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Engine coolingPart report

2002 MINI Cooper Engine cooling Problems

Complaints
11about this part
Share
6%of 187 total for the year
Median mileage
16,600miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the engine cooling of the 2002 MINI Cooper, 6% of the 187 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 16,600 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.

“I drove my 2002 Mini Cooper approximately 6 miles to drop off a friend who was visiting from out of town. I was helping my friend remove his suitcase and standing to the passenger side rear of the car when my leg made contact with the tailpipe causing about a 2 inch crescent shaped burn. The tailpipe was hot enough that my skin stuck to the pipe - it is a pretty nasty second degree burn.”

NHTSA complaint #10275076, filed 2009-06, 15,201 miles

“-stalling when changing from reverse to drive. Has also stalled once on the interstate. -RPM's keep revving between 3000 & 5000 when I hit 55-60 MPH. Once I pass 60 MPH the RPM's decrease to a reasonable level. This happens everyday without fail.”

NHTSA complaint #10047503, filed 2003-11, 20,000 miles

“While driving home from work in the 2002 Mini Cooper the car had about 70,000 milles on it and I noticed the temperature gauge going up, and assumed my car was just overheating. I pulled into a service station and put some water in the coolant reservoirand the temperature gauge returned to normal, so I continued to drive. After about 10 minutes I noticed the temperature gauge increased again. I pulled off the highway and into a parking lot. When I opened the hood, I saw flames. By the time the fire department arrived at the scene th e car was too far gone to save. …”

NHTSA complaint #10195587, filed 2007-07, 70,000 miles

“There is a complete power failure at various speeds including 55 MPH. This defect or condition can result in serious injury or death. When it happened on rt. 66 in arlington va at 9:30 pm, it caused a near-collision with several other vehicles traveling on the road. There was no warning light, noise, or other indication that the engine was about to turn off.”

NHTSA complaint #10030816, filed 2003-08, 12,950 miles

“Dt: caller burned very badly her leg because the tail pipe stuck out too far. Tail pipe did not have a guard over it. They were located in the middle of the vehicle in the back instead on the side of the back. Dealer said to call manufacturer, and the manufacturer was not very nice . Manufacturer said there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. Caller showed a representative the problem and he wanted her to tell them how to fix it. They told caller to leave groceries in the vehicle until it cooled off.”

NHTSA complaint #10130871, filed 2005-08, 18,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Engine cooling: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
201512%
201426%
201212%
201156%
201089%
200943%
20081311%
2007119%
200695%
200582%
200462%
2003227%
2002116%
2001117%

Other parts of the 2002 MINI Cooper

Steering
61 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
43 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
29 complaintsAir bags
26 complaintsElectrical system
13 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
6 complaintsBrakes
4 complaintsSeats
4 complaintsOther or unknown
3 complaintsVehicle speed control
3 complaintsElectronic stability control
2 complaintsEquipment
2 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2002 MINI Cooper

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