So before I go and buy this reading on Mini S Yikes ??

Hey I know everything needs maintenance but this car one owner 2012 with 40k 6 speed.

I hear water pumps ,special anti freeze brake issues ,thermostat and excessive oil use ????

Are they really that bad for those who own them ???

The Anti Freeze that should be used if I buy it and change it ??
Oil and filter that most of you use??
And if you forum members can share with me your thoughts on this year car of good and bad of it....thank You

 

The thing with MINIs is that the different generations are not that similar. You are looking at a Gen2 car whereas I have a Gen1. I do know that 2012 has the N18 engine, which was an improvement over the earlier N14 that many say is better as a boat anchor than a car engine.

For coolant, most likely a blue colored base product, BMW coolant or Zerex G48 comes to mind. On the oil, full synthetic, thinking 5w-30 as I believe the Gen3's are 0w-30.

If you do not know much about the car, suggest a PrePurchase Inspection of PPI. Nick from Detroit Tuned prepared a good write up on PPIs in the below thread that a couple of us put together for the Gen1s. Working on a Gen2 version.

Some other members should chime in, good luck.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post4364413

 

Thank You for your speedy information.. Chances are I will buy the car.. Like anything it is a flip of a coin if you are lucky or your not with mechanical issues.
But I owned a new one 2008 for 1 1/2 yrs until it was rear ended and I am **** about my cars so got rid of it.
So being retired and not really high traveler it will not see a lot of miles per year .
So will let you know if I come home tomorrow with it..thank You Joe

 

The prepurchase inspection is very important. A 40K car could or could not need a lot of things, this is a rule for all cars not just a MINI. I just purchase a 2013 Roadster for my wife with 25K and had it look at by a shop, I know sports cars but not MINI. My son traded his Z4 for a Lotus with 30K on it and had a Exotic car shop inspect the car. The mechanic drove the car which let him feel the suspension, and the brakes, he didn't run it to top speed but tested for brake pull, fading, noise, and so on.. He put the car on a lift and inspected the pads, looked for oil leaks, bent items, exhaust leaks. He fixed a broken bolt that was not structural. Because of the inspection the dealer changed the pads, and If I remember right the oil also, as I could tell the oil filter was not new as had been represented. A Lotus dealer wants $300.00 for an oil change so the $200.00 inspection cost paid for itself.

Another few things to remember is CARFAX is a good thing, but not everything gets reported. A good inspection can reveal undisclosed damage that the dealer may not be aware of, they are just car flippers in most cases.

A MINI is a fun car and the enthusiasts on this forum take their cars seriously, the information provided here is very detailed, the things they speak of are not flaws in the MINI but are common to all modern cars. The discussions of the issues help everyone to stay ahead of the problems. The days of pouring straight 30 weight oil and some green Prestone antifreeze with some stop leak into your car and hitting the road are long gone. The mileage that some of the MINI's I see here have on them are unbelievable and were never attained by the cars I grew up with. Enjoy your new car.

 

We bought a '12 S with auto about 5 yrs ago. Now has about 60k miles. A few things have been done, under original warranty and warranty Mini extended on certain parts -

VANOS solenoid replaced under original warranty.
Water Pump replaced under Mini extended warranty on the part

Maintenance items -

Brakes front and rear
Battery

These were done at about 40k miles, so you may be due on those. I'll be taking it in soon for the 60k mile checkup, which I'm sure will include a coolant flush.

Other than that, car has been a rock.

 

Whine Not Walnuts did pretty well for a Gen1 guy.

The N18 in the 2011 -2013 Gen2s has been pretty reliable. The carbon buildup problem on the N14 has been dramatically reduced, and the N18 doesn't suffer from the N14 timing chain issues. The common issues have been thermostats, and the HPFP on cars built up to about March 2012. So check the build date and service records on the car.

Lots of details in the Gen2 forums - check out the FAQs and the Stock Problems & Issues section.

Enjoy!

 

So you mentioned March 2012 and I have serial number
#WMWSV3C54CTY28135 can you tell me build date form this ??

I just found were to find build date and it is 01/12..

So I guess are fuel pumps a rare occurrence on 2012 ????

And what cost to replace am I looking at ???
I guess fuel pump is in fuel tank and has to be removed to install pump???

 

Here's the BMW VIN decoder, lots of good info -

http://bimmer.work/

As I recall, there are 2 pumps. Low pressure is in the fuel tank, high pressure is in the engine compartment. I'll have to check my records, but I'm fairly certain I received a letter from Mini extending the warranty on the HPFP on my '12.

 

Went and looked at it but to many chips and rubber scars for me to buy it.
Will keep looking..thank You

 

We created the FAQs for each generation to make a lot of basic information easy to find, to answer questions like the ones in this thread. Please read them! The FAQs are evolving and improving, if there's important stuff missing, please add to the Suggestions, Requests, and Feedback thread.

Good luck finding the MINI that's right for you - check out the Marketplace here for cars for sale.