Most common 2008 Mini Cooper S Clubman problems
Share of the 11 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mini Cooper S Clubman complaints by model year
Best Cooper S Clubman years: 2011. Years to avoid: 2009. Compare all years →
2008 Mini Cooper S Clubman recalls (2)
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
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…
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.
Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Turbo/supercharger
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,…
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2008 Mini Cooper S Clubman:
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…
What 2008 Mini Cooper S Clubman owners say
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.
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.
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".
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.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Mini Cooper S Clubman a good car?
Based on 11 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 Cooper S Clubman rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Cooper S Clubman at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Mini Cooper S Clubman?
The engine & cooling — 6 complaints, 55% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the air bags (3) and equipment & accessories (1).
How many recalls does the 2008 Mini Cooper S Clubman have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2008 Mini Cooper S Clubman, the most recent from April 18, 2018 (engine). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mini Cooper S Clubman?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2011. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2009. See the full Mini Cooper S Clubman years comparison.
At what mileage do 2008 Mini Cooper S Clubman problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 53,000 miles; 44% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.