2008 MINI Cooper S Convertible Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2008 MINI Cooper S Convertible, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Interior & seats327.3%
- Airbags327.3%
- Brakes19.1%
- Engine19.1%
- Suspension19.1%
- Electrical19.1%
- Body & structure19.1%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE TRAVELING AT OR ABOVE 65 MILES PER. HOUR, VIBRATION IN FRONT END. HAVE HAD TIRES ROTATED, BALANCES AND FRONT END CHECKED OUT. UNKNOWN AT THIS POINT AND NOW MUST KEEP UNDER 65 MPH. UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT OR ABOVE 65.
MY PASSENGER SIDE SEAT, WHICH HAS A WEIGHT-SENSOR TO DETERMINE AIR-BAG OPERATION (ON/OFF, FULL FORCE, PARTIAL FORCE) IS FAULTY, AND WITH A 110 LB PERSON SEATED IN THERE, THE SENSOR STILL BELIEVES THE PERSON WEIGHS BELOW 25 LBS, AND AS SUCH, DISABLES THE AIRBAG. THIS IS CONCERNING TO ME AS I DRIVE WITH A PASSENGER MUCH OF THE TIME, AND MOST OF THE TIME THE AIRBAG IS DISABLED. THIS SEEMS LIKE A SAFETY-RECALL ISSUE TO ME. I HAVE ALSO DONE MUCH RESEARCH THROUGH THE VEHICLE MAKE FORUMS SCATTERED THROUGH THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THIS ISSUE EXISTS ON MANY OTHER VEHICLES OF THE SAME GENERATION. THANK YOU. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V20500 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE ABS ENGAGED UNDER 10 MPH WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED. UPDATED 08/25/15*JB
AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT TURNED ON WHEN DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. THE SERVICE DIAGNOSED FAULTY PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTOR AND QUOTED $1,880 TO FIX. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS COMMON FOR THIS MAKE BASED ON FORUM WEBSITES. THE CAR HAS ONLY 28K MILEAGE AND SPORT SEATS. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V20500 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE ABS ENGAGED UNDER 10 MPH WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED. UPDATED 08/25/15*JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE. WHILE PARKED IN THE GARAGE OVERNIGHT, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS IN THE PROCESS OF INVESTIGATING THE FAILURE. HE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE TRAVELING AT OR ABOVE 65 MILES PER. HOUR, VIBRATION IN FRONT END. HAVE HAD TIRES ROTATED, BALANCES AND FRONT END CHECKED OUT. UNKNOWN AT THIS POINT AND NOW MUST KEEP UNDER 65 MPH. UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT OR ABOVE 65.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT TURNED ON WHEN DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. THE SERVICE DIAGNOSED FAULTY PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTOR AND QUOTED $1,880 TO FIX. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS COMMON FOR THIS MAKE BASED ON FORUM WEBSITES. THE CAR HAS ONLY 28K MILEAGE AND SPORT SEATS. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
DEFECT. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .