74k 2009 JCW; thinking about purchasing
 

Hey guys Ive spent a good amount of time with R53's but moved on to other things. Well its time for the gf to get an upcoming baby friendly car. She wanted one before we knew and still does hence going to a clubman to make access to the rear seat easier. I found a JCW clubman (I want a JCW for sure) locally but it has 74k miles. What should I be looking for when looking the car over? Should I pass and buy something more expensive with less miles? Appreciate any help :thumbsup:

Some of the things to look for are -

1. The high pressure fuel pump (HPFP)
2. The auxil water pump
3. carbon buildup on the intake valves
4. Timing chain , timing chain, timing chain
5. high mileage turbo failures.

I bought my 09 JCW at about the same mileage. I have had to take of a few things like some of the ones I mentioned. I would recommend investing in a pre-purchase inspection regardless of which car. These things are pretty darned expensive when the warranty expires.

I agree, the pre-purchase inspection is always a good idea.

The auxiliary water pump should be a recall item, so if it hasn't been replaced, it can be for free by the dealer. As far as the HPFP, Mini has extended the warranty on turbocharged 2007, 2008, and 2009 models for 10 years or 120,000 miles. This MINI should be included, but you might want to double check with a dealer.

Thermostats and water pumps tend to be problems too, so you should check to make sure the cooling system is not leaking.

MINI's tend to be high maintenance vehicles, but if you don't mind getting your hands dirty, they can be a lot of fun!

Good Luck!

I agree with the other comments about maintenance. If it is not through a MINI dealer, see if you can take it to one for the inspection. They can scan the key fob and it should have a record of what maintenance was done on the car.

The list provided above is good info. 20k/year is not outrageous for mileage. Don't forget to see how the clutch feels, that is an expensive fix as well.

Good luck, and congrats on the pending family expansion.....

Mike