2008 MINI Cooper Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 12about this part
- Share
- 10%of 116 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 50,500miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 12 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2008 MINI Cooper, 10% of the 116 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 50,500 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
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.
“Cvt transmission stuck in first gear while driving on a highway and would not go more than 30mph and cars had to swerve from behind me in order to prevent an accident. The dealer wants to replace the transmission for $8,000.00 which is ridiculous. I could have been killed on highway along with my daughter..”
NHTSA complaint #11019936, filed 2017-08, 76,000 miles“Car has had issues with CVT transmission. Yesterday I was told that it needed to be replaced. At urging of other Mini owners in the same situation, I am reporting problem to your agency in hopes to have bmw recall the cars and replace the faulty transmissions.”
NHTSA complaint #10561984, filed 2014-01, 38,879 miles“I purchased a new 2008 Mini Cooper from autohaus west/Mini of st louis. The Mini Cooper was designed, manufactured, assembled, distributed and sold by bmw of north america, bmw (u.s.) holding corp., and bayerische motoren werke aktiengellschaft. I experienced a progressive failure of the timing chain, timing chain tensioner and related tensioner rail, guide rail and support rail. The timing chain had previously been represented to have a useful life equal to the life of the car. …”
NHTSA complaint #10851815, filed 2016-03, 92,000 miles“Cvt transmission belt broke while driving and the car came to a. Stop . I could have been crushed by a big truck that was behind luckily he was able to swerve around me”
NHTSA complaint #11031454, filed 2017-10, 77,000 miles“The critical timing chain failure can lead to premature engine failure. This is a safety issue because the failing timing chain can also cause the motor to fail. This in turn leads to a lack of power/acceleration/movement endangering the driver and other drivers. Currently bmw/Mini has acknowledged this issue however has failed to repair or replace the defected item outside of the warranty period. This issue also does not appear to be an issue from certain date or assembly line. …”
NHTSA complaint #10454185, filed 2012-04, 55,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10152680Nov 1, 2018"MANUAL TRANSMISSION - STIFF DIAGONAL GEARSHIFT LEVER MOVEMENT. The customer may complain of a ""stiff diagonal shift"" (e.g., N-R, R-N, 2-3/3-2 or 4-5/5-4). Also, in some cases…
- 10134994Feb 1, 2018Aisin automatic transmisison: right side output shaft seal replacement
- 10148206Dec 1, 2014Dual Mass Flywheel: Diagnosis and Inspection. INFORMATION The following three criteria must to be checked, evaluated and the resulting findings documented on the repair order…
- 10025903Jun 1, 2008Mini- r5 & r56 (cooper; cooper s) with getrag 6 speed manual transmission: complaint of an intermittent no-crank, no start situation. The clutch switch module has not been…
- 10025846Jun 1, 2008Mini: r55, r56 (cooper, cooper s) with f21 asin 6-speed automatic transmission - incorrect gear display.
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 17% |
| 2020 | 1 | 14% |
| 2019 | 2 | 17% |
| 2017 | 6 | 21% |
| 2016 | 6 | 21% |
| 2015 | 10 | 18% |
| 2014 | 8 | 24% |
| 2013 | 3 | 6% |
| 2012 | 3 | 5% |
| 2011 | 9 | 11% |
| 2010 | 3 | 3% |
| 2009 | 5 | 3% |
| 2008 | 12 | 10% |
| 2007 | 5 | 4% |
| 2006 | 20 | 10% |
| 2005 | 25 | 7% |
| 2004 | 26 | 9% |
| 2003 | 89 | 28% |
| 2002 | 43 | 23% |
| 2001 | 3 | 50% |
Other parts of the 2008 MINI Cooper
44 complaintsAir bags
41 complaintsEngine cooling
13 complaintsElectrical system
11 complaintsSeats
5 complaintsSteering
4 complaintsBrakes
3 complaintsEquipment
3 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsOther or unknown
3 complaintsSeat belts
3 complaintsVehicle speed control
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2008 MINI Cooper
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 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