Worst story I've ever had to tell,
Bought a Black '05 MCS from Florida, it got here, engine shot after 30 minutes of driving. Mechanic tells me it's gonna cost $6,000 for an engine with 48,000 miles, does this sound right?

 

An 05 with 48000 miles is still within the 4 year, 50,000 mile warranty. take it to a dealer.

otherwise, yeah, $6k for an engine is probably about the going rate.

 

How did the engine fail and is the $6000 engine a complete engine, a short block (just the block and bottom end) or a long block (entire engine with cylinder head but no supercharger, intake, or exhaust manifold)

 

wow, sorry to hear that.
Did buy it from a dealer or private party?

 

to me that sounds about right but im not an expert or anything. how did the engine go out after 30 minutes of driving!!

 

6000 is for the whole engine, my engine had 50,700 miles on it, 700 over the warranty ammount (you don't think they would show some 700 mile mercy do you?) I think he said the previous owner beat the living **** out of it, and I think he said the cam rod, or some sort of rod went.

 

That's one of the worst stories I've had to hear. Sorry about the horrible luck!

 

Have you asked for mercy? They might be willing to give you something>

 

a few things here:

if it is only 700 over the warranty limit, and the previous owner did the recommended service at the dealer, I'd try to get at least some help on the warranty.

also, if you really just bought the car and only drove it 30 minutes, you should have some recourse with the previous owner/dealership.

Are you working with a MINI dealer or an independent?

 

For 6K you might be able to get one of the 2L engines from Revolution mini....

 

If you only had the car for an half hour before the engine blew then go after who ever you bought it from because IMHO who ever sold you the car knew the shape it was in.

 

I'm pretty sure some dealers give like a 1000 mile buffer, at least they do up here. you might want to check a few dealers to see if they will cover it

 

Unless the transaction was strictly 'as-is' there should have been some limited warranty, usually 30 days, powertrain only, etc. Read your bill of sale, the window sticker, etc.

 

Dealer did not show mercy to me... just after the warranty was due (just a week or two)... and i was just taking it for a starter issue.... so good luck on that... but just few minutes of driving and the engine gave up!? get a lowyer lol... good luck man, thats a really sa story.

 

If you bought it in FL, you're not gonna find a lot of mercy from the courts unless the car specifically came with a warranty. It is strictly buyer beware down here.

Try talking to your local dealer and BMW NA (if necessary) to see if they can fix it for free under good will or at least cut you a break. That's about the best you'll be able to do.

Otherwise, for $6K, I'd think you could find a motor with less miles on it than that.

 

ow! that makes me cringe!! sounds like whoever owned it before messed it up by either not changing the oil at all or just...doing something that hurts mini's

 

How exactly did the engine fail? Cracked block? Thrown rod? Seized bearings/pistons? If its just a rod, then the entire engine doesn't have to be replaced.

Is "beating the living **** out of it" equal to "drive it like you stole it"?

 

Sorry, this post smells like a Red Herring. OP states just bought a car with 48k and drove it for 30 min and the engine blew. Next post (users post #2) he now says it has 50,700. I know MINIs are fast but this MINI would have to be travailing nearly MACH 2 to put that many miles on in 30 Min

 

No, I think he is saying that the mechanic will sell him an engine with 48,000 miles on it for $6,000, whereas the engine in his MINI had 50,700 miles when IT blew up. I think he's actually talking about 2 different engines here....

 

IC Thanks

 

That's too much. The most expensive used engine on Car-Part.com is $3840. It has 24K miles and includes the supercharger. Shipping is usually around $200 assuming you have to ship it from out of state. That leaves about $2000 for installation and incidentals. Someone plans to make some serious $/hour on that one IMHO.

 

I think "beating the living **** out of it" is equal to not taking care of it. I drive a couple of my cars really hard and don't have many problems. A lot of maintenance that comes along with drifting and racing, but nothing serious. So I think the "drive it like you stole it" philosophy is koscher as long as the vehicle is well maintained and is warmed up properly.

 

yeah this whole thing sounds suspicious, ask any SA the iron-block Tritec is pretty near bullet-proof (tks Chrysler) and it would take some very serious neglect and very hard driving (or a defective part) to compromise it. I drive my MCS hard and the engine is the least of my worries, it's everything else that surrounds it...

 

Hey everyone, that's my guess, I think the previous owner neglecgted the hell out of the thing, I found an engine broker who has an engine with 11,000 for 2,900, so my mechanic grossly over-quoted me. Regardless of the as-is tag, the auction ( Link ) has $20,000 buyer protection. So I am going to pursue this, because it's blatant fraud, the horn didn't work, the ac condenser is smashed in, the backup lights don't work, argh. Has anyone every chased an eBay claim like this? If they are going to cover it, I think I may as well be able to put a brand new engine, maybe even a better engine from minirevolution?

 

Your described defects are exactly the kind of defects eBay protection claims to cover -- I haven't had to use it, but I did read about it before buying my own car on eBay. . . so it sounds like you may have a recourse there.
If not, it probably is worth hiring a lawyer in Ft. Lauderdale to file a small claim for you (or you can do it if you don't live too far). As others pointed out, an AS IS sale doesn't offer much protection, BUT a seller is not given impunity to lie -- the auction claims engine performs like new (and later that it's in Excellent condition) and that all electrical circuits function. This appears to have been false and you may have a strong case for fraud. Just my 2 cents.