Page 5 of 5 · complaints 201–217 of 217

2003 Mini Cooper S complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2003 record →

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Sep 10, 20037 milesMN

PURCHASED NEW VEHICLE (DELIVERY DATE BELOW). VEHICLE HAS SERIOUS LURCH AND POWER LOSS IN 1ST GEAR, PARTICULARY W/ AC RUNNING. THIS POSES SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RISK AS NORMAL ACCELERATION IS NOT AVAILABLE. MAUFACTURER HAS ACKNOWLEDGED PROBEM STATING IT IS IN THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE--CLAIMS NO FIX TO DATE DESPITE REPEATED COMPLAINTS AND REQUESTS FOR FIX.*AK

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Aug 30, 200319,500 milesGA

WINDSHIELD BULLSEYE PRODUCED BY VERY INSIGNIFICANT STONE FROM ROADWAY. WAS SHOCKED TO SEE DAMAGE RESULT FROM SUCH A MINOR IMPACT. APPEARS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS.*AK

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Aug 24, 20034,000 milesTX

MY 2003 MINI COOPER S STUMBLES AND BOGS DOWN WHEN STARTING IN FIRST GEAR. WHEN STARTING FROM A DEAD START AND LETTING CLUTCH OUT, THE CARS POWER CUTS OFF FOR A MOMENT AND THEN CUTS BACK IN. THIS WAS NOT A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CAR PRIOR TO MY DEALER UPGRADING THE SOFTWARE FOR THE ENGINE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. I'VE CONTACTED MINI USA (AKA BMW) AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM, BUT HAVE NO FIX FOR IT. I CONSIDER IT A SAFETY ISSUE, ESPECIALLY WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC AND THE CAR HESITATES BADLY.*AK

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Aug 18, 2003VA

I HAVE A MINI COPPER S AND THE WINDSHIELD CRACKS VERY EASY. I HAVE TALKED TO MINI USA, AND THEY SAID THAT IT IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. BUT THIS HAS HAPPEN TO SO MANY MINI OWNER, I THINK THAT IT IS A MINI USA PROBLEM. CAUSE WHY WOULD SO MANY MINI WINDSHIELDS CRACK ALL THE TIME. *AK

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Aug 15, 20034,000 milesNC

MY APRIL BUILD 2003 MINI COOPER S EXPERIENCES SUDDEN MOMENTARY ENGINE POWER LOSSES, CAUSING THE CAR TO VIOLENTY JERK DURING INITIAL ACCELERATION. FURTHERMORE, THE CAR WILL RANDOMLY AND WITHOUT WARNING, LOSE ALL FORWARD MOMENTUM JUST WHEN I NEED IT MOST, AS IN PULLING OUT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. NO MATTER HOW MUCH THROTTLE IS ENGAGED, THE CAR BARELY CRAWLS FOWARD FOR UP TO 3 SECONDS, THEN FINALLY ROARS TO LIFE AND TAKES OFF. IT FEELS VERY MUCH LIKE TRYING TO ACCELERATE A CAR FROM A DEAD STOP IN 3RD GEAR, THOUGH THE CAR IS IN 1ST GEAR. THIS SITUATION IS DANGEROUS AND NEEDS TO HAVE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY WITHIN BMWNA/MINIUSA. I, AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS, HAVE REPEATEDLY BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF MINIUSA/BMWNA AND WE ARE ALWAYS TOLD THE SAME THING, THAT THEY ARE WORKING ON IT. IT HAS BEEN OVER 6 MONTHS SINCE THESE PROBLEMS FIRST BEGAN TO SURFACE. THERE HAS BEEN NO OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION FROM BMWNA/MINIUSA REGARDING THE ISSUE.*AK

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Aug 11, 2003800 milesMD

NUMEROUS WINDSHEILD CHIPS IN LESS THAN 12,000 MILES. I HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE WITH A WINDSHIELD THAT CHIPS SO EASILY. THE SMALLEST OF DEBRIS WILL RESULT IN A SIGNIFICANT CHIP. THE WINDSHEILD HAS TO BE TOO WEAK. HOW CAN THE WINDSHIELD PROTECT YOU WHEN IT IS SO WEAK. THE FIRST CHIP HAPPENED AT ABOUT 800 MILES ANOTHER AT ABOUT 8000 MILES AND THE LAST AT 11000 MILES. THE FIRST ONE WAS "REPAIRED" THE NEXT MORNING. BUT IT IS NOW SPIDERING.

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Aug 4, 2003CA

THE WINDSHIELD ON MY 2003 MINI COPPER S CRACKED RIGHT DOWN THE CENTER WHEN I SPRAYED IT WITH A HOSE WHILE WASHING IT. THIS WAS NOT A HIGH PRESSURE HOSE, JUST A REGULAR GARDEN HOSE. I BELIEVE IT WAS PROBABLY DUE TO A TEMPERATURE CHANGE. HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT A PARTICULARLY HOT DAY, BEING BARELY ABOVE 70 DEGREES. I HAVE WASHED THIS CAR AND ALL OF MY PREVIOUS CARS IN WEATHER HOTTER THAN THAT! ADDITIONALLY, A SEARCH OF THE WEB SHOWS THAT OTHERS HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH "STRESS" CRACKS WITH MINI WINDSHIELDS. ANYWAY, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY DISTURBING AND (IN MY EXPERIENCE) VERY UNUSUAL.*AK

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Jul 23, 20034,267 milesMI

WINDSHIELD CRACKED AT 3 MONTHS USAGE AND 4,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I KNOW THIS TO BE AN INHERENT PROBLEM WITH THE COOPER AND COOPER S AS I HAVE MONITORED THE MINI COOPER MESSAGE BOARD FOR WELL OVER A YEAR NOW AND HAVE SEEN MANY FAILURES POSTED(MANY OF THEM MULTIPLE FAILURES). DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET THE COMPANY TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM AS IT MONITORS THE MESSAGE BOARD CONTINUOUSLY BUT HAS YET TO OFFER OWNERS ANY OPTIONS FOR THE POOR QUALITY OF THE VEHICLE GLASS.*AK

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Jul 3, 20038,200 milesPA

WINDSHIELD CRACKED

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Jul 1, 20038,000 milesMI

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT THE WINDSHIELD. ALSO, STATED THAT THIS WILL BE THE THIRD WINDSHIELD. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND STATED THAT ROCKS WERE HITTING THE VEHICLE AND THAT WAS THE REASON WHY THERE WERE CRACKS ON THE WINDSHIELD.*AK

Tires › Tread/Belt
Filed Jun 26, 20035,900 milesFL

THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS BALD. THE CONSUMER STATED IT WAS NOT FROM ROUGH DRIVING. *NLM PH *JB

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Jun 3, 20034,500 milesVA

CRACKED WINDHSIELD ON MINI COOPER S. ONE OF PROBABLY THOUSANDS SUFFERED BY MIN OWNERS OWING TO THE GLASS BEING TOO THIN AND THE WINDSHIELD TOO UPRIGHT. THIS IA A DESIGN AND SAFETY ISSUE. MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED MONDAY APRIL 14. A SMALL STONE MAY HAVE HIT IT, BUT THE CRACK DID NO BEGIN UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING. RANDOM CRACKS DUE TO STONES AND ROCKS ARE TO BE EXPECTED FROM TIME TO TIME. BUT THE OCCURRENCE OF CRACKS ON THE MIJI COOPER S IS EPIDEMIC AND WIDELY KNOWN. THE COMPANY DENIES THIS IS A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING ISSUE, BUT THE FREQUENCY OF THESE CRACKS, ADMITTED BY THE MINI COOPER DEALER NETWORK, IS WIDELY KNOWN TO BR A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR, AND THERE IS NO POLICY TO REMEDY IT, OTHER THAN HAVING THE WINDHSILED REPLACED AT A COST EXCEEDING $600. THESE CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE MEANT THAT HUNDRED IF NOT THOUSANDS OF OWNERS ROUTINELY ARE FORCED TO DRIVE THEIR CARS FOR LONG PERIODS WITH CRACKED WINDSHIELDS--A CLEAR SAFETY ISSUE.*AK

Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator ModuleCrash
Filed May 29, 20033,300 milesNY

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOT THE AIR BAGS IN THE VEHICLE. ALSO STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE SIDE AIR BAG IN THE DRIVERS SIDE DEPLOY WITH NO REASON. DEALER AND MANUFACTURE WERE CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR ACTIVATED.

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Apr 25, 2003MD

THERE WERE TWO CHIPS AND A CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD. *JB

Tires › Tread/Belt1 injured
Filed Aug 29, 2002WA

WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 60MPH ON HIGHWAY, CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE FROM THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. HE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDERS. TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE OUTISIDE WHEEL. FIRESTONE, P22575R16 STEELTEX.*AK CONSUMER STATED THAT THE SEPARATED TREAD WAS WRAPPED AROUND TAILPIPE AND DAMAGED WHEEL WELL. *YH

Tires › Tread/Belt
Filed Jul 17, 2002PA

AT 65MPH REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE TREAD STARTED TO SEPARATE CAUSING A BLOWOUT OUT. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A VEHICLE CRASH. SIZE 22517R16, DOT UNKNOWN.*AK THE DOT OF THE TIRE IS VD1L1XD WITH A DATE CODE OF 368. CONSUMER REQUESTS REIMBURSEMENT. *JG

Tires › Tread/Belt
Filed Nov 20, 2000WA

PE00 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A NOISE. SHE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER, AND NOTICED THAT RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD HAD BEGAN TO SEPARATE. TIRE WAS A FIRESTONE STEELTEX, R4S #LT 225/7516M/S. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT.*AK DOT#VD1L1XD298. *SLC

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 2003 Mini Cooper S → · Every Cooper S year → · How the figures are calculated →