Hi folks, I'm a long time VWaG employee and my retired parents have insisted on owning an late model Mini(automatic). After months of waiting for the right car, I think I finally found one for them. The car is a 2012 base model with the pano roof, automatic trans, and 51k miles. The car appears to be in exceptionally good shape and was obviously treated well by it's previous owner. I plan on having the car inspected by one of our Audi technicians next week and would greatly appreciate any specific problem points to check that might not be apparent to a non-Mini tech. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

I have a 12 Justa with 61,000 miles (manual though) and have only had to replace the water pump, which was identified as an issue at my 60K checkup. Otherwise, very trouble-free.

 

Thanks for the input, ShipM8. Are these n/a engines susceptible to chain tensioner issues?

I took the car for a 10 mile drive today...my first drive in a Mini. The car drove and handled well. While there was a bit more engine/exhaust noise that I'm used to(B7 A4Q is my DD), the car felt very solid without any squeaks-n-rattles. As for the youthful ride quality...Mom drove vintage Datsun Z cars for many years so the Mini's tight suspension shouldn't bother her too much. After all, this is the car that she wants.

 

A '12 non-S with that many miles should be pretty solid. Very few posts about timing chain or tensioner reported. Mostly the occasional water pump or thermostat housing leaks. Be sure the tech gets it on a lift and check for any oil or coolant leaks. If you really want some extra piece of mind, do a compression check.

 

Seems like several cheap TDI's will be available, maybe they should rethink?

Just giving you a hard time as we own one of those.

Does your tech have access to reading BMW or mini codes? How about working out a trade with a local mini tech for a ppi?

 

lol...yea, I've been trying to sway them towards VWaG products for years. Software issues aside, a TDI Golf would probably serve them well. Its just not sporty enough for Mom.
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Yes, or at least I was told that we do. If not, I'm sure I can work something out with a local Mini dealer.

I probably should mention that if this car is a keeper, I've been bestowed with the responsibility of delivering the car to them....that is, driving it from Phila. PA to Ft. Myers, FL. My official MC 'baptism' via mandatory roadtrip.

Here's a pic of the car in question:

 

First of all, thanks to everyone for their input. You've certainly helped make a lot of unknowns, known.


Okay, the technician just finished the pre-purchase inspection. I also got a warranty history & options print out from the local Mini dealer. The CEL read as a misfire in cylinder#2. As far as I can tell, the car still has the original spark plugs so I'm hoping new plugs will solve it. There are no leaks to be found anywhere...WP, T-stat housing areas are completely dry. The CV boots, exhaust, undercarriage and brakes also appear to be in good condition. The serp belt is cracked in a few places but not really in horrible shape. My parents now have about 24hrs for purchase approval. If they give me a thumbs up, oil change, air & pollen filters, and spark plugs will be first on the pre-delivery agenda.

 

Fortunately there have been very few reports of timing chain problems in "Justa" Coopers, so that's a happy thing. They still have the potential for thermostat problems and for oil pump solenoid problems. (Which can also lead to replacing the thermostat.)

The only problems I've had besides those were:
- The stock jack utterly failed to lift the car, and instead damaged the side skirt
- Random electrical glitches, once every six months or so

The random glitches either involve the stereo shutting off (and being fine after being switched on again) or the window in the tach going completely blank for one whole trip, only to be fine again after the next startup.

 

Looks like you hit all the majors on the check up, the N16 has the updated of engine of the n12, You should have no timing chain issues. Looks like a pretty solid car also the 2011+ has the updated interior / display colors and center stack as well as the headliner color and seat / color options.

 

Awesome! Looks to be in good condition. Don't forget to add that belt on the agenda as well. I'm sure your parents will enjoy it if they decide to pull the trigger.

 

It's officially a go...I got approval from the `rents today. I'm going to begin gathering the maintenance parts this week and the work will begin next week. As it turns out, I'm not driving the car to Florida after all...Mom decided to keep the car here in PA.(Hey Mom, can I borrow your car? lol) Since they're not returning until April, I'll have plenty of time to get it ready for them. To be honest, I really feel good about having a Mini in the family. I'm sure they'll be happy with it as well. Once again, thanks to all for the info and encouragement. And that's really a difficult thing to come by in many automotive forums...you guys-n-gals are top-notch in my book!

 

Nice , Sounds like it worked out in the end.

 

Oh, don't worry--there's plenty of b**ching and snarkiness as well. But we do still like to help each other out...

 

Well, the Mini is officially part of the family. All of the maintenance work was done today(oil, air, pollen, spark) and the car is running great. The cylinder #2 misfire went away with the new plugs. Codes were cleared and didn't return after a vigorous drive. Special thanks to 'thebombardier' for his shared experience on the NGK ILZKBR7B8DG plugs! The car goes to our detail dept. tomorrow. Unbeknownst to my parents, I'll be installing a 6.5" short antenna mast, Hella HP H13 headlamp bulbs, and Audi A8 city light bulbs in the DRLs(slight blue tint to match the Hellas). I'll get some pics up when it's a finished product. Thanks again, folks!!

 

Congrats, post up some pics after the installs.

 

Ready2go...to my parent's garage, that is. (sorry for the crappy Iphone pics)



Hella High Performance H13 bulbs in the headlamps & semi-matching Audi A8 city light bulbs in the DRLs.



Aluminum short antenna mast by JOM.DE...blends nicely w/the bright trim work on the car.

 

Looks good the white stripes and roof match blend well with the paint. Headlight bulbs make a difference at night in the halogens.

 

It's the same color as my wife's S.

 

Yea, the White Silver is really starting to grow on me....very similar to Audi's Suzuka Grey!