Mini problems or not so mini?
 

Mini has some interesting models and i have read up on them over time although i keep reading about oil leaks, electrical issues and expensive repair bills. Do Minis' have more problems than the average car?

Jeez, it seems that later posts/replies I have made in this thread have been deleted by the mods!! It seems expressing a view or opinion on this site is heavily scrutinized and only allowed if it "conforms" to what the mods believe.?? I was not trolling but asking a genuine question and making genuine responses the some of the replies..wow!

NO. :thumbsup:

I've had my old 93 Stealth r/t TT with many issues. My old 05' Mustang GT a little less issues. Also 08' Outlander did have a couple of issues but my 08' MINI had electrical problems, nothing more. As for my 11' MCS, definitely beats out every car with less issues besides the Outlander.

I agree...No.

Tiny things go wrong in mine, like a burnt out fog light, and those are cheap but really, really annoying to fix. Really no problems though. I usually end up cleaning up other things in the process of fixing stuff like that.

It's realistically relative. In comparison to the Hondas & Toyotas I've owned, then yes, MINIs need a bit more attention. Compared to other Euro & Korean imports, MINIs should be good. I can only speak for the 1st gens, though.

You have to realize that on forums like this, you're only going to hear about cars with problems. Out of the several hundred thousand Mini's sold, there are going to be some problems.

Richard you nailed. Typically people tall more people about all the negatives rather then the positives.

If you look at Consumer Reports, owner reports (like here) and talk to people who work on them for a living, you'll get a pretty solid sense that owning a Mini is a financially risky endeavor.

Some people do report Honda-like reliability with them (although I don't know if that stands true north of 100k miles)

It's not unusual to have to replace wear parts on a Mini before Asian cars would need the same.

You might only get 60k miles out of a set of front control arm bushings, or only 80k miles out of a clutch (for instance). Why these parts only last half as long as a lot of other manufacturers' I don't know. And repairs are expensive at least at the two independent shops I've gone to.

I have a 2003 base Cooper. I've had it for 2 1/2 years, drove it from 45,000 to the 102,000 it has on it now and I've spent a little over ten thousand dollars keeping it on the road (w/o modification). I've been pleased the one or two times I've had it in the shop and the bill came to under $1,000.

But i will get another one. They are worth it.

$10k in 2 1/2 years. You are one of the exceptions. So you spend on average an extra $400+ per month to maintain your MINI.

Yes there are many out there that have problems, but again you mainly here from those people with problems. Many have had 100k+ problem free miles. Some here have had many more.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...rs-only-3.html

Here is another thread about mileage.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...right-now.html

Bought mine used and I pretty well figured that there would be some issues in the future. I fix and keep on loving my little car, however I've thought from the beginning that it might not be a wise choice for my 17 year old grandson, who has very limited funds.
They are, for a non mechanical person, an expensive car to repair. Finding qualified, accessible mechanics is difficult and frustrating, for some. New models and warranties are ideal but not without their occasional frustrations, for some.
Mainstream vehicles are not problem free, however dealerships, garages, etc. are more readily available.
For the problem free owners of any vehicle, I say knock on wood...:lol:

Throw Consumer Reports in the trash can.

That's right. It's what I'm doing instead of saving for retirement. :wink:

I do get it fixed whenever anything shows signs of being out-of-spec; as opposed to accepting wet spots on the underside of the engine or trans-axle and I'm about to get all 4 front ball joints replaced b/c the right side is creaking. I've also noticed the right front wheel bearing is starting to moan when i have a passenger in the car.

Ball joints = $750.00 installed
Wheel bearings = $250 each for the part.

And so it continues....

And i was very careful when I chose this particular car too. It checked out 100% at time of purchase. Not a single issue was detectable when i bought it. It had been in Fla all its life and only had 45k miles.

I'm not sure this is true. There are a lot of happy owners contributing to the forums. Not every thread is about problems.

It's a real challenge to find out what is true when the people who have problems report them, the people who fix problems see them, and the folks who have no issues either keep to themselves or just talk about mods.

That's why it would be helpful to have a third-party report. And there are a few places where you can get those.

Even with all this in mind, low cost of ownership should never be a reason to own a Mini. They are expensive to own compared to a Toyota or Honda for instance no matter how reliable they are.

Why? I think the way they aggregate owner reports is a service, no?

Find a new shop or learn to wrench yourself.

Correct, but a lot of unhappy ones too. You dont ususally hear people saying how happy they are about spending money on repairs.

This proves my point about USUALLY only hearing from people who have problems.

agreed!!

I dunno, it sounds like their long-term reports map tolerably well to our experiences here. The Cooper (Justa, Base, non-S, Straight, Standard, whatever you wanna call it) seems to have about "average" reliability or an "average" number of problems, while the more-complex and more highly-stressed S and JCW models have more problems than "average".

In some ways, that really fits the car's character. They are not "commuter appliances"--if you want one of those, there are many to choose from, just not at your MINI dealer. They are packed with more fun than you'll find in pretty much any of the "appliance" cars. Plus they tend to be used a bit harder than appliances do. And the ones that (arguably) have more "fun" potential (i.e., the S and JCW models with more power) get used harder and tend to have more problems.

If you're looking for grins on your way to work, try the MINI. Drive it and see how long it takes to stop grinning. If you're looking for a boring and stone-reliable way to get to work, the MINI may not be the best choice.

Will do. Thanks. (I hadn't thought of that).

EDIT TO ADD:

I'm sorry you seem to have some kind of issue with me spending so much money on my car. What's up with that?

Nynewt- Really dude. You seem to have the issue that you felt the need to PM about it. Spend your money anyway you want. I was simply responding to your post about how much money you spent. For what you claim to have spent, you could of bought a second used R50. I was stating that maybe you can find another shop or learn to do the work yourself to save money. Its your money and your car, so spend your money how you like. I was giving my opinion. I have that right, like you have the right to spend your money. Have a great day.

Some have had numerous repairs and may have been costly but they're still driving them, that should tell you something.

The fun and joy of driving and tearing around in the car will for many justify any maint / up keep, even if more expensive compared to other vehicles.

A 2003 base model Cooper is only worth $6K and you've spent $10K keeping it alive for the past 2yrs. If you think that's money well spent, go for it.

Exactly my point. Well said.

Some do see the logic in preserving and revitalizing an R50 and if that means keeping it alive, that's what we do. We go for it.:)

:thumbsup:

$10G in just over 2 years to me is a lot of money just to keep a car on the road. I'd expect that from a high end Italian exotic, but Mini is not in this category. From reading some of the posts on this forum, it appears that the Mini is prone to exccesive wear and tear costs. This to me would indicate either poor quality parts or poor engineering. Thanks guys, nice car but a bit too risky for me at least.