Hi, I’m trying to make the decision whether or not to buy a 2013 basic model Mini.
Automatic. 68k miles. New brake pads.
Concerns; what are or is there problems the Mini of that year/model etc. run into?
Mom newly divorced and have always had a mechanical husband that knew and dealt with our vehicles, so I’m SO scared. I was left with a small amount in our settlement to buy a car and I’m a stay at home mom having to go from 20 years of unemployment to the work force. I will have zero funds to make any repairs for awhile. Anyone out there have any advice? I’ve asked around for garages to look at it but they all have a $80 and up fee. In the back of my mind I’m also seeing that person passing the car with hopes of seeing it in their repair shop soon. Paranoid person! Thanks in advance for any helpful advise.

 

I'd avoid MINI in your situation. You really have to amass a reserve find for future repairs. Better off with a car with lower repair costs.

Best of luck with whatever you decide.

 

Don’t break an already broken heart 💔
What kinda reserve fund are we talking about? I’m looking for a good 3 year commitment to a car. My current one is an Acura RDX it’s an 2011 with 78k miles. I’ve seen where the repairs are high on it also and this is the “time” to bail on it.
I could make $1-2k on its sale and pocket that because my neighbor is selling the Mini lower for me if I want it. Out of pity. One advantage of being the only divorced person on our street. Pity works lol. At $6,500. It seems reasonable from similar listings. Mine has been wrecked twice and has the hesitation in first gear. I guess I’m trying to pick the lesser of two evils.
A d on the vein side... newly divorced, kinda wanted something cute heading back out into the world!

 

It has 68k miles.

 

I bought my 2011 at roughly the same mileage as what you're looking at and the previous owner took very good care of the car and had all the maintenance records. I had an inspection done before buying the car and they did find a few things like a leaking oil pan gasket and some various broken cosmetic items that needed to be replaced but nothing major. Got the clean bill mechanically aside from the leak so I grabbed it up. About 2 months later I took it 2.5 hours to my closest Mini dealer for another inspection just to make sure all was good and.. well that slight oil leak was misdiagnosed and it ended up being a leaking oil pressure solenoid, which required replacement of that part of the harness, they also found a leaking water pump (thankfully was covered under an Service bulletin so no cost to me) and a few other odds and ends all of which came to a grand total of $1500 worth of repairs. Mind you this was 2 months and maybe 2k miles after I bought the car that had full maintenance records and was meticulously cared for, not what I was expecting for sure.

That being said I absolutely LOVE my Mini, I find it extremely difficult to go anywhere in this car and not arrive with a smile on my face and I'll be buying them for many years to come. BUT something you have to consider with these cars is they are more expensive to maintain, provided you stay up on the maintenance they should be very reliable for you but when things do go wrong it will cost more to fix than your average vehicle like a Honda, Toyota, Hyundai etc. Other than the issues mentioned above I put 30k more miles on mine before I ran into any further trouble, which was an Ignition coil ($80 part) that left me stuck on the side of the road on my way to work. At the same time, while waiting on the side of the road for the tow truck I was smiling, because I knew the symptoms weren't anything major so a little repair here or there and I'll soon be back on the road with an ear to ear grin.

I'm currently at 104k miles and have some maintenance items to catch up on, if you don't have the records that say it's been done assume it hasn't. The sum for these regular maintenance items I need to take care of plus the 4 ignition coils, yes when one goes you replace them all or risk being stranded 3 more times, came out to around $700 (which doesn't include labor because I do it all myself). Granted I have an S so it's not exactly an apples to apples comparison but they are close, a Mini is a Mini.

My goal here is not to scare you aware from the platform but rather to prepare you. Mini's are amazing cars, great fun to drive but not without their hiccups. I come from Mitsubishi's and Ducati's so I've got lots of experience with problem child vehicles and so far the Mini has been very good to me all things considered. But you should always be prepared for the unexpected and if you're not mechanically inclined you should be prepared to pay someone who is to find out what's wrong. $80 for an inspection to check off and say your car is good to go is cheap insurance and if this is something that seems a bit outrageous for you right now maybe a Mini isn't the best fit. Maybe right now isn't the best time to move into a Mini but you can always come back, I had wanted one since I was a teenager and always decided against it because I couldn't afford to fix the car if something did happen to go wrong and I'm glad I did. If what happened with my current S happened when I first wanted one the car probably would have been junked.

As for what you may be able to expect, there's this page here on NAM that goes over the Recalls and Technical Service Bulletins that have been issued for Gen II Mini's.

 

In your situation, I agree with Minnie the Moocher. I wouldn't take a chance with the Mini being your only form of transportation. Although the Justa is generally more dependable than a MCS I still wouldn't take the chance.

 

MINIs, MINI community, MINI events are like no other! I’ve been an owner of my 2005 Justa for 14 years, 160k miles and still look back after I park way away from anyone to my beautiful MINI!

But.....Cab00se makes great points. I have heard a number of used MINI horror stories. Get the car checked out by a reputable MINI shop(search the forum for your local club and ask who is one) or dealer. Know as much as you can about this car prior to purchase. This model you are considering is a pretty good choice( not an S, adult owned, low mileage, no mods?, etc ).

Good luck and enjoy the drive!

 

^ this. Mini's are stupid expensive to maintain and repair. Much like a Porsche, Audi, etc...

 

If you want to get back into the game and save some money in the bank, get a Miata.
They're easy to maintain, fun to drive, and attract a lot of attention. Mini's of all years aren't very reliable nor are they robust.
I used to have a 1993 Miata and the newer ones are even more of a blast to drive. The only downside is that it only has 2 seats...

 

I go with what Cab00se says. No matter what used car you buy, you will have to do maintenance on it. There will be oil changes, tires and brakes. There will be your odd and end leaks and a few recalls. No car is perfect, especially used. I don't care if it Toyota or Honda. Others on NAM have pointed people to blogs of those makes to hear the horror stories of their ownership. There a lot of threads on NAM of people asking the same question as you are asking. A Google search will bring them up. See what other answers people got. As was said, get the car checked out before you by it. Doesn't matter if it is a MINI, Toyota, or whatever. Then find an Indie shop that does work on it. MINIs have been around long enough to have developed a base of shop that will work on them. The 2011 - 2013 MINIs with the N18 engine do quite well for you. The biggest thing is to have oil changes at 5000 miles and run premium gas in it. We have a 2004 base model (love it) and have put tires, shocks (only because I wanted a change) and brakes on it. My 2012 has a bunch of very hard track miles on it. Neither has given us concerns. I have a daughter looking to get a Countryman... And as for expensive, I just had a tuneup performed on my Wrangler and it was $400 and those are a dime a dozen and I doubt a MINI is worse than that.

Lastly, if you do wind up with a MINI, this forum is great to share your experiences with, both good and bad. Here is a great thread that is all about that sort of thing:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ini-today.html
And NAM can be a help if you have questions. I have a friend who bought at 2007 MINI Cooper S and sold it after a year because of problems. Bought a brand new car (2015 Ford Focus ST), sold it after 2 years (Hated it) and is back with a 2007 R52 S (Gen I Cabrio) and is loving it. So, just because you buy it, doesn't mean you have to keep it.

Best wish to you on this endeavor, no matter which way you go.

 

Oh, also, I had a mechanic who I over heard telling a customer that even he had AAA because he couldn't fix the cars these days on the road if they break down. It is well worth the money, again, for no matter what car you buy.

 

FWIW the insurance on a MINI is higher than your average car. I recommend a used Toyota & a boyfriend that owns a MINI.