Reading all of this I am getting a little nervous about my inbound MINI C (Mid January, Black White top, CVT, Sport, Premium, ETC..)

I just wonder if all have problems ranging from small nagging problems (rattles, etc) to tranny failures (I am not worried about CVT Recall..that's just a fluid change if it applies to me...as of this writing I am not sure when my MINI was born)

Is anyone TROUBLE FREE??

 

I have only had a very minor issue that I have found is corrected just by letting her warm up a little longer in the morning ...nothing that would make me regret my decision in the least to get one. I have just about 6K miles on my MINI.

 

>>Is anyone TROUBLE FREE??

Yes ME! I'm TOTALLY happy with this car. I't's a mechanical object and it's just GREAT. The seats are really comfortable, it goes like a bat out of hell, it looks terrific and it's good on gas. I also love the CVT .
So stop whingin' and look forward to a great experience, and if you get a lemon, get something else....Life's too short. Merry Christ Mass. Ron.

Next week I may be P.O,d. but right now no problems...6700 miles.

 

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

 

6500 no problems. I think the yellow minis are trouble free.

 

:smile:

Cheers!
Clover

 

10k miles....
yes problems...all addressed
1. cold start issue has to beeen resolved by a software update
2. defective lapis leather seat still in the process of being replaced.
3. rattling of sunroof...fixed. the same problem has re-turned and needs to be addressed again.
4. coolant issue.. plastic tank needed to be replaced.
5. both front seat mechanisms to slide forward and back...needed to be replaced.
6. passenger side windshield wiper hardware...was defective and was replaced.
7. front sun screen mechanism was defective and needed to be replaced.

It's a terrific car
BUT
IT IS FAR FROM....PERFECT!!!!!!!!

Just a comment...
I've owned 4 Pathfinders prior to this car...and of those vehicles I had not one problem. They were great vehicles.
My gut about this MCS after driving it for 10 k miles is.....
that being that it is the 1st year of this model in the US..... no doubt there will be bugs.... minor & major that need to be addressed..
The great news is that all of them have been .....fixable.


Peace,
D

_________________
2002 MCS:PS/B, w/Lapis Int.

 

2700 Miles on my 2003 MINI COOPER and still VERY VERY HAPPY!!! A few minor squeaks but who cares... the MINI IS A GREAT car and soooo much fun to drive... I expect that something will go wrong sooner or later BUT every car out there has problems every now and then... My advice for what it's worth... Get your car and enjoy it... HAVE fun... I am... good luck and Happy Holidays... :smile: ... Paul

 

Well i.ll let you know very soon. I too have read of all the issues aired in this forum. If you look at the number of problems discussed and pay attention to how many people there are in relation to these issues, the actual percentage of problem owners in respect to the number of cars is not too bad. Also, there has been a significant drop off of problems discussed here since I ordered mine in Sept. 02. I drive an average of 3000 miles per month and this will be my vehicle! I feel very confident in both the manufacturer and dealer as well as BMW. I wanted this car the minute my first test drive ended! I have taken 3 others while waiting! Go for it! I doubt you will be dissappointed. I am pretty picky, but I see a lot of others on the forum that must be even more demanding than me! You will love the car, great warranty! If you doubt it lease it and leave youself an easy out in a year! Good luck! Carl MCS

 

TROUBLE FREE? Nope. No way. I have a 2002 MCS with 6,000 miles (June production). First, MINI forgot to put the required EPA sticker on the car causing some problems in getting required state emissions ok before I could register the car. The hood latch broke. Had the cold weather starting problem. Power steering pump failed. Now the radiator resevoir leaks. Dealer is an hour away . . .

Oh, and my wife has a 2002 MC with CVT (August production). A defective sensor in the seat belt caused the airbag light to come on. Dealer didn't have the required part . . . took two weeks to get it. And now, she has to take it in for the recall on the CVT (something about the transmission fluid used).

So, are we not trouble free. I'm also not totally happy with the responses I've gotten from MINIUSA over the last few months. And, they can't seem to get my address right (so we didn't get the notice on the CVT recall). The cars are GREAT fun to drive. Folks still stop us to talk about them. Yep, I knew there would be problems with a new model, but honestly, I expected more from BMW.

 

Totally happy at around 5500 miles! :smile:

 

9400 miles - not perfect (shift cable recall AND burned out heater blower motor)

 

I'd have to say that I have had more problems
with the Cooper and the Cooper S than any other
new car I have owned. But I also know I will own
Minis for the rest of my life. I am one happy dude.
This car rocks. Ain't nothin' like it.
I even went to my dealer the other day and told
him if a Cooper Works version ever comes out I am
officially number one on that list.

 

I only have about 1200 miles on my MCS, but my friend just hit 16,000 (he drives 200 a day to and from work) the only problem he has had was his "S" emblem falling off, but it was replaced. Mine, no problems (knock on wood) but even if I did, I live 5 minutes from the dealer, and they give loaner Bimmers if they need to keep it!!

 

3400 miles and a minor hatch problem, and some brown coolant, but not enough to keep from loving the car. Every new model has minor glitches. Two co-workers got new Mercedes C-Coupes and both had to go back to the dealer for some fixes, so no one's immune. In the MINI's case, the pros definitely out weigh the cons (if there are any).

 

11,000 and only one problem, but it was probobly because of my own fault. Other than having to replace the gearbox (for a bad 2nd gear synchro ) nothing has been wrong with mine.

Another satisfied LY MINI.

I only wish it were a bit faster and black, but then I might have some more problems with it if it were black so I'll leave it yellow .

Tom

_________________
Liquid Yellow<br>
<br>
http://racingline.teamspeedsims.com/mini

 

define totally happy?

 

>>define totally happy?
>>

My MINI Cooper S - naked

 

10,600 miles totally :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile:

 

7400 miles total, the last 1000 mine
I cover about 80 miles per day commuting

Current problems are all pretty minor:
-------------------------------------------
- boot doesn't seem to close fully and latch rattles
- engine shudders slightly when returning to idle
- driver's seat creaks

Except:
--------
My biggest issue, and probably one that is very specific to my physical build, is that the leatherette sport seats are absolutely KILLING my lower back. BEWARE! It took about a week and 15 hours seat time for this to become apparent, so do not relie on a half-hour test drive to assess the seats. I've never had any back trouble before or problems with any car seat, but I may have to sell this car because of the seats, which is ridiculous... a good seat is the kind of thing BMW should be able to design in their sleep.

Otherwise, I'm fairly happy with the car. Handling is sharp and very engaging. Design is interesting and fresh, if a little over the top in some ways. In terms of build quality, I'd say it's hard to complain too much given the price point and the fact that it's a brand new platform.

Hope this helps in your decision.

 

Xalfa,

I've heard this problem form a few people. I personally love the leatherette sport seats. I had a back injury from a racing accident that happened ten years ago and these seats feel perfect (maybe you have to have a back problem for them to work right).

I'll be doing an install with a Sparcop seat that a customer has ordered, and I plan to do a full write up on it. The customer also complains about the sport seat, so we'll see how the Sparcos measure up.

I only have 2500 miles on my MINI, so technically, I don't qualify for this post, but I love my S!!

Randy
randy@mini-motorsport.com

 

Thanks. I'd definitely be interested in hearing how the new seat pans out.

But I'm guessing an aftermarket seat would mean:
a) $500(?) installed
b) no side airbag
c) voiding warranty on seatbelt/airbag system and maybe other stuff too

Not sure I could get past (a).

 

>>I'd have to say that I have had more problems
>>with the Cooper and the Cooper S than any other
>>new car I have owned. But I also know I will own
>>Minis for the rest of my life. I am one happy dude.
>>This car rocks. Ain't nothin' like it.
>>I even went to my dealer the other day and told
>>him if a Cooper Works version ever comes out I am
>>officially number one on that list.
>>

Will that mean you might become 3minis or would it be 2.5minis?hehehe

6600 miles, no problems

 

Just went over 5,000 miles yesterday! :smile: and I LOVE this car so much. I have had a couple of creaks and rattles, pretty minor stuff so far, (knock wood) Definetly love it! oh, and I am happy with the leatherette sport seats, but then, my last car was a '97 Jeep Wrangler, and those seats really hurt my back sometimes. I had to put a small pillow behind my lower back when driving it, so the MINI is a major step up for me. And, that jeep wrattled and squeeked a lot too.

 

At 6500 miles, my leatherette sport seats (MCS) have softened up considerably from how they were when new. I thus find the seat quite comfortable. I do hope it doesn't continue to soften as that could eventually be a problem...but time will tell.

Re. the original topic -- I've had a handful of minor issues on my August 2002 build S, but nothing that I either can't live with or that hasn't been taken care of by warranty service. All things considered (i.e., first year car, ground up new design, built in England by BMW, low volume production, etc.)... I think that this car is amazingly trouble free. No, it's not a Toyota Corolla. But in my book, I'll trade some of that reputation/guarantee of dependibility for the tremendous fun, performance, and style of the MINI. To each their own.