2009 MCS
 

I went to the dealer last week to test drive and further inquire about my (potential) mini. When I was asking questions and mentioning problems I had heard about the salesman kept saying, "you're thinking about 1st generation minis, the 2009 is different".

So my question is... since I'm apparently I'm confused... what kind of questions/concerns should I have regarding 2009 mini coopers?

Just in case- I'm looking into an automatic engine....

Any insight is greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks :):)

Known issues are different between the model years. For example, the one that comes to mind is the automatic transmissions. In earlier model years the CVT automatic transmissions in MINIs were apparently known to break down fairly early and require very costly replacements outside of warranty. In 2009, MINIs now use an Aisin automatic transmission, which is proving to be much more reliable long-term.

For the 2009 MINI the one particularly hot issue is the cold engine rattle. Bear in mind that this is for the S model only. Basically many MINI owners are experiencing a very loud rattling sound in their engine on cold-start ups. There's some concern about long term-reliability of the S engine. There's a fix that already came out that seems to be working so far, but never hurts to give the dealer a heads up that you know about this problem beforehand.

I think for the standard 2009 Cooper there really isn't much out there in terms of major issues. More smaller things like the sunroof sticking on hot days.

I would say for the 2009 there will be fewer problems to be concerned about than the 2007 and 2008. The car had a fundamental change in 2007 and the rattle that everyone carries on about is specific to the engine used in the 2007+ MCS. My personal opinion is the rattle didn't happen to enough cars to allow MINI to rapidly diagnose the problem, but now a fix has been issued and it's I think it's less likely to happen in any MINI that you'll order now.

The only data I've seen that is verifiable is the initial quality of the MINI is rated as next to last in it's class by J.D. Powers. Having said that, I haven't had any major problems with my 08 MCS, but one car does not an average make.

I have to wonder if BMW hasn't completly exorcised all of the British Leyland ghosts from Oxford.:)

thanks for the replies :)

It's nice to hear that there are no major problems with the 2009 MCS (i'm 100% decided on getting the S). I know that there is no car out there that is perfect, but I want to make sure that I'm not going to end up throwing piles of money into the car because of various problems...

On that note... anyone know what the warranty on the 2009 MCS is? When I went to the dealership, it was spur of the moment thing so I forgot to ask a lot of important questions!

I believe it's 4 year/50k miles. I'm in the same position as you, looking to get a 2009 MCS. I'll probably be ordering sometime real soon because I can't find anything on the lot that I'm content with.

thanks!!

im in the same boat as you... can't find anything on the lot, so if all goes well i should be ordering before the end of the month :):):) sucks to have to wait 6-8 weeks for it though!

Yeah. I was so close to finding something on the lot. But it wasn't meant to be. The wait is going to be a killer for sure.

As far as the cold start rattle issue mentioned in earlier posts, there is pretty reliable evidence that the latest associated, redesigned valve train parts started showing up on the PSA assembly lines sometime in March of this year. Owners who've experienced the problem and have had it fixed using these latest parts and accompanying guidance are reporting a very high success rate leading the community to the early conclusion that the fix may be working as advertised.

Ergo, I would have full confidence in purchasing a turbo '09 off the lot if it had a build date of 04/09 or later--or in placing a custom order for a new MINI--at least as far as this one issue affects the decision. YMMV.

good to hear the cold start issue has been solved... in houston it pretty much never gets cold, but its nice to know the issue has been fixed regardless :)

at this point it looks like i'm going to have to order my mini- although i wish i could find something off the lot... if i do end up finding something off the lot i'll definitely look for something built no earlier than 04/09.

thanks for the great info :):)

Well technically, almost every engine these days is an automatic, being as most use electronic fuel injection.

The transmission is a different story. The only real issue you should worry about is how much fun you will have and what kind of options you want.