I took my 2003 MINI Cooper S in to an authorized dealer for its annual oil change and was told that the oil pan gasket and the valve cover gasket were leaking badly. They quoted me $1100 for parts and labor. I find this outrageous. I asked why I wouldn't have noticed this and the service personnel told me that there were plastic parts that prevented the leak from escaping under the car and onto the ground. I also questioned why such a high price for the repairs of two gaskets and he told me it was because of the labor costs yet he also promised that he could have the car ready in 2-1/2 hours. I left the car there over the weekend (they gave me a loaner) but I don't want to go through with the repair at this price. Could someone in-the-know please give me some advice on what this SHOULD cost and approximately how long it takes to make this kind of repair.

 

I don't know how he can charge that much for only 2 1/2 hours labor. $1100 sounds way over priced to me. I would take it elsewhere and get another quote.

Pat

 

I wouldnt proceed without calling around and getting a few other quotes. If they can complete the work in 2.5 hours even at an outrageous $200 and hour labor rate that would be $500 labor and a few gaskets for parts. Doesnt sound right to me. You should be able to get a few estimates from a few other MINI dealers over the phone, even if they are too far away to go to. I would ask for a written estimate also. Something doesnt sound right.

 

Call a few more dealer's and get their quotes. It doesn't matter if they are close to you or not. You are just getting some more estimates to see if this is a normal cost. BMW/MINI dealers are usually kind of expensive for repairs. The gaskets won't cost much, but the work might be a little bit involved. The oil pan gasket is probably what's causing it to cost so much. Keep us posted and if you have any more concerns post them here. I'm sure others will chime in soon.

 

That sounds extremely high priced to me. Post where you are from and hopefully we can find you a mechanic close to you. You need not bring your car to a Mini/BMW dealer as you are not in warranty anymore. Plus many of them do not have good service anyway.

 

Thank you. I am located in Norfolk, Virginia. I've gone to this dealer for the past 6 years and have had no issues with the past service. My car has relatively low mileage for its age and I keep it well maintained and in the garage. Wouldn't I have noticed an oil leak on the floor of the garage? Yes, I would appreciate a referral to a good mechanic.

 

Thank you. I am located in Norfolk, Virginia. I've gone to this dealer for the past 6 years and have had no issues with the past service. My car has relatively low mileage for its age and I keep it well maintained and in the garage. Wouldn't I have noticed an oil leak on the floor of the garage? Yes, I would appreciate a referral to a good mechanic.

 

Really depends on how much oil was leaking and under what conditions. Sometimes oil leaks are greater when the engine is running so if it is leaking it might be doing it mainly while you are heading down the road instead of in the driveway. If you suspect they are pulling a fast one you can always ask them to show you the leaks before you have the work done.