2004 MINI Cooper S: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2004 MINI Cooper S
On the 2004 MINI Cooper S, the failure owners report most often is other steering problem, and the reports cluster around 85,000 miles. The earliest to appear is loss of power steering, reported by a median of 67,500 miles. Overall it scores 65 out of 100, high risk for a 2004.
High risk for a 2004 — 219th riskiest of the 329 2004 vehicles we can rate. 279 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What owners report breaking
Owners have reported 29 named failure modes on the 2004 MINI Cooper S, and the three most-reported carry 71% of everything filed, so the trouble here is concentrated rather than scattered.
Other steering problem leads with 96 reports, about 8.9 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 60k to 105,000 miles.
Power steering pump or fluid leak follows with 61 reports, usually reported between 56k to 90,000 miles. 1 of those report mention a fire.
Loss of power steering follows with 40 reports, usually reported between 53k to 95,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into steering (204), cooling (13) and electrical (13).
At what mileage it happens
259 of the reports on the 2004 MINI Cooper S came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 74,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 19% by 50,000 miles, 73% by 100,000 miles and 95% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 60,000 and 70,000 miles, which alone holds 15% of the dated reports.
8% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, so this is mostly a story about older, higher-mileage cars.
In the order they tend to show up: loss of power steering around 68k, power steering pump or fluid leak around 73k, cooling fan failure around 83k and other steering problem around 84k.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 29. The full list is in the table below.
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
- Dashed the median reported mileage
What happens when these parts fail
Across the named modes, 7 mention a crash, 8 a fire and 3 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.11, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other steering problem at $350–$2,400, power steering pump or fluid leak at $350–$1,600, loss of power steering at $600–$2,800 and cooling fan failure at $350–$1,300. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
7% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other steering problem | steering | 96 | 89 | 60k | 84k | 104k | 8.9 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Power steering pump or fluid leak | steering | 61 | 60 | 56k | 73k | 90k | 5.7 | $350–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Loss of power steering | steering | 40 | 39 | 53k | 68k | 94k | 3.7 | $600–$2,800 | Critical |
| Cooling fan failure | cooling | 10 | 8 | 38k | 83k | 113k | 0.9 | $350–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 8 | 7 | — | 71k | — | 0.7 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault | airbag | 7 | 7 | — | 80k | — | 0.7 | $300–$1,600 | High |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 7 | 6 | — | 16k | — | 0.7 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 5 | 5 | — | 125k | — | 0.5 | $200–$900 | High |
| Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure | steering | 5 | 5 | — | 67k | — | 0.5 | $700–$2,600 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 4 | 4 | — | 39k | — | 0.4 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Alternator or charging system failure | electrical | 3 | 3 | — | 114k | — | 0.3 | $450–$1,600 | High |
| Window regulator or power window failure | body | 3 | 3 | — | 51k | — | 0.3 | $250–$900 | Moderate |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 3 | 2 | — | 65k | — | 0.3 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Oil leak | engine | 2 | 2 | — | 55k | — | 0.2 | $250–$2,200 | Moderate |
| Turbocharger or supercharger failure | engine | 2 | 2 | — | 61k | — | 0.2 | $1,500–$4,500 | High |
| Overheating | cooling | 2 | 2 | — | 79k | — | 0.2 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Wiring harness or short circuit | electrical | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| ABS module or sensor failure | brakes | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $500–$2,400 | High |
| Steering column or shaft failure | steering | 2 | 2 | — | 108k | — | 0.2 | $600–$2,500 | Critical |
| Windshield cracking | glass | 2 | 1 | — | 18k | — | 0.2 | $300–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Other engine problem | engine | 2 | 2 | — | 141k | — | 0.2 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 2 | 2 | — | 141k | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 95k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Water pump failure | cooling | 1 | 1 | — | 160k | — | 0.1 | $500–$2,200 | High |
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 108k | — | 0.1 | $600–$2,600 | High |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 48k | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Catalytic converter failure | emissions | 1 | 1 | — | 74k | — | 0.1 | $900–$3,500 | Moderate |
| Exhaust leak or fumes in the cabin | emissions | 1 | 1 | — | 170k | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | High |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 145k | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Unclassified problem | other | 2 | 1 | — | 6k | — | 0.2 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2004 MINI Cooper S draws about 26 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 92nd percentile of complaint rates among 2004 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 10,752 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2004 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other steering problem
Driving down road started to make a left turn and the power steering assist fails. I barely managed to keep car on the road. Unbelievable difficult to steer and crucial turn. Have yet to replace part and upon research find mini knows of this problem and put out a duct work and improved pump. They however have not voluntarily recalled vehicles to retrofit. *tr
My 2004 mini cooper s lost steering control approaching a very dangerous corner on california sr 330. It took all my strength to turn the wheel and I nearly avoided a serious accident, but was able to get through the turn and then get the car off the road. Searching on the web, I seen hundreds of reports of steering failure in 2002 through 2006 mini coopers. My dealer was knew about the issue and replaced the steering pump. My mini has 58,000 miles on it. *tr
Power steering pump or fluid leak
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
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 then it started occurring while driving the car. We checked the power steering fluid and all was well. Took it in to my mechanic and he informed me that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. He explained that mini had told him "they" had been experiencing a high instances of steering power pump failures. He asked if the power steering pump was on the recall list. "they" told him no and explained that the pump was electrical and not manually therefore it was considered wear and tear. Crevier mini, where I purchased the car told me it would cost $1100.00 to replace the pump! My mechanic told me…
Loss of power steering
Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). I have a 2004 mini cooper s (bmw) that I have owned for about a year and a half but recently, past 3 months., I have had the power steering quit suddenly on 3 separate occasions. Thankfully I was not on a high speed road at any of those times because when the power steering went out it I could barely turn the wheel and I'm a 36 yr. Old male with quite a bit more strength than my fiance who also drives the car. I believe this is a very serious flaw with the car as I have checked with other mini cooper owners across the country who each and everyone of them has experienced the same exact problem with the power steering failing suddenly. I can only imagine what would happen if this occurs at high speeds or during inclement weather, this is a safety hazard that should be recalled by bmw since I am not the only mini cooper owner with this problem. [xxx] *tr
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
Recalls on the 2004 model year
NHTSA has issued 2 recall campaigns covering the 2004 MINI Cooper S, affecting an estimated 11,348 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover steering:electric power assist system and tires:pressure monitoring and regulating systems. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
86,018 vehicles 2015-10-15- Defect
- 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.
TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS
1,193 vehicles 2004-07-12- Defect
- On certain passenger vehicles, the flat tire monitoring system has not been correctly programmed. In the event of a flat tire, an audible signal will not sound to alert the driver to a flat tire.
- Consequence
- Due to the lack of an audible signal, the driver may not be aware of a flat tire, which could increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the vehicle's software in order to actuate the flat tire monitoring system's audible signal. The recall began october 13, 2004. Owners should contact mini customer relations at 1-866-275-6464.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2004 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Where 2004 sits in the model line
High risk for a 2004 — 219th riskiest of the 329 2004 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.
Across the 14 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2002 comes out best at 65 and 2007 worst at 78, with 2004 itself at 65.
No other year of this model scores meaningfully better than 2004, so if this generation is what you want, the year is not the lever.
Within the 2002–2006 generation specifically, 2002 is the strongest year at 65 and 2006 the weakest at 70.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2002-2006 generation, 2002 MINI Cooper S scores best at 65 and 2006 MINI Cooper S worst at 70.
What to look at before buying one
The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: cooling fan failure from about 38k, loss of power steering from about 53k, power steering pump or fluid leak from about 56k and other steering problem from about 60k.
On a 2004 MINI Cooper S with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether cooling fan failure has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.
None of this is a diagnosis. It is a list of what other owners of the same model year reported, ordered by when they reported it, which is a good place to point an inspection and a poor place to stop.
Where these figures stop being useful
279 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 279 reports, 259 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 93% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 MINI Cooper S?
The most-reported failures are other steering problem (96 reports, median 85,000 miles), power steering pump or fluid leak (61 reports, median 72,500 miles) and loss of power steering (40 reports, median 67,500 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
At what mileage do 2004 MINI Cooper S problems start?
Loss of power steering is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 67,500 miles and a quarter of reports before 52,500 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 74,000 miles.
Is the 2004 MINI Cooper S reliable?
It scores 65 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 219th riskiest of the 329 2004 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2004 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the MINI Cooper S is best?
Within the 2002–2006 generation, 2002 scores best at 65 out of 100 and 2006 worst at 70. Same body, same engines, different luck.
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