2008 Mini COOPER S CONVERTIBLE: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
7 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
28,665 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2008 model year. Data snapshot: . 6 complaints include usable failure mileage.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 3 of 7 complaints (42.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 1 | 14.3% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 1 | 14.3% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Air Bags | 3 |
| Seats | 3 |
| Electrical System | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 1 |
| Structure | 1 |
| Suspension | 1 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 |
Air Bags: 3; Seats: 3; Electrical System: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling: 1; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip: 1; Structure: 1; Suspension: 1; Unknown Or Other: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 2 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 3 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 1 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 2; 25,000 to 49,999: 3; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (3). 1 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
2009: 1; 2010: 1; 2011: 1; 2013: 1; 2014: 1; 2015: 1; 2017: 1
Pattern summary
Air Bags leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10286597 · 2009-10-07 (October 7, 2009)
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.
Owner-reported narrative. 9,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10286597 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10351891 · 2010-08-26 (August 26, 2010)
DEFECT. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 32,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10351891 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10379509 · 2011-01-28 (January 28, 2011)
THE SEAT HEATERS IN MY 2008 MINI COOPER S GET WAY TOO HOT. THEY HAVE TWO TEMPERATURE SETTINGS (ONE IS HOTTER THAN THE OTHER) AND EITHER ONE GETS TOO HOT AND YOU HAVE TO TURN OFF THE HEATER. IF YOU DON'T TURN IT OFF IT WILL CONTINUE TO HEAT UNTIL IT BURNS YOU. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I AM CERTAIN THAT WITHOUT TURNING THE HEATER OFF THE PASSENGER COULD BE BURNED AND/OR THE WIRING TO THE HEATER COULD MELT OR CATCH ON FIRE. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH BMW/MINI AND THEY HAVE ATTEMPTED TO FIX IT VIA A WIRING HARNESS INSTALLED IN-LINE WI…
Owner-reported narrative. 21,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10379509 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10496848 · 2013-02-08 (February 8, 2013)
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 EXIS…
Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10496848 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10586194 · 2014-05-02 (May 2, 2014)
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
Owner-reported narrative. 27,330 miles reported. Look up ODI 10586194 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10724355 · 2015-06-09 (June 9, 2015)
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
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10724355 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11019469 · 2017-08-24 (August 24, 2017)
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.
Owner-reported narrative. 64,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11019469 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
15V205000 · Air Bags:Frontal
Reported: 2015-04-06 (April 6, 2015)
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2005-2006 MINI Cooper and Cooper S vehicles manufactured January 5, 2005, to November 28, 2006, and 2005-2008 MINI Cooper Convertible and Cooper S Convertible vehicles manufactured January 5, 2005, to July 31, 2008. Due to manufacturing, installation, and exposure issues, the front passenger seat occupant detection mat may not function properly and, as a result, the front passenger air bag may not deploy in a crash.
Consequence: An improperly functioning mat may cause the passenger frontal air bag to be inactive when the seat is occupied, and in the event of a crash, the air bag will not deploy, increasing the passenger's risk of injury.
Remedy: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger seat occupant detection mat, free of charge. The recall began on October 12, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.
NHTSA campaign record ↗