Got the dreaded "Engine malfunction! Reduced power" on my drive home last Tuesday, oddly what the Service Adviser keeps playing down as a "Check Engine Light". At no time have I brought my MINI in to the dealer and not had it been something much more problematic than I suspect such an innocuous and simple turn of phrase would suggest. Still irked at the thought of paying out the potential $170 diagnostic fee if I had to, though.

So I drop off Cosmo and get a bright blue '16 four-door hardtop (sadly non-S) loaner which feels peppy enough on takeoffs to remind me that it's a MINI (surprised me since it's a 3-cylinder) but upshifts a little too readily and has a reverberating drone at lower RPMs unless I flick the auto to Sport mode. Next day I get a callback from the SA and they report that the wastegate is malfunctioning and not closing all the way, so they're going to replace the entire turbo unit. Can't wait to see how much that would have cost me!

At the end of June it was a bad water pump AND auxiliary water pump and while they were under the hood they diagnosed a bad transfer case gasket and lower arm bushings. Turned into a slight cluster as the shop was down a tech or two and it wrapped around a holiday weekend and allegedly when they ordered the bushings, the entire lower arms were shipped to them instead and a second gasket had to be ordered when the new one leaked during the test drive. Two weeks passed before I got my Countryman back. THAT was a $2500 bill, plus loaner car (black non-S Countryman that time) completely covered by a $100 deductible. Happy birthday to me?

Upshot is, the extended maintenance plan has paid for itself, possibly many times over throughout my ownership just this year alone. End of story. I don't think I ever want to run around in a MINI or any other premium marque outside of factory or extended warranty.

 

I have been there too! Same exact issue and similar outcome.

Bad waste gate, bad VANOS Solenoid, cracked pulley on my water pump, new belt. long story short, took it in about this time last year, and got her back about 5 months later, after a lot of back and forth. IT WAS A COMPLETE DISASTER during all of this!

Did the dealer take care of me during? Yes, I'll give them that. Were there hiccups along the way? You better believe it. Am I happy now? Yes (knock on wood)!

In the end, new turbo, and new engine.

Have a beer, you deserve it! I'll have one for you for your birthday, and happy birthday, fellow "11 Countryman owner!

 

Just got Cosmo back last night -- paid a $100 deductible for a final tally of over $4000.

A little irked they didn't seem to check into the loose clutch or underbody rattling noise that I reported. I know they seemed highly focused on the "Check Engine Light" but I know I saw the SA write my query down.

Glad to hear your mess was sorted out too -- was that under warranty/coverage and did you have a loaner the whole time?? :O

 

Initially we were dealing with rentals because of the distance between the dealer and I, about 2 hours. And yes, I was extremely lucky I did purchase the extended. Just the initial payment for the belt and VANOS, and in the end a good faith payment on the DME, which ended up being the solution to the whole ordeal, i might add.

After getting it back from having the engine replaced, and having the same half power issue came back, which was my initial reason for taking it in,was when they started kicking in the loaner. First was a 2015 hardtop 4 door, second was a 2015 Countryman, third was 2013 two door hardtop, and last was a 2016 two door hardtop...all non-S unfortunately, but I did get a kick out of driving so many different models. Got to experience the pros and cons of them all.