2003 MINI Cooper S Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) Problems
- Complaints
- 33about this part
- Share
- 15%of 217 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 8,000miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 33 complaints about the visibility of the 2003 MINI Cooper S, 15% of the 217 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 8,000 miles.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Windshield cracked three days after purchase. I don't remember any stone damage being done. When I washed my car (hot day), a crack developed in the mid-right bottom border of my windshield. I brought it in to the service department, and they told me it was stone damage.”
NHTSA complaint #10051390, filed 2003-12, 2,100 miles“2003 Mini Cooper S. My wiper motor died in a heavy rainstorm, or so I thought. Driving without the wipers in hilo, hi where I live with 140 a year of rain can be deadly when wipers don't work. It is a well documented defect affecting all original 02-06 minis. See here for details. I repaired mine simply by grounding the wiper motor to anywhere else on the car. I had to drive 3 weeks without wipers before I could fix this. Dealers charge $600 to fix it and it is a design defect and the motor is not actually dead. It is a poor, and potentially deadly design. …”
NHTSA complaint #10322758, filed 2010-03, 60,000 miles“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.”
NHTSA complaint #10028980, filed 2003-07, 4,267 miles“The windshield on my 2004 Mini Cooper S just got a stress crack today. This has been a problem since the minis introduction and was supposedly fixed with reinforced a pillars on 04s. It has about 2500 miles on it. Many Mini owners would like this problem to be resolved, permanently.”
NHTSA complaint #10045874, filed 2003-11, 2,500 miles“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.”
NHTSA complaint #10032587, filed 2003-08, 800 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10056114Jun 1, 2014Mini: there is a disconnection or kink, in wnidshield washer hose, which is too short, causing windshield front washer jet to fail. Model f56 (cooper, cooper s).
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors): other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | 20% |
| 2019 | 1 | 20% |
| 2014 | 1 | 8% |
| 2008 | 2 | 1% |
| 2007 | 3 | 1% |
| 2006 | 11 | 6% |
| 2005 | 3 | 1% |
| 2004 | 12 | 5% |
| 2003 | 33 | 15% |
| 2002 | 2 | 2% |
Other parts of the 2003 MINI Cooper S
129 complaintsElectrical system
14 complaintsEngine cooling
10 complaintsBrakes
8 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 27, 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