Haven't all of these issues found good fixes though?

The timing chain tensioner is under extended warranty by Mini, and it's cheap and easy to replace yourself: it's like a $50 part.

Carbon build up: just redline the car once in a while. People get the S version and drive it like a grandma. A lot of turbo engines will get buildup if you keep the RPM's under 3000 all the time. Also some fuel additive once a month helps.

Fuel pump issues aren't THAT common.

Not sure about "drinking oil". Haven't had experience with that one.

 

Exactly. Forums tend to concentrate problems, so people end up thinking their cars are ticking time bombs :D I have to keep reminding myself about that every time I buy a car!

 

"All the hate" is that they blow up, end of story. You're lucky. My timing tensioner was so bad at 50k that I cringed at every cold start, half-expecting it to yack its guts right there in the driveway. My engine got every part allowed under the recall, and had to have the oil pump pickup cleaned due to all the chunks of timing chain guide stuck in it. Pretty sad.

 

That really really sucks, and I feel bad for you. However, is that the norm though? Are 90% of all Mini's going to have this issue, or 1%?

 

It is a base, automatic transmission, sunroof. I love it‼️

 

The build-up/carbon/need for walnut shell has nothing to do with the turbo, it's a byproduct of direct injection, which is superior in every other way. You might not hear about it, but the latest-gen of VAG DI engines, and other makes also require periodic walnut blasting.

 

The low quality fuel with methanol results in a carbon deposit, here in Europe we have almost no problems with it. Full synthetic oil is also a must.

 

Blown motor may not be the norm, but the timing chain is.

 

I hope you never have to deal with an "oil drinker," it's not fun. I know first-hand what a hassle it is. It's a real problem on some N14 engines; and other N14 engines do not have the problem.

Also, it sounds like you're a good mechanic...$50 to replace a timing chain tensioner. How much do you charge to replace a stretched timing chain? You've gotta be less than the standard - $2,000.

 

3 pages into the comments, i doubt there will be much useful to add, but here goes. I am on my 3rd MINI (serially). 06 Hardtop, 09 Clubman, 13 Clubman. All normally aspirated, all Manual trans and light exterior colors. very little problems with any of them. 06 broke a rear stabilizer link (warranty fix) later, I slid it into a curb on ice and knocked the front end out of alignment, but did not break anything. align job- my dime. had a black roof and sunroof, black interior. when our kids grew beyond the capacity of the rear seats, we decided on a PW allover for with black roof rails and rear columns for our 09 Clubman. Upstate NY is not Tex or AZ. AC always did the job.
I ran the 09 oil low once, which caused me existential dread, but no failures. Hood release cable fail issue - off warranty- covered at a local import/BMW shop.
Had a warranty repair of driver window motor. otherwise 60 K of trouble free driving.
the CEL came on 2 mos after it was paid off- dec 13- local BMW shop warned of timing chain problems they would not take on My local MINI dealer (3 hr drive) instead diagnosed as only needing new plugs. we loved everything about the car, but I was always gonna worry about when the oil incident would come back to bite me. we traded for a floor model 13 clubman. again light- their white top silver body paint custom edition. all 3 of our MINIs have been dead reliable transportation for 8 years now. if I was worried about AC, I would select a car with light paint color and white roof. then try and find one with the lighter polar white or similar interior colors. as for overall reliability, the base engine is easier to care and feed. no supermodel performance, no supermodel drama. none of these cars will ever be QUIET till there is an integral frame around the door glass. rowing a 6sp and being OK with 2sp downshifts for steep hill climbs at speed is my choice. it is still plenty of fun in the curves. if you need the HP, dont buy a base model.

My summation, a clubman is the perfect previous gen MINI. small enough to be fun tossable driving, big enough to be a primary car for empty nesters or a young couple. I think the Barn door access to cargo area is better than a hatch for tall people. I can carry all the groceries we need back there, maybe fold a seat down sometimes. Roof rails and thule bars allow me to carry bikes, skis, lumber, plumbing pipe. Rear seat access good with clubdoor. headroom back there is good enough for 6+ footers and legroom is ok if 5'9" or under sits up front with the seat pumped up a bit, though not for 3+ hours. Up front, the manually adjustable sport seats are delightful seating for both tall and short. the drivers seat in our "Clubmen" has been the most comfortable for me of any cars I have ever driven. the longer i sit in it, the better it gets. That said, this is not ever gonna be a highway cruiser. the wheelbase is just too short. however, the extra 3 in in WB does settle it down a lot from the twitchier ride of a hardtop when you find yourself on an interstate for 2 hours. check you oil frequently. only 4qt in the base engine. under warranty buy a change at 5k. dont wait for the 10k interval, or buy one that was treated this way. I think MINI realizes this sweetspot since new 4door ccooper looks to be growing to essentially the size of my clubman.

 

That issue also has a $50 fix.

 

The tensioner is just a bolt, and it's not that hard to get to in on the N14 engines- it's right below the air box on the rear passenger side of the engine. There's a hose you'll have to take off, and maybe the airbox. Here's a quick video: