Mine is an August '02 build, currently with just over 36,000 smiles. My list includes:

Replacement of leaking coolant expansion tank
Replacement of boot latch and striker
Replacement of drivers seat fabric (fllaw in fabric)
Repair of drivers seat for squeeks (three times, currently successful)
Repair of dashboard for rattles (four times, currently successful)
Replacement of steering column for clicking & grating
Re-flash of ECU to fix emissions problem(caused more problems with surging, yo-yoing, stumbling that it didn't previously have)
Replacment of the dash upright supports(the finish came off where the drivers leg rubbed)
Repairing of boot glass for minor, intermittent, leak

None of these items ever stopped me from driving the car, none ever caused a failure while out motoring. Mechanicallly it has been 100% reliable.

 

There have been threads here where people claim warranty work denied because of MODs. Whether then can prove they were caused by an actual mod or not isnt clear.

Looking for trends is the point ... good point

 

the folks with the longest lists (most trips back to dealer) are as you might expect, the ones with 2002-2003 model years...

Something being said indirectly here - "we dig our cars and our community, despite (see posted lists)"...

Still thinking about those door-pull cables, and Mr. Baggins' post about 4 trips for dashboard rattles.... They TRIED to fix my passenger side rattling at the 10k visit, but they missed the mark (*sigh). I believe Bilbo has set the bar too high for me, with his 4 trips for dash-rattle, and I live CLOSE to my dealer!

Tatt

 

Why thank you:smile:

I prefer extreme conditions to inhospital. After all our plates say, Friendly Manitoba

 

At just over 10K miles, I blew my engine. The dealer suspected a manufacturing defect, looked like the rod's were not torqued down properly. Got a new engine - still breaking it in.

 

Thats definitely a new one

 

Molding replaced on pillar between windshield and window.
Battery failure - replaced
Steering column replaced
Ash tray (aka change holder) replaced

 

My 04s has been in shop numerous times....cant remember all of them..some are ( 18kmi on car )

left window actuator
right window actuator
rear hatch rattle
sun roof rattle
3 times for the idle drop issue..still not fixed.
O2 sensor
last week for the steering rack replaced.

sadly, listed here are 6 more times then my 4runner after 150k miles..actually, this is more than any car I have ever owned

but i just love the darn thing... ( but gonna look in to a extended warrenty if i can still get one...have a feeling it is gonna need it.)

 

I had my whole engine removed, sent out, fixed, and put back in... Because the poor little car was leaking pressure out of 3 cylinders. It was a little while ago so I forgot the specifics, but it was 2 days short of being a lemon. If you want to know the details I’ll pull them up tomorrow.

I still love the little lemon, but I’d die if I had to replace the engine without the warranty

 

2003 MCS, 49,000 miles:
Power steering fan replaced twice for overheating issue
Power steering fan disabled permanently due to repeated failure(haven't had a problem in over 20k miles!
Replacement of steering wheel(peeling leather)
Replacement of shift ****(peeling plastic)
Replacement of steering column for creaks
Dash rattles and sunroof rattles fixed after 3 attempts
Replacement of leaking coolant expansion tank
Replacement of catalytic converter after 30k miles(completely self-destructed causing massive power loss)
Repair of drivers seat for squeeks (three times, currently successful)
Repair of dashboard for rattles (four times, currently successful)
SC belt snaps and shreds to bits while shifting from 3rd to 4th gear on highway at 7,000 RPM..hmmm the belt doesn't like that! I thought my motor blew up, car was towed to dealer, belt replaced.
Replacement of SC belt...4 more times in 20k mikes!! despite 15% alta pulley
faulty Belt tensioner finally replaced after being the culprit of eating belts!, belt still squeaks when cold though :(
Replaced all 4 brake rotors and pads(after 35k miles)
passenger window motor replaced
driver's inside door release cable replaced(streched)
Driver's Door hinges lubricated due to loud creaks
Check engine light/electrical failure tach/speedo went haywire,fluttering tach and speedo/fluttering coolant temp(although not overheating), turned out to be a short-circuit in the climate control module!
Climate control module/control replaced(this was the last repair done at 49,000 miles)

Gee...think I should get an extended warranty? And...after all this, I STILL Love my Mini!!

 

2003 Indi Blue MCS - 14000 miles

Replacement flywheel, clutch and pressure plate
Faulty window motors
squeeky hatch
new steering wheel
multiple squeeks still not fixed

 

We have a new winner for now ... Steering Wheel Columns!

I have removed the squeaks and rattles, too numerous and too hard to pin down.

3 Steering wheel
2 Engine
1 Shift ****
1 Cat
5 Steering column
1 Windshield molding
1 Dash down tubes
1 boot glass repair
1 Ash Tray
1 ECU emissions reflash
1 center switch assembly
1 "plastic debris causght inside the blower motor fan area"
1 "Crash collapsing mechanism in steering column"
2 A/C blower
4 Windshield
1 Climate control Module
3 Belt
1 Clutch
1 Flywheel
1 Belt tensioner
1 Slave cylinder failure.
1 HK buzz.
1 Sirius antenna failure
4 Passenger door mechanism
1 Drivers Door release cable
1 Trim piece on passenger side wiper departed vehicle
1 Keyless remote on 1 key dead
4 transmission replaced
1 passenger's seat rails replaced
1 driver's seat rails replaced
1 center instrument panel replaced
1 airbag light due to seat airbag wiring
2 sunroof rattle
3 Drivers door side mechanism
1 seatbelt tensioner
1 Airbag Light #2 had wires running to seats
1 airbag inside passenger seat
1 sunroof cassette.
2 Cooling fan
1 Windows and Sunroof opening on thier own, BCM replaced.
1 rear pads and rotors
1 Wires to parking light
2 drivers side door mechanism
1 windows would squeak or not open with the remote
1 alarm wouldnt set
1 underglow kept falling off
2 batteries
1 ems reader wouldnt read the key
1 Brake Rotors/Pads
1 transmission problems
1 new tire and rim
1 glovebox
1 brake computer
1 outside door handles
1 Bonnet vents
2 Boot latch and striker
2 O2 sensor
2 Coolant expansion tank
1 Seat fabric
2 power steering fans

 

Here is our list:

Headlight washer jets both replaced
All speakers replaced due to buzzing
Dash rattle fixed
Parking brake boot replaced
Windshield
Driver side window regukator replaced
Sunroof flaps replaced
Middle pillar airbag cover replaced

-------------------
From other posts: New tranny, cold weather seal problem - is that auto or MT???? What is the problem?

 

Ha! 2003 MCS:

Reprogramming (cold start)
Re-reprogramming (stumble)
Broken boot latch
Re-re-reprogramming (stumble)
Broken Boot latch
Sunroof re-installed
Expansion tank
Re-re-re-reprogramming (stumble)
Re-re-re-re-reprogramming (cold start)
Driver and passenger side door latch cables replaced
Re-re-re-re-re-reprogramming (emissions)
Amp replaced
Tweeters replaced
'A' pillar shielding replaced
'A' pillar gutter replaced
Driver and passenger side window regulators replaced
Driver side door latch cable replaced
Head unit replaced

 

September 03 build 26000 miles. Driver's side window motor replaced. Right rear speaker blown (could it have something to do with Allman Bros, Live at the Fillmore) Cracked windshield on my dime.

 

someone else must have been to the dealer ... plz add your experiences!

 

Does it count if you've been to the dealer because of that
obnoxious knocking that mysteriously disappears when you push
in the clutch - and the car remains parked in their lot untouched
for three days - and is returned to you with the explanation of
"after an exhaustive checking of all the transmission including the clutch
and flywheel, it has been determined thay all do that" ????

Other than that, mark me down for a new steering rack and
glovebox door.

 

Uhmm YES!

 

bump

 

2003 MCS 26,000 miles

Slave cylinder (clutch failure)
Dead battery
HK CD player skips

All were handled under warranty today.

I also brought up that the AC fan seems to blow weakly but in their test it worked fine, which I think is a little known footnote of Murphy's law:

Anything that can go wrong, will.*

*Except when you want it to, because that would be right.

 

Been in once for warranty work. Was the passenger door inside door release. Turns out it was a known problem on some to be defective, and they had a special shim or something to fix it up right.

6000 miles now and going strong!

 

I haven't actually made a list yet of all the work Lucy has needed done, but I'd guess she has been in the shop for warranty work almost ten times in the 33 months that I have owned her. Here's some of the items that have been replaced:

both power window motors
power steering pump
clutch and flywheel (pressure plate and flywheel glazed over)
belt tensioner

(below three were all replaced due to a fault w/ the general module; the wwm and fuse box were casualties)
general module
windshield wiper motor
fuse box

This is a partial list. I can't believe I still love this car. My mom thinks I ought to trade her in for a new one, but I've been halfway around the world with Lucy! We've had so much fun together.

In addition to the above problems, I am currently trying to resolve an issue with the service shop regarding frozen door handles (handles freeze solid after a heavy rain and hard freeze). Sigh.

 

1.HK Buzz
2.Stumble
3.SunRoof Rattle
4.Wiper Blades

 

Similar story here... Feb. 05 build (took delivery in April), almost 10K miles and no warranty issues. The only thing on my list for her first scheduled service is the dash rattle. And I drive fairly aggressively: no babying my baby - she was built to be driven!

Love, Love, LOVE this car!!!

 

05 MCS, Aug 04 build, just over 11K. All my warranty work has been interior related, mostly to correct my once-CRAPPY dashboard:

Both window regulators
DS seat belt and roller (fraying)
Heated seat/mirror switch
fuse panel door and rocker panel warped and replaced
extensive dashboard corrections to fix OBNOXIOUS crackling sound (FIXED!)
Correct rattle in DS B-pillar
fixed sunroof rattle
DS A-pillar cover replaced with above dashboard repairs
Windshield replaced with above dashboard repairs

total, out of service 11 days to fix the above

Maybe by the time the warranty runs out my entire interior will have been replaced!!

My dealer (Schomp, Denver) rocks, great service, ALWAYS a loaner, sometimes a Bimmer.

OTOH Exterior/Mechanical: zero problems And in the long run that's what counts! JB