Consumer Reports annual reliability study came out today showing MINI and BMW is general declining in reliability. Personally, I don't take these studies too seriously, but I thought I'd post it.





You can read the full article here

 

ouch! The Clubman takes a hit.

 

Weird: Clubman S- worst; JustaClubman- best.

 

They also list the MINI S Hatchback as "Not Recommended"

 

But if you look at the blue bar, you can see there is only a very small difference between MINI's best and worst.

 

I don't think anyone needs to take these with a grain of salt. Their ratings are based on questionnaires completed by owners of MINIs who subscribe to the magazine (I've filled them out for years on every car I've owned). They don't report results on a make or model unless they have a statistically significant sample size.

What we're seeing is the result of the many MINI owners who have had problems with dipping windows, cold start rattle, warped hood scoops, fuel pump problems, etc., etc. What we see on this forum is an unscientific sample. What Consumer Reports publishes is the same information, except that it has been quantified in a standardized methodology.

I, for one, am not at all surprised to see MINI's rating fall the farthest of any manufacturer. When I bought (about a year ago), all the reports as to reliability were glowing. Now the problems are beginning to surface, with some being recurring problems in the same vehicle.

In all fairness, there is no attempt by Consumer Reports to give weight to the seriousness of any given problem. But this is the same across all makes and models. All things being equal, I'd rather own a car with fewer, rather than more, reported problems.

 

Because the mechanical differences between any of MINI's models is negligible when compared to most car brands. Look at Ford with a F-250 4WD and Fusion. What parts (other that brand emblem) do you suppose they have in common?

 

Oh boy, I'm two weeks away from ordering my next MINI...

 

Thank you Captain Obvious

 

Yes but that still doesn't explain why the Justa version of the same car is the best while the turbo car is the worst - both are pretty much identical except for the motors, and with the exception of the cold start noise, all the problems cited above should be on both vehicles as they are the same subsystems.

 

Well like a said, "best" and "worst" is a bit misleading since there is a very small difference between all the models. The cold start chatter, or hood scoop melting could have been enough to put the turbo model as "worst". Also, the sample size of the Justa and the S can possibly cause a small difference in the results.

 

I wanna know what they use to predict the reliability of brand new 2010 car models and how their prior predictions have stood up to actual figures. Do they get one of those Magic 8 ***** and ask it "how reliable will this car be" then wait for the answer to float?

 

Not to be a jerk but really who cares. Most of those things are for people who expect a car to be perfect with absolutely nothing wrong and if a cup holder can't hold there super size coke then they it is messed up

 

Looked at the original post and thought of these:

Definition of Statistics: The science of producing unreliable facts from reliable figures. Evan Essar

I can prove anything by statistics except the truth. George Canning

1) Numbers are tools, not rules. 2) Numbers are symbols for things; the number and the thing are not the same. 3) Skill in manipulating numbers is a talent, not evidence of divine guidance. 4) Like other occult techniques of divination, the statistical method has a private jargon deliberately contrived to obscure its methods from nonpractitioners. 5) The product of an arithmetical computation is the answer to an equation; it is not the solution to a problem. 6) Arithmetical proofs of theorems that do not have arithmetical bases prove nothing. Ashley-Perry Statistical Axioms

Just reading that "Predicted Reliability" paragraph which attempts to explain where the numbers came from makes me not trust it.

 

Fortunately the MINI accommodates the 44oz beverage. All is good here.

Well, except the stupid drip rails... they might as well not exist. I get tired of opening the door so the beaded water on the roof can roll into the driver seat. That's really my only complaint so far.

 

The difference in the S and the Cooper has to be engine issues. What else in the world could it be? The "death rattle" would be my guess.

 

Statistics are like bikinis: What they reveal is interesting, what they hide is crucial.

 

Hopefully this will keep future whiners away.

 

HP fuel pump I believe. Mine blew out in 700 miles. Still love my MINI but far from the confidence inspiring build of my Japanese build cars (but far better than Pentastar junk).

 

As I read this and saw the, my thought was that the timing chain tensioner problem was taking its toll on reliability ratings for the S.

Does the fuel pump issue just affect the S, or both?

I guess German engineering isn't quite what it used to be. Or, should I say it isn't what I once thought it to be.

 

I don't understand why the HPFP is such a problem. On the BMW N54 engine (twin turbo used in many applications, including the 335i), the HPFPs are still failing in alarming numbers, a good 3 years after the release of the motor. WTH?? Stories from people going through 2-3-4 of them aren't uncommon. Something's rotten in Denmark - the things need to be redesigned and/or sourced from a different vendor.

 

Obviously enough people care to respond to the surveys CR sends out, and enough people care to see the results or no one would be buying their magazine.

I find it odd many of the posters in the past would say "The MINI is reliable, its on CR recommended list!" But once it drops in the rankings everyone says that they don't mean anything.

If you look at the chart it gives you a good overview of reliable brands vs unreliable ones. Toyota, Honda near the top, Dodge and some Euros near the bottom. Nothing too surprising. Its what people experience in the real world, for the most part. Of course there are exceptions. But if you look at the chart in a general sense, I think its not too far off target. Just my opinion...

FWIW, I think most cars nowadays are pretty reliable that I wouldn't have a problem buying a car at the bottom of the list. Thats what a warranty is for. I love my MINI and it has not given me a problem yet!

 

When you look at the list by manufacturer, the Germans are in the bottom half. VW, Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Mini are all clustered together in the bottom half. All the Japanese are clustered together in the top quarter. BMW was 26, Mini 27.

Some of this I think can be attributed to complexity. Having owned Hondas for years (and still have 2) I can say that they usually won't bring a technology into their lineup until it is well proven and generally stay a step or two behind the Germans in 'high tech'. They didn't add ABS right away, my 99 CRV without it. They didn't add DSC right away, my 04 accord without it. They put out models with technologies they know are tried and proven. The Germans on the other hand have models that are always technologically a alittle out front of everyone, hence, some explaination of the higher failure rates.

In general car reliability is a far cry and much improved on all models. If you want the most reliable Mini, get a justa mini (clubman, cooper), stay away from high tech electronics, and enjoy your ride.

I do agree with the statement on vendors. A lot of mini's problems seem less to do with the design of the car and more to do with terrible subcontractor quality control. It is very easy to dictate quality assurance provisions in a contract, so the blame rests solely on Mini's shoulders for that problem.

 

The chart doesn't scare me at all. The is only a small difference between the worst and best MINI and yet the worst is dead middle "average" reliability with the best just over average. It's also misleading saying that it dropped 14 places from last year. Did MINI's reliability drop from last year of did other cars reliability just increase while MINI stayed the same.

 

If you were to look at every car company there is little things or big things if you will that break and it is a known fact that that particular part breaks. Like the Catalytic convetors in 02-06 Sentras the were crap had to get rid of them.