2003 MINI Cooper S Brakes Problems
- Complaints
- 8about this part
- Share
- 4%of 217 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 28,639miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 8 complaints about the brakes of the 2003 MINI Cooper S, 4% of the 217 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 28,639 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“My Mini Cooper S has less than 27,000 miles on it. It has been carefully driven and has sustained no crash damage. Had several warning lights come on the car and had failures with the ABS, steering angle sensor, and front wheel sensor. In addition and most importantly, I was told that I had mushrooming and cracked front shock tower mounts on both sides of the car, and that alone would cost over $1,400 to repair. I was told that hitting potholes or other road hazards caused this. …”
NHTSA complaint #10344586, filed 2010-07, 26,799 miles“Turning from a left hand turn lane on to a side street as I have done at least 4 times a day for over 10 years, I lost all power and the ability to control the vehicle. In the middle of the turn the loss of power, the loss of steering, and the loss of brakes caused me to run into the curb. This accident resulted in the right front wheel and assembly being replaced. Not long after getting my Mini Cooper S the hesitation of the accelerator when stating off in first gear began. I was told by the service rep at the Mini dealership that there was no fix for this problem. …”
NHTSA complaint #10445787, filed 2012-01, 28,639 miles“2003 Mini Cooper S with low 70 thousand miles cough fire on january 31 2011 around 4 am in the morning. It was seen to start on the passenger side under airbag and car was completely on fire the front end under the hood and under passenger dash was told failure was ABS”
NHTSA complaint #10393245, filed 2011-03, 70,111 miles“The contact owns a 2003 Mini Cooper S. While the contact's wife was driving 60 MPH, the wheel and tire detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and has not been diagnosed at this time. The contact was informed that the cost for the repair would range from $3,000 - $5,000. The affected components were the steering, brakes, suspension, and shocks. A police report was filed and the contact has pictures available. The VIN was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 30,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10235781, filed 2008-07, 30,000 miles“Complete failure of the internal controller area network, resulting in blown electronics, service engine soon light, ABS light, dsc light and air bag light. Cause was apparently a faulty radio. However, a replacement radio failed when installed in the vehicle, bringing more controller area network problems.”
NHTSA complaint #10105996, filed 2005-01Brakes: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | 20% |
| 2017 | 2 | 33% |
| 2015 | 1 | 6% |
| 2013 | 1 | 4% |
| 2010 | 1 | 2% |
| 2008 | 1 | 1% |
| 2007 | 2 | 1% |
| 2006 | 3 | 2% |
| 2005 | 1 | 0% |
| 2004 | 1 | 0% |
| 2003 | 8 | 4% |
| 2002 | 3 | 4% |
Other parts of the 2003 MINI Cooper S
129 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
33 complaintsElectrical system
14 complaintsEngine cooling
10 complaintsSuspension
8 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
8 complaintsAir bags
7 complaintsBody and structure
6 complaintsTires
6 complaintsEngine
5 complaintsVehicle speed control
5 complaintsElectronic stability control
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2003 MINI Cooper S
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology