My 2008 Clubman S has only 15,300 miles, and the 4-year warranty runs out in two weeks (in August). I have been advised to possibly purchase the extended (quite expensive) warranty, but I wonder... with this low mileage that I do (5K/year), if feels that I will run out of time around 25,000 miles and my that low mileage things don't break down too much? What do you think?

Also, I missed my 15K/3-year free maintenance... I was only at 10K and didn't realize that time passed by so fast. Now I am due, but I guess it is not free anymore even though I am still in the 4-year manufacture warranty, am I right? How much can 15K maintenance cost if I go to non-dealer expert?

Thanks for all your inputs, my time is running out and I am getting more and more confused the more I read online.

 

You might check with AAA and your bank or credit union for an extended warranty.
If you have missed your service appointment and an oil change, you may have voided your warranty.
Ask about that before buying an extended warranty!
Make sure your oil changes are up to date and keep the receipts to prove it was done.

Did you have the recalled aux water pump replaced?
I assume that you haven't had any problems with your turbo or tensioner chain "death rattle" since you didn't go in for your final service under the maintenance plan.
Those are 2 issues that keep cropping up in 08 S engines.
Have you had any work done under warranty?

Do you mind if I ask the price you were quoted to extend your warranty?
I'm in the market myself, but still have a year to shop around.

 

LittleWing, thanks for your reply. I had right and left front windows repaired within the first 4 months. I had the "death rattle" repaired withing the first year. The fuel pump recall was fixed a few months ago, as well as seat heater malfunction. At the same time they did the 32 point inspection, whatever it means?

I now recall one stupid thing that I did (I didn't know then) and that maybe voids my future extended warranty? A few months before 3 years/11K miles, the people at the dealer stole my bag and quoted me $299 for tire rotation. I was quite unhappy, so I never wanted go there again. I recall I went to my old non-MINI-specialized mechanic to get the tires rotated. They said my brakes and rotors our bad and they need to get changed. (I didn't not know about the warning brake light, my previous car was not this fancy), so I told them to do it. So at 3 years I got tires rotated, brakes/rotor changed and oil exchanged. From your previous post, I suspect this is enough to get warranty voided, and no meaning to even think about the future extended warranty?

I didn't call anywhere for quotes yet, because I was first trying to figure out if it is even meaningful to have extended warranty at 15K miles.

 

Tire rotation isn't covered under warranty or the maintenance plan, so that shouldn't be a problem.
Sorry, I didn't mean to alarm you, but if you had missed an oil change, MINI could claim owner neglect if you had a problem down the road and put in a warranty claim for the repair.
It sounds like you have kept to you maintenance/oil change interval schedule as defined by MINI.

 

The decision to buy an extended warranty is highly personal.
No one would sell them if they weren't profitable, yet if you find yourself on the bad end of an expensive repair you may be sorry if you opted out.
It's a gamble.
You have had the tensioner chain repair and that should carry a 2 year warranty of it's own, outside of the basic warranty.

For me, the good news is that my car runs great and hasn't had any serious problems or exhibited any of the known issues these engines have been presenting. The bad news is that my car runs great and I haven't had any repairs under warranty, fixing some of these known issues. Some of these problems may be a matter of when more than if.
It's unknown whether or not an extended warranty will pay for itself.
Some suggest putting away an amount monthly in a car account and use it only for necessary repairs instead of buying an expensive warranty.
I know that a car account is an excellent idea, but I also know how financial needs arise around here and it would be hard to leave that fund untouched.
I want to know that if my engine blows and MINI isn't obligated to fix it that I won't be faced with thousands of dollars in repairs on an aging car.
Another consideration is how long you intend to keep the car.
If you don't plan to keep it long term, then you may not want the extended warranty.
I plan to keep my car for a very long time which makes the extended warranty more attractive.
I have a year left to ponder this decision, but for me personally, I think I will buy the warranty just for the peace of mine.
You just need to weigh out different factors that are important to you, the condition of the car, and the repairs that have already been done, and make your decision based on what you are comfortable with.
I hope some others will weigh in with their opinions.
Good luck!

 

I bought my 2009 clubman S about 7 weeks ago with 39000 miles. I was offered the option to buy an extended warranty, and did because it seems like there are so many electronic parts. Since I do not really know the history of the car, if it turns out the previous owner did not do something timely, is it possible I am paying for something that isn't worth the paper it is written on. (actually I have no paperwork they said it would be 'attached to my VIN) ALSO, what is the water pump recall you mentioned and how would I know if my car had it done?

Thanks for the help!

 

This is the water pump recall:
http://news.consumerreports.org/safe...ntrollers.html

 

I don't think a second hand owner could be held responsible for something the original owner did or failed to do.
The car should have been checked out when you purchased it and eligible for the warranty.
Any dealer can tell you if the aux water pump recall has been done.
I think that you can get your car's service records from the dealer too.

 

For these cars, I think an extended warranty might not be a bad idea. It's not that the cars are unreliable (I don't think they are, but they sure have far more faults than a Toyota or a Ford), but rather that repairs are BMW expensive.

SHOP for a warranty. The MINI warranty may be far costlier than a reputable one offered through your bank/credit union/insurance company. I bought a VERY comprehensive policy (that's both transferable if I sell the car, and prorated refundable should something bad happen like collision total, theft, Mayan Apocalypse) from GMAC. Yes, it covers work done at the MINI dealer should I so choose, or an independent garage.

 

I am in the same boat - my '08 MINI S runs out of warranty at the end of October. I bought my lease return MINI with 32,000 miles last May and it's already had the water pump replaced, the timing chain and rails replaced the hood scoop and shield installed, the sun roof repaired, and a few other small things under warranty.

Since I bought this car for my wife and she will only put a couple of thousand miles a year on it, I decided to turn down the extended warranty which they were trying to sell for about $2,400 more. I'm going to roll the dice as two more years of warranty will only add about 4,000 miles to the car and I'm not about to pay 60 cents a mile for the warranty.

I’ll put the $2,400 in a ING account in case something happens and take my chances.