2003 MINI Cooper S Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 8about this part
- Share
- 4%of 217 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 41,900miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 8 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2003 MINI Cooper S, 4% of the 217 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 41,900 miles. 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.
“I parked my 2003 Mini Cooper S at work, and shut the car off. When I got out of the car, I noticed the power steering pump was still running. I was going into the office get a wrench to disconnect the battery, and within 5 min, an email was sent out 2003 Mini cooper heavily smoking in parking lot. As soon as I got out there, the fire/smoke has been put out by a coolant line that split open by the fire and put the flames out. When I looked under the car, I could see the power steering pump completely burnt. …”
NHTSA complaint #10329008, filed 2010-05, 67,000 miles“One morning driving about 100 MPH going up to ct I pay a toll take off the car hesitates in first gear then goes ok about a 2 miles from the toll I am doing about 100 MPH and switch to the right lane and the car just stop giving me power so I go to change to 5th gear no luck so I let the car roll to the shoulder call Mini roadside and they tow to nearest dealer to my house. The dealer has my car for a total of 8 days and tell me the l/front axle will not stay in the transmission. …”
NHTSA complaint #10153123, filed 2006-03, 41,900 miles“Failure of 2003 Mini cooper manual transmission. My car has been under regular maintenance. I first noticed the car losing power going uphill, then it became difficult to put the car in gear. Next morning I was unable to get into reverse, was extremely difficult to shift and some gears could not be engaged. At a stop light I began hearing a very loud grinding noise, like metal in a blender, the car would not engage in gear, I had to be pushed out of the intersection. The dealer offered nothing. My private mechanic found metal shreds throughout the transmission. …”
NHTSA complaint #10293916, filed 2009-11, 65,000 miles“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.”
NHTSA complaint #10033392, filed 2003-08, 4,000 miles“Engine power loss starting off in 1st gear. When stating from a complete stop in 1st gear the car will hesitate for aprox. 2-3 seconds before the rpms increase. There is no combination of clutch and throttle that will alleviate this situation. The combination of warm temperatures and running the A/C contribute heavily to the power loss. Colder weather does improve this power loss.”
NHTSA complaint #10045591, filed 2003-11, 1 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10162443Jul 12, 2019Programming a Replacement EGS Module with ISTA/P. Programming a replacement electronic transmission control module (EGS) with ISTA/P requires the manual entry of the correct…
- 10025903Jun 1, 2008Mini- r5 & r56 (cooper; cooper s) with getrag 6 speed manual transmission: complaint of an intermittent no-crank, no start situation. The clutch switch module has not been…
- 10025846Jun 1, 2008Mini: r55, r56 (cooper, cooper s) with f21 asin 6-speed automatic transmission - incorrect gear display.
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 | 20% |
| 2016 | 2 | 20% |
| 2015 | 1 | 6% |
| 2014 | 6 | 46% |
| 2013 | 2 | 8% |
| 2012 | 1 | 4% |
| 2010 | 5 | 8% |
| 2009 | 16 | 13% |
| 2008 | 9 | 5% |
| 2007 | 26 | 10% |
| 2006 | 22 | 12% |
| 2005 | 13 | 4% |
| 2004 | 2 | 1% |
| 2003 | 8 | 4% |
| 2002 | 1 | 1% |
Other parts of the 2003 MINI Cooper S
129 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
33 complaintsElectrical system
14 complaintsEngine cooling
10 complaintsBrakes
8 complaintsSuspension
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