I have had my MINI for less than two months and I only have 2030 miles on it and already I am experiencing problems. First, the cruise control malfunction light came on when I turned the cruise control on the way home from buying the car. Next I notice a knocking noise in the back when the car is on and I have my foot on the brake. Then today my car had half a tank then when I parked it said I had no gas. Could this be because i am using premium gas with ethanol? One more thing, i notice when coasting towards a stop light or something similar I feel the car almost jerk and it almost feels like its coming to a complete stop, is that how the car just drives or is something wrong?
I waited 6 years to own this car & now im beginning to regret buying it.

 

Sorry man. I've had my MINI in the shop more than all the other vehicles i've owned in the past combined, and i've had a lot of vehicles. Not including regular services. I really like the car but it does have its problems. So far i've gone through the tensioner bit, windows not working, cracked water pump, leaking fuel connector, melted hood scoop, popped tire 1 month after getting it (which MINI said it wasnt covered), broken clutch pedal, And now i'm fighting with them over getting only 19-22 MPG's around town after they reflashed my MINI for the annual servive. There saying it's supposed to go down....********....So good luck.....

 

Sorry to hear about your problems, guys. I wonder if your cars qualify as being "lemons". I'm in the midst of ordering a 2011 MCS and although I really like the car, it truly feels like a crapshoot in terms of what I'll end up with. Some people seem to have no problems while others just deal with a minor inconvenience here and there. And then there are those where all hell breaks loose right from the get-go. It's strange how inconsistent each build is.

 

Wow, sorry to hear about your issues. 14 months, 12K miles, not 1 issue at all. The car is great... And I drive it like I stole it every day.

 

You have taken it to the dealer correct? None of those things are normal/should be happening. Take advantage of your warranty.

 

I think his point was it's only two months old and only has 2K miles and he's already got problems.

 

Sorry to hear about your issues. I'm on my second MINI now, and have had no problems whatsoever. First one had CEL the second day I got it, which turned out to be a faulty variable valve timing controller that took a week to be replaced; other than that it was problem-free.

The 'jerking' you mentioned when coming to a stop -- do you by any chance have an auto transmission? I noticed on the wife's Clubby that it does that when it downshifts as you slow down, and sometimes it goes down into 1st a little harshly just before coming to a stop. I actually prefer that more precise feeling of MINI's auto over any other auto I've driven. (Of course there's no substitute for just shifting it yourself!)

Sorry I can't help with any of your other issues; hopefully your dealer can get them resolved and you can get back to motoring.

Good luck ...

 

Doesn't the engine shut off at a stop? Could that be why OP is experiencing the jerkiness when braking?

 

If the OP is in the US, the engine doesn't shut off at a stop. Our '10 Clubman S auto is very noticeable in its' downshift coming to a stop - completely different than our '05 MCSa.

 

Justacooper or S?

Manual or automatic?

How far do you live from the dealership?

Sorry to hear you're having issues, but you do have warranty coverage, so let the dealership handle it. Don't wait too long, though.

 

Well, I've had my 11 MCS for 6 weeks now, still zero problems. What he said. Get it to dealer ASAP.

 

Its an automatic and just a cooper & the worst thing is I live 3 hours from the dealership. Im getting it serviced Wednesday.

 

Yeah I noticed the downshifting from the auto.

I use gas with 10% ethanol and it runs fine. My mini is 2 weeks old with 800 miles.

 

it doesnt shut off, it just jerks pretty hard then basically stops. it doesnt just roll like other cars i have had.

 

What you're experiencing with rolling to a stop is "normal", as in normal for the MINI automatic, my '09 Clubman S does this too. What I think it is is the fuel injection shuts off the fuel when you're coasting, as you come to a stop the fuel cuts on again at about 3-5 mph - what you're feeling is the engine coming back to life, even tho it doesn't have stop/start like in Europe.

As to the other problems, just let your dealer take care of them for you. Chances are you just have a couple of bad parts in your car, not a bad car itself....

I'm just under 30K on my car, I had the tensioner replaced at about 3K and haven't had a thing go wrong since.

 

The jerking is normal while coming to a stop, I've had my 2011 justacooper automatic for about two months now, and that's just how the car drives-definitely takes some getting used to though. Now that I've become accustomed to that feature, I actually don't mind it at all, because I can roll to a stop if I'm anticipating having to like one would in a manual. Saves on the brakes a bit too Sorry to hear about your other problems though, since it's brand new, I'm sure the dealer will get everything straightened out for you, and if not, rest assured, as they explained to me, they'll just lemon law it.

 

I have an 09 Justa automatic, so our cars are similar. Lets consider the issues that you have one at a time:

1. The issue with the cruise control is a new one -- let the dealer look at that. It may be a real malfunction.

2. The issue with the fuel gauge may be a problem, and may not. Sometimes it takes a bit for all of the electrics in mine to wake up, and until it does, the fuel gauge doesn't read properl. But When I turn the motor on, everything seems to shake it off, and then it works perfectly. You may want to make a list of these things for your dealer to look at all at once.

3. The noise from the back is kinda hard to diagnose, but I suspect one of two things -- you may be loading the chassis a bit with a foot on the brake, and you may be hearing the swaybar moving a bit as the chasis loads. Its pretty common to get some sway bar noises. You amy also be causing a bit of vibration as the car loads the transmission against the brake. Its pretty common for these cars to have rattles or other noises from the rear hatch latch. Try wrapping a few turns of electrical tape around the bottom of the latch and see if the noise diminishes.

The transmission downshift at the last moment before stopping is normal -- irritating sometimes -- but normal. I can tell you that mine has done it since day 1 and now, 15 months and 26K later, it still does it exactly like it did when new. Its just one of the little things that the Mini does differently from other cars. There are lots of those kinds of thing. Some of the Volkswagens use the same Aisin automatic transmission, and they do it, too so it may not even be just a Mini quirk. You may keep in mind that the aisin transmission, in spite of its quirks is one of the most reliable small car gearboxes out there so once you get used to it, it should serve you well for a very long time.

And finally, one last point to keep in mind. Force yourself to quit comparing the Mini to other cars you've owned. It is not like any of them. But you will quickly learn that different is not bad, its just different and the car goes about its business with no worries. I'm finding that the Mini takes longer than most cars to "break-in". Many new cars don't have a break-in period at all, but the Mini seems to not all work together till somewhere around the 10K mark. Then it seems to smooth out and little things seem to just go away.

I am finding that other than a real live malfunction (mine broke its water pump as an example) the Mini needs only regular oil changes and good quality gas to motor along with no issues. I give it new oil and a filter every 5K miles. I rotate its tires about every 3K miles and I keep the tires at 36 psi front and 38 psi rear.

I can go out right now and get in the car and set out for the other side of the country with no worries at all.

Give it time, and quit over-analyzing it. Just drive the heck out of it and enjoy what you have waited so long for. Its a great little car and you'll find it gets better as the miles go along.

 

Sorry for the above but it kept me focused. Mini's are quirky at times and downright annoying at others. I put 30K on my Cooper and the dealership just about drove me nuts when I was in for service in December. They wanted to sell a car bad and for some reason wanted my coop bad. I ended up with the add ons I wanted, and a clubman for the same payments and a fresh warranty and service coverage. I can't complain,since I normally don't keep cars all that long anyway. Not a single problem other than the quirks of the car.
I hope you have the good service experience that I have had so far.

 

My 2010 was flawless for 10K. Some cars are fine from day one. Others need to me sorted out. Mistakes happen in production and built with defective parts. For me any new or used car needs about 6 months to get sorted out.
You have warranty to work out all the little details. If it became constant then make sure you document everything and work with the dealer to get a new car or lemon it if they cant fix it. I have had car that were just bad from the begining. I learned long ago. If is ongoing dump it and move on. I good dealer you have relationship with will take care of you, From my short experience dealing with Mini they want to be a premium brand but run there dealerships like Larry's used car lot in BFE. My MA just screwed me out a set of floor mats for a 38K Mini that he promised when I bought the car. I never said a word. I also think they cost me 1000 by not delivirying my car on the 3rd because my MA was off and not trackign my car. He has no idea about the rath I amgoing to lay down this afternoon when I see him, We are going to sit with the dealer ship owner on this one. I had pulled the jack kit from my trade because I heard new Mini's with thr RF were not getting the kit.
2 days after doing the deal he was rude to my wife regarding this because they have to replace it for $400. Seems they do not like it much when the
shoe is on the other. It is just so stupid to be dealing with morons. Just leaves a bad taste in your mouth, I think it because they are all ex BMW dealer guys. I tried to buy 3 BMW's in my lifetime and owned none. They pissed me off so bad on each occasion I will walk before I drive a BMW or MB.
The last occasion I was signing paper and my new MS drove with two kids and the wheel for a test drive. I said where are they goiing with my car.
He told me i don't own it yet. He was right I reach across the table and tore up the contract. The called for 2 months after. Bad attitude and arogance.
I gave this dealer my business because the other dealer was just as bad.
I was willing to cut the MA some slack and I forced him to deliver my car on his day off. I said he didn't need to be there I own a Mini already. Was going to buy him a gift Cert for dinner at my fav restaurant for the trouble until I inquired about my mats and he said go inside and buy what ever you like.
Full Bore no discount. The funny part is he was concerned about his survey because I tool the car before it was detailed. Frankly all they could have done was screwed up the paint. I had top exotic shop detail it inside and out and treat everything on my nickel. They he is going stick me for floor mats.
Let the game begun. I am going to lay it on the line with owner. I will post my survey on-line depending on the out come. Like he ever going to get a referral. Maybe part my own fault. I know how to buy cars and I am good at it. I buy for many people I know because i get the best deals. I left 500 on theble at the time and I told them so. They knew it to but the deal was fair
and I didn't want to waste 3 hours for $500. Let them make some profit and they will treat me right. That is the time he said he would take care of me with mats and few other freebies. He must have taken that as a sign of weakness and gave me the blow off. I was ok with all of until I figured out the car was there to deliver on the 3rd but no one cared and they make more money. I kept my old mats but really you by the top of the line car they make and you have to buy the floor mats. When I say dealing with morons these people have to be morons. For $100 set of mats and all my business contacts they want to play this game with me. It is going to be showtime.
The MB dealer that screwed me is currently at over 300K in lost sales. The
MB dealer tracks it for me because I refer everyone to them. All they have to do is mention my name at the deals end and they get an automatic $500 extra off. They want my business but MB burned that bridge when they tried to stick me with a 350 SLK AMG that burned a quart of oil every 500 miles
and smoked like a diesel. They replaced that 05 with an 06 after it got ugly.
I always tell them. We can do this the hard way or the easy way. I run a large national sales force and have guys that need cars. I move alot of iron
and I talk to lot of customers and executives every day. They all know i am a car guy so I just tell them my experiences. Word of month from someone you trust and respect is way more powerfull than all the marketing and advertising a dealer can do. They remember the story and that dealer sucked
so they go elsewhere. That is if you have an option. Looks like 2 weak choices in Seattle area at thsi time.I was hoping for more as I drove and extra 40 miles to buy from them. Bad business practices. Now lets wait for MiniDave to chime in with his tainted dealer prospective. Oh that right Dave you are no longer a dealer I wonder why. The Ahole actaully sent me a private post requesting a not tell people to get tough with there dealers if they are getting screwed. He never replied to my reply,lol. I can npot think of another procduct of this much value where it is a hassle to get them to fix what they sold you that has a warranty. My advise start chasing off customers with the stories of the great after the sale service and support.
Money and lack there of is the only thing that gets there attention. They also know most people just give up afte they saw no to something that should be covered. Ok yes I am bored sitting a plan. They are good dealers out they you just have to find them or get past the morons. Jet Chevrolet
has been my best dealer and I have bought many vehicles from them. I deal with the owner direct so a don't get involved with all the games and BS you get when you deal with moron's.

 

The pulse at stopping makes it impossible to have a smooth stop. Wonder if shifting into neutral would be the thing to do.

Most def normal though.

 

Like everyone is saying here, let the dealer handle it.Document every thing you mentioned.You'll get a loaner and remember they will fix at Minis expence to 4yrs 50,000mi. Laugh at all the SUV's and trucks that are getting 10-20 mpg. So just enjoy.

 

Not true, they try to get out of fixing everything. Whether it be "bad gas" or your "abusive driving". I'm only getting 19-22 MPG's in city driving and they are trying to say that is normal for and older MINI. Well it's and 09 MCS with 18k miles on it. I like the car but im starting to get over it really quick...

 

I never check around town in any rig I own, what's the point. But I do check on long trips and know ours does good on the highway, especially since adding the low rolling restance Michelins.

What is you ballandchain getting on a good highway trip?



Here's my post from back in September when I first got the Michelins:

 

Regarding the noise from the back of the car, is it a muffled popping type noise? There is a "common" noise that has to do with the pressurization of the fuel tank that is "normal." I just consider it the MINI farting.

FWIW, my '09 has ~42k trouble-free miles so far... so they aren't ALL bad. I hope you can get everything worked out. My MINI dealer isn't close, either, so even the "free" stuff can be a pain.