2008 Mini Cooper Clubman S

No clear pattern

0% of complaints about the 2008 Mini Cooper Clubman S arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2008 vehicle, but with only 38 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is engine (21 complaints), typically at 6.3 yr or about 62,500 miles.

Complaints: 38
Median age at failure: 5.9 yr
Median mileage: 62,000 n=33
Crash / fire / tow: 5.3% of reports
Safety recalls: 0

In owners’ own words

Engine 59,000 mi 5.1 yr in service

THESE CARS COME WITH A FAULTY TIMING CHAIN. MINI COOPER WON'T DO A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. I AM HAVING TO PAY 1500.00 TO FIX THIS ISSUE AND THE I HAVE NO WARRANTY. I HAVE HEARD FROM MANY AND SEEN THE REVIEWS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. IT HAPPENS TO VEHICLE OWNERS WITH LESS MILES. MINI NEEDS TO MAKE A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. THESE ARE PRICEY CARS BUT IF MINI HAS DONE A MALFUNCTIONS WHILE BUILDING THE CAR THEY SHOULD OWN UP TO IT AND GET IT FIX. *TR

Engine 77,626 mi 5.7 yr in service

I HAVE AN OIL LEAK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE THAT IS COMING FROM THE TENSIONER LOCATION. THE OIL IS DRIPPING ON THE EXHAUST CAUSING STEAM TO RISE FROM THE ENGINE. I AM AFRAID THAT THE CAR WILL EVENTUALLY BURN ENOUGH OIL TO CATCH ON FIRE. I WILL TOW THE CAR TO BRAMAN MINI PALM BEACH (PURCHASED CAR HERE TOO) AND SEE IF THEY CAN DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. *TR

Engine 62,500 mi 5.8 yr in service

THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING HAD A SMALL CRACK IN IT RESULTING IN EXCESSIVE COOLANT LEAK. DUE TO LACK OF TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND NO WARNING LIGHT, I WAS UNABLE TO TELL THAT MY ENGINE WAS OVERHEATING. THIS PROBLEM IS DUE TO A FAULTY PLASTIC THERMOSTAT HOUSING. *TR

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2008 Mini Cooper Clubman S

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

In owners’ own words

How to read this