Well where else to ask this question then the a MINI forum..
So, my wife is thinking about getting a used '06 low mile MINI, she has about a 70 mile round trip daily commute are the MINI's reliable enough for this kind of driving?? Are there any known common gremlins that we need to look out for or be aware of? I've read on a few sites about lots of Trans problems are those more isolated cases?? Thanks for the help

I'm sure this gets asked alot, I just needed to ask for myself (peace of mind)

 

ok ok, so i've read the other's asking the same thing..so the car sounds good, then I guess my question is now about common transmission faliures . Fact of fiction?

 

Should not be trans problem with 06.

 

I can only hope..thanks thulchatt

 

Check the upper engine mount located on the passenger side fender for leaks, quite common.

 

buy a civic

 

The problem with a used car is you don't know how the previous owner drove it.

 

Very true. I read somewhere on NAM where someone bought a CPO Mini with something like 13k on the clock ('07, if I remember correctly). A few thousand miles later, the clutch went out, and the dealer claimed owner abuse and refused to warrant it. This brings me to my next item of concern, which is the clutches in both the 1st & 2nd generation new Mini's tend to be problematic.

 

certified is better. you pay a little extra but the engine and trans are usually covered.

 

Wouldn't a 2006 still be covered under warranty? My 2005 that I just sold () had 61,000 miles and no clutch problems. The only things that went wrong with it were the motor mount, a burnt out Xenon, and a valve cover gasket - all replaced under warranty.

 

I think its the early Coopers that had tranny issues and the CVT tranny, not the Cooper S models.

 

It was only the early Coopers with ( Midlands manual, CVT) that had transmission problems everything else has been fine. These cars are plenty reliable, keep in mind that a forum is not a representative sampling and you will see more people saying "x is broken how do I fix it" than "my car is running fine all is good", so just keep that in mind while looking around here.

There is a TSB out on the cooper s flywhile for chattering and other noises, but that doesnt seem to actually effect how long the clutch works, just whether or not it makes annoying sounds.

Here is what has happened with my 05 Cooper S, note that I do consider my car reliable:
-Repalce oil pan gasket (not that common)
-Replace T-stat housing (pretty common)
-Replace intake tube
-Replace axle nut (happens but overall not common)
-Replace door latch cable (not rare, but simple fix)

And I think that is it.