What breaks most · 2008 to 2012 model years
MINI Cooper S Clubman problems by year
Owners have filed 66 safety complaints with NHTSA about the MINI Cooper S Clubman across model years 2008 to 2012. Three years stand out: 2009 for engine complaints, 2008 for engine complaints and 2010 for engine complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2009, 2008, 2010
- Complaints on file
- 662008 to 2012, all trims
- Worst year
- 200940 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 27 fires · 1 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 45kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 10Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 0 | 2 | Engine (3) | |
| 40 | 0 | 2 | Engine (19) | |
| 9 | 0 | 2 | Engine (4) | |
| 7 | 2 | 3 | Engine (3) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Engine (1) |
What fails on the 2009 MINI Cooper S Clubman
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 48% |
19 | 0 | Shop all engine parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 28% |
11 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 20% |
8 | 0 | Shop all engine and cooling parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 13% |
5 | 0 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 5% |
2 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 3% |
1 | 0 | — |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 3% |
1 | 0 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 3% |
1 | 0 | Shop all brakes parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
I was driving and then the engine made a weird rattle and then quit. Thankfully i wasn't traveling faster than 45mph at the time of occurrence. Engine is completely ruined.
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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.
-
Timing chain tensioner makes very loud rattle when engine is cold. Requires replacement. Cost $1500. Known issue by mini but they are unwilling to repair or recall
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which MINI Cooper S Clubman years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2009, 2008, 2010 carry the most filings on the MINI Cooper S Clubman. The 2009 alone has 40 complaints, led by engine.
What is the most common MINI Cooper S Clubman problem?
On the 2009 model year, the most-reported component is engine with 19 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do MINI Cooper S Clubman problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all MINI Cooper S Clubman complaints that include mileage is about 45,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.