I hit 50,000 on my 2009 JCW Clubman a couple of weeks ago, and have had her for almost 2-1/2 years. She is running like a gem still. Actually seems to be getting better with age! Plus the cooler weather the last few weeks has made her really burbly, and I love it. All of the stories of 100K+ Clubbies make me feel like my 50K isn't so bad! I'm hoping to get at least 100K out of her.

 

My 2008 had just over 80k miles when we sold the car. It was a great car with minimal problems. In 80k we went though 3 sets of front brake pads, two sets of front rotors, two sets of rear brakes pads, one set of rear rotors, a bunch of oil changes, and a set of spark plugs. I also went though a set of tires. I also had two head lamps burn out. Mini did try to charge me over $300 to replace a standard headlight (I replaced it myself for a couple of bucks).

So it was really just preventative maintenance and wear items in 80k.

 

Lately I've been taking an interest in the Mini, especially the Clubman. It fits me and my needs like a glove. But, after only 30 minutes of reading I see premature issues with:

water pumps, electric window reprogramming, timing chain tensioners, "death rattle", carbon build-up on valves, fuel pumps, brake rotors, oil consumption...

Just to name a few of the issues I'm seeing so far. All this would have me very concerned when considering basic/primary transportation.

I think the Mini is brilliant in its concept, character, personalization, and marketing. But, I am accustomed to cars that give NO problems for at least 100,000 miles, so a lot of what I'm reading raises significant concerns.

Love the Mini in a test drive and from a distance..... somebody reassure me from an owner's long-term perspective.

 

buy the extended warranty we have 97.000 miles and anything that broke
MINI covered.

 

I think if you buy an oil catch can, the engine and turbocharger will last a lot longer as the can will catch the gunk/sludge/water that gets blown back through the intake. I definitely agree with buying an extended warranty, I wish I could have afforded it as my car just came out of warranty and now I'll have to pay out of pocket if anything ever happens, however on a new car I would definitely just buy it and roll that into my payments for piece of mind. In fact, I would never buy a turbo car without it being covered for a longer period of time.

 

I'm at 54,000 miles. It runs well unless it's December. Last December I had to have a new intake manifold and reprogramming the power windows. Right now the the cables on the hood release won't pop and I'm out of washer fluid.

 

That seems like a lot of break jobs for 80k miles??? Every car i have owned to date usually needs new breaks around 60k for the first time...

Are you a spirited breaker?

 

Minis don't have very thick rotors or pads. I try to coast when possible and give myself distance, but I still had to replace my brakes before 40k miles.

 

You are always going to see a higher rate of complaints/issues on a user site like this. People are more in tune and more prone to comment. I've got 70K miles on my Clubman and have only had one real repair -- a fuel injector stuck on wide open and kept spraying gas. All in all, it has been a great experience to drive this car everyday. Buy one and enjoy.

 

If you need a car that you know will be almost certainly be consistently reliable for a daily driver, I would personally think hard before you take the plunge. The Clubman S is a total blast to drive but high long-term reliability is not what it's known for. There are definitely some people who have no problems, just like there will be with any other car out there; but if I needed a car to have NO problems in 100,000 miles I would really make my decision carefully. Check out the major reliability reports out there, to get more information.

You could get a good one - it does happen!

 

Or get a Justa! Very few issues, and it IS a Mini!!!!

 

I agree with the above comments - you want a transportation appliance - not a Mini or any European car. Buy a Honda or a Toyota - as it sounds like you will be happier in the long run going the Japanese route - sorry to be blunt.

 

I think it's no different than any other used car, if you find one you like, take it to the dealer and have a prepurchase inspection done on it, they can also pull up the service history so you can see if it's had any headaches before you consider buying it.

My '09 has 40K now. I had the tensioner replaced at 3k and haven't had anything other than routine service done since. However, I do change the oil every 7,500 or twice a year, and I rotate the tires every 5K. Mine has also had several track days....

Remember, just because one car or even ten cars on this forum have had a problem, that means thousands and thousands may not, but you don't have people coming to the forums to write about problems they didn't have.....

On any car, a good dealer and an involved owner will make for a good used car purchase.

 

65k this morning on the way to work. cant really complain. basic service stuff with oil changes.

did a oil feed line replace ~$600 non dealer. everything else just tires and brakes,this thing eats brakes.

future? might sell next summer and get something slightly bigger, but its a good summer car for small runs up north with the roof box.

we like the car but loved out original first edition mini s.

 

106,245. 2004 hardtop still going strong!

 

Just turned over 20,000 yesterday in my '10 Clubman. So far, so good :D

 

Mine will be a year old 6\2 -23175 miles as of two days ago. I was throwing a code and it was the thermostat, so the dealer kept it to replace the thermostat, do the re-call and install brakes. I've been happy with the Clubman so far.

 

Just turned 8000 miles in my '12 clubman S on my way to over 100K miles and so far so good

 

Mine was an Executive Mini so already had 3500 Miles on her when I adopted her. had mine a year as of January29. Had to have the rotors replaced early on, probably due to whoever drove her before I got her. I LOVE this car...totally obsessed....

 

I'm at about 49000 miles now running 18" wheels, H&R springs, an M7 bar and H&R rear sway bar and I've developed a knocking/banging in the rear of the car. Can't figure it out as it seems to be suspension related as the car makes noise over unsmooth roads (which is everywhere in Germany but the autobahn). I've checked all the parts I've messed with and the bolts are all tight. Luckily I had the noise checked out before my factory warranty ran out so it should be checked out for free. The extended warranty over here has a 50 Euro co-pay for each visit.

 

It's good to see a thread that doesn't feature problems. I was considering a Clubman but after reading about all the issues it appeared that the majority of cars were quite troublesome. I decided to not pursue the idea but after this thread I may reconsider.
I've previously had a MKI S and it was a blast to drive, actually reliable just fraught with squeaks and rattles.

 

A Lady from my Mini Motoring Club has over 200,000 on her '04 Mini, albeit, not a Clubman, but still

 

Cool to see some higher mileage MINIs out there, some with no problems. Mine has 27,439 on it now and have had no engine issues aside from a limp-mode-for-no-reason episode a while back.

But the rattles, suspension clunks that the dealer can't figure out (I have seen other posts about this, too), and overall workmanship are leaving a lot to be desired for me. I know most of these are common issues and I knew what I was getting into when I bought it, but it's still a bummer on a $31k car, and they have nothing to do with the Euro-style performance -- it's just poor factory tolerances and parts, etc.

 

My wife is at about 147k on her '04 MCS. It should be over 150k by May.

Another comment on my Clubman S. My wife was in Belgium today and when she left to come back to Stuttgart the electrical gremlins returned with a vengeance. The extended warranty in Germany isn't officially valid outside Germany so it's up to the dealer in Belgium if they'll accept it. In other news we had the car checked out under the factory warranty for this same problem so I shouldn't have to pay the deductible. Hopefully they find the problem this time as the car actually acted up for the techs so they saw for themselves the issues and can't ignore them as a one-time fluke.

 

2010 Justa Clubman, and just rounded 35,000 miles. No issues, nada. I keep up on the regular maintenance, etc. Also the case that it stays parked (no garage) because I bike to work and back so most of those miles are off to the races/rides/tri's, packed up and bikes on the top of the car (or disassembled and stowed in the car). Three trips from Atlanta to west/west coast, including 120 degrees in SoCal desert and -20 NoDakota, never an issue.

Some friends are shocked that I'll drive that far in this car but really with the tight steering and ... stiff ride, keeps me awake and entertained on those long hours. I'm sure I must have a rich inner life or something because we're headed to Moab then on to CA in May in the car. I'll change the oil, check everything out, then head out with, knock on wood, no worries.