I just purchased a 2014 Mini Cooper Coupe S for my wife as that is what she wanted (did not purchase it from a Mini dealer). It is an R58 series with a N18 engine. A few years ago we owned a 2009 Cooper which she really liked but we had it only a few years and no problems. There is one month left on the warranty and we are trying to decide whether we should purchase an extended warranty through Mini Canada or a third party warranty. I have looked at the third party warranty (it is through Lubrico Warranty Inc) and it would appear that it would not cover the most common issues that may fail. I only say that based on issues i have been able to find on this forum, although i may have completely understood the failures and also i may not be fully understanding the terms and conditions of the warranty. I also can purchase an extended warranty through Mini Canada and i am waiting to get a copy of it to see what it would cover. I have never purchased an extended warranty before but after reading some of the issues with the R56 series and some of the issues i have read relating to the R58 i am trying to decide if i should get one. While i thought i had a good quality inspection done (not by a Mini Dealer) i unfortunately did not have access to the service history. I was hoping for some help / thoughts. The vehicle has approximately 36600 Miles (59000 kilometers).

1. I have attached a copy of the Terms and Conditions of the Lubrico Warranty and wondering if anyone on the forum can give an opinion as to the warranty. Cost of the warranty $1600 CAD.
2. Should I get another inspection done at Mini Cooper to see if they find anything that might need repaired and would be covered under the warranty before it expires?
3. Any thoughts on the extended warranty offered through Mini Cooper. The cost will be about $2500 CAD.
4. Value of an extended warranty or whether self insurance through savings is better.
I know the importance of changing the oil and will change it every 5000 miles (8000 kilometers) after reading the forum.

As i said the car was very clean inside and out including the engine and the inspection was done by a reputable company. We did contact the local mini dealer and gave them the vin and they said it last had an oil change 11 months ago through a mini dealer and they would have checked to see if there were any warranty repairs required at that time. It did have another oil change 7 months after that with it not being driven in the last 4 months. I should also mention it was a lease vehicle.
I know that does not mean anything about future potential failures.

Any assistance is greatly appreciated. I will post a picture of the mini later.

Just trying to get ahead of things, manage costs and try and make this a positive experience for my wife.

Thanks

Brewster

 

Welcome!

You've got the N18 engine which has a much better reliability record than the N14, and the mileage is pretty low. I'd recommend taking it to your dealer and ask them to go over it thoroughly to check for any issues before your warranty is up. See the Gen2 FAQ for the list of known N18 issues and make sure to specifically ask about them, though since you have one of the later N18s built it probably has all the updated components from the factory.

Take whatever you might have spent on an extended warranty and put it in a special bank or investment account so it's there just in case you have a significant maintenance issue.

Then enjoy! And make sure to get a set of winter tires/wheels before the snow starts.

 

Say NO to all extra warranty sales pitches (computer, refrigerator, car, etc etc) and you'll come out way ahead in the long run. I have.

Say no. Most issues can be fixed for under a few hundred bucks and a youtube video.

 

Thanks for the quick replies. I really appreciate it. I will contact the dealer and request an inspection as suggested. I will try and post a picture of our, new to us, mini tomorrow.

Brewster

 

Welcome to the forum

 

Here is a picture of the mini coupe.

 

Very nice! Welcome to the neighborhood.