After busting thru the warranty about 6 months ago and MINI corporate stiff-arming me away from any helping hand "good-will" preventative maintenance required to keep this motor from "Granada"ing sometime after the present 73K miles, because of timing chain, oil pump, cams falling off or whatever may come at me on a high mileage Peugeot/BMW collaboration, I got tired of waiting for the other shoe to drop and looking at a major engine failure and I bailed.

Too many stories, including real people in the MINI dealer forced to buy another car rather than run up on a multi-thousands of dollars repair ticket on a rebuild after the dreaded, "klunk, klunk STOP". At least whoever ends up with mine will have new Bridgestones, Mobil One Euro blend oil change, Infinity speakers and recent suspension wear work done. Good luck with the motor though, I do too many miles to not have any peace of mind. I jumped to a FORD with an extended warranty. Yeah, I hear the clamor, but after 4 of them, I just didn't trust the brand anymore, and didn't care for how MINI corporate reacted to a known defect in several areas, "out of warranty, tough luck...."

Even the MINI mechanics point the way to the land of broken motors. Probably the Tritec motor had durability, I should have stayed with my 2006.

Best of Luck to all MINIs, including my 'ex' .

 

Oh wow. Sorry to hear about your misfortunes on the car. I too have had its fair share ofl uck. IE: tire blowout, thermostat fail, timing chain fail, no start engine, coolant leak, and the obligatory no oil change until 20000 miles. I'm starting to solicit for cheaper alternatives that delivers the same driving experience this car once had. Good luck on younew venture .. whichever the ride will be.

 

The OPs post sounds like he didn't actually suffer any of the ills he has conjured up in his head. He's just scared b/c he's seen a few posts on the Internet.

 

When the MINI guy says I NEED to get the timing chain retrofit because they've had to do so many of them under warranty and I'm meeting actual people in the dealership who blew their motors right at 100K and had to get a new car and the ticket for repairs goes to near 10K and BMW corporate won't pitch in a dime on the $1500 timing chain maintenance to bring it under new specs, I am guaranteed they won't do a thing under "good will" and I need a car under me to run my business?

Like I said Bye, bye MINI!

This isn't like blowing an old air-cooled VW by the side of the road and rebuilding it with cement blocks, two by fours, a wrench set and the " Complete idiot's Guide to VWs", this isnt gonna work that way. You priced a rebuild lately? Most cars are gonna go that way in the 100K to 150K mile range, but these MINI guys want the price of a whole car just to put it back on the road again. And MINI corporate isnt gonna help out one damn bit, same as the BMW corporate. Enjoy your MINI, tell me when you hit 150K, I was gonna be there in 3 years probably before the damn thing even paid off. I'm in a Fiesta Hatch now with 51 miles and the next 5 years are covered. Wife likes it better too and actually may even drive it some. It drives pretty nice, uses regular and I may hit 40+mpg.

MINIs are expensive, buying, maintaining, selling and the resale is down a lot more now than before.

He says scared, this was my 4th MINI, first got totalled when a Lynx bus rear ended us, nice safe car and I bet I could have wrenched on that Tritec motor, but this one, it just didn't work for me without any warranty.

P.S. And then, for all this MINI racing heritage PR you here about, my brother-in-law says he doesn't see even ONE mini out at the SCCA races. They must all be out running orange cones in a parking lot somewhere or parading up and down the "Dragon" Probably same as me, no one can afford to build them. More classic Minis raced than any of the new ones. They used to give everyone a run back then, including the big dogs...

 

This is too funny...

 

Have fun with your new FIESTA, every time I see one I have to smile. They seem to only come in that god awful green color, and with the shape of the car it looks just like a bugger and forces me to laugh. As if the Focus wasn't bad enough they had to make it resemble the shape of a PRIUS and paint it lime green. I do hope FORD got that whole 4 cyl thing figured out with this one, because every other non V8 FORD that I have driven has been total JUNK. You think MINI's have problems just wait. I'll still be here.

 

Too bad your apathy is blind to another person's unusual luck. Nope I didn't think it was conjured as I'm having the same issues ... ALL WITHIN 2 MONTHS and ONLY 59,000+ miles on the odometer. This is stupid to own a car that has a 50,000 vehicle warranty, and 9,000 miles later it starts to bust-a-nut.

Reading his post, made me realize that this car has a major 'manufacturer' defect. Not the MINI design, but more for the parts that were outsourced. I learned this from a technician who shuttled me home.

I know there are plenty of MINI owners who do not feel that this is a place for post like this because this forum is mainly to promote not damage the brand name. But I wished there were more posts or topics concerning this. Despite the short-comings on vehicle issues, the dealer did "Good-will" the known problems due to the fact that it was only out of warranty <10,000mls.

WTF

Any recommendations for a hatch that has the same driving characteristics of the Cooper?

 

HONDA, SCION, and under powered but cool as hell is the NISSAN CUBE. All of which can be fun. KIA is even making great improvements, with a better waranty than FORD.

 

I noticed MINI's poor service the second I bought the car.
They need to wake up.

 

have you guy seen the new KIA OPTIMA?
Designed by Peter Schreyer.
very impressive.

 

Guys I'm not pointing fingers, but am making generalizations that may not apply to anyone in this thread. I learned to drive at the beginning of the muscle car era, but suspect there has been issues since the first dad told his son (or daughter) they could use the car that night. In my era it didn't matter how well you maintained your ride (short of tearing it down), if you "drove it like you stole it" and didn't kill yourself first, there were going to be issues sooner rather than later. This applied to GTO's, Vette's, Hemi's, on and on...I really don't think things have changed that much.

I am new to Mini's...wish I had bought one years ago. This car is fun to drive. It puts a smile on my old face when I walk up to it. I look for excuses to go somewhere...anywhere...just so I can drive it. Playing tag with the red-line in 1st and 2nd is fun...and very easy to do. Bumping the red in 3rd while merging registers extremely high on my pleasure-O-meter. I do this realizing that if done all the time it is going to get expensive at some point...been that way forever. Technologically these engines are marvels, they meet our expectations and the governments as well, not an easy task, but they are high revving 4 cylinder engines. This engine is extremely street-able in the low RPM range, but really difficult to do cause of "fun factor". There's a magnet on my red-line that just draws the needle toward it. I drive my car this way knowing that it is going to cost BMW or me money someday (In warranty or out). I drive within the performance limits of the engine, but not necessarily longevity limits.

Like I said at the beginning I'm not pointing fingers, but think I am being realistic. I can only wonder what issues I could avoid if I never exceded 3500 RPM. Mechanicals have been an issue on "young people cars" since the first time Henry threw the crank to Edsel and said "don't bring it back on empty". Unfortunately these mechanicals are much more complex and require special and expensive equipment to fix. No more Craftman Tools overhauls.

Just my perceptions...
gary

 

Gary,

Well said. I totally agree with you. I am 43 years old and this is the funnest car I have ever owned. It is also the most costly to maintain. I presently have 117,000 miles on my R53 and plan on driving "Flash" till he completely fizzles out!!!

 

Deffinately well said. I am 27 and have had more cars than I care to admit, all of which have been pushed up to and way beond their factory mechanical limmits. I have gone through more engines, transmissions, clutches, and other various drivetrain parts than most people even think about. All because of my adiction of high RPM power.

The most reliable has ever been a 1981 AMC Eagle SX-4 (EAGLET) with the AMC 258 inline 6cyl. I slaped on a HOLLEY 600 4-BARREL and made a few other tweaks, with NO engine issues, but it had so much torque that I had a hard time keeping the DANA 44 in one pice.

The most fun cars I have owned are my current two, my R53, and an 87 SUZUKI SAMURAI. and mechanical issues are expected with both. It's just a fact of life when you use your car for more than a transportation appliance. Still I wouldn't give either of them up just because of the FUN FACTOR, especially for a lame bugger car that has no dangelies and gets average fuel mialage.

 

....

 

I too, say, Well said. I am a 40 year old married man with 2 small kids. My supercharged Saturn Ion Redline running 18 lbs of boost was T-boned with my kids in the car. The car took the shot and we all walked away unhurt. The need to find a fun, good on gas car that was automatic (since the wife can't drive stick), brought me to my 08 MC. In my garage is an 04 Cadillac CTS-V, 87 Monte SS, 91 Vette and 65 Malibu SS. This little car is absolutely the funnest little thing I've driven and it's not even an S. The other cars are awesome rides, but I can drive this thing like a nutcase and get over 30 mpg while doing it. It makes every left turn fun. I have read all these posts about catastrophe and yes it concerns me, but I can't help but feel these incredible oil change intervals that Mini/BMW believes in, contributes to these failures. I change my oil every 3000 miles regardless of synthetic. Did I say, I am a former shop owner and know what can happen to an engine. If something catastrophic happens, I will deal with it on my own, and at 48000 miles it is still holding together. I can't think of another car that can deliver the way this little thing can and give you the styling and joy that it brings. It is an absolute shame that Mini, does not stand behind these repeat issues, but I wonder if the components are taxed by 15000-20000 miles oil change intervals. No one will ever convince me otherwise. I pray, mine will not follow in the footsteps of others, but this car makes a taxing commute and fun experience and not many cars can deliver on that.

 

I hear you, CDMINI. Mine -- in only 16k miles -- has had its share of poor fit/finish issues, knocks and clunks from the engine compartment (recent diagnosis is a faulty transmission mount), rattles, noisy A.C., leaking windows when it rains, false engine report lights, and quite a few others. The car is such a blast (but somewhat difficult over bumps) to drive that I'm hoping mine will fare better as time goes on. But, like I've said here before, as soon as the warranty expires I'm selling it.

Anyone who does their research before buying a MINI knows that they have poor reliability...I guess we all hope that we'll be one of the lucky ones who gets a good one. They're made with a lot of cheap-*** parts -- but damn are they fun to drive.

Let us know if you find anything else that you like! I'm starting to take a gentle look around myself after having been to the dealer mechanic 5 times in under 16k miles.

 

It's a FORD, a euro-type, Fiesta Hatchback SFE (the "F" is for the fuel economy pkg) it's quick enough, has an auto for the wife to borrow it once in a while, already beating the MINI on mpg, quiet, handles pretty nice, and Sync phone calls thru the stereo.

It's not a rocketship, but I already have a two-wheel one of those, a Concours 14. I'm well past the "legend in my own mind" driving style anyhow. It's not that hard to go fast in a cage. I learned all that way back when "rat racing" big CI muscle cars in a 64 VW bug in high school. I hate tickets now, use cruise control all the time and don't pretend i'm racing anywhere anymore, getting more like my Dad every day, I guess.

I extended the warranty to 5 years and 100K, so my business won't "clunk, clunk, STOP" one day out there with no recourse, like what was on the horizon with these lousy BMW corporate folks. I've never been too brand loyal, whether it was motorcycles or cars. I go where I want that way, even rode Buells(HD) for about 8 years, plus RZ/RD's, GS's ZX's and Goldwings.

I'm an equal opportunity consumer, but I think the new MINI days are over. Maybe one day I'd look for a 2005 or 6 Supercharged for a couple grand, But I doubt it. But that would be to go racing not parade up and down the "Dragon" for a show. That road just makes me seasick, I ran it about 20 years before it was named, back in the early eighties, on two wheels. Didn't like it much.

If I want to actually race somewhere for fun, it's time to pick-up a yamaha sprint go kart and just go open wheel racing every weekend. I could even tow that trailer pkg with the SFE.

Good luck to all.

P.S. I already spent a grand total of nineteen bucks for "Motorcraft" filter and semi synthetic oil at Wal-Mart, priced a set of Bridgestone Potenzas for the 15" wheels at under $400, and it calls for regular gas too. Whoo, hoo!

 

Just FYI the 2002-2006 engine was named the TRITEC, the PRINCE is the aluminum block found in 2007- Current.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BUGGER, sorry FUEL EFFICENT BUGGER.

 

Oh that's right, i should have remembered that they were tritec, but I guess that was 5 years ago, I remembered Brazil. Yep, it's like I'm in a limo now after 75K in the Clubman, with those rock hard run-flats. Did two sets before I put on the Potenzas. Just that softened it up. But right now, I dont miss the MINI at all, especially when the phone rings over the SYNC or I just put it into "D" or "R". I guess i was getting tired of the clutch too, although I never even thought about a auto-MINI.

 

A BUGGER maybe, but everyone who isn't a MINI fan just calls the MINI...

those... "CLOWN Cars"

 

Sorry to hear about your car.


Good-bye.

 

Hmm. So u went from a turbo to an econobox and u notice an increase in MPG. No doubt.

I'm currently getting 35 MPG on naturally aspirated

 

Wow guys, You're scaring me a little I'm new here and looking to soon order a new CM. Having owned BMW's in the past that become high maintenance at any point beyond 75K, my strategy with the Mini is to replace it within 3 to 4 years. There is nothing out there that comes close in appeal and fun-to-drive in my book, but that can be quickly overshadowed with quality issues. I need input here. Can I expect the annoyance of major maintenance issues during the 1st 3 years, even if they're covered under maintenance? Even worse, will I have to fight with the dealer over whether it's covered or not?

 

Atleast they reconise what it is rather than just classify it as a boring run of the mill econo-box, and not even pay attention to what is circled on the bumper.

 

We test drove a Nissan Juke a few weeks ago and I was quite impressed with it. AWD/turbo for only $24k, with some neat electronics on the inside. 25-30mpg rating. I'd consider that a MINI alternative for sure.