There are 5 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2010 MINI Clubmanin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER 2010 MINI COOPER CLUBMAN ON AN INTERSTATE IN MICHIGAN IN APRIL 2018 GOING 70 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE JUST QUIT, LOSING ALL POWER. I WAS FOLLOWING HER IN A VEHICLE THAT I HAD JUST PURCHASED SO I PULLED OFF THE INTERSTATE BEHIND HER. THERE WAS NOT ANY INDICATION OF EXTERNAL LIQUIDS ESCAPING THE ENGINE SO AFTER 15 MINUTES OF EXAMINING THE VEHICLE I STARTED IT BACK UP AND DROVE THE 9 REMAINING MILES TO OUR HOME WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT UNTIL I PARKED THE VEHICLE IN OUR GARAGE, LIFTED THE HOOD AND STEAM WAS COMING OUT OF THE OIL CAP WHEN I OPENED IT. I PROCEEDED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A FOREIGN IMPORT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THEY GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF $8,800 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AS THEY INDICATED THE ENGINE COOLANT HAD BECOME MIXED WITH THE ENGINE OIL. NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD THE $8,800 AT THAT TIME I STORED THE MINI IN OUR BARN FOR A YEAR. NOT WANTING JUST TO JUNK THE CAR AFTER HAVING IT FOR ONLY 6 MONTHS BEFORE THE ENGINE FAILED, I DECIDED TO HAVE A FOREIGN IMPORT CAR REPAIR FACILITY REPLACE THE ENGINE AT A COST OF $7,300! AFTER EXPRESSING MY CONCERN ONCE IN AN EMAIL AND THEN IN A LETTER TO THE CEO OF MINI USA, MINI SAID THAT THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THAT THEY WOULD DO NOTHING FOR ME. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. A CAR WITH 100,000 MILES ON IT AND HAVING BEEN WELL TAKEN CAR OF WITH A CARFAX TO SHOW THAT, SHOULD NOT HAVE A TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. UNFORTUNATELY I AM NOT THE ONLY CUSTOMER WITH THIS PROBLEM. THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF MINI COOPER OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ENGINE FAILURE AS I HAVE. LOOKING AT ANY MINI COOPER FORUM OR EVEN ON MINI USA'S WEB SITE WILL SHOW ENGINE FAILURES AT AN ABNORMAL RATE. THE FACT THAT MINI IS STICKING THEIR HEAD IN THE SAND JUST SAYING THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY IS ABSURD. MINI NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DESIGN FLAWS IN THEIR VEHICLES.
TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER HAS HAD ISSUES WHEN THE CAR HAS LOW MILES. REPLACED TENSIONER IN 2014 AND THEN AGAIN IN 2017 (2017 - ONLY 78,019 MILES). TIMING CHAIN HAD TO BE REPLACED IN 2017(AGAIN ONLY 78,019 MILES).
THE MINI COOPER CLUBMAN HAS A DEFECTIVE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER THAT CAN CAUSE SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE AND CRASHES. BMW HAS AGREED TO REPLACE THE CHAINS IN SOME MODELS, BUT NOT OTHERS, LEAVING OPEN THE POSSIBILITY OF CRASHES RELATED TO THE FAILURE OF THIS KNOWN PROBLEM. BMW HAS KNOWN ABOUT THE DEFECTIVE PART SINCE 2008, WHEN THE COMPANY ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM; HOWEVER, FOLLOWING THE NOTICE, BMW FAILED TO ISSUE ANY RECALL OR PROVIDE COMPENSATION FOR THOSE WHO HAD ALREADY REPLACED THEIR CHAINS OR ENGINES. BMW'S FAILURE TO NOTIFY DRIVERS OF THIS PROBLEM IS A DANGER TO THE DRIVING PUBLIC.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 MINI COOPER CLUBMAN. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT COMPLETELY OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING BELT WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000.
ON 9/20/2011 I PULLED ON TO THE HIGHWAY WITH MY MINI AND TURNED ON THE AIR CONDITIONER WHICH DID NOT WORK. THIS HAD NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE AND THERE WERE NO LIGHTED INDICATOR LIGHTS. A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE LIGHT WENT ON AND THEN WENT OFF. I TURNED ON THE AIR CONDITIONER AND IT WAS NOW WORKING. SEVERAL MINUTES LATER THE TEMPERATURE LIGHT WENT ON AGAIN SO I TURNED OFF THE AIR CONDITIONER, ENTERED THE RIGHT LANE AND SLOWED DOWN. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE CONTINUED TO GO ON AND OFF AND THEN I SMELLED SMOKE. WHEN I LOOKED IN MY REAR-VIEW MIRROR, I SAW DARK SMOKE AND THEN MORE SMOKE BEGAN TO POUR OUR FROM UNDER MY HOOD. I PULLED MY CAR OFF THE ROAD AND OPENED THE HOOD AFTER A WHILE. OIL WAS SPLATTERED ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND I NOTICED THAT THE COOLANT TANK WAS BONE DRY. I WAS TOWED TO HASSLE MINI WHERE MY VEHICLE STILL IS. AFTER INSPECTING MY CAR, HASSLE TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T REPAIR THE ENGINE EVEN THOUGH MY WARRANTY WAS STILL IN EFFECT. THEY TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS MY FAULT AND I SHOULD REPORT IT TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY. I WAS ALSO TOLD IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $15,000.00 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY HASSLE WILL NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY AND I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY A WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE SHOULD BEHAVE LIKE THIS. MY LIFE WAS ENDANGERED IN THIS SITUATION. THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS I BELIEVE MINI SHOULD HONOR MY CAR'S WARRANTY: 1. ALL REQUIRED SERVICE WAS PERFORMED AND RECORDS PROVIDED. 2. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SERVICED ONLY 700 MILES PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT AND FOUND TO BE IN RUNNING ORDER. 3. THE CAR HAD A DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF FAULTY INDICATOR LIGHTS. 4. THERE WERE ONLY 13,674 MILES ON THE CAR. 5. MINI HAS A HISTORY OF ENGINE FIRES. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026