I took in my 2004 MC CVT for its last warranty fix....had a couple of small problems that I wanted Mini to look into and damn if they didn't go out all out for me. I got a brand new 3 series loaner, fixed all my rattles, replaced the hood latch and replaced the entire stereo (couldn't pick up AM band). On top of it all, my SA tells me that my brakes were worn out and replaced them...for free....guess they were giving me a goodbye send off. Hopefully I'll have another 50k of relatively trouble free motoring. Come on CVT, hang in there for me.

 

Is it too late to extend your warranty?

 

i opted for a third party extended warranty for another 4 yrs/50k miles that covers the drivetrain including the CVT, power steering pumps, and the power window and doors, for half the price of a Mini warranty. We'll see how that pays off.

 

Getting any extended warranty that specifically covers the CVT is the smartest thing you could do for peace of mind over potential CVT failure.

 

Mind sharing who it's through?

 

...and the price?

 

Warranty Direct....a reputable rated A company, they have been in business for 27 yrs. Price $1549 for 4 yrs/100k $100 deductible. Knew someone else that had a CVT failure and Warranty Direct covered it....main reason I went along with this company.

 

That's in line with what I've seen from them, I was just curious because I hadn't actually made the phone call to see if it covered the CVT or not. Now I know! Thanks.

 

We have 44K miles in our '02 R50 CVT with no problems to speak of. We plan to sell the car within the next couple of months to make room for a new '08 Clubman S.

 

Sounds like good deal. Everything I"ve read about the CVT leads me to believe that a warranty is the only way to go.

 

This is probably a stupid question, but can MINI refuse to accept a third party warranty payment should something happen and you need to use it for coverage? I have never had a third party warranty before and I am not under warranty anymore.

Thanks,

Christy

 

For what it's worth, my first MINI was an '04 CVT. I forgot the build date, but it was late in the model year.

To make a long story short, I drove it like I stole it, or worse, like I rented it! I put over 83k miles on it in about 2 years. The transmission gave me zero problems, with the exception of a software upgrade to cure a stalling problem when I first purchased it.

Having said that though, I still purchased an extended warranty for peace of mind! I had bumper-to-bumper coverage, but if I could do it again, I would have gone the cheaper route and gotten a drivetrain only warranty.

There's a lot of horror stories out there, and I'm still not entirely sure if my MINI was more of an exception than the rule, but there's at least some CVTs out there that are seemingly bullet-proof!

Have fun!


-Paul!

 

Paul,

Did you get a warranty from MINI or a third party such as Warranty Direct?

Christy

 

The MINI dealership sold it to me, but it was actually a GM extended warranty. This particular dealership also had a bunch of other makes under its wing.

Oh, and to answer your earlier question, MINI nor any other repair shop would refuse a payment. It doesn't make sense to. As long as the work is paid for, the shop will be happy.


-Paul!

 

Thanks!

I have to go to the dealer on Friday so I'll check and see what the best deal is.

Christy