Sadly most of these are known issues. I'm just over 60k and i've had my oil feed line, timing chain tensioner, water pump, thermostat...and from the feel of it, the clutch (soon), all replaced as well. Also, don't forget to carbon clean every so often.

The car has little competition when it comes to fun factor, but it certainly requires more maintenance.

Honestly though, i'm excited to see how the 2015's hold up. My hopes are high.

 

Everyone should invest in an extended warranty!!! It really is worth the price in the long run. Even if you sell the car, it helps with value; people will assume that you had things repaired when they fail.

 

If I had bought the typical extended warranty out to 100k it would have been a waste of money as I had zero repairs between 50k and 100k.

Odds are an extended warranty is not worth the price because the house always wins.

 

07 MCS with 60k miles. I have had the car for almost a year and zero issues while in my possession, until yesterday. The mechanical water pump (not aux) is leaking and causing coolant to leak .. BUT .. I also have an extended warranty that covers that. So, no worries for me.

Other than that, I purchased my MINI Cooper S knowing that IF repairs came up, they would be costly. I was prepared, and I also got the extended warranty as well to help me out as much as possible should something occur.

A lot of the issues you are having are typically taken care of under a good extended warranty, which I would never purchase a MINI without ..

Maybe I have been lucky with my first year R56 ..

 

.. and chiming in on this .. my extended warranty was only $1200 for 3 years of coverage with a $100 deductible - could've gotten a lengthier warranty, but I don't see myself keeping the MINI for that long (might want a newer one! )

Anyways .. considering my water pump just went bad and the job costs in excess of $1500, my warranty has already paid itself off. So, I am a very content motorer.

 

I believe the seller/owner of his Mini got rid of it because of all the problems, how many members sell their MCS because you're tired of having it in the shop half the time? To date I have had the timing chain assembly replaced (6-Year extended warranty), valve cover, thermostat housing done, intake valve walnut blasted and now my throwout bearing being done today. Clutch is strong, nothing wrong with it. Never owned a car to where I didn't have to replace a thermostat, so seems normal to me. It would be nice if I never have an issue with my engine.

I paid $2800 for my 6-Year extended warranty which covers everything, it's already paid for itself and then some. I still have 5 years to decide if this Mini is a keeper.

 

I would agree, but the 'peace of mind' factor is more important for some folks than others...

 

Water pump replacement, $1,500.... Holy crap, as Blake Shelton would say.... (I'm kind of hooked on 'The Voice'... )

How about if folks list where they got their extended warranties from and the terms of the contract (in broad terms)...

 

My 6-year extended warranty is from MaxCare ($2800 6-year warranty) which has no association with CarMax, MaxCare will cover anything that's not normal wear and tear. I inquired if they would cover the turbo oil line, they would cover that as well. It's the most friendly extended warranty company I have ever heard of and used!

Funny thing is whenever I have work done at my Mini dealer they always ask me (in the survey) why I took it to the dealer and if I'd be willing to take it to CarMax next time. My deductible is $50 less ($150/$200) if I take it to CarMax for repair, I'll take it where I want to! I think all of us no why they asked that particular question!

 

You realize the pump itself is only about $130 retail?

At a shop rate of about $125, throw in some other supplies like replacing the coolant, that would be about 9-10 hours of labor wherever it is you are taking it. iirc, book on the job is like 6 hours.

I guess if you think you are better off...

 

And that is exactly why I bought the extended powertrain warranty.

 

$1,500 for a water pump job?! Wow, that's super expensive, doesn't sound right. A water pump is a relatively cheap piece of equipment... even for a BMW made Mini.

 

what would happen with the light control module?

 

Wow!

 

As I understand it you have to lift the engine to get clearance to pull the water pump out, it's all labor. Spent $1900 today to have my dealer remove my transmission, I should know the fate of my clutch any minute.

 

Sadly, this is all too common with what would be relatively inexpensive repairs on "normal" cars but Mini Cooper is anything but normal and most repairs on them are very expensive.
Thus the reason, for the Mini Cooper at least, that an extended warranty makes good sense if you intend to keep your Mini past the factory warranty.

 

Like I thought my throwout bearing has significant play, enough to cause screeching noises and spin on the main shaft. It was spinning and screeching at the same time. I don't know that fate of my clutch though, tomorrow I'll know.

I remember my 1980 200SX Datsun (RWD) clutch cost only $350 to replace the clutch and for my 1987 Toyota GTS 1.6L (FWD, 310k still strong) cost $580, both prices include parts.

At 310k my 1987 Toyota GTS burned no oil, I had the head rebuilt. Compression before head rebuild were all 155 psi and 180 psi after head was rebuilt. Connecting rod bearing was make a little noise but drove fine for years like that. I had them shave the head down close to limit to bump up compression.

 

You probably will end up replacing the clutch and flywheel along with that throwout bearing as the cost of just doing the throwout bearing will justify replacing everthing while the car is apart, not cheap in any fashion.(I suspect the noise you are hearing is the flwheel)
Mini's manual transmissions have a bitter/sweet relationship due to a history of clutch related failures, some go many miles without a problem while others are not so lucky.
It's a crap shoot at best as to how many miles you can go before needing a new clutch.
Heres a link illustrating that Mini Cooper clutch history.
http://repairpal.com/clutch-may-wear-prematurely-070

 

I've had my fair share of issues with my R56. 2 HPFP, 1 water pump and thermostat, airbag sensor, oil line, etc. Most of this was covered under warranty and some after warranty on "good will". I've had nothing but great luck with Mini of Monrovia. Especially since my car mods have all stayed on and they never attributed any of my failures to them.

I bought the car knowing that it was going to have issues due to the design, as well as it being a Euro car. I'll never sell this and i'll definitely continue dumping more money into it over the years simply because i enjoy the feeling i get when i drive it. The head turns and thumbs up. The random questions I get from strangers in regards to how i like it. It's all about the experience of owning a Mini that justifies what i've gone through and what I expect to come.

 

When it comes to continuing "dumping more money into it", surely there must be a limit to what enjoyment one gets out of a car and the amount of money "dumped" into it.
The old addage of "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" does seem to apply to some Mini Cooper owners. Are Mini Coopers really in the same catagory as some of the most expensive exotic cars out there that would justify dumping so much into keeping one?
I doubt all Mini Cooper owners would agree with that philosophy. (although apparantly some do)
I woner if this Mini Cooper owner would agree with you?
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...eply&p=3924549

 

When i say "dumping" i'm not speaking solely on issues. I'm speaking about maintenance, preventative maintenance, after market mods, etc. Anything to keep my mini running right as well as continuing to make her turn heads.

 

yeah, sure. I guess. It's not like some objective measure of worth is even necessary. If you love your car and can afford what you are doing, that's enough for me. I got my car used for 17888. It's not like it cost me a fortune and now it needs to work like a Rolex.

 

I am well aware of the cost of a water pump. The price of the pump is not the issue - it's the labor to replace it.

Believe me, my eyes went when I heard the cost.

I am not a mechanic, but the dealership said that for the mechanical water pump (not the auxiliary), basically the front part of the engine needs to be removed because it's located near the back portion of the engine. Excuse my lack of technical terms. It was also causing my coolant to leak at a dangerously fast rate - one morning my coolant level was at "max" in the reservoir, and then literally would be below the minimum line by the following morning - only 24 hours later with a total of 1.5 hours driving.

Extended Warranty - Mine is with QualityGuard Plus, which is offered through Nissan dealers (got the MINI at a Nissan dealership). I went with the 3 years/36,000 miles plan. $100 deductible. Roadside, rental, and all that stuff. I'm pretty content with it.

+81374658

 

Found out today from dealer that the clutch disc, pressure plate and flywheel are all in really good condition. Only the throwout bearing is excessively worn, shocker is dealer recommended not replacing the clutch components that are fine. I told them to expect me to come down to the dealer to have a look for myself and they showed me the clutch components, the clutch disc and pressure plate look surprisingly in great shape after 53k miles. 50% percent on the time I drive my MCS hard with the right freeway on ramp!

A lot of the time there's another reason for clutch failures like the shifting cables and the main and slave cylinder could be operating in a way that puts more stress on the clutch. I have done two days worth of research on Mini clutches going bad, a lot of the time it was the cables or hydraulics that were faulted and a lot of the claims are from the 1st gen Mini Coopers R53. This was only found out after owner had the first clutch replacement parts fail after a short time, that's when the dealers start looking for other causes and find the hydraulics weren't functioning properly.

Should I mess up a good thing and replace the clutch disc and pressure plate or leave it alone?

Not sure what the numbers mean, but dealer is lying by saying that they have to remove engine to do the water pump. All you need to do is remove the top section engine mounts so the engine can be lifted only slightly up in the rear, it's not that difficult really.

 

You may be right, I don't recall verbatim what my SA said about HOW to change the pump. To be honest, the guy has probably never done one himself anyways.

All I know is the quote, which based on my research on NAM alone, seems to be a relatively average price (+/- $200) for replacing the water pump at a MINI dealership. That price is also assuming the thermostat housing/thermostat? gets replaced too.