2009 MINI Cooper Clubman Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 11about this part
- Share
- 28%of 39 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 73,500miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the engine of the 2009 MINI Cooper Clubman, 28% of the 39 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 73,500 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“After hearing a rattling while idling at a stop sign and then driving down the road, there was a terrible noise that came from the engine and the car lost all power. My husband pushed the car to the side of the road and opened the hood. It appeared that the timing chain had busted out of the top of the engine cover. We were very concerned as this could have happened on the highway, which he had just exited. …”
NHTSA complaint #10618880, filed 2014-08, 72,000 miles“Ive personally driven my 2009 Mini Cooper Clubman 11k miles of the 34k it has on it without any issue until on june 5th, 2016 I parked it near my work and returned to it the next morning.it started up just fine and I just let the first gear take me out of the parking garage. Then I tried to accelerate once on the road and nothing... No power. I put the pedal to the floor and nothing. I pulled over and it sounded like a labored, clanky, rough idle. …”
NHTSA complaint #10881666, filed 2016-06, 34,200 miles“After complaining repeatedly to the manufacturer about a rattling noise from our vehicle engine at start up, the timing chain broke and has completely destroyed our engine. The manufacturer repeatedly claimed the noise was normal engine noise and that there was nothing to worry about. Now that not only is the timing chain broken, but the engine has been destroyed from the subsequent damage. …”
NHTSA complaint #10471482, filed 2012-08, 35,000 miles“Brought vehicle to dealership for regular service. Service advisor informed me that the timing chain tensioner was leaking and coming loose. Told me it was going to be 1500 dollars to replace . I was reading online that thousand of vehicles like this one have had the timing chain tensioner broken and have a rattle noise and engine valves completely break. This issue should be a recall, it seems that too many vehicles are affected by the same issue.”
NHTSA complaint #10516268, filed 2013-06, 70,000 miles“The car engine stopped dead in the middle of a state highway while going at cruising speed of 35mph on the right most late, and with engine dead power steering became unresponsive and became impossible to steer the car to the side. The car was literally dead in the middle of the highway, we had kids on board and for a small car, we were really that lucky passing cars were able to spot us and avoid hitting us. When we took towed it to the shop, the issue was that the timing chain had snapped and also cracked the engine top cover on the left side. …”
NHTSA complaint #10849602, filed 2016-03, 91,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10171506Jan 1, 2020CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT: N14 HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP (HDP) SERVICE BENEFIT CLASS VEHICLES: The MINI vehicle may experience a sudden engine operational failure reduced or loss of…
- 10059114Jul 1, 2015Mini: faulty software for the tank ventilation control displays engine throttle reaction when temperature is high outside, and more obvious if the tank is only partly filled.
- 10059094Jun 1, 2015Mini: a mechanical failure and dme software error of the vanos actuators cause the engine to run rough which activates the malfunction warning light.
- 10147108Feb 1, 2015SI M11 01 12February 2015 EngineTechnical Service This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI M11 01 12 dated March 2014. designates changes to this revision SUBJECT N16 and…
- 10148441Nov 1, 2014N16 Engine: Oil Leak from Cylinder Head Sealing Plug. An oil leak can develop at a sealing plug located in the cylinder head, just below the vacuum pump. The sealing plug was not…
- 10148391Aug 1, 2014N16 Engine: Oil Leak from Cylinder Head Sealing Plug. An oil leak can develop at a sealing plug located in the cylinder head, just below the vacuum pump. CAUSE The sealing plug…
- 10148293Apr 1, 2014N16 and N18 Engine Oil Leak. The customer states that a small engine oil leak can be seen from the underside of the engine. CAUSE The internal sealing of the oil pump volume…
- 10147958Jan 1, 2014N16: Fault 274D Mixture Adaptation Is Stored in the DME. Certain low speed, light-load driving conditions at lower outside temperatures could cause the Service Engine Soon lamp…
- 10147956Jan 1, 2014"N16 and N18 Engine Oil Leak. The customer states that a small engine oil leak can be seen from the underside of the engine. CAUSE The internal sealing of the oil pump volume…
- 10044680Jan 1, 2014Mini: on certain model vehicles, an engine oil leak may occur, due to the compromised oil pump volume control solenoid valve, from the underside of engine. No model years listed…
Engine: other model years
Other parts of the 2009 MINI Cooper Clubman
10 complaintsElectrical system
8 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
5 complaintsBody and structure
4 complaintsEngine cooling
3 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsOther or unknown
3 complaintsSeats
2 complaintsSteering
2 complaintsBrakes
1 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2009 MINI Cooper Clubman
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology