Problems · by component

2003 MINI Cooper visibility problems

56 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2003 MINI Cooper cite visibility, 10% of all 537 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
56
10% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the visibility

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“DRAIN HOSE FROM SUNROOF DRAIN RUNNING DOWN A-PILLAR CAME DISLODGED THROUGH "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" CAUSING MASSIVE FLOODING TO THE INTERIOR OF MY CAR. IT WAS RENDERED UNSERVICEABLE AND TOTALED, ON JUNE 16, 2014, BUT UNCOVERED BY INSURANCE. THIS WAS NOTHING THAT I WAS AWARE OF THAT WAS AN ISSUE, NOR WERE ANY RECALLS EVER ISSUED ON THIS ISSUE. I HAD IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP IN 2012, 2 YEARS AGO, FOR ELECTRICAL FAILURE, AND THEY THOUGHT IT WAS MERELY THE BATTERY, SO THEY REPLACED IT AND IT SEEMED TO BE FINE, BUT THEY SAID TO KEEP THE BATTERY AS A BACK UP "JUST IN CASE" BECAUSE IT STILL APPEARED TO BE A GOOD BATTERY. THEN LATER IN 2013, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE MINI DEALER FOR GENERAL SERVICE AND I SAID I NOTICED WATER IN THE BOOT (TRUNK) AND FOR THEM TO CHECK THE HATCHBACK SEAL TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY LEAKS, THEY SAID NO, AND NO FURTHER INVESTIGATION WAS DONE FOR EITHER EVENT. I BELIEVE THAT BOTH THESE EVENTS WERE RESULTS OF THE FAULTY DRAIN HOSE FROM THE A-PILLAR BEING DISLODGED FOR SO LONG. TODAY, THE AUTOMOBILE LEFT MY POSSESSION, TO AN AUCTION HOUSE. I WANTED TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT SO THAT YOU, THE NHTSA CAN PERHAPS HAVE MINI ISSUE A RECALL TO FIX THIS ISSUE AND…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 14, 2014Electrical system, Visibility, Structure, SeatsODI 10622422
“GOT IN CAR ONE MORNING AND NOTICED WINDSHIELD HAD CRACKED IN CENTER FROM TOP OF WINDSHIELD AND FROM BOTTOM OF WINDSHIELD, AND I'M HOPING THE CRACK DOESN'T MEET IN THE MIDDLE! *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 15, 2013VisibilityODI 10508232
“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. I GUESS I COULD HAVE SPENT A COUPLE THOUSAND RENTING A CAR FOR THAT TIME, OR JUST SPENT $600 RIGHT AWAY AND ANOTHER $500 ON THE CAR TO GET IT FIXED. I TOOK MY CHANCES, SO WILL MANY OTHERS. THERE WERE PLENTY OF TIMES I COULDN'T SEE WELL AND HOPED FOR THE BEST. HERE IS THE SITE WITH LOTS OF INFO ABOUT IT. HTTP://WWW.MINI2.COM/FORUM/FIRST-GENERATION-FAULTS-FIXES/141234-WIPER-MOTOR-FAILURE-2.HTML HTTP://WWW.NORTHAMERICANMOTORING.COM/FORUMS/1ST-GEAR/83170-MY-WINDSHIELD-WIPER-MOTOR-DIED-IN-A-STORM-AT-NIGHT.HTML. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 30, 2010VisibilityODI 10322758
“BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVERS SIDE WINDOWS ARE STUTTERING WHEN I TRY TO ROLL THEM UP OR DOWN. THIS IS WHEN I AM EVEN ABLE TO GET THEM TO WORK. FOUND THAT WHEN THE WEATHER IS HOT, THEY WON'T WORK AT ALL!! MEANING I AM HAVING TO WAIT FOR IT TO COOL DOWN TO ROLL THE WINDOWS DOWN IF I AM LUCKY AND HAVE ON ONE OCCASION GOT STUCK IN MY VEHICLE BECAUSE THE CAR DOOR HANDLE ALSO WOULD OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE AND I COULDN'T OPEN THE WINDOW TO OPEN THE DOOR, WHICH WAS VERY DANGEROUS SINCE I HAD A CHILD WITH ME. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY AND JUST GOT MY DOOR REPAIRED AND STILL HAVING ISSUES WITH THE WINDOWS MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DO ANYTHING THAT REQUIRES A DRIVE THROUGH, OR AT MY PREVIOUS APT YOU HAD TO ENTER A CODE TO GET INTO THE GATED COMMUNITY AND I HAD TO GET OUT OF MY CAR TO DO THIS, AND I LIVE IN COLORADO, AND IT GETS VERY COLD. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL, DUE TO MANY FORUMS AND OTHER MINI OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES! FROM FORUMS SHOWS THAT EVEN REPLACING THE MOTOR WON'T FIX THE ISSUE, WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY!! THIS NEEDS TO A RECALL ONCE AGAIN, CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP GETTING THIS FIXED AND DISHING OUT MONEY, ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAVE A KID…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 31, 2008VisibilityODI 10247322
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. UPON TAKING THE VEHICLE IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE STRUTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. APPROXIMATELY FOUR MONTHS LATER, THE PASSENGER SIDE STRUT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES WERE ALSO REPLACED AND THE VEHICLE HAD AN OIL PAN LEAK. THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW MOTORS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 12,900 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 6, 2008Suspension, Service brakes, hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, VisibilityODI 10244528
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. WHEN THE CONTACT WOULD TURN OFF THE VEHICLE, SHE COULD STILL HEAR THE MOTOR FAN RUNNING. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING HOSE AND FAN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED BECAUSE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, AND THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. ALSO, ALL OF THE WINDOWS ON HER VEHICLE WOULD SPONTANEOUSLY OPEN. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND A TECHNICIAN DEACTIVATED THE CONVENIENCE POWER SYSTEM FOR THE POWER WINDOWS. AFTER THE REPAIR, THE FAILURES CONTINUED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, BUT THEY DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 73,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 9, 2008Steering, Engine and engine cooling, VisibilityODI 10227144

Showing 6 of 56 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 29, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.