I was shocked to read that Consumer Reports gave the MINI the worst possible rating for car reliability.

I was going to buy a new 2011 MINI but now I'm reconsidering. This would be my dAily driver and I put 60 miles on my Car every day so reliability is a big factor in my car buying decision.

Wondering what you all think about this? Am I over reacting? Consumer Reports is a well respected magazine.

 

You're over reacting....listen the WRR #372, they explain how this number gets so construed...

http://www.whiteroofradio.com/woofcast-372/

 

You are not overreacting. Please do yourself a favor and buy something else. My 07' MCS has been bought back by Mini USA due to excessive oil consumption. I have never owned anything so unreliable as this car. There was never piece of mind. In three years of ownership and less than 50k miles on the clock the car spent at least 3 months in total time at the dealer with numerous engine related problems ranging from chain assembly replacement, broken piston, carbon built up, excessive oil consumption, etc.... Don't get fooled by their marketing campaign and stay away from the Mini brand. As long as they continue building such cheap car from cheap parts from accross the globe it will remain a reliability failure. Believe me I am not overreacting. I don't think these cars are designed to be driven in US...maybe small streets in Europe for 30K-40K total kilometeres (not miles).

 

Many people have had no problems for plenty of miles. The Non-S is anecdotally more reliable than the slightly more complicated S model. I can only speak to my personal experience with my 2006 Cooper. I've only had it for about 6000km (odo is at 38,000km now.) and it is a solid car, aside from a leaky thermostat housing that was fixed under warranty.

However, I did buy a warranty for it through a third party to give myself some peace of mind.

 

I wouldnt be bashing all mini just cause you had a problem with one mini. thats like say all white people are bad cause one white person robbed you. You happened to pick a year wheere they totally changed up the car from the 06 so in a way they didnt know the flaws of the turbocharged cars yet so i think 4 years later the cars got alittle more reliable.. (if they are maintained). So dont bash all of mini just because you got a bad apple. So now im gonna go bash all of ford cause i have a '97 ford explorer the breaks down all the time

 

What about the Firestone issues. all firestone tires are crap because they were under inflated and the new onslaught of SUV drivers did not know how to decelerate with a blown tire and thus rolled the SUV.

 

Agreed. If I bought a car based on personal experiences, I'd never buy another Jeep, Ford, Chevy, or Dodge trucks. Never had a Jeep that didn't have bugs, I worked at Ford and that turned me off of them quick, my S10 was a huge POS, and my wife's first Dodge truck was a money pit.

Before you make your purchase, or your final choice, talk to people. See if there is a local MINI club, message people on here, talk to a MA. Get all of your facts first, then decide. Don't decide based on one publication, the real answer is in the hands of the people who drive them every day and wouldn't trade em for anything. I can honestly say you couldn't force me back into my Honda Accord, and they are reliable as the universe.

 

Three MINIs = 0 problems.

 

My good friend who was the mini head mechanic and shop supervisor for more then 6 years did privately tell me many times that the Mini was pretty unreliable compared to other German brands such as BMW and Mercedes that were also in the same dealership. And he has seen quite a few.

He sold his JCW Mini as soon as he changed his job because he did not want to deal with it.

This is not to say yours will not be great.

 

1.5 years, 14.5K miles = 0, zero, zilch, nana issues. Pretty damn good car if you ask me. Way better than my last car, (2001 Audi A6 Avant) That thing ate CV joints, leaked oil from the cam seals, (had been replaced twice!) 3 purge valves...

 

The truth is that Mini probably won't be as reliable as a Honda or Toyota. The first few years in each development cycle seem to be the worst, so late model R53's are pretty reliable. A 2011 could be considered a late model R56, and they did make a lot of small updates, so it should be decent.

Look, the car comes with a warranty. If it's not reliable, you can always sell it and move on. I wasn't concerned because I really wanted the car. There wasn't any other choice for me.

 

The truth is that Mini probably won't be as reliable as a Honda or Toyota. The first few years in each development cycle seem to be the worst, so late model R53's are pretty reliable. A 2011 could be considered a late model R56, and they did make a lot of small updates, so it should be decent.

Look, the car comes with a warranty. If it's not reliable, you can always sell it and move on. I wasn't concerned because I really wanted the car. There wasn't any other choice for me. I've got about 38k miles on the car and have had to have the flywheel replaced, upper engine mount and that's about it. Both are well known issues and were fixed under warranty.

 

I was concerned also with Consumer Reports ratings for the Mini. But if you look further into the ratings, consumer satisfaction with the cars is very high. and resale values are high. The S model is rated lower I would guess because of problems with the high pressure fuel pump, which is covered under an extended warranty now, and I believe was fixed from 2010 on.
My own personal experience? This is the most reliable car I have ever owned.
Over the years, my very worst cars in terms of reliability were a Honda Accord, and a Toyota truck. Both were highly rated by CR. After warranty maintenance costs may be higher on a Mini than some cars, but this is a special car- people are willing to put up with some issues to be able to drive a car that is as fun as this one is.
You are going to run into more horror stories on a forum like this than stories like mine.
Bottom line, I would buy another one in a heartbeat!

 

This is true. In December we bought a 2011 Toyota Sienna for the family vehicle. It it HIGHLY rated by Consumers Report, particularly with regards to reliability. But got to a forum like SiennaChat and see all the complaints about problems from power doors to engine to navigation, etc.

Basically, you aren't going to see people on a car forum just post something like "Just checking in, car is rock solid. No problems. See ya". They generally get on to complain and find fixes.

As another personal example of Consumers Report and their reliability ratings, we purchased a 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible new in 1999. Because of the reliability fears, we bought an extended warranty. We still have that car today and it has been THE most reliable car I have ever owned. Literally, I have only replaced the front brake pads and rotors (twice) and put a new battery in, and that's over 11 years!!. CR rated it's reliability as much-worse-than-average.

Bottom line, if you love the Mini, go for it!!

 

Hi All!
Yes, the Mini is not the most "reliable car". It is designed to be driven. If you value the time you spend in the car going to work, play, etc., the Mini is for you. Consumer Reports is right to print what they believe. They also do not like the iPhone, but look how it sells.
Mini, like Apple, is a "lifestyle brand". If you buy into the culture, then you have to accept the potential problems. These cars are not perfect. However, for the daily driver that enjoys motoring, that is time well spent. You can always get a Toyota or Honda, they are wonderful products "without problems". If you rate life by Consumer Reports, then you are there best customer.
Michael Rebar

 

Brian: It's not the worst possible CR reliability rating; the MCS is only "worse than average" (there's a "much worse than average" too), and the MC is "average" (as is the VW GTI).

If you need reliability more than anything else, the Honda Fit Sport is "much better than average", and is also fun to drive. But then no other car looks, drives, and handles quite like a MINI, so you have to choose based on your own priorities.

 

Too that end, the Mazda Miata is a great, fun car that has CR's blessing!

 

And yet no one minds when people sing the praises of all MINIs just because theirs has never had any issues. This is quite condescending to those of us that have struggled with the MINI's reliability. At 50k miles, I should not have had to have a new fuel pump, a new set of timing chain components, nor a new thermostat. Don't even get me started on the carbon build up.

To the OP: The MINI is a fun, enjoyable platform, but does have its issues. If you need peace of mind and reliability above all, I'd say look elsewhere. In my opinion, it's a FANTASTIC second car.

 

that is said perfectly!! i would just like to add alitttle to this... Honestly I think Mini doesnt really care about consumer reports just like apple doesnt care. (now you know why the iphone goes so well with the connect) and they dont care about the CR cause they still sell even with below average ratings. and they sell cause the mini is a car that makes you happy to leave for work eveery morning. it brings a smile to your face everytime you take the longway to a unliked relatives house. Sh*t it even makes you happy every time you look at it. Because of that fact they get sold. Think of like mustangs and corvettes, they have loads of problems but they still sell them all year after year because these are cars that people get so they are happy driving it. So if you want a car that has a good Consumer Report then go by a lincoln but if you want a car that makes you excited to drive every morning you wake up. get a mini

 

While personal experiences aren't the rule of thumb in purchasing a car, the potential buyer should be made aware of the consistent problems with the car so they can proactively deal with the problems. You know, learn from mistakes that others have made in the past.

If I were the OP, I would mosey on down to the Stock Problem Issues and see what the consistent problems that show up with the car, and be prepared. Prepared means, be aware of what to look for just in case X happens the buyer can do Y.

Now this maybe all mute if the 2011 has taken care of the issues, but we don't know that. Better to be prepared...

 

i think people buy the MINI is because they really like the car. imma get a mini soon, just because i really want one ever since highschool.

current im in a 2003 civic. has served me well for 8 years (40mpg, regular leaded, has never changed ANYTHING yet, bought it for cheap as hell) maintainence was fluids changes/spark plugs/timing belt.

but be real, if you're buying a car just based on gas mileage/reliablity/cost. then go buy a corrolla or civic. will save a bunch of money in the long run.

thats my 2 cents :D

 

Both sides of the same coin.

I can use the example of my brother and his pair of Land Rover D90's. As we all know, British cars have a history of bad reliability. His: 1994 D90. His wife's: 1995 D90. His, the most unreliable D90 that he knows of from all of his friends with LR's. His wife's, he has said this to me numerous times, it is the most reliable vehicle he has ever owned. In his own driveway he has both sides of the reliability argument.

Back to the MINI and the OP. I know that they can have reliability concerns. Some people have no issues, some people have nothing but problems, and some people are in the middle. I am not downplaying the reliability issues, just don't look at only those. Talk to MINI owners, face to face, and don't be afraid to ask the tough questions. Are they reliable as an Accord, probably not, are they as junky as a Trabant, certainly not. Learn the in's and out's of the problems that do seem to run across the board. If you are that worried and it would be your DD, don't get one. I took the risk, since to me, its worth it. It is my DD and I will face the issues when I get there, again, my choice to do so. In the end the choice has to be yours, and yours alone. Just make sure that it is the most informed choice you can make.

 

Consumer Reports blows IMO. Especially for their car stuff, which is where they sell their most mags. Use them for stuff like steam irons and vacuum cleaners where there'e no bias involved. I think Toyota and Honda must own the freaking magazine the way they pimp those cars. BTW I had a HPFP go out at about 20 months, nothing else after 4 years and 55k miles.

 

This is some of the best advice I have ever seen posted here.

When I was looking to order my 2006 I read all I could find about MINIs. I knew there were potential problems for me. My MINI has had a few, but it gives me so much enjoyment that I am willing to put up with it's non-Honda reliability. I'm now at 90,000 miles & plan to drive it for at least another 50,000. A Honda while reliable is dead boring.

 

I love my MINI, it's had some issues, but I wish I would have kept my STi. My Subaru dealership when asked to jump they'd ask how high, my MINI dealership and MINI USA when asked to jump they told me to get f'ed. I probably would not buy another MINI again or BMW for that matter. If I do, I'll be getting the extended warranty. That seems like the only way for MINI to fix something even if it takes 3 tries.