Menu

2008 MINI Cooper SProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 168 owner complaints about the 2008 MINI Cooper S, most often about the engine. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 23V-337 the manufacturer reports only 19% of affected cars repaired.

2008 MINI Cooper S
52
CarFlaw IndexSolid year7% below the Cooper S median · #6 of 15 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Lowest repair rate 19%Owner complaints16814 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage55kEngine, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 6, 2024. Updated daily. Photo: Calreyn88, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2008 MINI Cooper S has problems

168 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine784
Engine and engine cooling437
Air bags301
Power train90
Electrical system82
Fuel/propulsion system40
Seat belts40
Structure31
Visibility20
9 other systems110

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

4 recalls

2008 MINI Cooper S recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

66%repaired · 2019 Q3

Engine and engine cooling: engine

Recall 18V-248 · Apr 18, 2018 · 47,806 vehicles · 31,460 repaired

Risk. If the circuit board were to overheat, it can increase the risk of a fire.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe

Recall 08V-657 · Dec 12, 2008 · 28,450 vehicles

Risk. IF THE TAILPIPE EXTENSION IS HOT DURING INADVERTENT CONTACT, A BURN COULD OCCUR.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with MINI.

Mileage at failure

When do engine problems start?

55kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 74 engine complaints. 93% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
6under 30k miles69under 100k miles5100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine

18 owners mentioned a cost

$2,050median

Middle half: $1,050 – $5,150

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2008 vs. every other Cooper S year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Cooper S median. How we score

'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'19'20'21'22'24'25
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2008 MINI Cooper S safety ratings

2008 MINI Cooper S w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: Optional
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2008 MINI Cooper S, and the recalls they led to.

  1. EXHAUST PIPE BURNSEA08020 · closed Jan 2, 2009
    Led to recall 08V-657
  2. Engine compartment firePE11036 · closed Jun 11, 2012
    Led to recall 12V-166
In owners' words

What Cooper S owners report

Recent engine complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

MY CAR CAUGHT FIRE WHILE DRIVING. I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE WAS NO WARNING. NO CEL OR ERRORS ON THE DASH DISPLAY. CAR WAS RUNNING NORMALLY. I NOTICED SOME SMOKE. AFTER PULLING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FLAMES STARTED COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CAR WAS STILL…
Complaint 11298643 · Jan 12, 2020 · 144,000 miles
AT 32000 MILES AN OIL LEAK WAS NOTED ON THE GARAGE FLOOR. THE FOREIGN CAR REPAIR SHOP TROUBLESHOT THE LEAK. FINAL OUTCOME: REPLACE SUPERCHARGER ASSEMBLY, VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP AND INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. TOTAL COST $3,014.78 FOR A VEHICLE THAT HAS A TRADE-IN VALUE OF LESS THAN $5,000. THE…
Complaint 11193140 · Apr 1, 2019 · 32,094 miles
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON I-71 N & N. BROADWAY EXIT IN COLUMBUS, OHIO ON MARCH 1, 2019 THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND CAUSED COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE AND BENT ALL VALVES AND CYLINDER HEAD AND VALVES RESULTING IN $8821.97 IN DAMAGE TO MY ENGINE. THE CAUSE OF THE TIMING CHAIN FAILURE IS DUE TO THE…
Complaint 11192292 · Mar 28, 2019 · 70,674 miles

Own a 2008 Cooper S?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.