I've had my 03 MCS for about three weeks now and love it. The problem is that since I've been surfing NAM it's made me paranoid about potential problems that I may experience. I've been under the bonnet, mini talk and first gear and have read numerous horror stories (ie. cluthes going out prematurely, powersteering motors setting cars on fire etc.). It's made me almost afraid to fully enjoy this awesome car. I called my dealer who is three hours away and asked him if I should drive there to have it checked out before my warranty expires(44,000 miles). He said after running a check on my VIN which showed no "open campaigns" that it would be a waste of trip if I don't have anything currently wrong with it. Does no open campaigns mean that all recalls(not sure what recalls have been issued) have been done on my car? I really wish someone could set my mind at ease so I could just motor on!!!

 

You'll find an exceptional number of problems on message boards because many people turn to the community for help, and many threads saying fno troubles here, besides tempting fate, would be a fairly boring read. Being up to date witht he recalls and just overall good maintenace habits should be plenty well enough for you to get by. I've had many minor issues and only 2 that where approaching serious and I've got an 05, there are 02s that have never had anything beyond scheduled service; every MINI is different, and if yours has a few quirks then you can take them in stride but if it ain't broke don't fix it. Where are you located, can you head out to a local meet, find one of the more mechanically inclined and have them check things over for you, saves you a trip to the dealer and gives you a little extra piece of mind.

 

Thanx MO. I would join a club but I live in central Ky in a town of 4,000 and mines the only one in town(cool). I think I'm worrying about things that I shouldn't be. Take it a day at a time a wise man once told me and I seem to forget that sometimes.

 

Don't worry. Hey, this may help you feel better, I believe Consumer Reports just released their list of most reliable cars and the 2006 MINI was in the top 5.

 

just be aware of problems others had...does not mean it will happen
to yours. it's the beauty of euro-cars. no disrespect, but they cant
build cars consistently so each one is an original.

just enjoy it.

 

Ken to totally right. Just keep up with the maitence and you'll be fine.

 

When I found that there wasn't a club where I live, I started one. Now we have almost 30 members.

 

Remember also that people will post more negative stuff then they will positive, you'll always read about problems more then you will praise.

I was in your same shoes not several months ago. My '03 had it's fair share of problems when I first bought it. Things will go wrong, it's an imperfect car made by imperfect people.

Try to avoid the problem threads, I don't read any of them at all anymore. If my MINI developes a problem then I'll do a search or post about it.

Enjoy your MINI and motor!

 

I'm in the same boat,too many worries to enjoy the ride and too far away from a dealer for comfort.And no one in town that will work on it.It will get to you if keep thinking about it. I'm becoming my own mechanic.

 

What has that got to do with a 2003

 

twonz1, don't be paranoid. There is a lot of support on the forum, and chances are anything that was going to go wrong would have already done so. There are a few things you can do to improve the reliability, basic maintenance stuff and maybe a fan guard for the p/s fan... also gaining knowledge of what to look for going wrong can't hurt.

Don't be paranoid though, you bought the car to enjoy it, so do so!

 

Be afraid, be VERY afraid.

Despite ancedotal stories of "I got 100K miles and never been to a dealer", the fact is people write those horror stories for a reason.

As Ken said, will it happen to you. Probably, maybe, who knows?

Just be aware of issues like Cold Start problems and mushrooming. They are very real.

But dont lose sleep over it, after all, you should know this when you bought into it and the car is fun!

 

Looks like Chows and I would both look at a beer glass filled to the 50% mark... and maybe say different things...

but both would agree: FILL 'ER BACK UP!

 

I wouldn't worry to much. It would, however, be a good idea to take a trip to your nearest dealership for a checkup. They can give you some pretty good info and let you know what has/needs to be done.
Remember, most MINIs (even the 03s) havne't broken down or caused any big trouble. It isn't likely that you will have any of those issues. But it really would be best to do what you need to do for some peice of mind. If you haven't done the following, you should look into it:

1. Install gaurd on power steering motor. It is what caused those engine fires.

2. Buy stronger strut mounts.

3. Always use good gas, and try sticking with the same brand.

4. To avoid the cold start stall, turn your key part way and wait until the warning lights go off before you start your car. Also turn off the radio and a/c when you park for the night. This to fix the problem for most owners.

5. Don't ignore the horror stories, but keep it all in perspective. These are extreme cases, and don't happen to most owners.

 

What's this? A factory recall? A DIY deal? Please shed some light on this one for me.

 

I'm not sure if there was a recall; there should have been. In the early models, things could get caught in the motor and cause a fire. There is a lot of info about it here.
Keep in mind that this didn't happen to a lot of cars; just a few really. Not that it isn't a big deal, but try to keep your perspective.

 

Thanks for the link, I read though it. Not sure how one could tell if the guard has been installed or not though. Not much info in that thread on fixing the problem. I'll post in it anyway.

 

I'll post a picture on the SSOCMCC site for ya.

 

Reading that thread though most, if not all, the fires don't seem to be related to stuff getting into the motor, they all talk about the power steering unit. I'm a bit confused.

Oh, and I'll be sure to see ya over at SSOCMCC.

 

Wrong fuse, too much power, overload fire, spreads, totaled MINI.

 

How can you have a "wrong fuse" or "too much power", it's all factory set, unless people that have had these fires are modding these things and the result are the fires.

 

It looks like the "factory set" wasn't set so well. I don't know what mods would effect the power steering in such a way.

 

I derailed this thread enough, I posted in the proper thread to help maybe get a clear answer as to what is causing the fires and what the fix is.

 

it was 30 amp instead of 20 amp fuse if I remember correctly, the dealers will set you straight if you have the wrong fuse. So too much power could get into the system and cause trouble.

*end hijack*

 

Thanks guys. I appreciate everyone's imput.
Also Ma78, I will do those things. Would have never known-Love you guys!!!!!!!