2008 MINI COOPER S — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 167 complaints · 4 recalls
Most-reported system: ENGINE (112 complaints · 67.1%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 1
  • Fires 10
  • Injuries 3
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2007 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution ENGINE appears in 112 of 167 owner complaints (67.1%) in this vehicle snapshot. ENGINE: 112 complaints, 67.1% of reports ENGINE 112 · 67.1% · 9 fire reports AIR BAGS: 24 complaints, 14.4% of reports AIR BAGS 24 · 14.4% · 1 crash reports POWER TRAIN: 7 complaints, 4.2% of reports POWER TRAIN 7 · 4.2% ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 5 complaints, 3.0% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5 · 3.0% · 1 fire reports FUEL SYSTEM: 3 complaints, 1.8% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 3 · 1.8% SEAT BELTS: 3 complaints, 1.8% of reports SEAT BELTS 3 · 1.8% STRUCTURE: 2 complaints, 1.2% of reports STRUCTURE 2 · 1.2% EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 1 complaints, 0.6% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 · 0.6% SERVICE BRAKES: 1 complaints, 0.6% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 1 · 0.6% UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 13 complaints, 7.8% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 13 · 7.8% · 1 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
ENGINE 112 67.1% 0 crashes · 9 fires
AIR BAGS 24 14.4% 1 crashes · 0 fires
POWER TRAIN 7 4.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5 3.0% 0 crashes · 1 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 3 1.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
SEAT BELTS 3 1.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
STRUCTURE 2 1.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 1 0.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 13 7.8% 0 crashes · 1 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2008; the first recall shown was reported in Dec 2008. 2008-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2009-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2010-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2010-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2011-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2011-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2012-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2012-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2012-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2012-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2013-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2013-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2013-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2013-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2014-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2014-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2014-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2014-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2015-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2015-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2016-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2016-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jul 2008 Jan 2024 Recall campaign 08V657000 ◆ Recall campaign 08V657000 Recall campaign 12V008000 ◆ Recall campaign 12V008000 Recall campaign 18V248000 ◆ Recall campaign 18V248000 Recall campaign 23V337000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V337000 Investigation EA08020 ● Investigation EA08020 Investigation PE11036 ● Investigation PE11036
  • Campaign 08V657000 was reported 96 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 12V008000 was reported 1,221 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 18V248000 was reported 3,510 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2008-Q3 Owner reports 3
2008-Q4 Owner reports 2
2009-Q1 Owner reports 1
2009-Q2 Owner reports 3
2009-Q3 Owner reports 1
2009-Q4 Owner reports 3
2010-Q1 Owner reports 4
2010-Q2 Owner reports 1
2010-Q3 Owner reports 2
2010-Q4 Owner reports 4
2011-Q1 Owner reports 6
2011-Q2 Owner reports 3
2011-Q3 Owner reports 2
2011-Q4 Owner reports 4
2012-Q1 Owner reports 9
2012-Q2 Owner reports 6
2012-Q3 Owner reports 4
2012-Q4 Owner reports 4
2013-Q1 Owner reports 8
2013-Q2 Owner reports 10
2013-Q3 Owner reports 7
2013-Q4 Owner reports 6
2014-Q1 Owner reports 8
2014-Q2 Owner reports 5
2014-Q3 Owner reports 4
2014-Q4 Owner reports 2
2015-Q1 Owner reports 3
2015-Q2 Owner reports 2
2015-Q3 Owner reports 6
2015-Q4 Owner reports 8
2016-Q1 Owner reports 7
2016-Q2 Owner reports 3
2016-Q3 Owner reports 2
2016-Q4 Owner reports 2
2017-Q1 Owner reports 2
2017-Q2 Owner reports 1
2017-Q3 Owner reports 2
2017-Q4 Owner reports 2
2018-Q1 Owner reports 2
2018-Q3 Owner reports 2
2019-Q1 Owner reports 2
2019-Q2 Owner reports 1
2019-Q4 Owner reports 1
2020-Q1 Owner reports 1
2020-Q2 Owner reports 1
2020-Q3 Owner reports 2
2020-Q4 Owner reports 1
2023-Q4 Owner reports 1
2024-Q1 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 08V657000
Recall campaign 1 12V008000
Recall campaign 1 18V248000
Recall campaign 1 23V337000
Defect investigation 1 EA08020
Defect investigation 1 PE11036
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (4)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 08V657000

    Report date
    Component:
    ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
    Consequence:
    IF THE TAILPIPE EXTENSION IS HOT DURING INADVERTENT CONTACT, A BURN COULD OCCUR.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TAILPIPE WITH A NEW SHORTER TAILPIPE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JANUARY 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-866-275-6464.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 12V008000

    Report date
    Component:
    ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
    Consequence:
    THE CIRCUIT BOARD MAY SMOLDER WHICH COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE FIRE.
    Remedy:
    BMW WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WATER PUMP FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGANDURING FEBRUARY 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-866-275-6464.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 18V248000

    Report date
    Component:
    ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
    Consequence:
    If the circuit board were to overheat, it can increase the risk of a fire.
    Remedy:
    BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the electric auxiliary water pump, free of charge. Depending on the model, there are currently limited parts available, however not all parts are available at this time. Owners will be notified of the recall beginning June 11, 2018, and will receive a second notification when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at BMW 1-800-525-7417, MINI at 1-866-825-1525, or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Note: BMW recommends that owners park their vehicle outdoors until the recall remedy has been performed.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 23V337000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    An electrical short-circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will inspect the sunroof drains, interior footwell area, and FRM and, depending upon the results of the inspection, certain components will be replaced. Owner notification letters were mailed May 13, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-866-825-1525.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 167 complaints · page 1 of 7

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources