"How reliable is the 2008 Mini Cooper S?"

"Based on 196 NHTSA complaints, the 2008 Mini Cooper S has a median complaint mileage of 53550 miles. The most common issue is ENGINE."

"What are common problems with the 2008 Mini Cooper S?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2008 Mini Cooper S is ENGINE, accounting for a significant portion of the 196 total complaints filed."

2008 Mini Cooper S: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 196 complaints

196

Total Complaints

53,550mi

Median Mileage

ENGINE

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

33,000 25th Percentile

53,550 Median Mileage

70,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ENGINE

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

AIR BAGS

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

POWER TRAIN

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

SEAT BELTS

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"I BORROWED MY FRIEND'S MINI COOPER S FOR THE WEEK TO TEST DRIVE IT. AS I WAS UNLOADING CARGO FROM THE TRUNK, MY LEG WAS BURNED WHEN IT TOUCHED THE EXHAUST TIP. YESTERDAY, I READ ABOUT AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE SAME PROBLEM ON EDMUNDS.COM. *TR"

"WE PURCHASED A 2008 MINI COOPER FOR MY DAUGHTER. LAST NIGHT WHILE SHE WAS PUTTING THINGS IN THE TRUNK, HER LEG GLANCED THE TAILPIPE AND SHE RECEIVED A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT BURN. ON LOOKING AT CARS IN A PARKING LOT, I SEE THAT THE MINI COOPER'S TAIL PIPES ARE VERY EXPOSED AND NOT EVEN SLANTED BACK......"

"PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF LIGHT ON INTERMITTENTLY. I BRING TO DEALER FOR REPAIR THREE TIMES, BUT DEALER FOUND NOTHING WRONG. AND MY PROBLEM CONTINUE. *TR"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28