Of late I've been reading some stuff on craigs list that is upsetting at best. I don't own a Mini yet but have my eye on a sparkle blue "S".
I've been reading about sqeaks, rattles, and generally poor quality. My impression so far around Portland has been happy mini owners, a car that is backed by BMW. Comments owners. Are you generally pleased with the quality and durability of the car?
Thanks DC

assembly.http://forums.portland.craigslist.org/?ID=9092828


http://www.edmunds.com/new/2003/mini...links..0.MINI*


My 2003 MINI has been REALLY LOUSY < BestAVOIDit > 09/24 12:26:26

I too, love how the MINI handles, fits spaces that aren't spaces, coveted the fine design, and the goodness from knowing that I'm driving a relatively responsible car.

But.. this car is by far the most troublesome car I've ever owned, and that includes old Volvos, a 100k BMW, Saab, Honda, VWs. The SF MINI shop seems pretty nice, but they take 3 trys to fix anything. Examples: Steering column replaced 3 times, waiting for 4th. Sunroof rattles, seats squeak (fixed 3 times), trunk squeeks, reflectors fell off, headliner seems to be rattling, and to top it off, driven seldom, and softly, it only gets between 21-26 mpg in the city. The runflat tires are $$$ and allegedly can't be fixed (a problem in the glass and nail littered city). I have found a place that patches them, btw.

I wish it was a good car, because in my dream world, we'd all drive beautiful, efficient, small cars, but it's beyond bad. Try a Honda, or even an older BMW. Good luck.

 

My 04 MCS Andre will be here in about 2 weeks. Check the sig for specs. Remember that people dont post about problems they dont have. Most people dont have problems. Lots of people have said they havent had any problems at all. Just wait till people read your thread and they'll say they havent had any problems. Besides, if you have any problems the dealer will fix it or if it's serious enough, they'll replace your car.

 

:smile: :smile: My 2003 MCS is great! No rattles, squeaks, burps, bogs, stumbles....none of those problems! I have a big crack in my windshield, BUT that was a rock thrown up by a big rig that cut me off outside of Houston on my springtime roadtrip. I have just under 17,000 miles on the odometer since taking delivery April 4, 2003. I know literally hundreds and hundreds of MINI owners across the US and have heard of very few troubling problems. I think you'll be very happy with your MINI!

Cheers!
Clover

 

Everyone who researchs asks this question and they get basically the same answers.

Ultimately, you have to decide for yourself whether you're willing to take the risk.

The real risks are that yes, a certain percentage of cars are very difficult to own. We have members on here who have owned the car for 6 months and they've been at the dealers for 2 weeks out of that 6 months. That won't happen with a Honda. But I guarantee you won't love your Honda as much as a MINI. Plenty of others have perfect cars with no problems at all. And the problems people have aren't the kind of problems that will strand you on the street, not since they fixed the clutch cable anyway.

The other real risk is that being such a new car, and seeing as how BMW wants MINI to stand apart, they do not train BMW techs on MINI cars and share techs across the dealerships. They only train MINI techs on MINI cars, and most dealerships do not have enough techs for the work that needs to be done so the wait for service can be pretty long. If you only have one dealership near you, and if it's really far away, this could be a major issue for you.

You have the advantage of getting an '04 car, as they are solving the problems as they go. OR you can get a used car, check the VIN for service records, and if it hasn't been brought in you know it's one of the good ones.

If reliability is your main priority, a MINI may not be your best choice. But if your main priority is bang for the buck, a car that handles better than anything else in its class, a car with a ton of personality that can be modded to your heart's content, you cannot do better than a MINI.

Hope that helps!

 

After ordeing my reguler Cooper I too suffered quite a bit of angst when reading about problems others were reporting. I would in no way want to diminish the upset expressed by those owners. I've only had mine (with sunroof) or about a month/1400 miles. So far I have had absolutely no problems. I listen for noises, wait for water leaks etc. but none: nada. Yes, I am still knocking on wood (where I can find it) especially because I am 300 miles away from the nearest dealer. But so far I am very happy with mine.

Anyone feel very free to correct me on this, but it seems many more problems with performance -- notably stumbling and yo yo-ing -- come from owners of S's. But these seem to be problems MINI is working to eventually fix (and you would have an '04). Also, I know three local owners of S's and they report no problems and literally gush about their Minis.

I agree you need to weigh the risks with the joys, but I can only report my experience so far is pure joy.

Best of Luck!

 

I can't/won't add much to what's been already said in this thread -- or the MANY, many, similar threads that appear just about weekly -- except to note that being "backed by BMW" is not necessarily a positive attribute. I'd say that most of the grief expressed by owners (who have grief to express...and this is by no means all of them) is in one way or the other attributable to poor dealer service and/or the lack of convenient dealer service. Thus, what would otherwise be minor problems sometimes balloon into much larger issues. BMW is at the absolute heart of that issue. IMO, our ownership experience may well have been enhanced if some other company had decided to revive the MINI name.

 

Sorry to hear that you have so much problems with your MINI dodgechrist But I can't say the same about my MINI.

I love my 2002 MINI Cooper. It's have about 25,000 miles on it and the only
thing bad thing I can say about it is the trunk squeeks. Other then that every
thing seem to be perfectly made.

* Love the look and design of the MINI
* Love the way the car handle
* Love the feel of being in control
* Love to look at other people face while you are in you MINI
* Love to drive hard on my MINI
* Love to have between 21 to 26 mpg (let not and said we did)

Thank is some of the point that I can think of right now and the only thing that will make me give up my MINI is for a 2004 convertable MINI (S)

 

There are people that do have legitimate problems. I have never had a true problem with my MCS. Many people that have problems are very vocal on the board and should be. A person with a legitimate problem should be taken care of immediately by a MINI dealer and fixed to complete satisfaction, as car owners should be treated by their dealer.

_________________

You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline - it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. - Frank Zappa

 

every car manufacturer has problems with their cars, there is no perfect car out there so MINI is no exception, there will be some cars that gives problems and most that do not. I am one of those that have IB/W 2003 MCS with 22K miles of trouble free motoring and I do not baby my car, in fact I did not live by the breaking rules I drove it like crazy from the day I picked it up at the dealer, have driven it through the worst snow storm in the NE this year, took me 12 hours from Richmond Virginia to LI NY in that storm. Love this car it has been all that I expected and more.

_________________

IB/W 2003 MCS All installable Factory options, Aero kit, driving Lamps, Rear clear lamps, BMW alarm, R90 wheels, JCW upgrade, Brembo big brake kit

 

The original message quoted off this forum does not make sense to me. The writer says:

"Steering column replaced 3 times, waiting for 4th"
What possible reason would there be for replacing a steering column FOUR times?! Maybe there was a problem but the replacement would have solved it. No way this guy could be so unlucky that the original and two replacements all had a fault!
Maybe he needs a different service place!

 

13K, and mine runs like a fine piece of swiss chocolate.

 

>>Sorry to hear that you have so much problems with your MINI dodgechrist But I can't say the same about my MINI.

Same here

>>I love my 2002 MINI Cooper. It's have about 25,000 miles on it and the only
>>thing bad thing I can say about it is the trunk squeeks. Other then that every
>>thing seem to be perfectly made.

I only have 17K and my reflectors on the door popped off, no biggie, I just popped them back on.

>>* Love the look and design of the MINI
A-men
>>* Love the way the car handle
Testify!!!!!
>>* Love the feel of being in control
Speak the truth!!!!!
>>* Love to look at other people face while you are in you MINI
The look of the masses is priceless.
>>* Love to drive hard on my MINI
Drive it like ya stole it.
>>* Love to have between 21 to 26 mpg (let not and said we did)
I get between 29 and 31 mpg but its mixed city and Hwy.

>>Thank is some of the point that I can think of right now and the only thing that will make me give up my MINI is for a 2004 convertable MINI (S)

Nah, Im keepin my cooper and buyin the wife a conv. S

 

As others have stated, you will hear many different opinions on this topic.
Plus, you are more likely to read problem posts on forums like MCO, because owners with problems are more likely to post, seeking help, than those that don't have problems, since they are out motoring happily.
That said, I would say that for many their MINI has been fun and trouble free. For others, including me, it has been fun and associated with some trouble.
The numerous, numerous squeaks and rattles aside, I have had:
peeling interior trim paint, speedo cluster replaced, window winder motor and controller replaced, throwout bearing replaced, will need to go in for a new steering column soon. A few other issues too. In terms of quality I'd have to say the MINI can't hold water to Japanese cars, but then, who can? For me the bottom line is still that this is the most fun to drive car I've ever driven.

 

10,000 troublefree miles.

 

>>That said, I would say that for many their MINI has been fun and trouble free. For others, including me, it has been fun and associated with some trouble.
>>The numerous, numerous squeaks and rattles aside, I have had:
>>peeling interior trim paint, speedo cluster replaced, window winder motor and controller replaced, throwout bearing replaced, will need to go in for a new steering column soon. A few other issues too. In terms of quality I'd have to say the MINI can't hold water to Japanese cars, but then, who can? For me the bottom line is still that this is the most fun to drive car I've ever driven.

Wow, another steering column problem?!? What exactly IS the problem? Now that we have two cars with possilby the same issue I'm curious. I thought the other was just a fluke.

 

I have a 2003 MCS with 7200 miles on it and NO trouble.
No squeaks, rattles, hesitation, no nothing.
I had one leaky coolant bottle replaced once.

My MINI is way way way better (trouble free) than my 2001 Honda Odyssey. Not a lemon but lots of electrical and body hardware troubles. Many times in the shop with multiple multiple repairs. That car squeaks and rattles in the dash- just a little.

 

My MCS has been far from trouble free, but as I see it, my biggest problem has been access to a qualified and competent authorized servicing dealer. My closest dealer (I did not buy there as they wanted $5,500 more for an ordered MCS then the next closest dealer) needs at least two and maybe three visits to correct a single problem. I took delivery of my MCS on April 12, 2003 and it has been at the dealer a total of 14 days waiting for parts or repairs and it needs to go back again for an on-going electrical problem. I wait eleven days for parts and then they find out that they didn’t get the correct parts that would be needed, so I get to wait some more. The MINI is a lot of bang for the buck and loads of fun to drive; now what we need are more dealers, if for nothing else but service. 70 dealers for a country the size of the US is not enough and service for some will be a problem.

 

I think the original poster just needs to look at facts. If your as concerned as you seem then you should go buy a boring Civic. Honda makes a great car, just boooooorrrring!!!

The problems with the MINI have almost all been related to early model build problems. As you can tell most of these have been fixed on 2003 and later models. I have a 2003 w/ 3000 miles and no problems. I think I have a rattle in the back hatch area. This is a known quick fix that can wait until my first service.

Just for reference I once owned a 2001 Honda Accord and had to bring it in twice for rattles in the back and sunroof. So far MINI is more reliable than my Honda!

As far as dealerships go it's a shame. But what do you expect, they only make 30,000 cars a year for the states.

Bottom line buy the MINI and if you hate it after a couple months sell it and spend the profit you'll make selling it on a brand new boring Civic. Or a Ford Focus that has much worse reliability problems and a whopping 1 star side impact rating. Damn thing is fast though!!

 

Denial.....as they day is not a river in Egypt :smile:

As long as you go in knowing the facts, then you shouldn't be too disappointed if you get a few rattles along the way. I would definitely test drive my new delivered MCS before signing on the dotted line and if the stumble was there, tell them to keep it till they get one in that works right !

My MCS is the worst new car build quality I have ever experienced. Repeat, I said new, I've had some pretty lousy used cars in my younger days. But, even considering American Cars I have never had a new car with as many rattles as my MCS. I have also owned previously 2 BMW's, a 3 series and a 5 series. The service department between my experience with BMW and MINI is NO COMPARISON. The BMW service I had was outstanding. The service I have had with MINI has been mediocre at best, no better than servicing a Ford Taurus IMO. So the statement backed by BMW is very amusing to me, because they really do seem like night and day in the same place you drop off both cars.

Don't get me wrong, great styling, great fun, but not BMW build quality, not BMW service and not BMW backing....I know before everyone shouts, hey it's only a 20K car, what do you expect...I'd respond by saying I'd settle for Honda build quality...plus the stumble is still there with the fix will be here any day now response, but I've been hearing that for over 10 months now :smile:

Best of luck...you might get a perfect MCS...I've been told by posters they do indeed exist, but one caveat, my MCS did not have one rattle (except the rear hatch which was fixed at 1k miles) till almost 8K miles. Now at 23K plus miles, the rattles are piling on, dash in 2 separate places, both doors, sunroof, seats, fortunately my hearing isn't what it used to be thanks to too many rock concerts in my younger days and I just turn up the stereo

 

>>fortunately my hearing isn't what it used to be thanks to too many rock concerts in my younger days and I just turn up the stereo>>

I went to a Steve Miller concert in my youth and my ears are still ringing! I too would just turn up the stereo to drown out the never ending rattles that my MCS has developed in 7,600 miles; unfortunately the driver’s door HK speaker has developed an annoying “buzz” at moderate levels of volume that will require yet another dealer visit. My MCS has also been my worse new car experience ever and I too have noted the difference in treatment between BMW and MINI owners at my servicing dealer. My BMW service experiences have been stellar, my MINI service experience a disappointment.

 

Thank you all who responded... and especially those that actually understood I do not yet have a Mini troublesome or otherwise. Cat especially thanks for your advice about the VIN check -hadn't occured to me to track a car by that method.

I agree with all of you however that go in with your eyes open and a bit of humor. Ive owned 3 honda and they've all been exceptional cars, and fun too. I can risk a mini. 23g's just ain't the end of the world regardless. Thank you all again.

 

>>13K, and mine runs like a fine piece of swiss chocolate.
You mean it's melting? That's problem worse than the dreaded "stumble".

 

I love these Mini reliability threads. Let's face it. If Honda or Toyota built the Mini and imported 30K a year into the USA, the waiting list would be years not months! They have an envious build quality/reliability record. Two years ago my fleet mechanic friend and I placed his Tundra and my F150 up on the garage lift. What a difference! The Toyota had cadmium plating on many parts of the undercarriage where my F150 had none. The Tundra was completely painted on the underside and my F150 was showing rust on the unpainted parts. Being a mechanic, he pointed out one by one why he would never purchase a Ford or Chevy. Servicability, attention to detail, no misfit body panels, and bulletproof dependability.

The truth is that the Mini has no real competition in the marketplace right now. No other car for the price has the handling, styling, safety features, and fun-to-drive quotient as a Mini.

I also wanted an S model when it came out last June, but decided to wait so BMW could get "all it's ducks in a row" with production quality. My rational is this for buying a Mini;

1) It comes with a 4 year/50K mile bumper to bumper warranty
2) Free scheduled maintenance 3 years/36 miles. This even covers wear and tear items I was told
3) If my car has problems, I will document EVERYTHING, write a professional complaint letter to Mini, and get the ball rolling on a refund (lemon law) or replacement.
4) I could sell the car next year for more than I paid for it (I am paying MSRP, cars are in short supply here in So. CA)
5) On careful inspection during and after my test drive, the fit/finish/build quality seemed up to BMW standards. Nice door "thunk", paint, body panel alignment, etc.
6) WHEN I TEST DROVE THE "S" MODEL IN APRIL, I HAD A BLAST !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
7) Did I mention how much FUN this car is to drive????????????

 

Sounds good to me!
Charles

 

Bought my MCS in Germany...Broke it in...Hit the governor at 136+ several times on the Autobabahn...Shipped it to the Good Ole USA...Got a rock chip below the right headlight (probably on the Interstate)...Other than that, no problems.