I have been researching the Mini S for quite a while and have test driven one at my local dealership. Until I found this web site I was real excited about ordering a Mini S but after reading some of the posts I have some questions. Any help would be appreciated.

I have read ALOT about Mini lemons and having to have them bought back. Is this still a major issue or have they gotten the problems fixed?

What types of problems have the majority of Mini owners had or what are the Mini's reliability or design issues?

Does anyone have the Cordoba Beige leather on the Cooper S sport seats and how is the quality of it?

Thanks for your help. Looking forward to being a Mini owner soon!

 

2004 MCS (9/03 build) 6,800 miles and ZERO problems.

 

I only have 4K on mine since October, and no problems. ALL car companies have lemons and percentiles of quality problems. Of course when there is a problem you are going to read about it, and not the rest of the happy drivers. There is an old advertising statistic about this. Average person complaining about something will tell 11 people, but only tell 2 people in praise of something.

The MCS has only one major flaw still in it as far as I can tell, the Yo-Yo, and it is just annoying in the low RPM range. I went for a spirited drive tonight and never felt it. Hopefully a fix is coming soon. It may not be in all MCS cars.

Also if you like clean wheels, seriously consider changing out the pads, the brake dust from the stock pads is ridiculous. Tirerack is very active on the form and has good prices.

 

I have 16000 miles on an '03 MCS that I've had since October of '02. I couldn't be happier with it. I never feel like I'm going to be stranded. Until recently, absolutely nothing has gone wrong. Lately, I complained about a squeak in the steering column and they replaced the column and the steering rack under warranty. I don't think of that as a major problem. Again, I've never been worried about it getting me where I'm going and back.
The first drive I took was 3105 miles, from NY to LA in seven days......what a great car.....I have a few rattles and clicks from the plastic interior pieces, but that's really it. Go for it....Bruce in Santa Monica

 

What I forgot to say was that I fall more in love with this car the longer I have it....a very special car.....still puts a smile on my face every time I see it.

 

The problem with all of the oppinions about reliability on the mini cooper is that everyone on here will tell you something like this,"I have 8500 miles and no problems!" What kind of car has problems within the first 8500 miles anyway?!? None that I know of. You are not going to truely know how good the reliability is on Coopers until years to come and people can say,"I have 175000 miles on mine and no problems!" Probably the best stat I've seen is the problems per 100 cars and I think the mini cooper is between 25 and 30. Which means, you have about a 28% chance of having problems with your car within the first year or two. Think about it. I'm in the same boat. I was really considering (and still am) buying a Mini Cooper S, but I keep seeing and reading things about the reliability problems. Another problem is that you go to people that have them and ask,"How is the reliability?" Everyone loves their Minis even if they have problems with them! That's the part I can't understand.

Let me ask you all this: If your Cooper broke down on you at 50000 miles, would you look back on your time and still think that your Mini was a great car? How about 75000 miles? 100000? 200000? What is the minimun mileage you'd get out of your Mini and still be happy with your purchase?

 

there are plenty of good cars but there are also plenty of problem cars, like mine. some problems are tolerable....but a problem car with bad service makes ownership that much more miserable.

i love mini coopers, i hate the car i own.

anywho, it's great that you're doing your research before you buy. there is a lot of info on nam. good luck!

 

>>The problem with all of the oppinions about reliability on the mini cooper is that everyone on here will tell you something like this,"I have 8500 miles and no problems!" What kind of car has problems within the first 8500 miles anyway?!? None that I know of. You are not going to truely know how good the reliability is on Coopers until years to come and people can say,"I have 175000 miles on mine and no problems!" Probably the best stat I've seen is the problems per 100 cars and I think the mini cooper is between 25 and 30. Which means, you have about a 28% chance of having problems with your car within the first year or two. Think about it. I'm in the same boat. I was really considering (and still am) buying a Mini Cooper S, but I keep seeing and reading things about the reliability problems. Another problem is that you go to people that have them and ask,"How is the reliability?" Everyone loves their Minis even if they have problems with them! That's the part I can't understand.
>>
>>Let me ask you all this: If your Cooper broke down on you at 50000 miles, would you look back on your time and still think that your Mini was a great car? How about 75000 miles? 100000? 200000? What is the minimun mileage you'd get out of your Mini and still be happy with your purchase?


In recent years I have own cars that have had premature warranty repairs (bought brand new) within the first 10K miles. This includes an Acura, a Honda and a Chevrolet. So yeah, new cars breakdown too.

My MINI experience has been superior even to that of the majority of Japanese cars that I have owned.


Over at the Florida Enthusiast club (www.sunshineminis.org) There is a guy with an early 2002 MCS with nearly 90,000 miles and no problems, so there yo go if you need more "Solid mileage" proof.

 

Well, I weighed the pros and cons. If I wanted a car based on reliability, I would have kept my Civic. This car has been in two wrecks AND a flood, has 75,000 miles and still just goes and goes.

If I wanted reliability, I would stick with my present car or I would get another Civic. But that's not want I want. I want to take turns withought applying the brake. I want to hit RPMs over 4000 (something you shouldn't do with a civic), I WANT A FUN CAR. I want a different car. I want a sportscar in a non-sportscar body. So there was my answer. If it meant returning to the dealership to get things fixed, well then, so be it. I'll enjoy the ride to the dealership.

I haven't heard stories of the thing just totally crashing on the die of the road. Where it just won't start - won't move. The stories I hear is this cracks, this leaks, this squeeks, and the stories I have read - the car gets to the dealership on time before all out disaster. And they usually fix for free (from what I've read).

I'm ready to be a MCS owner, and I will take the responsibility that comes along with it. :smile:

 

41k miles and very few problems! I love this car!
In the last two years I can only recall one MINI
owner ever stranded. I have complete confidence
in my MINI to operate well for the NEXT 40k or
100k miles, or whatever.

My problems have just been little annoyances that
the dealer fixed immediately once I got around to
taking the car there. A noise here and there, nothing
that had me at all worried.

I do think that the MINI is best for car enthusiasts.
Anyone looking for just transportation, anyone looking
for pure convienence or proven reliability, or unquestioned
"safe choice", should buy something else. This car is for
people who like driving more than riding, who take a few
chances to create excitement, who aren't scared off by a
few squeeks and rattles.

NAM is made up of many such enthusiasts. We discuss the
squeeks, rattles and stumbles, but we DRIVE this car. And
absolutely love it!

Godspeed.

 

>>I do think that the MINI is best for car enthusiasts.
>>Anyone looking for just transportation, anyone looking
>>for pure convienence or proven reliability, or unquestioned
>>"safe choice", should buy something else. This car is for
>>people who like driving more than riding, who take a few
>>chances to create excitement, who aren't scared off by a
>>few squeeks and rattles.

Amen, brudda.

 

I'm reminded of what it used to be like when VWs were considered very reliable. All the Bug owners would say how reliable it was, always followed by the qualifier, "after I rebuilt the engine"

 

My 2004 feels very solid. I think that a lot of the minor problems have been worked out by now. I agree that the MINI is not for everyone it is a different kind of car for a different kind of person. There are cars which beat the MINI in terms of reliability and all that but nothing beats it in terms of fun, style and bang for your buck!

I also have Cordoba Beige leather sport seats and I love them. I understood before I choose them that the other no cost options were sufficient but I wanted my MINI to be different. This is also the first new car I've bought and I have never had leather so I went for it. I have had my MINI since Oct of 2003 (6000Mi) and my leather is holding up great.

I too was scared by all the bad stuff you see here on this site and others and for awhile I questioned my desicion to get a MINI. I understand your concern but I am very happy I decided to take the plunge and now I own my dream car.

 

>>Does anyone have the Cordoba Beige leather on the Cooper S sport seats and how is the quality of it?

Saw a British Racing Green / Cordoba Beige MCS at East Bay Mini last weekend -- looked absolutely superb. There have been a good deal of complaints about the quality of Mini leather, and that concern caused me to order mine in Leathette. Things might be better for Cordoba, though -- I bet it doesn't show scuffs as easily as the black leather.