R56 buyer's remorse
 

I am now regretting my R56 purchase. Until about 60,000 miles this car was trouble-free with only routine maintenance and a timing chain tensioner replaced under warranty. After that, however, I experienced failures of the light control module, clutch, timing chain assembly, thermostat, water pump, vacuum pump, and turbo oil lines. I did get a discounted price from the dealership on the timing chain assembly but then found others are getting this at no cost.

The car had scrupulous "old school" maintenance so I conclude these failures are from poor initial design and build quality.

So my conclusion is that anyone considering an R56 purchase should consider the status of the vulnerabilities I listed - my experience is obviously not unique. Speaking for myself though, I'd look for alternative vehicles.

Unfortunately, those failures are typical (except for the cluster you mentioned, haven't heard that one). I have done some of the work myself and am happy with my car, but if I had to pay for all those repairs... yeah... definitely not going to buy another MINI in the future, but I love my r55 and plan to keep it forever!

Although... Sometimes... I regret that I got the clubby over the convertible, especially during nice weather! But when it's cold and rainy, I know I made the right choice!

All the stuff you listed I replace @ 32k miles. :(

And you thought your MCS 07 was bad..

My MINI has been much better than many other vehicles I've owned even with the repairs. My experience is that all vehicles need repairs at some point. So no regrets at all for me.

The prince engine definitely has it's issues and I'm not sure if all the replacement parts are any better but I noticed the seals, turbo line and thermostat

I read posts like this and it really scares me. My opinion of what is the best all-around repair tool in the house is something called a 'telephone'. I do not work on cars. So, everything will go to the dealer or local guy after the warranty work is done.

Is there a consensus as far as what year did the Mini seem to really improve in terms of quality, etc? If I get one it would be new (2013/14), or very low mileage, and less than 2 years old.

Other than the seals and thermostat faults the only real issue is the turbo feed line which has a permanent fix if you buy a Detroit tuned feed line. The r56 is far from perfect yet not as expensive to repair as some other cars. If you pamper the prince engine and are willing to stick by your r56 through it's lowest points then it's all worth it at the end of the day. I've been having issues since 48k and I'm now at 65k and after getting through everything I'm not willing to let go of my r56.

I am a new mini owner and honestly looked into the R56's. I love my new (to me) R53. I was concerned about things breaking and yup, I know what is coming but in the big picture, they are less trouble than the R56. IMHO

I think that the N14 and N18 engines have several weak points that are expensive to fix and are mentioned above. Unfortunately, if you need to pay the dealer, this is likely in the $500-$800 per year range. If you are able to work on the car yourself, then costs are more reasonable.

These cars are not toyotas, both in the good ways and bad ways.

Have fun,
Mike

Aren't the most iconic cars in history ones which we have a love/hate relationship with?

Land Rover Defender - Like riding inside an empty old drum, but it will go absolutely anywhere in the world.

Porsche 911 - What a classic shape and engine note, but do NOT mash the gas pedal mid way through a sweeping turn.

VW Bus - A car which could swallow enough moving boxes to vacate an apartment. Shame you can't get it past 50mph on the freeway.

As someone who has owned a number of BMWs, some new, some past warranty, I've just become a bit "Zen" about the whole thing. I chalk it up to the price of admission. These are not Toyota's. In fact, if you are to believe JD Power, they're on the opposite end of the spectrum with Land Rover and Jaguar.

Which is all to say, I purchased this car knowing I'll be inconvenienced by some additional trips to the dealership for repairs. They are kind of a funky little car and so it balances itself out. Like I said, love/hate relationship :)

The R56 gets trashed a lot on NAM but almost always it is 2007 to 2010 models with the N14 engines. From 2011 to current production MINI has the N18 engine which has proven to be a good reliable engine, and when you consider all the extreme mods MINI owners do to the N18 it’s really kind of amazing how tough the engines are.

The new 2014 F56 is the only MINI not using the N18 engine and it will be a few years before anyone really knows how good they really are.

Based on what you've described happening in such a short amount of time, you got a lemon. And let me tell you my friend, sometimes you can't make lemonade out of that lemon.

feel bad for all the r56s owners that are to come

i too have my fair share of troubles with my '08 MCS SS… i am almost afraid to ask on how long the shelf life is on these n14 poweplants. i must say that this is the my first car built from across the pond and at one point have lost confidence in the brand.

i have a very poor relationship with my MINI dealership and have gone to an indy to give local businesses a shot. like someone mentioned before that not all indys are created equal.. totally agree with that. to the point that i hand to email these folks way in advance the step-by-step procedures on what i need done and still end up an average of 1.5 hours over the allotted time to complete the job.

i've done some mods..nothing heavy and dividends are beginning to show with dignified results out on the road/freeways.

very happy with it right now but my full expectations* are not met YET.

*expectation = acceptable level of reliability

So true....IMO

I'm getting my 65k 2010 MCS from the shop today. Had to replace the valve cover which came out to around $600. My thermostat failed so coolant was completely empty. They were still able to cover it through warranty.

I wanted to be a lifelong owner but the inconvenience is just too much. No garage, second car, coworkers nearby, or family.

I have an 07 MCS and just did the water pump myself this weekend. I think I am a little paranoid about the tensioner/timing chain issue. I listen every time I check the oil,which is almost daily. I'm at about 100k and so far the only major issue was the water pump. I'm hoping it goes a bit more before more starts to go wrong. I'm not ready to fix a clutch or a timing chain just yet :). I worry about the repairs one day, but I still do love the car.

Has anyone changed the timing chain/guide rails on their own? I haven't come across a DIY write up yet.

My 2007 MCSm hardtop had some problems. BMW/MINI bought it back from me. My 2009 MCm Clubman has been problem-free. My 2011 MCSm hardtop has been great, except for a startup stumble, which the dealership and MINI USA went after vigorously, and corrected by remote reprogramming.

For the Cooper S Hardtop, 2011 was the Life Cycle Impulse, which incorporated fixes and improvements that have greatly improved reliability. So, 2011, 2012, and 2013 S hardtops seem to have the problems sorted-out. 2014 hardtop: reliability yet to be seen.

"Justa" hardtops have been pretty reliable from the start.

I have the 07' MCS 43,000 miles no troubles yet!
Hell From what I read these troubles are repairs or change out to new parts, these are engines 4cyl high rev'd mechanical machines. I had an 01' Audi TT, 1.8t same issues. Water pump timing belt every 60,000 miles people changed it in less I changed mine three times sold it at 186,000 miles and bought it with 17,000 miles. Wish I still had it...so seems to me the Mini is the same.. The more you drive it the more miles and the more issues you will have. In my Opinion.
I always wanted a Mini now I have one and I enjoy it.

Every BMW I've owned has needed coolant system work, valve covers, suspension bushings, the list goes on. 60,000 miles and you have now entered the refurbishment cycle. That requires time, effort and lots of money. Even if you do your own work, parts are more expensive. If you don't love your car, sell it and move on. Toyota makes a great product if you don't mind the driving experience.

I agree and well said. Go buy a Toyota! Get the Prius! a fine driving automobile!:eek2:

I bought my '13 Justa Hardtop this past January and then came to this forum. I had not done any research prior to my purchase. As much as I love my MINI the one thing I've learned since being here is I won't own a MINI that's not in warranty. I'll have another car before the warranty runs out on this one, and yes, it will more than likely be another MINI.

So, thought about an extended warranty for the Mini before selling it, instead?

And who else got an extended W?

No. My opinion of extended warranties is that they are lower than dirt. Besides, even though expected problems might be covered by an extended warranty I don't want to go thru the hassle.

With a 2013, I wouldn't worry as much. First, as you've pointed out: you have warranty. But probably more important, 2013 is the last year for the R56 and the majority of the bugs have either been worked out, identified, or have alternative solutions (read cheap) available for it.

The biggest pain with less-than-reliable cars is when neither you or the dealership have a clue as to the root cause. Something which I suspect new owners of the F56 are going to have to put up with for a little while. This results in multiple repairs, lots of inconvenience, and financial impacts.