About six months ago I ordered a MCS from Bob Smith Mini in Socal. I waited approximately 12 weeks before the car arrived at the dealership. Once it was there I called to schedule a time to pick up my new car. Three days later I was called and told that my new mini would be ready to pickup. But....They said that because they had to install the sway bar and shifter that I wanted, I would not be able to pick up the car until the next day. They told me if I did not have those parts installed then it would be ready to pick up that night.

I was so excited that I told them not to install the parts and that I would be done that night to pick it up. Well I never received a phone call. I called them back around 6 pm, after getting off of work early to take delivery of my new baby. They told me that it would not be ready until the next day. Well come 2 pm that next day still no call. I called the dealership and spoke to the sales manager. He told me there was a problem with my car. The tachometer was not being register by the cars computer. The usual fix of doing a install was not working. He said I would have to wait 2 more weeks for a part to arrive from Europe.

I felt like they had been hiding this problem from me for a few days. They went out of their way to hide this issue from me. Then when I told them how I felt, the sales manager told me that I would have never known about the issue if they did not tell me that my mini had arrived.

Well approximately 2 weeks later the car was ready for pickup. I was so upset about the service and that I was going to spend my money on a Mini that may already have issues, that I could not force myself to take delivery of that vehicle.

This happened about 2 months ago. I still want a MCS but I will not buy it from Bob Smith. I am also more worried then ever about the reliability issues in these cars. I have read way to much about you guys and gals who have to take their babies to the shop all the time. That 36,000 miles is going to be over real quick.

I thank everyone ahead of time for any advice they can give me. I am also considering a MX5. The only reason I am buying another car is so I can have a vehicle to take threw as mini twisties as I can find.

Thank you,
Almost a Mini Owner...

 

I have over 7,500 miles on my MINI without even a hint of a problem. Don't let one bad experience dictate whether you purchase a MINI or not. In my opinion (IMO) there is no other car like a MINI.

 

Remember: The MINI brand sells thousands of vehicles every month. Only the most vocal, whiniest owners are active on this forum.

 

I think you made the right call in terms of walking away from the dealership since you had lost confidence in them. I have a "garage queen" with low mileage so my experience with MINI reliability is limited (zero problems for me), but I am completely convinced I made the right decision. It is a great choice of vehicle. Great to drive, great fuel economy, and I don't expect reliability problems.

 

The Mini is a quirky little car. Romi came in with a deformed wheel well liner, which the dealership replaced. But no real problems with her at all. Everything works as expected, everyday. And she is getting better than advertised gas mileage now.

If you have been around here much at all, you will soon see there are very few who actually have problems with thier Mini. The ones that do, always make the most noise. Cannot say I blame them for that.

If you are more into consistency in build, and a car that goes from point A to point B with no fuss, I cannot say the MIni will float your boat. It is a quirky little car that is more fun to drive than some folks can handle. And I do not maen that badly. Some people simply want a car as a transportation device and could care less about the actual driving experience.

Some could care less about having a car that cannot be mistaken for anything else. There are all manner of people in the world. The Mini is not for all of them. But neither is any other car. You just have to decide what is important to you and find the car that fits your needs and desires.

Having a bad dealership experience is never fun. Having a new car come in with problems is not fun either. It does happen. Thankfully, it is not the norm.

 

9k miles no significant issues. My list of issues on the Mini for its first service is as follows:
1. install secret compartment (was an early build and don't feel like visiting dealer until I have to)
2. slight maybe imaginary adjustment to front drivers window
3. see about getting hood scoop replaced with functional model that actually lets in air flow (change on later builds than mine)
4. put in any software upgrades that have come down the pike
Have had no problems.

 

I have had my MC since June and have not brought it back to the dealer since I picked it up. I am amazed at all the problems reported on here by other owners and they seem all over the map. It seems that Mini does have some quality issues but then again I think all car manufacturers have quality issues but alot of the other makes don't have these great forums to report these problems. It seems there are alot of forums for all the european makes but few for alot of the other makes. Sometimes it is frightening to read about some of the problems people seem to have about these cars. The oddest thing I find is that I have had fewer problems with the european cars I have owned than the Japanese or American cars I have owned.

 

I've driven almost 3000 miles since taking delivery on October 12th - my MINI is my daily driver, I commute 90 mi/day roundtrip. Zero issues with ordering, delivery, or operation. I love this car!
Keep in mind that folks with problems will be the most likely to post complaints, while satisfied owners may have no occasion to post about their satisfaction level.
Don't give up on MINI - it is a super little car, the best one I've owned (in over 30 years of owning cars)!
_________________________________
Pepper White/Blk top Manual MCS, Bonnet Stripes, Pac Blu Lthr/Carbon Blk Cloth, Prem, Conv, Cold, Color Line Blu Intr/Brushed Alloy, HIFI sys, Xenon HL

 

Don't give up! As disappointing as your first experience was, it's not typical. Yes, there posts about those of us who have had problems with our new MINIs (I got a new transmission (warranty) at 200 miles since the original one wouldn't shift). And you can bet that shook my confidence for a while. Now, after 5k trouble free miles, I can honestly say that I've never enjoyed a car as much as my '07 Cooper (non-S), and I LOVE getting close to 40mpg while I'm having the time of my life. This is one of the best handling cars I've ever owned right out of the box, and I enjoy looking for its limits (safely and sanely) every chance I get.

There must be another dealer within driving distance, and it's worth checking them out. Maybe you could post on this forum asking for feedback from the other dealer(s) in your area. For sure, don't go back to where you had a bad experience... no matter how well they might treat you in the future, you'll always have that nagging doubt, right?

Anyway, keep the MINI faith and find a dealership you can trust. You'll be glad you did!

 

For what it is worth, I have learned to love my cars while still often despising the companies that make them and the dealers that sell them.

I agree that the dealer should have been up front with you about the problem in the first place.

 

If you are that paranoid, you should buy a single speed bicycle with a coaster brake so nothing could go wrong. Don't forget to add some slime to the tires so you won't get a flat.
chuck

 

Welcome the NAM the MINI world egnatcs.

Living in SoCal, you are fortunate to have several MINI dealerships to choose from. I don't know where in SoCal you reside but if you check in at the SoCal thread and inquire about "who's the best dealer", you will get numerous stories of satisfactory experiences. (It also works in reverse, "who's the worst...") I have my own opinions that are posted in that thread, so I won't repeat them here.

(Note: If you are one for adventure, you can also order from out of state and get even better bargains, which many of my MINI associates have done with favorable results.)

Keep the faith, and good luck!

 

If you want a good guy to buy from that I have personally bought 2 Mini's from and one for a good friend.....Shep Nelson General Sales Manager at Alexander Mini...Great guy and I believe speaks the truth ....Hope he can find you what you want...I own a few cars,My old Mini was absolutely trouble free and the new one delivered just a few weeks ago is absolutely to much fun and no problems except fighting my wife for the car...If I can help,contact me...Good luck with your purchase...get the Mini,you won't regret the decision...Take care

 

I've had BowZer for a little over a month now and 2100 miles. Zero mechanical issues to date, and loving the ride and drive!

The only issue I see is that one of vinyl squares on my checkered roof is beginning to lift already. Called the dealership to report it -they're going to replace it, but since I'm 90 miles away, I'm going to wait until I go in for something else! (or I actually lose the square!).

So far my experience has been tremendous with the MINI - my 1st non-GM vehicle in 30 years! Great experience at the dealership, delivery was awesome, and the car is phenomenal! Makes me smile every time I see it and get in it

 

I too was nervous about quality when I bought my mini. So far, I have had 6000 miles with only one problem. The a/c quit working after a day of drag racing (at a strip, nannies). It was the last warm day of the year, so I did not take it in until I got a nail in the tire. It turns out the electrical connector to the compressor was off, probably loose from the factory, and finally shaken loose by the launches. Other than that, I have pretty much beaten on it, and it has taken it and requests for more.

My only regret - I actually wonder what it is like without a turbo in one of these. You cannot get into this car at all without risking a trip to the pokey.

 

I ordered my Mini in August and got the car in Sept.. Till now the only issue I had was:

The Windshield washer Nozzle on the hood of the car is leaking sometimes and leaving a stain.

I went in and got it replaced. It was fine for sometime but Y'day I noticed it is leaking again. Its not major but I don't want my Mini look bad. So, I will be taking the car back again. My dealership is not great but with the number of customers they get I have to say they are not bad. At least the service department.

Mini is a little prone to small electrical problems. But thats negated when you sit in the car and start driving.

Good Luck with you Mini.

 

just hit over 14000 miles in my mini today and not one problem. i got mine off the lot on july 9th 2007. i love my mini. i dont want to drive any other car . well maybe a gt3 .

 

i hope they gave you your deposit back. whatever happened to that car? are you ordering another one? in soCal, i think south bay and long beach mini are the best dealers. i really liked both of 'em. (and i always laugh every time i see the bob smith license plate; is it really somebody's real name?)

miatas are really fun and pretty bullet-proof when it comes to reliability. however, the mini is more practical and just as fun to drive. pretty much the only thing you're missing out in a mini is rwd and drift-ability. i like the original miatas a lot better than the new ones tho. you won't be disappointed w/ either car, but you might be happier w/ an mcs 'cuz of the spunk factor in addition to fun-to-driveness and everyday usability. reliability-wise, they're as reliable as new bmw's which is pretty good. do know that on forums like this you're bound to hear disproportionately more problems. plus if you're spending money on a new mazda sports car, why not spend it on the rx-8?

 

It's your dollar. However, I don't see the deception that you claim in your post. One of the of the major problems with the Internet is that you can read too much into posts. This is especially true with MINI sites who are among the most popular. I have owned two of the modern versions. The first was a 2003 which had one problem in four years. The second is a 2007 MCS which I took delivery in April. I have been rewarded with trouble free driving and 31.7 mpg in mostly in town driving. MINIs are probably never going to be as bullet proof as Corolla's or Sentra's but MINIs are much cooler. Try another dealer in SoCal.

 

First off, the warranty is good for 5 years/50,000 miles... so except for oil changes or other scheduled service stuff, you're covered a bit longer than that.

I'm hitting 10,000 miles. It has not been trouble-free. Cam chain tensioner waqs replaced after a nasty engine rattle popped-up, plus some other small thrim issues that I had sorted. Been to the dealer 4 times over 9 1/2 months.

On the other hand... the past 9 1/2 months have been the best I think I've ever had on 4-wheels. It's a give and take.