Used 2003 MINI Cooper Consumer Reviews
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Best car ever.
justcorey, 11/25/2008
2003 MINI Cooper 2dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 5M)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
The title sums it up! I purchased my '03 MINI in 2/06 with 35.5k on the odometer and it has been awesome. It has plenty of space for me (6'5"/255 lbs.) and a co-pilot, great car on the highway (which is about 80% of my driving), plenty of power for such a small car and is just plain fun to drive. I skipped on the 'S' model but have not been disappointed with my decision. It has truly been a reliable car - I say this as I'm about to hit 98k. The only major out of pocket expense was a set of rear calipers and rotors - all other repairs have been fairly inexpensive and limited to mostly oil changes every 15k. I would not hesitate to recommend this car to anyone, as I love mine that much.
Nice drivability but Horrible Reliability
caroleza27, 03/29/2014
updated 03/30/2016
2003 MINI Cooper 2dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 5M)
8 of 10 people found this review helpful
Like many others, I have had nothing but problems since I purchased this car used 3 years ago. When I got it I seemed to be in ok condition even after 2 previous owners and 140k. Starting in the 2nd month of ownership I began having to replace things--each time a cost of $500-$600 mainly due to the high price of the parts. Every time I fix something, I have another problem. I am planning to get a new car once I can afford a monthly payment seeing as I have never gone over 6 months without some type of expensive maintenance. Great car in its younger years--definitely not a primary vehicle or one that will hold up over the years.
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2003 MINI Cooper for sale near you
3 of 32 listings
- Base 2dr HatchbackMSRP: $3,50014 mi away
- S 2dr HatchbackMSRP: $5,995107 mi away
- Base 2dr HatchbackMSRP: $4,995115 mi away
See all 32 listings
NOT reliable after 125K miles
Ethan, 05/11/2016
2003 MINI Cooper S 2dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl S/C 6M)
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
I take good care of my cars. But as soon as these Minis get up to 125K - 130K miles, literally EVERYTHING starts failing. And each repair runs $500-$700. In the span of 4 months, I experienced a coolant leak, corrupted crank sensor, busted water pump, and finally a busted head gasket. The last one was the final straw - the mechanic said the repair would cost more than the car's value. And I should also mention, these cars are NOT made to withstand Wisconsin winters. If you live in the Northwest, avoid these cars at all costs.
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It has bugs
Al, 09/09/2015
2003 MINI Cooper 2dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Bought my 2003 over a year ago with 73,000 miles. Now at about 104,000. Had to replace the rear brakes/calipers/rotors/pads, and was not cheap. Replaced front rotors/pads. Replaced front left hub/bearing at $300 just for parts. Within the last couple of days my windows started opening by themselves, and the doors started unlocking themselves. When I go out in the morning, it's unnerving to see the windows open, and all the locks unlocked. Don't know what's up with this. Called dealer, and asked about oil/filter, and replace radiator hoses, and thermostat. $365. Seems a little high. Anyone have info on the mysterious window/locks working by themselves?
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A little good, a lot of bad
mini s, 02/25/2009
2003 MINI Cooper S 2dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl S/C 6M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I had this car at 40k it currently has 72k. This has got to be one of the funnest cars to drive until something goes wrong. Where do I start, let's just do a list: 1. Passenger seat (can't recline) cost $600 to fix 2. Driver side door will no longer lock by itself or with key $900 to fix... yup just to make the lock go up and down. 3. power steering went out at 67k. So many people have post the same problem but Mini says no recall, cost to fix $1300 4. Pinging and clanking noise from the supercharger might be bearings. Yes I do keep up with normal maintenance cost to fix. 5. Currently at 71k car is overheating. I am hoping it is just the thermostat