Well I found a F56 JCW in the color I wanted, and I think all the options I wanted....BUT the Carfax shows (1) Accident: Involving front impact, damage exceeds $1,000, airbags did not deploy. The report shows the mini was driven for another 20,000 miles after the accident before being traded in. Report also shows the mini was a 1 owner and serviced regularly.

Of course this car is 1000 miles from home, and I was wondering if I should book a flight or just run...

I contacted the dealer and expressed my concern, and asked if they could give me more info on the extent of the accident. They did call back, but I missed the call. I plan to call back tomorrow.

So if you guys don't advise to run...lol....and I fly out. Is a dealer ok with me taking their car to a BMW/Mini dealer to have a look? And if I only have a day or two to travel (due to work) will a BMW/Mini dealer do something like this quick?

Any guidance would be appreciated

 

Does it just say "exceeds $1000," or give an upper limit as well? $1000 is pretty easy to run up on any bodywork, particularly insurance related (which is how it got into Carfax. I don't know how much of a unicorn the car is, but a 1000 mile flight to get a car would be for a very special car.

If you're going to do it, call a local shop and make an appointment so you know you're going to get it in. Also might try contacting the selling dealership to see if they'll take the car over to the Mini dealer for a pre purchase inspection for you (you would need to pay for the service, if course). That might save you a flight.

 

It is so easy to do 1,000.00 damage in an accident. If the airbags did not deploy, it was a minor accident. I wouldn’t run, if the price is right. Also, the fact that the owner drove it another 20,000 miles after the accident is a good sign. Seems to me the only thing to worry about is a bent frame, And if it WERE bent, the car probably would have been totaled in the accident. I say, check it out.

Kat

 

See it in person and check out the body work and if you can see any work or bad work from the damage.

 

Well.....its gone. I called the sales rep twice on Tuesday and he didn't call back. I checked the dealers website and it isn't listed anymore. Guess it just wasn't meant to be

It was a 2015 Chili Red JCW, DCT, ~55,000 mile, for $14,900, dealer was Audi Fort Myers Fl. I highly doubt I will find another JCW at that price/miles. Heck, I;m having a hard time finding a 2 door Mini S with options i like (chili pack, sport package, LED lights, premium pack and I like the leather/fabric seats but not a deal breaker).

I am having problems decoding VIN's and finding the build sheets. The bimmer.work was great but doesn't seem to work anymore, so I've been using mdecoder, but it doesn't seem to give the same detail. Using mdecoder.com I have never found a Mini S with a Chili pack listed and I've checked probably 100 minis over the past few weeks.

Thanks for the help all

 

Karma, just wasn't meant to be..

 

I recently just picked up a 2015 F56 JCW 2 door hardtop locally that had an accident also. Seller had pictures of the damage before repair and the repair invoice showing lifetime warranty on the repair. Felt comfortable enough to make the purchase and am very happy with the car so far

 

Mind me asking price and mileage. Just wondering if a 2015 with 55,000 miles at 14.9K is a unicorn. lol

 

You should be able to find another good deal. I just bought a 2015 Mini Cooper Justa with just 32,000 miles on it. They are out there. Just keep looking.

 

I just picked up a 2019 JCW Knights Edition with under 600 miles, waiting for it to be shipped from FLA to CA. I tracked prices on 2016-2019 JCW's and I saw a couple nice 2016 JCW with under 40K miles for ~$18,500-20k. I have purchased a few cars out of state and flying out to see it is always best but a PPI is mandatory and maybe you can get a local NAM member to check it out for you.
Good Luck!

 

Mine had 32xxx miles on it when I bought it. Fully loaded but no sunroof (exactly what I wanted) Guy I bought it from was the second owner. He bought it CPO with full Mini warranty till 6/2020. He also had full service records since he owned it. Brakes and service done at 30k miles. Car was in great condition. Completely stock except for window tint. Accident was to the driver side quarter panel. Repair bill was a bit less than $5k and was the only red flag for me, but my local mechanic checked it out and gave me the thumbs up. He was asking $23.5 and I paid $22k. It was above private party and below dealership price but with the CPO warranty, fresh brakes/service and low miles, I was comfortable paying more. Plus you can tell the guy took good care of all his cars and that meant a lot to me. The overall condition was better than some 2017’s and 18’s i checked out at CarMax and other dealerships.

 

Ask for the body shop repair order if available.
Any photos available after the accident happened.
I would be concerned about the paint color match.
Ask to speak to the owner that traded in the car; this person most likely has the most information.

And now I see it sold. Maybe this is best as you saved the flight cost. Also, now you are not wondering if their was more damage.

Keep searching, you will find the Mini you want.