2003 MINI Cooper: check engine light

6 of the 320 complaints about the 2003 MINI Cooper describe check engine light.

owner complaints: 6
of this car's complaints: 2%
typical mileage: 128,000
recalls: 0

Is there a fix? 14 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Check engine light by model year

2017
2
2016
4
2015
3
2014
1
2013
3
2012
5
2011
6
2010
5
2009
10
2008
6
2007
8
2006
3
2005
6
2004
4
2003
6
2002
2

What owners say

Filed Dec 14, 2014 · Electrical, Suspension · 130,000 miles · TX

This mini cooper a 2003 w/130k miles driven by a young female. She had no idea her wheel was going to fall off the driver side front. She had called for a check engine light on and intermittent battery failure. It was ask that I drive the car and listen to a pop coming from the wheel section. The pop was the entire wheel assembly moving forwards and back bumping the wheel wells as the car went forward. Needless to say I didn't drive far nor did I accelerate faster than 10 MPH. I told the parent of the driver that the car was not drivable under any condition and that it needed immediate attention. The lower control arm bushing rubber was completely gone. I do not know if this is a defect. This part is a mount and it's holding many components of this car together. It is nothing like I have seen before used as a mount. I have seen the rubber worn from this type part but they were not being used as a mount. When the rubber on this part deteriorates it causes the mount to be unstable resulting in the whole wheel assembly moving like a swing forwards and backwards while driving. In a traffic situation this could be devastating to more than just the driver of this car but also to the cars driving near if the wheel were to come off in their traffic. Needless to say the mini cooper would immediately fail in traffic with the brake cylinders hitting the road causing flying sparks, if rear ended it would more than likely flip. This is a dangerous scenario. This car was purchased second hand as are a lot of cars. This is not a part on anyone's check list and not one you consider to be one of this type of failure. I am filing this complaint but I am not the owner of this car. I am merely concerned at the implications of the deterioration of the rubber and what those implications mean to the other purpose this part is suppose to perform and can't when the rubber is gone.

Filed Aug 1, 2012 · Engine · 79,000 miles · NY · fire

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. The contact was traveling 55 MPH when gray smoke emitted from the under the hood of the vehicle as the power steering failed. The check engine warning light illuminated during the failure and the vehicle over heated. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was confirmed that the harmonic damper had detached from the engine. The manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 79,000.

Filed Jun 12, 2012 · Steering · 128,000 miles · IL

On 6/12/12 I was driving my car towards my small neighborhood at speed of 10-15 miles an hour. For no apparent reason the steering wheel felt as if it was locked in place. With all my force I had to pull over to the side. I had the car checked and confirmed that the hydraulic power steering pump has failed. There was no service engine light on or any warnings what so ever, the power steering pump failed without any notice. If I were driving at high speeds of 70 miles an hour on the freeway I could have seriously been hurt.this is unacceptable.

Filed Jun 21, 2011 · Fuel system · 270,000 miles · CA

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. The contact stated that the fuel cap would not properly seal and was causing the check engine warning light to illuminate. The vehicle was inspected by the dealer and they advised her that the fuel cap, fuel tank nozzle, hose and connector would need replacing. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 270,000. The VIN was unavailable. Updated 08/08/11*lj updated 3/02/2012

Filed Sep 17, 2009 · Transmission · CA

Our mini cooper repeatedly stalled while in heavy traffic resulting in several near death experiences. No fault code or check-engine light ever appeared. Upon taking the car into the dealership, while under warranty, the problem and our concerns were dismissed without remedy. Finally, after being in the mountains on windy roads a clicking noise began. Since no fault or check-engine light appeared, we assumed the cause of the noise to be from something minor and opted to drive the car to the nearest mechanic, a five mile drive. Shortly before arriving to the mechanic, the mini unexpectedly became quite difficult to control. Luckily we were able to get off the freeway, upon which the transmission completely stopped working ' requiring the car to be pushed to the mechanic. Again, no check-engine light came on as a warning and no fault codes were stored. Bmw's mini cooper CVT transmission poses a significant safety hazard to drivers. Research indicates bmw is aware of the defective transmission, which explains why bmw opted to no longer use the CVT transmission in later models. Thank you for taking the time to rectify the situation to keep mini owners & other drivers safe. Ours is just one of many similar experiences we've recently learned of while researching the dismal track record of bmw's CVT transmissions in early mini coopers.

Filed Oct 6, 2003 · Engine, Transmission · 4,000 miles · WA

Mini cooper 2003 CVT stalls in slow traffic or starting from stop light. The check engine light goes on; however, the engine shuts off. In addition, it has happened twice in a month considering that the vehicle is only a month old. Also, the CVT transmission is very jerky and could surge on an occasional basis. Informed that it's a software problem and no repair is needed at this point. I think it is a serious safety issue.