Hello Gents,

I am a new member and l needed advise on a purchase of a 2014 Cooper S that has 95K miles on it with 1 owner and all services were done at the same dealership that is also selling the vehicle. The car has a 2,0 liter engine 4 cylinder , twin turbo's , manual Trans.They are asking $14K for the car. 6 months/6Kmiles power train warranty, that's it. The dealership did replace all 4 tires, Alignment, and also cleaned the spark plugs which I never heard of that before, also they did a Intake silencer service? and Oil change. The test drive was fine and for a car with 95K it looked very clean as well.

My concerns are geared towards the 100K service which are listed below, now I know they are not 100% recommendations, but I strongly believe that these services are in the radar to be addressed and they can be very costly.I was thinking to offer $10K cash as is, I am sure they won't go for that offer but it's an starting point.

1. The Turbo’s requires service
2. Clutch replacement ( I looked it up parts were $800, labor $1200)
3. Water pump
4. Thermostat
5. Coolant
6. Brake fluid
7. Power steering fluid
8. O2 sensor’s replacement
9. Spark Plugs
10. Coils?

I appropriate any feed backs and comments.

Cheers
FM

 

Most dealers are pretty firm on posted prices currently. But used car values are just starting to move down a little.

Most of the stuff your listing isn't going to "need" to be done. The car only has 1 Turbo (they are not twin turbo) and with a good inspection you will know if thats OK. Same goes for the clutch. If it does happen to still have the factory clutch that is likely at the end of its life, especially if you are going to do any mods. Rest of the stuff is really just maintenance to be done when needed. No need to do it all at once.

I would recommend having the car checked out by a trusted mechanic prior to purchase. If you are buying this car to be a daily primary vehicle then the milage would scare me. If its gonna be a weekend/ summer car then thats different. I bought my 04 with 90K and had it for 6 years with little self induced trouble. But it was a third (at times 4th) car only driven in the summer. Maybe 3000 miles a year

6 months free warranty on a 9 model year old car with 95K on the clock is pretty nice of the dealer. Most cars of that age are gonna be "as is where is" or 30 day warranty types.

 

Thank-you for sharing your thoughts. From what I read it sounds like the clutch must be replaced. It is the original clutch.
what are your thoughts on the price as far as negotiating since clutch is a big ticket item .
also, for the Turbo. I read what was on the engine cover Twin Power Turbo, I assumed that meant dual Turbo's.

cheers
FM

 

The engine cover does say that. What it has is a single turbo that is a twin scroll turbo. I was confused about that same thing when I got my 2019, having come from a 2004 MCS with the supercharged motor.

The clutch is gonna be a tough sell to the dealer in my experience. They have their check list they go thru to check out used cars. If the clutch isn't slipping and meets there specs they are going to consider it to be "serviceable" used condition just like everything else on the car. Unless you can feel it slipping and demonstrate that to them I'm not sure your going to get them to care. There are plenty of examples on here and other places of factory clutches going past 100K. If someone owned the car who was a good manual driver and didn't hammer on it it you will likely get some time out of it. It's probably a good excuse at some point to put a better clutch in anyway. As I increase my hp I wonder how much the factory clutch can take. I would like to install the JCW clutch or a better after market clutch but with 46K miles and a good stock clutch it's tough to justify. At my current 250-260 hp it seems fine. Once I come out of warranty and head towards hopefully 300 hp I will likely add a heavier clutch.

Price wise your gonna need to do some internet research. Look around the US and see where other dealers are advertising comparable cars. Then you can site examples as you negotiate. But bear in mind since March of 2020, when supply issues started due to COVID, dealers have almost completely stopped negotiating. Its been posted price is it. New Mini's are still in short supply so used values are holding. Believe it or not manual cars are rare and usually sell used quick. My dealer usual has 0 manuals on his lot. My sales guy has a list of people looking for used manual Mini's. They sold a 2019 JCW 2 door MCS about a month ago for almost 40K with a manual. I'm still a purest and refuse to own a Mini with out my 6 speed.

 

Walk away. Add a little bit more money and buy a Mini that has lower mileage and needs nothing. There are plenty of them out there. Why set yourself up for auto repair misery when you have options.

 

This.

 

So Just because I'm curious where do the walk away comments basis come from. The OP says the car is clean, one owner, 100% dealer serviced. Says it's very clean and drives well. So what is the basis for the response to walk away? He never said there was a single thing wrong with the car, rather just talked about possible upcoming maintenance possibilities.

Is it the price? Is the price too high for this car?

Is it the age of the car? Is an 9 year old MINI done?

Is it the milage? Is a 95K miles the life of a MINI?

As a car and motorcycle guy I'm just not seeing the obvious "run away". Can someone help me out here?

 

Good day Gents,


Thank you for the feedback's, unfortunately the sales women reached out to me on Saturday about the car that it was sold. I assume it was Friday because I test drove it on Thursday.I was curious what they ended up selling it for. Anyway, there are many other Mini's out there, I keep my eye open.

Cheers
FM

 

The problem is this:

1. The Turbo’s requires service
2. Clutch replacement ( I looked it up parts were $800, labor $1200)
3. Water pump
4. Thermostat
5. Coolant
6. Brake fluid
7. Power steering fluid
8. O2 sensor’s replacement
9. Spark Plugs
10. Coils?

All of the above headaches are expensive and a pain to deal with. Furthermore, they will require multiple trips to the mechanic because he will not get it right the first time (most mechanics are awful). Why should he spend his money on this, when he can get a lower mileage example that doesn't need anything done? Just get in and drive.
It's not that it's a bad car, it's that there are so many Mini's available to buy that you can pick up a better example for a little bit more money that requires nothing. Now if this were a rare car with very few to choose from, then of course it makes sense. But there are literally millions of Mini's out there so getting one that is ready to go is the smart thing to do.

 

She did you a favor. Send her a thank you card. Look at Carvana or Carmax. They typically offer a 90 warranty and a buy back guarantee. Take your time shopping and get a Mini that is fully up to date and ready to go.

 

Good day Gents,

I tried looking up this VIN number to see if this vehicle is a F56 series model and I couldn't figure out how to break down the VIN. I know the first 3 letters are the origin of country but after that I am lost.
WMWXM7C56ET969985
This a 2014 Mini cooper S, 2.0 liter. I was looking at this vehicle it only has 41K miles nice shape , thinking about purchasing it from a dealer, they are asking 16K,
Thanks
FM

 

The mileage is low and the price is right. However, Carvana, while a bit more expensive offers a complimentary 100 Day Limited Warranty and a 7-Day Money Back Guarantee. Ask the dealer for some kind of warranty. Lot's of things can go wrong in the first week. It's nice to have some peace of mind.

 

Agreed, I brought it up in our phone conversation regarding some kind of short term warranty, and his response was that they never have anybody bring cars back and they are confident about their vehicles since go thorough inspection. here is the link to the site, see what you think it does offer a car fax on there too.

https://www.jonesusedcars.com/used/M...1d9e1abcca.htm

Thanks
FM

 

You can go here to decode the VIN for you:
https://bimmer.work/

The 3rd gen vehicles seem to be pretty healthy, and I wouldn't have much issue purchasing one with higher mileage if the price was right.

 

Thank you,

So it looks like it is a F56, and I am happy about that. Your correct about the 3rd gen. it's why I am making my 1st Min purchase to be in F56 series.

 

Their reviews do not agree with his statement that "nobody ever brings a car back". https://www.cars.com/dealers/8346/jo...by=LowestRated
Furthermore it is insulting to lie to you like that. Even brand new cars have problems. Next, it is not about 'confidence' in a vehicle nor is it about a visual inspection. Expensive parts like the transmission or turbo goes bad from within. No visual inspection can predict when they will fail.
If he feels 100% about his car then he will offer a warranty. After all, according to him you will never have to use it.

Not to rain on your parade but walk away from this dealership and buy a car from a place that has a warranty. I have seen way too many people buy a car that looks great and passed the stupid visual inspection and get stuck with a huge repair bill two weeks later. Don't be that guy.

 

Yeah I hear you, I agree if you feel you have a pretty good track record then it shouldn't be an issue to offer some kind of warranty towards the purchase. I offered him 14K cash and he came back saying the car is 4K below market and purchasing with cash doesn't get you anything as far as lowering the price. I appreciate your feedback. I pretty much left it there in our communication.


Cheers
FM

 

I notice that Orange one doesn't have heated seats. Which also means it probably has a manual rearview mirror vs autodimming. Those can be droopy in the heat. Some cars had stand alone heated seats without Cold Weather Package too. Also, I can't recall exactly, but I think the first year of F56 had a one engine issue that required cars in a certain VIN range to be returned to the dealer for a fix, and if the damage was done, even replaced. Very few if I recall correctly, but might be best to avoid the first year of the F56, just like any other car.

Otherwise they seem to be very reliable aside from engine mounts and consumables. Also, I personally have found that miles doesn't make a difference on a clutch. It either works correctly or it doesn't. They don't ever just break. During test drive, if it works perfectly as it should, it won't need replacement the following week, no matter how many miles. Remember too, at high enough miles, the cars you might find could already have new clutch and new engine mounts!

Good luck in your search! It's always exciting to get a new MINI.

 

Good morning Gents,

Thank you for your input spked, I wasn't really worry about the heated seats, this was going to be a weekend cars mostly driving in the non winters. I also agree with the 1st year production on the F56's as they are just working out the bugs on them. This one however looks really clean and low miles is a plus. Not sure if I want to pull the trigger on it, specially the fact that they don't offer any kind of a short term warranty.

Cheers
FM

 

Im curious in what market the sales guy thinks a far from loaded 2014 F56 is worth 20K. You said they were at 16K and said they were 4K under market value.

Like some have said there are well documented issues with the first year of the Gen 3 cars. Pretty common in the first year of any new car. They always say to avoid the first year and let the bugs get worked out. But considering this car is now 9 model years old most of the issues are probably corrected.

 

Thank you Boardman74 for your comments. So 2014 F56 series did have several TSB's and one specifically was geared towards 3 cylinder 1.5 liter engines, the one I am looking at is a 4 cylinder 2.0 liter.

SUBJECT
Knocking Noise from Front of Vehicle when Turning
MODEL
F56 (Hardtop 2-Door)
SITUATION
While driving or with the vehicle stationary, a knocking or popping noise can be heard from the front of the
vehicle when turning the steering wheel to the full locked position in either direction.
CAUSE
Screw connection between the swivel bearing and control arm
Tighten the screw connection to a tightening torque of 60 Nm.The tightening can be done without undoing the screw connection. Just re-tighten the nut. However, if it is necessary to undo the
screw connection, the screw and the nut must be replaced and tightened to a torque of 60Nm, in accordance withthe specification.

https://australiancar.reviews/review...ooper&gen=1276

SUBJECT
Engine Power Reduction with “Clutch Damaged” Faults Stored
MODEL
F55 (Cooper, Cooper S 4-door Hardtop)
F56 (Cooper, Cooper S 2-door Hardtop)
Produced to 6/26/2015
With the B38M, B46M, and B48M engines
SITUATION
A drivetrain malfunction check control message is displayed, prompting the customer to contact the dealer for
a service visit.
The vehicle drives normally, but fault(s) for a damaged clutch are stored in the DME.
• 1D3101 - Clutch: Damaged, transmittable torque too low
• 1D3201 - Clutch: Severely damaged, transmittable torque too low
CAUSE
1. The DME software diagnostic for detecting excessive clutch slip is too sensitive.
2. The clutch is damaged.
PROCEDURE
Perform a test drive with a few hard accelerations in 2nd and 4th gear If the engine speed increases smoothly without any indication of the clutch slipping, the faults are erroneous.and the clutch is not damaged. Do not replace any part!

SUBJECT
B38 and B48 Engines: Rough Running and Various Faults for Camshaft Sensor Signal and VANOS
Control Stored in the DME
MODEL
F56 (Cooper and Cooper S)
F55 (Cooper Clubman and Cooper Clubman S
SITUATION
The engine runs rough and the malfunction warning is illuminated. One or more of the following faults are
stored in the DME
CAUSE
DME software error and/or a mechanical failure of the VANOS actuators, camshafts and the VANOS central bolt valves.
PROCEDURE
1. Program the vehicle using the latest version of ISTA/P (3.55.0 or higher)

These are pretty much the items to look out for, I assume they could have been already been addressed, not sure how to check into it. I wrote to my local dealership an provided them with the VIN# to see if they can provide any information so I have a better understanding about the vehicle.

I keep you guys posted.

Cheers




 

↑ It doesn't matter what the dealer comes back with or what has been addressed. Anything can break at anytime. You have the option to buy a car with a warranty, Use it.

 

Good day

So another salesman reached out to me from the same dealership and indicated that there will be a 1000 miles or 1 month coverage for warranty so that's a reasonable offer. I am thinking to offer them 15K and see where that goes. My local dealership sales woman was kind enough to look up the VIN in their system to verify if any TSB's or recalls were performed on this vehicle and everything was clear and good to go.


Cheers
FM

 

That sounds better. Make sure it's bumper to bumper - everything must be included. Engine, Transmission, gaskets (leaks), a/c, suspension - the whole enchilada.