The contact owns a 2008 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the windows would roll down independently and the sunroof would fail to close completely. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where it was diagnosed that the failure was related to the braking system; however, the contact stated that new brake hardware had been installed on the vehicle. The contact related the failures to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The worst 2008 MINI Cooper S problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine120
- Airbags30
- Transmission9
- Electrical8
- Fuel system5
- Seat belts4
- Body3
- Acceleration2
- Seats2
- Visibility2
- Brakes1
- Driver assistance1
- Lights1
- Locks1
- Steering1
- Tires1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2008 MINI Cooper S
Engine failure 21Knocking 13Fire or smoke 10Airbag light 9Check engine light 9Overheating 7Won't start 6Stalling 5
Recalls 4
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2014 MINI Clubman Cooper, Clubman Cooper S, Clubman John Cooper Works, and 2007-2013 MINI Hardtop 2-Door Cooper, Cooper S, and John Cooper Works vehicles sold, or ever registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin. The electronic control module in the driver's side footwell area may short-circuit, due to corrosion from water and road salt.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 23V337000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline: turbo/supercharger
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2012 BMW 550i, 550i xDrive, 550i Gran Turismo, 550i Gran Turismo xDrive, 750i, 750Li, 750i xDrive, 750Li xDrive, 760Li, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M, ActiveHybrid7, MINI Cooper S Convertible, John Cooper Works (JCW) Convertible, Cooper S Countryman, Cooper S Countryman ALL4, Cooper S, JCW, Cooper S Clubman, JCW Clubman, Cooper S Roadster, JCW Roadster, Cooper S Coupe, JCW Coupe and Rolls-Royce Ghost, 2011 BMW X6 Hybrid and 2012 BMW 650i Coupe, 650i xDrive Coupe, 650i Convertible and 650i xDrive Convertible vehicles. The electric auxiliary water pump may fail and cause the circuit board to overheat.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 18V248000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline: turbo/supercharger
- What is wrong
- Bmw is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 mini cooper s, 2008-2011 mini cooper s clubman, 2009-2011 mini cooper s convertible, 2009-2011 mini cooper jcw, 2009-2011 mini cooper jcw clubman, 2009-2011 cooper jcw convertible, and 2011 cooper s countryman passenger cars manufactured from november 14, 2006, through january 18, 2011. The electric auxiliary water pump that cools the turbocharger has an electronic circuit board that can malfunction and overheat.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 12V008000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
- What is wrong
- Bmw is recalling 28,450 my 2007-2008 mini cooper s vehicles. The centrally located tailpipe extension protrudes slightly beyond the rear bumper. It is possible for inadvertent contact to occur with a person's leg.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 08V657000 · Recall details
See all 4 recalls for the 2008 MINI Cooper S
Defect investigations
Engine compartment fire
In a January 10, 2012 letter to the federal safety agency, 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 compartment or vehicle fire.The pump supplier, Pierburg Pump Technology GmbH, redesigned the pump to address factors that may contribute to circuit board overheating.The redesigned pumps were completely implemented in production vehicles by January 2011.Recall 12V‑008 was the third recall initiated by BMW to address electric auxiliary water pump fires in vehicles equipped with Pierburg pumps.In two October 20, 2011 letters to the federal safety agency, BMW submitted DIRs for similar auxiliary water pump defect conditions in approximately 32,084 MY 2008-2011 BMW 5-Series, 7-Series, X5 and X6 models equipped with 8- and 12-cylinder engines and manufactured from May 2008 through December 2010 (Recall 11V‑521); and for approximately 589 MY 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost vehicles manufactured from September 2009 through September 2010 (Recall 11V‑522).In three separate April 5, 2012 letters to the federal safety agency, BMW submitted amendments to Recalls 11V‑521, 11V‑522 and 12V‑008.The amendments all described a common defect condition related to a manufacturing process deviation in a certain production range of the redesigned Pierburg water pumps that could result in cracks in the pump housing, which may allow coolant to enter and contact the pump?s circuit board.BMW indicated that further analysis identified a specific machine process error at the sub-supplier that manufactures the water pump housing.Pump housing cracks may cause the circuit board to overheat and lead to smoldering of the water pump.Recall 12V‑008 was, thus, amended to include approximately 1,457 MY 2011 Mini Cooper vehicles manufactured from March 31, 2011 through April 22, 2011, when pumps manufactured with the suspect manufacturing process may have been used in vehicle assembly.The amendment to Recall 11V‑521 was assigned a new recall number, Recall 12V‑161, and covered approximately 2,846 MY 2011-2012 BMW 5-Series, 6-Series, 7-Series, X5, and X6 vehicles manufactured from April 1, 2011 through August 1, 2011.The amendment to Recall 11V‑522 was assigned a new recall number, Recall 12V‑166, and covered approximately 69 MY 2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost vehicles manufactured from April 7, 2011 through June 2, 2011.The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) analyzed complaint data provided by BMW as well as complaints submitted to ODI from consumers. In total, there were 30 unique Mini Cooper reports indicating engine fire.In addition, BMW provided warranty data showing 493 claims for replacement of the subject component on Mini Cooper vehicles.Owners of the recalled vehicles are notified to take their vehicle to a BMW dealer, who will replace the auxiliary water pump to prevent any incidents related to this issue.This preliminary evaluation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be viewed at www-odi.the federal safety agency.dot.gov/owners/Searchreference under the following identification numbers (ODI Nos.):10286597, 10286663, 10289793, 10310677, 10314796, 10342365, 10394808, 10394192, 10403982, 10418325, 10422646, 10429003.
PE11036
Exhaust pipe burns
Bmw will conduct a safety recall (08v‑657) on 28,450 mini cooper s vehicles manufactured from november 18, 2006 through july 8, 2008.dealers will install modified exhaust pipe tips that do not extend beyond the rear bumper.the two exhaust pipe tips of the subject vehicles exit the underside of the vehicle at the center of the vehicle and extend beyond the rear bumper.the complainants reported being burned on their legs when they inadvertently touched the exposed hot exhaust pipe tips while removing items of cargo from the rear of their vehicle via the hatch back door.some complainants reported being burned on more than one occasion or that other family members were also burned.the 50 injuries reported in this investigation include significant second degree burns causing blistered and scared skin and one incident resulted in a third degree burn.this investigation also resulted in an initial decision of a defect.for information regarding the initial decision and details of the investigation see documents, inrm-ea08020-31646.pdf (initial decision letter) and inir-ea08020-31648.pdf (initial decision report), in the investigation file.this investigation is closed.
EA08020
Technical service bulletins for the 2008 MINI Cooper S 111
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- MINI electrical systems have continued to develop over the past few years
- New RDC wheel electronics will be introduced with future generation MINI models
- OC3 seat occupancy mat - limited warranty extension to 10 years/120,000 miles
- Class action settlement: N14 high-pressure fuel pump (hdp) service benefit class vehicles
- "Cooper S with N14: Diagnosis for Misfire Faults
- Checking or Replacing the Door Sill Trim Strips
- Air Conditioning System Leak Testing
- OC3 seat occupancy mat: limited warranty extension to 10 years/120.
- "Manual transmission - stiff diagonal gearshift lever movement.
- Engine cranks, no start and/or engine coolant temperature faults: note
2008 MINI Cooper S fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6L 4‑cyl | FWD | 23-26 | 32-34 | 27-29 |
What 2008 MINI Cooper S owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2008 Mini Cooper S. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The front passenger seat occupant detection mat sensor has failed. The front passenger air bag is not activate in a crash when the seat is occupied. Recalls active for this exact issue for the same make in other years and models are currently recalled however others are excluded.
To the best of my knowledge the airbag system is off line. The passenger airbags do not turn on when a passenger is seated. The passenger airbag indicator light shows that it is not turning on with or without a passenger. Also the drivers side airbag indicator light comes on the dashboard and the tachometer when I start the vehicle. This problem began while the vehicle was parked and stationary.
Timing chain jumped out of timing and caused bent valves.
Warning message for seat belt tension/air bag malfunction and both lights are on. The vehicle has 40+ thousand miles on it, I am a second owner. This problem just started on may 29, 2020. No accidents for this vehicle. Cost for repair is over $2000 and so far there's only recalls for 2008 convertible which I totally don't understand. This looks to be an ongoing problem with the mini and needs to be addressed due to the air bags being affected. I currently have no photos but can readily supply photos upon request. The seat belt light/air bag emblem shows on the dash screen when entering the key while stationary, no one is sitting in the passenger seat when this happens and does not go away when occupied.
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 running normally. I shut off the motor and got out. Bystanders emptied an extinguisher through the front grille but within minutes the entire vehicle was engulfed. Car was almost completely destroyed. Fire burned through the firewall and consumed the interior.
Passenger side airbag seat mat is defective. Just stopped working. Cost to replace is over $2000. So, the warning light for defective airbag sensor remains on.
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 foreign car expert was amazed that the turbo had to be replaced with such low mileage.
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 prince/psa engine design and manufacturing defect admitted to in the class action lawsuit know as joshua skeen and laurie freeman v. Bmw of north america, l.lc. United states district court district of new jersey civ. No. 2:13-cv-1531-whw-clw. Bmw declined to replace my engine under the extended warranty agreed to in the settlement agreement of the above cited action. All affected vehicles should have been recalled and my engine failure could have easily caused loss of life. My vehicle is one of the class vehicles, r56 n14 engine produced between 2006 thru 2010. This is a product liability safety claim that is not subject to any statutory/warranty time limitation. All class vehicles should be recalled due to the loss of life and safety risks. Do not wait for loss of life to enforce the liability of bmw for their failure to self report the design defect and failure to voluntarily recall all affected vehicles.
Compare the 2008 MINI Cooper S
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Questions about the 2008 MINI Cooper S
Is the 2008 MINI Cooper S reliable?
Owners have filed 168 complaints about the 2008 MINI Cooper S, 5.4 times a typical Cooper S model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2008 MINI Cooper S year score?
The 2008 MINI Cooper S scores 12 out of 100 (poor). The score compares it with the other model years of the MINI Cooper S: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 MINI Cooper S?
Engine and cooling, with 120 complaints, typically around 52,000 miles. Next is airbags (30).
How many recalls does the 2008 MINI Cooper S have?
4 recalls, covering electrical system and engine and engine cooling.
What gas mileage does the 2008 MINI Cooper S get?
Official estimates for the 2008 MINI Cooper S range from 27 to 29 mpg combined. The most efficient version (1.6L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 23-26 city and 32-34 highway.
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