2008 MINI Cooper Convertible Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Cooper Convertible years
- Not enough data 5th of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 9 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 MINI Cooper Convertible. That ranks 5th out of 9 Cooper Convertible model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (3 complaints, 33%), typically at around 53,000 miles. Complaints mention 1 fire, 1 injury. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
- 9owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2008 MINI Cooper Convertible problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 3 | 33% | 53,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 2 | 22% | 57,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 22% | 50,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 2 | 22% | 67,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 11% | 2,500 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2008 MINI Cooper Convertible recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Passenger upper seat heater burned hole through seat and childs jacket while driving. The heating element is now visible and daughter received a minor burn to finger, do to melted hole in jacket from seat heater.
Moving my mini into the garage a fire caught under the hood and the steering went out, after inspection it was found to be the power steering pump. Insurance will not cover the cost as it is a mechanical failure. I have read about the previous models being recalled for this same problem as well as…
Power steering failed and was unable to steer car. Power steering fluid was full. Inspected at garage and mechanic said there was no clear reason as to why the steering had failed. Did get some steering ability back but am worried it will happen again. Vehicle had been stationary for a couple of…
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mini cooper convertible. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v205000 (air bags) and stated that the part was not available within a reasonable time frame to schedule the recall repair. The dealer did not give a specific date for when the part…
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mini cooper convertible. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the air bag sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer…
Other MINI Cooper Convertible years
← 2007 Cooper Convertible · 2009 Cooper Convertible →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Cooper Convertible | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 Cooper Convertible | 1 | 1 |
| 2022 Cooper Convertible | 1 | 0 |
| 2016 Cooper Convertible | 13 | 3 |
| 2009 Cooper Convertible | 18 | 1 |
| 2008 | 9 | 1 |
| 2007 Cooper Convertible | 7 | 2 |
| 2006 Cooper Convertible | 27 | 1 |
| 2005 Cooper Convertible | 96 | 1 |
See all MINI Cooper Convertible problems by year, every MINI model, or the MINI VIN decoder.
Similar MINI models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2008 MINI Cooper Convertible?
Owners most often report air bags, power train, seats problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 3 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2008 MINI Cooper Convertible?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2008 MINI Cooper Convertible a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Cooper Convertible model years, the 2008 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.