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FaultScore report

2008 Mini Cooper S Clubman problems

Owners have filed 13 complaints about the 2008 Mini Cooper S Clubman with NHTSA between 2009 and 2026. The largest single group is the engine & cooling. Across this model's run it ranks 2 of 4 worst.

Read the complaints What breaks Worst years for the Mini Cooper S Clubman All 2008 cars
C

FaultScore 56/100

Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Mini Cooper S Clubman.

How this is worked out

The numbers

13

Complaints

0

Crashes reported

4

Fires reported

0

Injuries reported

53,225 mi

Median mileage at failure

Half of reported failures happened before this

45%

Failed under 36,000 miles

Inside a typical bumper-to-bumper warranty

What kind of bad

The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.

Complaint volume 22 vs 50 Severity 100 vs 50 Early failure 77 vs 50
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 22
Against the median year of the Mini Cooper S Clubman. 50 means typical for this model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 100
30.8% of these complaints involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of 9.7%.
Early failure — 77
45% of failures with a mileage on record happened under 36,000 miles, against a national rate of 29%.

How 2008 compares with every other Mini Cooper S Clubman

Click any bar to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 2008 Mini Cooper S Clubman

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Engine & Cooling 6 46.2%

0 crashes, 3 fires · median 78,412 mi

Airbags 3 23.1%

Median failure at 28,000 miles

Equipment & Accessories 1 7.7%

Median failure at 8,000 miles

Body & Structure 1 7.7%

Median failure at 92,000 miles

Electrical System 1 7.7%

0 crashes, 1 fires · median 35,000 mi

Transmission & Drivetrain 1 7.7%

Median failure at 53,225 miles

When it fails

Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all complaints include one.

1,000 – 9,999 miles 1 9.1%
10,000 – 24,999 miles 1 9.1%
25,000 – 49,999 miles 3 27.3%
50,000 – 74,999 miles 2 18.2%
75,000 – 99,999 miles 3 27.3%
100,000 – 149,999 miles 1 9.1%

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Nov 2009 peak 2 Jan 2026

NHTSA investigations into the 2008 Mini Cooper S Clubman

An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.

PE11036 Opened 11 Oct 2011 Closed 11 Jun 2012 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Engine compartment fire

In a January 10, 2012 letter to NHTSA, BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) identifying a defect in the electric auxiliary water pump in approximately 88,911 model year (MY) 2007-2011 Mini Cooper vehicles manufactured from November 14, 2006 through January 18, 2011 (Recall 12V-008).According to BMW, the auxiliary water pump on vehicles equipped with 4-cylinder turbocharged engines may overheat.Electro-migration can cause the pump electronic circuit board to overheat resulting in smoldering of the water pump. If smoldering occurs, it may lead to an engine...

Recalls on the 2008 Mini Cooper S Clubman

A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.

Canada — Transport Canada

Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.

Recall 2012008 6,557 units in Canada

Electrical

On certain vehicles, the auxiliary water pump (which cools the turbocharger after the engine is turned OFF) can overheat and fail. This could result in a vehicle fire causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will replace the auxiliary water pump. Note: Owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors until the remedy is applied.

Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.

Complaints that involved harm

Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.

at 35,000 miles Rochester Hills, MI Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I CAME HOME FROM WORK AND PARKED THE CAR IN HIS NORMAL PARKING SPACE ON THE BLACK TOP. I TURNED OFF THE CAR, PUT THE VEHICLE IN GEAR WITH THE PARKING BRAKE AND LOCKED THE DOOR. A MINUTE LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPT REPORT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A KEY LEFT IN THE IGNITION.

NHTSA complaint #10458361 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 35,000 miles Rochester Hills, MI Fire

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I CAME HOME FROM WORK AND PARKED THE CAR IN HIS NORMAL PARKING SPACE ON THE BLACK TOP. I TURNED OFF THE CAR, PUT THE VEHICLE IN GEAR WITH THE PARKING BRAKE AND LOCKED THE DOOR. A MINUTE LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPT REPORT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A KEY LEFT IN THE IGNITION.

NHTSA complaint #10458361 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 68,312 miles Wichita, KS Fire

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TIMING CHAIN FAILURE.

NHTSA complaint #10342576 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 16,000 miles Santa FE, NM Fire

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

MY 2008 MINI CLUBMAN S WAS PARKED AT THE POST OFFICE, WHEN SOMEONE CAME IN TO TELL ME MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. I RAN OUTSIDE TO FIND SMOKE POURING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. I RAN BACK INSIDE TO GET A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, AND CAME BACK OUT TO FIND FLAMES COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD, ALONG WITH THE SMOKE. I EMPTIED THE EXTINGUISHER, BUT THE FLAMES KEPT COMING. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED, ONLY FIVE MINUTES LATER, THE FLAMES WERE 12 FEET HIGH, AND THE CAR WAS TOTALED. I HAVE FOUND REPORTS OF AT LEAST 30 OTHER SIMILAR INCIDENTS OF MINIS SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTING, BUT THE MANUFACTURER HAS, AS FAR AS I KNOW, DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10310677 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

Cambridge, MA

AIR BAGS

THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT HAS BEEN SET OFF FOR MANY YEARS AND COMES BACK EVEN AFTER A COMPUTER REPLACEMENT. THIS IS THE LIGHT FOR THE PASSENGER BAG. THERE WAS A RECALL OF 2005 TO 2008 MINI FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE. FOR SOME REASON MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. WHAT SHOULD I DO? THE AIRBAG OR SENSOR WAS NEVER "FIXED".

NHTSA complaint #11708468 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cambridge, MA

AIR BAGS

AIR BAG LIGHT HAS BEEN LIT SINCE AROUND 2014. FOR SOME REASON MY 2008 MINI VIN IS NOT PART OF THE 2005-2008 MINI AIRBAG RECALL. WHAT SHOULD I DO, AS THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE PART OF THE RECALL.

NHTSA complaint #11708471 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 146,000 miles Kimball, MN

ENGINE

I WAS HEARING A LOUD RATTLE AND BROUGHT MY MINI IN TO GET SERVICED RIGHT AWAY. IT WAS MISDIAGNOSED AND NOW I FEAR IT HAS CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE DUE TO A TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER ISSUE. THE CAR WILL LOSE POWER OUT OF NOWHERE. I HAVE READ THAT THIS IS NOT BEING CONSIDERED A SAFETY ISSUE BUT WHEN YOU LIVE IN MINNESOTA AND ARE TRYING TO GO THROUGH A BUSY INTERSECTION DURING A BLIZZARD AND THE CAR LOSES ALL POWER AND YOU ALMOST GET T-BONED BY A TRUCK I WOULD TEND TO DISAGREE.

NHTSA complaint #10664266 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 88,512 miles Lyman, ME

ENGINE

WHILE DRIVING HOME ON SECONDARY ROAD, A LOUD ENGINE NOISE STARTED AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON BLINKING. I PULLED OVER AND HAD CAR TOWED TO MY GARAGE. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER BROKE AND HAD TO BE REPAIRD. THIS WAS DONE FOR A COST OF $567.97. IN RESEARCHING INFORMATION ABOUT THIS, IT APPEARS MANY OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT IN HOPES THAT BMW REIMBURSES THIS EXPENSE FOR AN ISSUE THEY SEEM TO BE AWARE OF BUT ARE NOT TAKING RECALL ACTION WITH.

NHTSA complaint #10648667 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 28,000 miles Garden City, NY

AIR BAGS

AIR BAG LIGHT GOES OFF WITH CODE 93B1 PASSENGER HEAD AIRBAG NOT PRESENT. MINI KNOWS THIS IS AN ISSUE AS IT HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS ISSUE. THE TSB NUMBER IS SI-M-65-10-08. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED.

NHTSA complaint #10520269 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 92,000 miles Salisbury, CT

STRUCTURE

ENGINE TIMING CHAIN BROKE WHILE DRIVING BECAUSE OF A FAULTY PLASTIC TENSIONER PIECE BRAKING. THIS ISSUE HAS SURFACED REPEATEDLY GLOBALLY, BUT NO RECALL ISSUED. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED, IT IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE AND BECAUSE OF ONE SMALL LITTLE PLASTIC FAULTY PART COST ME CLOSE TO $5000. MINI/BMW NORTH AMERICA DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS ISSUE NOR WANTS TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE EXPENSES INCURRED TO KEEP DRIVING SAFELY.

NHTSA complaint #10492944 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 92,000 miles Salisbury, CT

ENGINE

ENGINE TIMING CHAIN BROKE WHILE DRIVING BECAUSE OF A FAULTY PLASTIC TENSIONER PIECE BRAKING. THIS ISSUE HAS SURFACED REPEATEDLY GLOBALLY, BUT NO RECALL ISSUED. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED, IT IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE AND BECAUSE OF ONE SMALL LITTLE PLASTIC FAULTY PART COST ME CLOSE TO $5000. MINI/BMW NORTH AMERICA DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS ISSUE NOR WANTS TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE EXPENSES INCURRED TO KEEP DRIVING SAFELY.

NHTSA complaint #10492944 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 53,225 miles Roseville, CA

POWER TRAIN

THE TRANSMISSION IN MY CAR IS GOING OUT AT ONLY 53 THOUSAND MILES... EVERY TIME I GOT TO TURN OFF MY CAR THE LIGHT POPS ON SAYING THEIR IS A ISSUE WITH MY TRANSMISSION..IT ALSO TAKES ME TURNING OFF MY CAR AND BACK ON FOR IT TO GET UN STUCK OUT OF PARK.. IM GETTING FED UP AND FEAR THAT SOMETHING WORSE WILL HAPPEN WITH MY CAR WHEN MY CHILD OR HUSBAND IS IN THE CAR WITH ME.. I'VE ONLY HAD THIS CAR A YEAR AND ALREADY PUT $1200 INTO A WATERPUMP AND THERMOSTAT WITH HOUSING ... AND THAT WAS HARDSHIP ON ME.

NHTSA complaint #10478895 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 35,000 miles Rochester Hills, MI Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I CAME HOME FROM WORK AND PARKED THE CAR IN HIS NORMAL PARKING SPACE ON THE BLACK TOP. I TURNED OFF THE CAR, PUT THE VEHICLE IN GEAR WITH THE PARKING BRAKE AND LOCKED THE DOOR. A MINUTE LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPT REPORT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A KEY LEFT IN THE IGNITION.

NHTSA complaint #10458361 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 35,000 miles Rochester Hills, MI Fire

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I CAME HOME FROM WORK AND PARKED THE CAR IN HIS NORMAL PARKING SPACE ON THE BLACK TOP. I TURNED OFF THE CAR, PUT THE VEHICLE IN GEAR WITH THE PARKING BRAKE AND LOCKED THE DOOR. A MINUTE LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPT REPORT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A KEY LEFT IN THE IGNITION.

NHTSA complaint #10458361 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 68,312 miles Wichita, KS Fire

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TIMING CHAIN FAILURE.

NHTSA complaint #10342576 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 16,000 miles Santa FE, NM Fire

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

MY 2008 MINI CLUBMAN S WAS PARKED AT THE POST OFFICE, WHEN SOMEONE CAME IN TO TELL ME MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. I RAN OUTSIDE TO FIND SMOKE POURING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. I RAN BACK INSIDE TO GET A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, AND CAME BACK OUT TO FIND FLAMES COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD, ALONG WITH THE SMOKE. I EMPTIED THE EXTINGUISHER, BUT THE FLAMES KEPT COMING. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED, ONLY FIVE MINUTES LATER, THE FLAMES WERE 12 FEET HIGH, AND THE CAR WAS TOTALED. I HAVE FOUND REPORTS OF AT LEAST 30 OTHER SIMILAR INCIDENTS OF MINIS SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTING, BUT THE MANUFACTURER HAS, AS FAR AS I KNOW, DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10310677 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 8,000 miles Laurel, MD

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

THE MINI COOPER CLUBMANS 2008 AND 2009 HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM THAT THE TOYOTAS HAVE WITH THE FLOOR MATS. THEY ARE REALLY DANGEROUS.

NHTSA complaint #10293544 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.