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#BS-2004-MINCOO-7E76

2004 Mini Cooper

Based on reports from 330 owners and 4 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
330
Crashes
5
Fires
17
Recalls
4
TSBs
42
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 330 complaints, 5 crashes, 17 fires, and 4 recalls. Complaint rate is 3.0x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

transmission failure

3 complaints • Severity 9.3/10

$X,XXX
2

radiator failure

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
3

cvt blew up car wont move

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the SteeringHIGH

229 owners reported steering issues — failures commonly reported around 71K miles.

!Inspect the ElectricalMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

15
0–30K
86
30–60K
103
60–90K
52
90–120K
28
120–150K
9
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (103 reports) • Median: 71K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Steering (229 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Steering229 (69%)
Electrical15 (5%)
Drivetrain12 (4%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission10 (3%)
Engine7 (2%)
Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:pump6 (2%)
Steering:electric Power Assist System5 (2%)
Steering:hydraulic Power Assist System5 (2%)

2004 Mini Cooper: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Steering Issues

Steering complaints account for 69% of all reports filed for the 2004 Mini Cooper, with 229 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 71,421 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 71K-mile mark.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 2004 Mini Cooper, with 15 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Drivetrain Issues

Drivetrain complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 2004 Mini Cooper, with 12 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to drivetrain-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 3% of all reports filed for the 2004 Mini Cooper, with 10 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to power train:automatic transmission-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

1
04
3
05
2
06
3
07
21
08
9
09
65
10
75
11
74
12
40
13
8
14
6
15
11
16
1
17
6
18
3
19
1
22
1
25

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2004 Mini Cooper. Recent trend: stable.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (4 recalls)

04V348000Oct 2004

TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FLAT TIRE MONITORING SYSTEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTLY PROGRAMMED. IN THE EVENT OF A FLAT TIRE, AN AUDIBLE SIGNAL WILL NOT SOUND TO ALERT THE DRIVER TO A FLAT TIRE.

08E050000Dec 2008

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

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 NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

09E025000Jul 2009

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

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 STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

15V660000Mar 2016

STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

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 assistance.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Mini Cooper is the 2005 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

2004 Mini Cooper vs. Class Average (Minicompact Cars)

This vehicle

330

Class avg

110

3.0x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical minicompact cars vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 330 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 4 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Mini Cooper Model Years

20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001
View all Mini Cooper years →

2004 Mini Cooper: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2004 Mini Cooper?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2004 Mini Cooper is related to the steering, with 229 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2004 Mini Cooper reliable?
The 2004 Mini Cooper has 330 complaints, 5 crash reports, and 17 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 3.0x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 2004 Mini Cooper problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2004 Mini Cooper have any recalls?
Yes, the 2004 Mini Cooper has 4 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Mini Cooper problems start?
Based on 293 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 71,421 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 330 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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