Don't buy it, it's not reliable when getting written up for speeding tickets.

 

Brutus has over 45,000 awsome trouble free miles now, had him since Sept 02. Brutus runs hard too
Wanted to mention that we've been on a lot of local and even out of state runs with a number of folks and never witnessed anyone getting stranded.
Good luck in your decision.

 

Just got back from readin the results to a search, I didn't have to look far.
Went to main page and typed in "window problem". Try this and look @ these two in a row. #1 joe coooool 6-20-04 #2 Window Motors
jfeinstein-6-18-04. Just to make my point -------as I said! Very common problem!!!!! But I understand. we all love our MINIs sooo that we dont tend to read about the problems. Mabe especially the moderators.:smile:

 

Mine had to have a defective clutch replaced at 8,000 miles and returned 200 miles later for a vacuum leak that caused my brakes to fail. I was going to do a pulley this month but I think I'll wait till I'm closer to the end of my warranty. The jury is still out for me and reliability.

 

I stand corrected. :smile:

BTW, I tried to duplicate your search but didn't easily find the posts you refer to. I then did a search for posts by joecooool and found one of them. Next time post a link to the thread(s) if you can. Thanks!

 

Note that I factor in the 'reliability' of the dealer service department in taking care of any problems that might crop up with the car as an extension of the car's current and future reliability. Granted, I have had the car in for service a couple times, the issues were relatively minor, but the car was fixed properly and speedily and so far there arent any recurring issues. Some dealer service stories have been nightmares, and that would factor into the overall satisfaction of the car had that happened to me. At one time there was a 'dealer ratings survey' section here, this was a good tool to use in selecting a competent dealership.

 

Those who value reliability above all pick an appliance (read: Camry). Those who value uniqueness pick Minis. Case closed. Jimbo

 

HawaiEE,
Sorry to hear you are still having problems with those two items.
I never did have a window problem. I did have a faulty intermitent Xenon light and faulty rear boot hatch mechanism which sometimes worked and sometimes didn't. It took multiple trips to the dealership to fix the Xenon light (wasn't fixed by replacing the ignitor)-and the entire light housing was replaced and now it always works. My boot hatch mechanism would sometimes not allow me to close the hatch and sometimes close and lock and would not open. Not all the time until finally it became worse. That was easily replaced and it all has worked fine since.


Imaginemini,
Do problems happen with MINIs? Sure. Are intermitent problems a headache? Sure. Are such problems only occuring in MINIs? Nope. My 2001 Honda Odyssey is much much much worse and I just replaced the entire transmission on it because of a nagging problem for the last 8 months. But do I consider my Honda reliable- yes for the most part- however I watch for problems and do regular servicing.

So is the MINI reliable- well my current MCS is doing quite well. Mechanically there is nothing acting up at all after 15,000 miles. My MINI is quite reliable.

When problems do occur you do need to work with a Service advisor and try to find a solution esp with intermittent problems. I do provide sources for fixes to my dealership based on written experiences of NAM members- I consider these resources to help in the servicing of my MINI.

 

Do a search and type in "window motor" and you'll find the others.
I dont meen to drag a dead horse to death, but for those of you who have not "YET" had window motor problems:
1. Dont get all shook when you do. It's very common.
2. You will sooner or later have the problem. It is unavoidable by design. The
reason it is a pet peive of mine, is that after your warranty is out it will cost $90+ just for the motor. Then if you can't do it yourself , add labor. This is for a problem that ;
1. MINI-BMW is well aware of & should do a recall!
2. I dont know how they will fix it.
They probably are working on a cure, but it may take some time. The problem is no doubt that--the little DC window motor is subjected to constant short bursts of voltage,( every time we open & every time we close our doors.) where they do not get up to speed, which causes arcing across the brush / commutator contacts, and as it gets worse --a bad connection. Electric motors ( especialy D.C.) dont like these conditions. Brushes w/ stronger springs would help, but would not last as long. My suggestion would be for everyone , even in 100 degree summer and sub zero winters, to opperate both windows fully down and up at least once a week, to "clean up" the armature- brush contact area.
==== I strongly feel that someone on the board of NAM, should post a poll, to see how many MINI owners have had this problem.====!~!!
You got the headliner back! We really should do something about this,before all of our warrantys are up.
BTW , If you open and close your windows alot,you may not have this problem at all. But those of us who are in climates like Texas, dont like to wear out our window tint!!!!
I am not trying to steer anyone away from buying a MINI!!! There is nothing else, that I can afford, that could replace my 04-JCW-MCS

 

$90 for a window motor? That's pretty cheap in comparison to what BMW charges for a window motor on a 750il. When my motor went out, the dealer wanted $400+ for a replacement. Calling various dealers and parts suppliers got the price down to @ $300. I finally called Eurasian Automotive and they had the motor for $109! When asked how I wanted it shipped, I just told the to send it overnight since the price was so good!

I also had a window go out on the MINI and can empathize with others in the same boat.

minihune - Thanks for "shedding some light" on the xenon fix. I also had the boot latch problem and found that playing with the lock/unlock toggle inside the car reset the latch. It was pretty funny when I took my car in for that problem and the SA said the bulletin from MINI was to "educate" MINI owners on how to use the latch release. She actually came out and demonstrated the proper technique in opening the hatch! Then the latch got stuck and she spent a few minutes fiddling with the latch to get it working again.

 

I tend to roll down my windows every time I get in my MC. Helps cool the cockpit when it's hot,and clear the windscreen when it's cold.I use the windows all the time.I love motoring with the windows down

 

Me too! Maybe this should become common practice among MINI owners?

 

my mini's been very reliable (knock on wood). mini's rarely seem to leave their owners stranded. i've had a bunch of little problems, but nothing that would affect my everyday driving. just a rattly speaker (that i fixed with a well-placed piece of cardboard, and one of the little knoby things in the trunk that holds the trunk cover came undone, but was fixed (and has come undone yet again but i've decided i don't care enough to drive 20 miles to the dealer).
otherwise, all good. oh wait...
sometimes the climate control doesn't come on, but all you have to do is restart the car,
and sometimes the car doesn't start up the first time (something which has been discussed to death on the boards), but it always starts up the second or third time.

it IS worth getting!
i LOVE my mcs.
the fun you'll have driving it more than makes up for any little problems you may have.

 

don't buy it .. it's not for you

 

Agreed. If U have to ask, it's not for U Jimbo

 

Well now I guess I'm a little discouraged about buying a Mini. I have wanted one since they first came out and was all set to buy one, then I learned of all the squeaks and rattles and trim falling off, etc. So I bought a Honda S2000 instead, until BMW works out the bugs. Have they fixed the "little" problems in the '05? I can't stand squeaks and rattles, it makes the car seem cheap and poorly built, for me. Windows, fans that go bad, and that sort of thing is a common occurance with any new vehicle, but poor craftmanship is intolerable. Please tell me that I'm making a mountian out of a mole hill. I know the car is a blast to drive but so is the S2000, which is solid as a rock. I used to have an MGB that rattled like crazy and it drove me nuts, but back in those days I just turn up the stereo to drowned it out. Well I'm older now and not turning on the radio is how I like it. I'd rather listen to the sound of the engine and the road with the wind in my hair.

 

have fun with your s2000. My bro in law got one when we got Brutus, we have 46,000 miles and he now has 4000. If your scared, go to church

 

Too bad you decided to miss out on a great car, really. My '04 MCS with almost 13K miles is solid and tight as a drum. Not a single squeak and rattle and everything in the interior is still in its intended places.

Too much hear-say in these forums I am afraid.

Enjoy the Honda and when it starts to rattle, just come by and pick up a new solidly built and ultra reliable MINI.

 

I have to echo Cooper4us's comments.

We have a 04 MCS and a 03 Honda CRV. The bulit qualty of the MINI is a lot better than the CRV. The CRV also has had 3 safety critical recalls. I think Hondas have a reputation for reliability, but after 3 Hondas, none of them comes even close to BMW/MINI quality. I like Hondas and that's why we buy them. However I think their reliability is way overrated.

 

The '91 Honda that preceded my '03 Cooper was virtually trouble-free (and dull, too) for twelve years. Then the engine went, just like that, at 92k miles. I was looking at buying a new engine that would've cost more than the whole car's street value -- or just pouring cases of oil into it to keep it going until my MINI made it off the boat.

I did the latter, but in my mind it put a real dent in Honda's "quality reputation." I think it's fallacious to automatically ascribe greater reliability and lower operating costs to Honda and Toyota. That's a CONSUMER REPORTS-driven perception, and we all know the flaws in their user surveys and ratings methodology.

I have 14k miles on Young Winston, who is a March '03 build, and have only experienced peripheral flaws -- a couple of cabin rattles, the hatchback's gas cylinder failing, and the runflat/DSC lights coming on for no reason. I have no real complaints and I love the car... I never loved my Honda.

Nobody else has talked about the safety differential. Last December, on a rainy night on a crowded arterial road, my Cooper got hit by flying road debris -- a truck tire that bounced off his right headlight. I heard a terrific BAM but the car tracked so solidly I wasn't even sure I'd contacted anything until I pulled over to check. Meanwhile the Honda Accord ahead of me that caught the rogue tire's prior bounce was immobilized, its whole hood stove in. I drove home.

If I'd been in the Civic it would've been totaled; if the tire had landed four feet higher and to the left I could've been killed. The MINI is a tough, stout, safe little bugger and a fierce protector of its occupants. On that criteria alone, no more Civics at our house.

Buy a MINI!

 

Thank you, Coop, Katana and Bear for your honest comments to my post. It seemed, IMO, that some mini owners were, let's say, blinded by the love for their Mini, and were willing to put up with anything the car threw at them in terms of problems. I would expect a solid and tight vehicle from BMW and will certianly buy one when I'm convinced of it's quality and will start a thread asking the opinions of the populous as a whole. Again, I sincerly appreiciate your input.

 

I believe that Honda owners are the ones blinded by the perception of Honda quality, driven by Consumer Reports. After we bought our CRV, I went over the car and had a list of flaws. For example, the two halves of the folding rear seats don't line up, and the rubber piece outside of one of the windows was all crumpled up. The windshield is deformed (not flat), and I wouldn't be surprised if it cracks someday. The car also needed an alignment. The three recalls were all safety-critical items. The first was the throttle cable - it was unprotected from the elements, would rust, and may get stuck when you let off the gas. The second was the transmission shifter cable. When in park, it may not actually be in park. The third one was airbag wiring. Apparently all cars produced at that factory had incorrect airbag wiring, and would blow at the wrong intensity. It took Honda 3 whole production years to discover this mistake. Thanks to our incompetent dealer, after we had the airbag recall done, the steering wheel jammed while I was making a turn. A plastic clip was not properly installed and jammed the steering wheel. Finally, as I recall 7% of TL transmissions from around 2000-2002 had to be replaced as it would completely lock-up at highway speeds.

I won't dispute that MINIs from earlier model years did have their share of problems. That is exactly why I waited until the 2004 model year. MINI appears to have worked out a lot of the bugs. My 04 MCS isn't perfect, but its problems were minor compared to our CRV's problems.

 

Katana, as a prior Honda/Acura owner, I have to agree with your comments. Many Honda owners swear by the reliability of thier vehicles but you have to keep in mind that most of these "Ultra Reliable" Hondas were built in the late 1980's, early 1990's a time period considered to tbe the "Golden years" of Honda quality in the U.S.

I have owned several Accords (1989, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1998) and 2 Acuras (1995 Integra and 97 2.5TL sedan). Of all those Accords the more reliable were the ones built in Marysville, Ohio. The 1989 Accord LX 5-speed was of Japanese assembly and I had a plethora of problems with that car (A/C, steering rack, brakes). The 1990 DX was made in the USA and it was a GREAT car for 60K miles. The '94 Accord LX (Year of new body 5th generation) was solid but the trim pieces kept falling off). The '96 LX was much better and the '98 (First year of 6th generation body style) was a let down specially with the brakes and paint.

Both Acuras were made in Japan. The '95 Integra was great, but an idiot in a F-150 pickup truck ran a red light and totalled it when it was 1 year old. The Integra was replaced by the $30K (Back then) 2.5TL (First generation Japanese made TL sedans) and that car had a lot of things breaking within the first 10K miles. The 4-speed auto Grade Logic tranny was horrible and really bogged down the 176HP 5 Cyl (Yes 5 cylinders!) 2.5L engine.

I got sick and tired of Hondas in general and thier arrogant dealerships. Went back to buy American (I had a 2000 and 2001 Chevy Impala LS) and those 2 cars were much more troublefree than the recent crop of Hondas I had owned.

Finally, after wanting something more exciting and unique to drive, I discovered MINI 2 years ago. My wife got a Cooper CVT and after driving it I was convinced I no longer needed a land barge to drive around. In January 2003 put down my order for a '04 MCS and 10 months later we became a MINI family!

We haven't look back top the Honda days ever since!


New Hondas are not built with the same quality standards that made them famous 15 years ago.

 

Hey, Pathfinder, that's certainly true. Love is blind. A number of people come onto this board asking reliability questions and they get a fast comeback from a MINI owner along the lines of: "Go buy a boring Toyota! The MINI's not for you anyway!" You just know this person had been through the MINI's well-documented teething problems -- windshield stresses, leaky coolant bottles, engine stumbles, etc. -- and was rationalizing recurring flaws as evidence of "character."

(Volvo owners do this too, BTW. Our other car is a '99 Volvo and a real hangar queen, shedding parts and systems almost its whole life, but the Volvo loyalists on www.brickboard.com dismiss any complaint as a sign of lack of character. You want reliability? Get an Acura, you soulless Philistine. It's ridiculous.)

In point of fact the MINI or any "premium" car should be expected to work properly. Crap execution shouldn't be the price of owning "character." But I can tell you honestly, Pathfinder, that MINI execution appears to have improved steadily since launch; my '03 Cooper has had fewer flaws to date than my Volvo did in its first 15k miles; it is an essentially solid, well-made car IMHO and you would be happy in it.

 

Perhaps I should clarify. I didn't but the S from a reliability or practical stand point at all. I wanted a vehicle that was purely fun to drive and looks good. The Honda has accomplished that. I saw it, I drove it and I bought it. It satisfied my mid-life crisis and gave me a taste of performance. The S2000 rides too rough, it's too noisy with the top up and the tires only last 11-12k miles at $700.00 a set It's simply an interim vehicle, until MINI gets their QC issues under control, which I am trying to find out, if that time has come. I just learned from my MA that thanks to MINIMANIA, 250+HP is possible OK, so now I'm totally, "Chomping-at-the-Bit", hense the inquiry.