooper are other steering problem (3 reports, around 60k miles) and loss of power steering (1 report, around 40k miles). With a sample this size these are anecdotes rather than a pattern, and they are shown because somebody looking at this exact car would rather see them than nothing.
Why this page is short
A model year needs about 8 reports before percentiles mean anything, and this one does not have them. Complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road, so a thin page usually means a rare car, a new car, or a car whose owners do not file.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed