Hi. I’ve been visiting this site on and off for about 2 years now and bought an MCS in June 2002. While I LOVE driving the car, other things have brought my Mini experience down to the level where I’m now seriously considering getting rid of it. I’m not too savvy when it comes to working with dealerships and I don’t really know the intricacies of what my options are, so maybe someone out there can help.

Here are the facts: Currently Quasar is 36,000 miles old and is no stranger to service visits.
Airbag light = airbags replaced
Software upgrade – ECU removed, sent to NJ for repairs (don’t have the latest version though, this was a year ago)
Broken throttle replaced
Engine wiring and harnesses failed and were replaced
Coolant issue happened
“Dashboard vibrations looked at and addressed”

Those are the official things that were fixed.

Now here’s where I whine like a wuss, but bear with me: I find that the interior rattles like an old shopping cart filled with cans of soup. It’s almost embarrassing when I have passengers ride along because they always ask what that noise or rattle is as my trim buzzes and thuds as we drive. “Isn’t this a new car?” they say. Forget about turning the radio up, everything starts buzzing and rattling. The interior just isn’t tight at all anymore, which cheapens the ride and impression of the car dramatically. And no, it’s not the boot latch, I’ve had duct tape on that since day 2 =). The finish on the door handles where you grab to close the door and open it has worn away down to the bare yellowish plastic that’s underneath the shiny silver stuff. My suspension has seemed to degraded a lot as of late and I’m concerned that next time I take it in they’re going to tell me that I need to have shocks, struts, etc. replaced.

Now, due normal daily driving the car probably needs an alignment. All 4 rims are dented and I attribute that to the crap that is the NY road system. But the result is a steering wheel jiggle at 40-50mph. So I need new rims and rubber and I know that’s all on me.

And what’s prompting my rant today? This am on the way in to work I went to spray the windscreen and clean it off and found that the wiper jets in both front and rear are not working. This is after my airbag light has begun to “play on again off again” games with me this weekend. All in all, I feel like my MCS is going down hill fast since hitting the 25k mark. With its history of problems and my hypochondria of those to come I’m concerned about keeping the car, because I have to drive it daily. The reason I bought a brand new car, my MCS was because I thought that the BMW quality and longevity would also carry over to the Mini brand, but now I’m seriously doubting that idea. I didn’t have a day of trouble with my previous car for 36,000 miles, but traded it in for the new cool thing, my MCS. And I guess that’s where I’m drawing my comparisons.

So I feel I’m at a crossroads. Do I sink money into my MCS in terms of wheels, alignment and a scheduled service when I reach another 8k miles? Or, do I trade it in for something else? I know that things go wrong with cars, the nature of the beast and all, but this car is prone to problems and at $95.00 and hour I don’t want to think about the wallet drain. Like I mentioned above, I’m not sure what Mini would/can do if I try to trade it in and get a new 04 model. Do I put new rims on first before I try to do that? Do I try to sell it outright? I still owe like 10k on it, so I don’t know how that would work out.

I’m accepting that I’m going to take a hit in the wallet no matter what I do, but I’m hoping that some of you can offer some suggestions as to which path is the better one to take. Thanks for listening to my venting!

 

I sure hope my MC doesn't seem old at 36,000 miles, especially since I intend to keep it for 100,000+. Getting an alignment shouldn't be that expensive and there are MINI wheels for sale, often cheap, and sometimes right here on NAM.

But, with the car being a daily driver and with your concern about the future, I'd try to sell it and buy something that gave me a better feeling about it's long term reliability. Maybe it's just not possible for an English car to match the solidness and long-term reliabily of say, a Japanese car....or even some American cars.

Your MCS can be fixed but I don't think that will cure your anticipation of the next problem.

Get a Toyota or a Honda. :smile:

R.E.

 

If i was you, i'd get rid of the car. If you still love driving it, get another mini. The new 04's sound much better, lots of niggles worked out since 2002. Or like what was already suggested, go for another make. Either way, i don't think you'd take too much of a hit considering the car's popularity. But you may want to spruce it up a bit...definitely replace those door grabs.

 

with the resale value so high right now, I say upgrade to the MCS.

 

Greg, I'm sorry to hear all the problems you're having. If you're at all considering getting a newer model MCS or another car entirely, I'd say don't try to trade your car in at the dealership. If you only owe $10K on it, I'm guessing you should have NO trouble getting that and probably a bit more if you sold the car privately. It's more hassle, but definitely worth it in the end.

 

We're it me, I'd sell the car. Since the resale is so high, tho do shine it up a bit (door-handles and such). Prolly an alignment and good wax too. As long as it looks good, you shouldn't have much of a problem selling it.

IMHO, the 2004's are MUCH improved, I waited to get mine until now... However, I am prpeared to have a car that isn't on par with a Japanese, some European and some American cars... If you like the way it drives, looks, might want to think about a 2004... Looking at the date you got yours, it looks like an early build? Even my dealer admits, the few 2002's and early 03's he had- had issues.

cheers, -Matt

 

I feel you pain. I am going on my THIRD and last MC. I have all the same problems you have and the quality has degraded VERY fast after hitting 19K miles. If this last one has problems, Ill be going back to a Honda. Boring....yes, but I dont have to spend my life at the dealership and driving rental cars.

 

I am in pretty much the same boat.I absolutely love driving the car.And mine just spent a week at the dealer last month to get LOTS of issues addressed.It now drives like it should, and most rattles are gone.But a car with 23k shouldn't have had any to begin with.Nor should it have needed a new sunroof assembly and new front suspension.I'm now at 24k and it's going into storage for the winter.I figure i'll drive mine through next summer until about 40k and then sell it.Even though I sell parts for a living, and mini major service parts are pretty cheap compared to my last few bmw's, I simply don't think I want this car after it's out of warranty.I'll probably either buy another old e30 bmw (these things are tanks and go forever) or my original second choice, and rsx type s.I hate to drive the new boy racer ride, but it's a hell of a car.And I really don't modify my daily drivers anymore anyway.I spend all my money on my old fj40.

 

34k miles and still lovin' my MINI.

Not perfect... having rattles worked on next week. (Second time.) Showin' a bit of wear, here and there. I expect that, I've had new cars before.

For me, it's a keeper!

But if you've lost confidence, you should sell. Life is too short to drive a car you don't believe in.

God speed.

 

zog,


Go to the Kelley Blue Book site and check out both the trade-in value and the retail value of your MINI. If I were in your situation, I'd put on the new rims, get the rattles tightened as much as possible, sell the MINI and buy a new MCS.

I traded in my '02 Cooper after 5 months of ownership for "Wicked Wanda," my '03 MCS. The Cooper ran beautifully, but was a bit rattley and squeaky. (I saw a picture of an all-black S and had to have one!)

My MCS has a much better build-quality...it's over-all, just much tighter in every way. I have 18K miles on her since April, and no rattles or squeaks!

I driver her daily on the "rugged" roads of L.A., which are chock-full of potholes and very rough. So far, so good. I wish you the best and let us know what you decide.






Clo/Wanda

 

I usually urge folks to take the easy route to solving their problems, but I'm going to make an exception in this case. Yes, the easy thing to do with your VERY EARLY build MCS is to either private sell or trade it...and then get a new one. I agree with all that a 2004 MCS will squeek and rattle less than your current 6/02 MCS. But, I think that all of that squeeking and rattling will drive down your resale value, particularly on the private market. You say that people who ride in your car all notice the squeeking, rattling, and comment on the apparent age of the car? Heck, then how can you expect to get an excellent price for it when selling it? (unless you find a deaf buyer). It will be hard to "paper over" this flaw.

So, I suggest that you contact MINIUSA and investigate the possibilities of getting them to buy back your car toward a new one. There have been several threads on this lately, and it may well take some work to get this done (e.g., you may need to involve a lawyer to at least write a threatening letter). But if it works, you'll likely end up paying less to replace the car than you will lose in the sale/trade of a rattletrap.

As for your other issues, I have to say that none of these are unknown or esoteric problems. The electrical problems (wiring harness and airbag connectors) and coolant problems have effected many and assuming you have a half-way decent dealer/service department should be fully corrected by now. And I guess that brings me to my final point...you don't say what dealer you have been dealing with. This could make a world of difference. Frankly, I haven't heard very good things about too many of the greater-NYC-area NY MINI dealers...and maybe a bad (or less than wonderful) service experience has increased your frustration? Something else to factor in... You may want to deal with a different dealer and/or directly with MINI corporate to get resolution.

_________________

Bring Out the Scoops!

 

I would be very curious as to how much improved the build quality is on the 04 models. My 02 MC has an interesting assortment of rattles and buzzes, depending on weather and speed. Personally, I suspect that the suspension (and my driving habits) have something to do with this. I know for a fact that my 1999 GTI was not this noisy, and had better build quality in certain areas. I have no intention on trading my car in or selling it - I'm happy with what I've done mods wise, and don't want to start from scratch.

While I have had it in for warranty work a bit, I'm not sure what the breaking point for me would be. I can safely say previous cars I owned didn't go into the shop, except for oil changes and major services.

Trouble free means trouble free - and some of the owners I know cannot brag about that with the MINI. Maybe they are getting their act together with the 2004 builds, I'd like to hope so.

 

>>Hi. I’ve been visiting this site on and off for about 2 years now and bought an MCS in June 2002.

Greg,
Sorry to hear about your problems and thank you for being one of the early buyers of the MCS. Therein lies your problem. The MCS has been through much improvement in quality since then and my Aug 03 build MCS is doing just great at 9000 miles with none of the problems you had except for one leaky coolant bottle that was replaced.

It is known that the 2002 MINIs had lots of problems but it also known that MINI has done better since then so if you were considering a 2004 MC or MCS then go take one for a test drive, you might be surprised. 36,000 miles is quite a bit and wear and tear will loosen up things quite a bit. Vibration and rattling can be a result of your wheels or suspension being out of alignment.

>>Here are the facts: Currently Quasar is 36,000 miles old and is no stranger to service visits.
Those are all common complaints for the 2002 model year.

>>Now here’s where I whine like a wuss, but bear with me: I find that the interior rattles like an old shopping cart filled with cans of soup. It’s almost embarrassing when I have passengers ride along because they always ask what that noise or rattle is as my trim buzzes and thuds as we drive. “Isn’t this a new car?” they say. Forget about turning the radio up, everything starts buzzing and rattling. The interior just isn’t tight at all anymore, which cheapens the ride and impression of the car dramatically. And no, it’s not the boot latch, I’ve had duct tape on that since day 2 =). The finish on the door handles where you grab to close the door and open it has worn away down to the bare yellowish plastic that’s underneath the shiny silver stuff. My suspension has seemed to degraded a lot as of late and I’m concerned that next time I take it in they’re going to tell me that I need to have shocks, struts, etc. replaced.

New car? Well in 18 months you put on 36K miles so that sounds like high mileage to me. I'll drive 10K in one year.
The handles and other hardware can be worn down from use-that's to be expected. The suspension is getting worn with the mileage- do you carry more people or heavier loads often because that can wear your suspension faster. If you are going to sell then I wouldn't do much for the handles or suspension.

>>Now, due normal daily driving the car probably needs an alignment. All 4 rims are dented and I attribute that to the crap that is the NY road system. But the result is a steering wheel jiggle at 40-50mph. So I need new rims and rubber and I know that’s all on me.

If you have really bad roads and lots of potholes be careful with any car you drive and stick to the strongest wheels you can get. What do you have now? Stock 16" X-lytes or 17" S-lytes? Both are fairly strong. Dented rims can be repaired and are less costly then replacing. What tires are you using? You must have gone through a bunch already. I'd recommend non runflats to smooth out your ride. Call Alex@tirerack and discuss options if you need to replace tires.

>>And what’s prompting my rant today? This am on the way in to work I went to spray the windscreen and clean it off and found that the wiper jets in both front and rear are not working. This is after my airbag light has begun to “play on again off again” games with me this weekend. All in all, I feel like my MCS is going down hill fast since hitting the 25k mark. With its history of problems and my hypochondria of those to come I’m concerned about keeping the car, because I have to drive it daily. The reason I bought a brand new car, my MCS was because I thought that the BMW quality and longevity would also carry over to the Mini brand, but now I’m seriously doubting that idea. I didn’t have a day of trouble with my previous car for 36,000 miles, but traded it in for the new cool thing, my MCS. And I guess that’s where I’m drawing my comparisons.

Wiper jets and Airbag light need to reported to your MINI service dept.
BMW reliability is not that good in my area, depends on which model and year. I hope that MINI will continue to do better each year.

>>So I feel I’m at a crossroads. Do I sink money into my MCS in terms of wheels, alignment and a scheduled service when I reach another 8k miles? Or, do I trade it in for something else? I know that things go wrong with cars, the nature of the beast and all, but this car is prone to problems and at $95.00 and hour I don’t want to think about the wallet drain. Like I mentioned above, I’m not sure what Mini would/can do if I try to trade it in and get a new 04 model. Do I put new rims on first before I try to do that? Do I try to sell it outright? I still owe like 10k on it, so I don’t know how that would work out.

If I were you I'd do a few things to help get the MINI looking and riding it's best and then sell it yourself, don't trade.
Consider a 2004 MC or MCS but take one for a test drive first. I think that the 2004 MINIs are much better than the 2002. I have no complaints of my 2003 MCS. Before you sell (or to improve your MCS now):
Fix the dented rims and check your tires. If you have worn runflats still then replace them as the weather allows with good non runflats-can be all season-talk to Alex@tirerack. Balance and rotate each tire after the rims are fixed.
Avoid potholes and road debris. Keep your speeds down you can easily see trouble ahead.
Get all the warranty work done like the wiper jets and airbag light etc.
Get an 4 wheel thrust alignment done on your MINI-at 36K miles it is long overdue if you had not done it since you bought it. The Alignment helped me a great deal after I added springs- the ride was super rough and jarring but after alignement to factory specs the car ran really smooth- even with 17" runflats!
Wash and wax your MINI. Vacuum your interior and clean and condition your leather or upholstery.
Consider adding sound deadening material like Dynamat Extreme to your front doors to help cut vibrations and quiet the interior a bit- audio shops can do this or you can do it yourself-ask a friend that knows audio upgrades for help.

>>I’m accepting that I’m going to take a hit in the wallet no matter what I do, but I’m hoping that some of you can offer some suggestions as to which path is the better one to take. Thanks for listening to my venting!

Good luck with whatever you decide. It sounds like you are a bit hard on your car for daily use. If you decide to get another MCS or MC I would recommend the following:
Avoid the 17" wheel option, the Sunroof (more to go wrong/leak/is heavy/and structurally less strong than a solid roof). Stick with the stock 16" wheels and change to non runflats when you can.
Consider the Harmon Kardon stereo if you like stereos, the stock stereo is also fine if that was OK before.
Keep options as simple as possible to cut down on what can go wrong.
There is nothing wrong with the MC in manual or CVT. Though there is less power there is also lower weight and good handling with the Sport Supension plus option. The CVT is worth a look if you do much city driving.
Consider cruise control if you do long distance highway driving.

Take care.

 

Sorry to hear about all of your problems.. I know what it's like to have your feelings tarnished on a car you love My 2003 MC has NO rattles, it's louder on the road then say an accord, but that was expected... I'd say look at ebay motors or CARMAX they usually have good and fair trade-ins for mini's also look those little BFE Dealers, they may give you a good deal because they can turn a profit, because there aren't many used dealers with mini's... I will say that no car has ever satified my urge for style and performance like the mini has.. it is so far above the bar I feel like I'm driving a concept car everytime.. If you are switching adn the fun facotor and classic look is important look at teh chevy SSR, it really slick ( i know it a chevy) but hey If your an early adopter you can't go wrong it looks to be one hell of a hotrod..
LAter good luck with the car, from one mini owner to another happy motoring, even if its in another car.

 

All you have to do is install a Magnaflow exhaust! I'll sell you mine! It is so freakin' loud you will never hear a rattle or squeek (or your spouse)! :smile:

 

Hey everyone – thanks for all your input today! You all have given some good advice and in most cases have confirmed what I was thinking before I made this post.

I understand that cars experience wear and tear. I’m also been said that I’m a hard driver and, like minihune noted, I do drive a lot. The majority of my miles are daily highway miles on the smoothest interstate in the area. And believe me, I really do care for this car. I avoid holes, bumps and anything else possible short of rolling it over. I’ve just put new rubber on it (oem Dunlop sp5000) and feel that I’ve treated the car well overall. But I can’t spend my life going in and out of the dealership (Westchester mini, NY), missing mornings and or days of work and putting up with the headaches. I had a 2000 Mustang GT before the MCS and I never had a single moment of stress over that car… except for when that trooper nabbed me. It just seems like a cloud of stress over this car though… every three months I get to say “I wonder what it will be this month.” No fail, like I said, the airbag light and washers didn’t let me down.

I’m not the kind of person pull every other day in and say “My car buzzes like there’s a vibrating bed on the roof, fix it”. I almost felt like an arrogant bastard when I told them that the dashboard makes a weird noise at certain RPM’s I don’t see how that would help anything at this point to go at it again… they would just pull the panels and reinstall them right? And I’d miss another day of work… Or I could spend my who weekend pulling the panels myself, (something that would require research, money, materials and install time) and trying to correct things on my own. Heck, I did that with the boot latch tape trick. I guess that’s the thing. I was almost insulted by the fact that I pay over $20,000 for a car only to be told that a trunk rattle solution is wrapping some duct tape around the latch. I was almost going to name my MCS McGuyver!

I just feel that this 2002 model just doesn’t have the level of quality and dependability that I’m paying for. That said, I’m going Tuesday for a test drive and to have my local dealership do an appraisal. If the numbers are right on my ‘02, I’ll pick up and ‘04. If not I’ll have to consider fixing it up a bit and selling it outright. I love the MCS and driving it truly does make me smile, I don’t want to lose that! Almost everyone has said that the 2003/4’s have a marked improvement so I’ll give that route a try. Thanks again!

 

I highly recommend you making the switch for a new '04 MCS. Mine has been excellent. I picked up the car exactly 2 months ago. 2,200 miles later, the car is tight as a drum and hasn't even been back to the dealer once for anything. the build quality is impressive and in comparison to the 2002's, this new '04 is most definetely a cut above my other Cooper, a 2002 CVT (August '02 build).

Our '02 Cooper is nearing 20K miles and the car is still rock solid, not a single problem either.


We are very happy with the product. Again, if you like the MINI, then make the jump to a 2004...you'll be pleased!

 

If you do decide to keep the car I must stress:

NO TAKEY TO DEALERSHIP FOR NON-WARRANTY WORK!!!

With an uncle who's a mechanic and a father who did the majority of his own repairs, I am fundamentally tainted regarding the evils of dealerships and their exhorbitant labor rates. Find a mechanic you trust and never set foot in the dealership unless under warranty.


That said... wheel alignments are going to be necessary, so I wouldn't count that as a fault or major money sinkhole. It's just a matter of routine maintenance.

If you really love the car, but you aren't confident, then why not buy a new one--if you're financially prepared to do so, that is. Silly to drive around a car you don't trust.

G'luck!
:smile: