Just got a email from Bmw dealer, here is what they say is broken, what is needed in this list, or what can I not skip doing? Looks like no exhaust for now :(

Here is the breakdown of the estimate for the repairs needed on your Mini

RIGHT FRONT WHEEL SPEED SENSOR (ABS LAMP)

Cost: 466.51+tax

DRIVER’S SIDE SEAT BELT TENSIONER (AIRBAG LAMP)

Cost: 595.00+tax

POST CAT CONVERTER O2 SENSOR (SES LAMP)

Cost: 457.00+TAX

SUSPENSION REPAIRS NEEDED (CONTROL ARMS BUSHINGS, TIE ROD ENDS, STRUT MOUNTS, ALIGNMENT)

Cost: 2525.00+tax

COOLANT LEAKS (RADIATOR AND THERMOSTAT WITH COOLANT FLUSH)

Radiator Cost: 665.00+tax

Thermostat Cost: 495.00+tax

Coolant Flush Cost: 239.95+tax

BRAKE PAD SENSORS FRONT AND REAR

Front Cost: 65.00+tax

Rear Cost: 65.00+tax

 

Why are you going to the dealer? Find a good independent shop.

 

There was a recall so I decided to bring it in, plus last shop I went to ripped me off.

 

Now that the problems have been identified: 1. Pick up your car from the dealer and don't look back. 2. Figure out which repairs you can do on your own and start pricing parts. 3. For repairs that are outside of your capabilities, get estimates from indi shops with MINI experience. 4. Take the pile of cash you saved and go get that exhaust.

 

The shop it's in now is ripping you off, too.

 

How would I go about finding a shop that could do what I need? I have looked up Mini shops near me and have only found the dealerships.

 

Start with foreign car specialists and find out which ones have MINI experience. There's plenty of repairs on that list that someone with beginners level experience could do and save even more money. For example, you could probably find a new radiator for $100 compared to the dealer's $665 and do it yourself in a few hours.

 

It's not hard to find independent repair shops in your area, you just have to try.

This took me less than two minutes.

http://www.minirepairshops.com/near/chicago-il

 

I am starting to put a lot of time in, so I really just need to let someone else have fun. It stinks because I had the radiator out over a month ago and didn't see anything wrong with it oh well

 

Just discovered that website, will be a life saver in the future

 

Also just got a call from the dealer. The one thing I asked them to do when I brought it was fix the squeak the car was making. They couldn't find out what it was, I don't even know what to do with it

 

My question to you is:

Are the ABS, SES and Airbag lights on?
Is your car leaking coolant on the garage floor?

These are all typical MINI repairs but does your car really need all of them all at once now?

If the answer is Yes, it sounds like you have not really taken care of it or if you bought it used, time to get this little guy up to speed.

 

All of those lights are on, the car doesn't leak when in the garage though..

 

From the list, it looks like there were existing problems with various lights on the dash, correct? Airbag, ABS, and SES light?

If so, you can likely repair all of them items, but you'll need some sort of code reset by the dealer, especially for Airbag, maybe ABS too. I personally, can't stand staring at idiot lights. The OCD in me gets my eye twitch going...

For the suspension, how many miles do you have on your car? That's all wear and tear from that list. It's likely you don't have to do it all immediately, but plan on spending some quality time and or $$$$ to get it addressed. Make sure you check your strut towers for mushrooming too.

If you already addressed the coolant system, then do yourself a favor and take another look for yourself to see if you missed anything and it is indeed leaking. Doesn't cost anything, but if it is leaking, fix it asap!

Brakes are easy, search up how to do it.

We got a similar list from the dealer when we had the Mini in for the power steering pump recall. Like mdaz75 said, now you have a list to work from. Whether you do it yourself or have someone do it for you, (other than the dealer), you now know what you need to address or at the very least inspect further.

I laughed when I saw the list that came back from the dealer after the recall. The total was far more than what we paid for the car. Hmmm.

FWIW, everything that we've had to address has been wear and tear so I'm very grateful for all the helpful members here on this board who have posted DIYs.

 

Wow, ok.

Like other stated, find a good indy shop and start addressing urgent issues.

I would start with thermostat and thermostat housing. Radiator might be repaired instead of being replaced. Since car is not leaking anything, you might be ok for a while.

Next, I would address brakes and suspension. Brakes are super easy to do on the MINI and you can go at it yourself.

GL with it all and let us know how it all ends up working out.

 

Brake sensors are easy and cost about $20 each. Do that yourself, should take about 10 to 15 minutes total.

 

Alright I will look online tomorrow and start finding parts. Thanks!