This is my second Cooper and while they have been fun cars, I've had it. Clutch started the dreaded "squeel" while cold thing...found the TSB on here and took it in. Service advisor says "I need $2000 from you to fix this". Uhhh...this is warranty under the TSB. He proceeds to tell me that they need $2000 to drop the tranny and then something about the clutch being worn etc etc. There's no arguing with this guy...what good does it do? Screw it, give me my keys, I'm leaving.

Oh, and on the way out I find out they want almost $700 to replace the front brake pads and rotors. Thanks but no thank, I'll have a mechanic friend do it for me.

So between the $2000 warranty work, the leaking water pump at 35,000 miles, the two broken door pulls, the two broken sun visors and all the other "qwurks" I've had to put up with this car, I'm done.

 

Bye.........

Hope you enjoy your new Honda, Cobalt or whatever you wind up with next......

My clutch makes the "Chewbacca noise" once in a while when cold too, so what? It doesn't affect the operation of it.......I've got 60K on it so far and it seems like it will go to 100K. I do 5 -6 track days a year at Heartland Park too........I guess you could take your TSB to another dealer and see if they'd do it without the $2K retainer.......

I replaced my own pads and rotors, and I've taught a number of KC MINI enthusiasts to do theirs too, it's so easy on this car.......

 

That bulletin doesn't take into consideration that the clutch could be worn...THe dealer should've honored it in the event that your car is still in warranty and exhibiting these symptons. Call another dealer or call MINI USA.

 

I'd say mini usa would be mighty pissed with them for not honoring their warrantee. You should call them, or try going to another dealer to see if they don't have their heads stuck in a dark place.

 

Sounds like some people just expect too much out of a car. All cars have issues... The squeak in your clutch probably does not happen all the time and it definitely does not effect performance/usage. I never understood why so many people run to the dealer to fix little noises when things are not broken. They have to be the dealers worst nightmare, hence the $2000 quote to entice you to leave.

 

Erm, although I agree that all cars have issues, I disagree with "why so many people run to the dealer to fix little noises when things are not broken" part. Not everyone is knowledgeable about the internal going-ons of their vehicle. Hence, "little noises" that don't seem to belong would/should raise red flags. We should take note that a vehicle purchase is not just a "unit" purchase but rather "unit purchase plus services before and after sales". Heck, I expect the same on any purchase. I know I get such services on my 5k bicycle, I better as hell get such services for 20k+ vehicle.

If a noise concerns a customer, he/she should feel comfortable returning to the dealer to resolve it-whether this leads to a fix or just for peace of mind without an actual fix.

To OP: Contact MiniUSA and ask/demand them for a fix under warranty.

 

I understand the worn clutch thing, but how has everyone else on here had this problem fixed with "no problems" or "no questions asked" etc. My dealership *used* to be real good about stuff like this, but it has definitely gone down the toilet in the past few years. My next call is to MINI USA.

 

We were quoted a potential $1600 charge when we wanted our dealer to check out the clutch (under warranty). They said that if they found the issue to be with the clutch, we wouldn't be charged. They had no appointments anyway, as their service department was going on strike, so we went to another dealership. Well worth the extra 30 minutes drive, as they very much wanted us as customers and fixed all sorts of stuff under warranty. Including a new clutch, and we didn't have to put up any stupid fee.

Good luck.

 

Part of the problem here might be confusion about warranties and TSBs. Contrary to popular belief, a TSB is not a recall and it doesn't necessarily imply that the repair or modification in the TSB will be covered under warranty. All car mfgs release literally thousands of TSBs every year that cover all sorts of things and very few provide for the repair to be covered outside of the normal warranty period.

A non-critical TSB for a wear part that is not covered outside of warranty, expensive brake jobs, interior parts failing..... all problems that are fairly common to a lot of cars. Having said this, if you want the most reliable and trouble-free car, get a Honda, Toyota, Nissan, or Mazda.

- Mark

 

Try a different dealer!!! It can make a world of difference. I know personally.

 

My clutch was making a "chirp" when starting out. Dealer replaced under warranty at Inspection I, no charge and a free loan car (which BTW was a Mini convertible)! Also got new motor mounts. I have an '05 MCS.

 

I second this! My friend's '05 MCS had his clutch replaced under warranty at 30k, no questions asked.

Now my clutch has started acting up at 35k...making chirping noises in 1st gear, rattling at various time, and a clutch pedal that squeeks like a finger rubbing against wet rubber every time I press down & release. I fully expect that this will get fixed under warranty when I bring it in at around 40k. If not, I'll let MiniUSA know about my treatment from this dealership and then find another dealership.

If this noise was present from the day I bought it new and deemed by Mini as normal operation, then that is one thing. However, as it is not a normal sound from everyday operation, if I were to sell my car with the clutch in its current state, it would be an extremely hard selling point with a potential buyer...or be extremely difficlut to get its fair market value.

 

I am replacing my clutch myself right now and it a is a BEAR of a job. I am sure that the dealer wants to discourage as many tranny drops as possible. But the Cooper is no Toyota or Honda and if you run it past warranty it can get very expensive unless you fix yourself. It is an exotic car, sort of, and engineered well, but you will pay for that in longevity. I own two Coopers and if you go over 100k, just the parts alone will cost you plenty. As example at 127k- clutch $218, rear engine seal $26, front tranny seal and sleeve $17, right hand axle $425, 4 rotors and brake pads $450, 1 brake caliper ??, water tube around engine(rusted) $46, left and right rubber front suspension bushings $78, 2 liters MTF oil $32. This is just parts at wholesale, no labor. I am also replacing about $200 in ball joints and also the starter at $168 just to make the car perfect again. $2000.00 will be invested in parts to get back on the road. This would be a $4500.00+ repair at the dealer. I know of no one with a Toyota that needed that amount of repair to go over 127,000 miles. On the good side it is a fun well engineered car that has high resale, and if you do the work it is fun and challenging to fix!

 

Well I just got off the phone with MINI USA. A very nice lady listened to my complaint and politely told me (in so many words) you're SOL. When I mentioned what I had read on here about other owners having this issue addressed with no problems she said "I can't address that issue". Total waste of time. Like I stated in my original post, no more Coopers for us. We're gonna keep the car a while longer (considering the economic climate at the moment) and then it's gone. And no I'm not buying a Cobalt, VW or whatever the nice poster mentioned earlier but thanks for thought.

I want to add that I HAVE NEVER BEEN A COMPLAINER at my local dealerships (I own four different cars). I'm not the type to throw a tantrum in the service drive, I don't argue with the service writers etc. All I asked for on this occasion was a little understanding and assistance with a problem and I get told to get lost.

 

F***ing MINI/BMW LuK clutches are pure total crap. I had so many problems with mine (and the dual mass FW) on my R53 that I just gave up and made this resolution: never again will I buy a BMW product with a manual tranny, I dont bloody care a hoot about how much "fun" it is to drive a stick, or that I will "lose the involvement" if I choose an auto. Screw that S*&t. (BTW my dealer never questioned my clutch and FW issues, always fixed under warranty.)

that's why my R56 will have the bulletproof, uber-dependable Aisin 6 speed auto with the paddles. No more plastic TO bearings for me, bub.

 

mini b you have a dealer problem not a MINI problem. My dealer has been excellent, but unfortunately not all are. No way I'd pay $2000 dollars for a diagnosis, that's just crazy. You need to find a better dealer to service your MINI.

I'm sorry that a few issues have cause you to want to bail out of MINI ownership. Good luck with whatever you get next.

 

Still Driving my MINI, 11 trips for service on the Digital Power Sound Modul over three months in the shop. At least I get a loaner, and they wash the car. Do need to trade before the warranty runs out.

 

That's not what I was saying....The bulletin doesn't say that if the clutch is 50% worn they will not honor it. What they said was if your clutch was squeeling when letting the clutch is engaging, replace the listed parts.

 

I agree with those saying try another dealer (if available) before throwing in the towel completely, especially since you still have a car that's under warranty. There are 5 dealerships within 2 hours from me, but only 2 I would ever actually use for service. The one closest to me (less than 10 minutes away) is actually the worst. I drive to the next closest one (40 minutes) for anything I need and they take care of me.

 

I just sold my '97 Camry with just over 130K. I had to spend $800 getting 'things' fixed on it before I could sell it. The throttle valve was clogged and it kept dying - that alone was over $400. About 2 years ago, I had to have the front and rear struts replaced - that little visit was at least $4K. About a year ago, the door assembly completely disintegrated in my hand. That was around $300. Everytime I touched a **** or something, it would fall apart. I could go back over my receipts the last few years and come up with a lot more, that's just off the top of my head. The guy I sold it to, took it to his mechanic who said the clutch was about ready to go. I'm sure that's going to be several hundred.

On the other hand, we had an '86 Toyota pickup with almost 200K miles when we sold it and we probably didn't spent more than $3K on it in all those years.

 

Room for more of the same with slight twist?

Dealer just replaced clutch under warranty, 33K miles, no questions asked, shop around.

Had a SAAB Viggen that sounds like your experience, fun but unreliable as h#ll, fought the dealership on nearly every issue and SAAB USA once, (wheels lost their finish), sold while under warranty will never own another, but don't bad mouth them.

Had a Celica and have a Tacoma, and a Lexus IS350, all flawless, but so is my fridge.

Had a Fox body Mustang before the MINI, nothing but trouble and expected it--still had a blast in it, when it was running.

Same way with MINIs, they are BMWs aka Euro's aka baggage. Some of us think it's worth it--of course, I also owned an MGB for years...

Bottom line: Sorry about your experience and I think it's the dealership that makes or breaks the deal on customer experience with Euro's.

 

Problem with that is the next closest dealer is in Orange County (I live in N. San Diego County). I don't think it would be worth the 2 hour drive (plus agro of OC traffic) just be told the same thing. This issue is probably part of the problem. ONE Mini dealership in SD County. ONE. They have a corner on the market.

What really bugs me is I used to have a really good service advisor. Very helpful, seemed to really care about his customers etc etc. He has since left and moved to the east coast. The guy that took his place came from a local Chevy dealer (Gee...ya think maybe that's part of the problem too?) and treats me like I'm just another number on his appointment board. I've bought six cars from this dealership since 1993. Four BMW's and two MINI's. This is the thanks I get.

 

If you really can't get them to figure this out, and MiniUSA isn't helping either,sell it ASAP. Currently Mini's seem to sell like hotcakes. Just mention the issues and advice the potential buyer to call local dealers to see if they'll fix.

 

Don't feel too down I have the same problem with my local dealer, Crevier MINI. They want $1400 to drop the tranny and see if it's warranty work, if it is then I get refunded. I figured I'll just go aftermarket with clutch and flywheel for a 1/3rd of that cost. Namebrand flywheels and clutches are cheap, you just have to shop around.

 

I would talk to the dealer GM then. All dealers have the capability to do a good will repair on any vehicle they want even if the repair being covered under warranty is in question. I don't think they stand a chance unless your leaving something out of your story.