After you get your car back from service, do you get the online survey request? Had my car back for a MAF sensor replacement and did the survey. I checked the 'have MINI USA contact me". They actually called and was able to discuss the issues's i've had.

 

$50,000 for a SAAB!? The GM takeover of Saab was what scared me away from the brand. They foolishly tried to make it a ultraluxury brand. This is like trying to get people to buy a Honda Civic for $45,000 and convince them that it's going to feel and handle like a high-end Mercedes. I think that was automotive hubris at its finest.

 

It happens all the time, see Acura.

 

What?! Do they make an Acura Civic? Now on the other hand, if you buy an NSX in JAPAN, they put a Honda badge on the hood. Seriously. That's why my dad said he'd never buy one. He said he'd feel like the Honda dealer went laughing all the way to the bank, and it's partly because he knows a guy who owns an NSX.

 

Funny, I just posted a thread about the clunking sound. Could that simple fix be the cause of it? The sound is sometimes so loud it seems as if the tire is just going to pop off. I had a major creaking problem with my trunk, and with the help from people on NAM was able to pin point the problem! Electrical tape covering the latch on the trunk lid, its pretty sad that's what it came down to on a $30,000 car, but it worked

 

No, but as you pointed out, everything Honda makes is a Honda in Japan. The Acura brand doesn't exist. Even in Europe the "luxury" brands are only just starting to be marketed.

 

wow, very sorry to hear these problems. I too i'm eyeing on buying my first mini cooper and the problems i hear from these various forums concerns me quite a bit!!
But these problems not only seems to exist in MINI but BMWs as well.
I think in the reliability area, the Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Subaru are hard to beat but then, these don't drive or look as appealing as the Mini....

 

Hey there, sorry to hear about your problems. Yes, most of the issues you are having are not uncommon (and indeed, you see some of them in BMWs too), but regardless it's a drag to spend so much and feel like the car is built like *****. I have had some of the same issues you have had, including the clunk (still not fixed, but I'll check into what another poster mentioned). I'm glad Jerry mentioned the creak from the back, because I've had that since I bought the car and the dealer could never figure out how to fix it. It's indeed frustrating to spend so much and need electrical tape to fix it.

Hope you can work some or all of the problems out -- some of mine still remain and I will be selling it the very day the warranty runs out.

The problem is that MINI is such a cool car in many ways, but leaves much to be desired in others.