2002 Mini Cooper Problems, Recalls & Reliability
325 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2002 Mini Cooper, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 5 defect investigations. It scores 42/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 80,173 miles.
Below average
Where 2002 sits among all Cooper years
What owners report
“Power steering suddenly stopped working. Making a whining noise when turning the wheel and the steering wheel itself is hard to turn. Not leaking any fluids and the power steering fluid in the reservoir is full.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Cooper
“Car almost stalls when trying to accelerate from a complete stop. Acceleration rates vary and sometimes are dangerously slow car lunges when trying to move small distances”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Cooper
“Air bag failure light. 2nd time in 2 years. Wiring harness connector separated when the driver side seat moves all the way backward. Dealer installed longer harness.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Cooper
“We own a mini cooper s. Like hundreds of others who have not yet filed a complaint, we had a cracked windshield for no apparant reason. The windshield seems to be very thin and soft. And very succeptable to cracks and rock chips, pitting for lack of another word.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Cooper
“Driverside headlight assembly flickers everytime when you turn the key to position 1 with selector on off or auto. Flickers multiple times but doesn'tturn on unless I cycle the key on off until headlight does. This annoyance would reoccur the very next morning. Passenger headlight assembly doesn't…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Cooper
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 275 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 62,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 41,225 and 92,345 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 MINI Cooper and Cooper S vehicles and 2005 Cooper and Cooper S Convertible vehicles. The affected vehicles may experience temporary or permanent loss of the electro-hydraulic steering…
Fix: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the electro-hydraulic power steering system, replacing the components and wiring, as necessary, free of charge. Interim notices were mailed to…
DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
K2 MOTOR IS RECALLING 1,921 AFTERMARKET HEADLAMPS OF VARIOUS MODELS SOLD FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS ARE MISSING THE AMBER SIDE REFLEX REFLECTOR WHICH FAILS TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD…
Fix: K2 MOTOR WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMEBER 17, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT K2 MOTOR AT 1-909-839-2992.
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, 'TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS.' THE STANDARD REQUIRES THAT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TIRE SIZE AND MAXIMUM TIRE PRESSURE BE INDICATED ON THE…
Fix: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH NEW TIRE INFORMATION PLACARDS AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS. AT THE CUSTOMER'S OPTION, A DEALER CAN PERFORM THE INSTALLATION FOR THEM. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 30,…
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE CONNECTS THE GEARSHIFT LEVER IN THE VEHICLE INTERIOR TO THE SHIFT LINKAGE ON THE TRANSMISSION. IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE SHIFT CABLE TO DETACH FROM THE TRANSMISSION…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE SHIFT CABLE AND, IF NECESSARY, INSTALL A RETAINING CLIP OVER THE END OF THE SHIFT CABLE TO PREVENT IT FROM DETACHING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 15V660000.
Technical service bulletins
54 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2002 Mini Cooper. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2002 Cooper TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2002 Mini Cooper reliable?
The 2002 Mini Cooper drew 325 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 42/100, scored against the model's worst year (2005).
What are the most common 2002 Mini Cooper problems?
The top reported problems for the 2002 Mini Cooper are steering (121 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (46), and airbags (41).
At what mileage do 2002 Mini Cooper problems show up?
Owners most often report 2002 Mini Cooper problems around 62,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 41,225 and 92,345 miles.
Does the 2002 Mini Cooper have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2002 Mini Cooper. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.