I have an '03 Nov '02 build with 30k miles on it harsh winter driving...I use it for traveling to customers every day. It is 100% dependable. Do not believe all that you read. The other posts are correct. Remember 30k in 12 months...no reliability problems. Yes when I washed it in 15 f weather the doors froze couple times. I still love this car. Dealer has been great when I am in for service. All I had was an airbag light on which was fixed early on and cracked shift ****, and broken battery cover latch...all fixed under warranty.

 

Yes, they are getting a bit too numerous, which can spoil the magic.

I think of the MINI as somewhat a sports car but not a fair weather car like a true sports car. I just can't accept that the successor to the Mini shouldn't be able to handle bad weather.

 

Hi,

I have an Oct, '03 build 2004 mcs. I took delivery 3 weeks ago and have had no problems so far. It's amazing how attached you get to these cars!

Minipin

 

I think it's easy for people to get the impression that the MINI is a lot of trouble while reading these forums. I don't think this is true. The MINI community is one of the best, most helpful communities I have ever seen. I think this is one of the reasons people will post issues and problems. They know others will respond and help. But just because some people have problems with their cars doesn't mean the MINI isn't reliable. Take some time and view some threads on forums for VW Beetle, Golf and Jetta. Read some of the problem threads on the Acura RSX website or the Subaru WRX forums. You will find the same kind of problems. Rattles, squeaks, tranny problems, grinding noises, stuck shifters, frozen doors, broken door locks, leaks, frayed serpentine belts, blown engines due to missed shifts, etc. According to most, VW, Honda/Acura and Subaru would all be considered more "reliable" than MINI. Does that mean they don't have problems? Far from it. Keep in mind that the MINI Cooper is barely three years old. It is a completely new vehicle. The VW GTi/Jetta, Acura RSX, Subaru WRX/Imprezza (for examples) have been around much longer and developed and improved and tweaked and yet still have problems. The MINI is a reliable, incredibly fun to drive vehicle that, I feel, is in a class by itself. It has it's problems. It will continue to improve with each build and will continue to have issues. All cars do. Is it reliable? You bet your @$$! Buy it, drive it, smile like a fool and don't look back!

 

You'll get many different views on quality and reliability here.

As quite a few have said, MINI can build good quality cars, but they appear to have some problems with consistency in their build quality.

Mine unfirtunately is one of those that has had it's share of issues:

2003 MCS, 1 year old, 27k miles.

New speedo cluster around 12k miles (faulty temp gauge)
New driver side window motor and controller around 12k mi.
Peeling trim paint around 12k miles.
New throwout bearing at around 12.5 k miles.
New steering column around 25k mi.

Those are the big issues. The car has more groans, squeaks and rattles than my 1973 MGB-GT, by far. Still some unresolved issues as well, currently strong vibrations at 2100 rpm, and my mileage has dropped precipitously (by about 30%). Will try to have this resolved.

Still, it's a fun car to drive, but I am considering my options:
a) ride out the bumps, hopefully it will run ok sooner rather than later, or
b) sell it, get an 04 MCS hoping it will be of better quality, or
c) sell it, get something else, and forget how well it handled....

not sure yet, I love the car but I am quite disappointed in the quality of my particular one.

 

I would personally go with option B.....


My 4 month old '04 MCS with nearly 4K miles has been absolutely flawless, not once back to the dealer for anything.

 

There was a time I felt disapointed and upset over the stumble and a first week of ownership cracked windshield. Well, fortunately my insurance covered the broken glass in full and v36 got rid of the stumble. I had a 15% reduction pulley and an alta intake installed, the low power at take off is gone. My driver side xenon acts up and requires me to turn the lights on and off to get it started, the ignaiter will be replaced on monday under warranty. I love this car and look forward to driving it as much as possible. I've driven close to 14000 miles in 8 1/2 months of ownership. It has never broken down and it makes me smile just to think about it. Reliable, I'd say yes, also quirky.
It's a fun car to drive, if that is your priority then you must buy one.

 

2004 MCS with 6,500 trouble free miles. No rattles, loose parts, bad paint , etc.. I did have the v.36 software upgrade done at the dealer under warranty. The car puts a grin on my face every time I get behind the wheel. I would highly recommend the car to anyone. I would be careful purchasing a used 2002 Cooper because of teething problems in the first build year.

 

Three months old now with 1600 miles and not one problem. I think of the MINI as a sports car that is also practical. The only other practical sports cars are the Porsche 911 since it has a back seat and the Mazda RX8 ditto, as all the others have really tiny trunks and no back seat for carrying stuff. Plus the MINI has great visibility (i.e., looking over your left shoulder), which is very important to me and those other cars don't. And it looks cooler, too. Best car I've ever had and I've had 13 over a 30 year period.

 

>>jsun, I like your thoughts... The MINI is a great car, but it's not for
>>everybody. In fact, I wish fewer people were buying them... Let's
>>keep this car just for ourselves.
>>
>>God speed.
>>

I fairly agree with your way of thinking.
Although I had a issue of my driverside window motor and control my 03-MCS last year, I never feel stressed so far.
The reason is very clear.
Because I love my MINI.
I'm very pleased to read many people reported their trouble-free MINIs.
But at the same time, I would like only people who really recognize the MINI as a fun-to-drive car to own and love it.
Is this narrow-minded thinking?

Opps, it seems like the freezing rain has just come down.
My MINI needs to sit in the garage all day today...

 

August '02 build MCS and just over 15,000 miles.......only a few standard problems.......coolant tank, hatch lock, door panel noises......that were easily remedied and never recurred. The infamous stumble was a hassle for over a year,
but even that was mercifully eliminated.......one that current buyers will never have
to face. Reliability? Excellent!

 

I got my 2004 Pepper White Mini Cooper S in October. I was very concerned with all the complaints about the car. I can happily say that I have not had ONE problem with the car. No squeaks, stutter, frozen doors... nothing ! Maybe because it was one of the first pepper white S's they paid closer attention to it :smile:. I have put 15,000 miles on in and not one problem.