Hello, fine folks of NAM!

I'm on the fence about the purchase of an S, as described above.

It appears to be in pretty excellent condition, and it drives very well. The valve cover gasket was recently replaced as were the plugs and turbo inlet pipe (and probably a few other things as well). Unfortunately, I don't know if the timing chain/tensioner/guides have been replaced, nor do I know if the car was ever run low on oil... I also have no idea if there were any leaks or any seepage anywhere since the engine bay was professionally detailed prior to me seeing the car.

Seems like with that many miles on a MY2010 car, it's been used quite a lot on the highway and not much of anywhere else (and it's unlikely to have sat in the shop a lot) — that makes me feel like it's probably not a basket case.

It's a one owner car with a clean Carfax, but it's being sold by a used car dealership, not the original owner, so I don't have the benefit of hearing about the car's history from him/her.

It's an auto (which wouldn't be my preference, but it is what it is), so I'm not concerned about the clutch, and I've heard that the flappy-paddle gearboxes were pretty solid. Is that accurate?

Are there any odd little noises / indicators of problems of which I should be aware?
Would you roll the dice on a car with that sort of mileage?
What would you check before purchasing such a car?

Photo of the car in question (sorry for the compression):


Thanks very much in advance!!

 

I was the victim of a professionally detailed engine. Many times it is done to clean the evidence of leaking, weeping seals. Carfax means zip IMO, run away unless you want to spend for an independent mechanic to evaluate.

 

If you can do your own repairs...go for it! It's a terrible car to own if you don't have a warranty and have to pay someone else to fix it. Too many probs with the N14 engine.

 

Thanks very much for the replies!

The price of the thing is what has me both interested and suspect: Seller is firm at $9k.

 

If you are serious about buying a used car, ANY used car, always pay for a pre-purchase inspection at a competent independent shop. Expect to pay for 1.5-2.5 hours of labor. The information provided by the inspection will either save you from an expensive mistake, or allow you to negotiate the price down by way more than what you paid for the inspection!

In addition, take the VIN, and cajole your local MINI dealer to run warranty maintenance service history on the car.

Owning used R56 MINI usually is a binary outcome proposition: either they last with minimal investment, or require significant maintenance (especially if previously neglected).

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where are you located? I'll sell you a 2009 with 68k miles and a CPO warranty.

 

Have it inspected and make sure the timing chain and tensioner are in good shape, also a leak-down test should indicate the health of the engine. N14's were and can be nightmares, lots of engine problems. As the owner of one I can say I at least have a valve train noise from time to time, I'll probably have the head rebuilt to prevent problems in the future.

I had my timing chain, tensioner and guides replaced at 47k, no problems since. There are just to many parts that when they fail can render your engine useless, timing chain/tensioner, vacuum pump seizing ripping apart the exhaust cam, excessive carbon build-up in and around the piston rings. The latter is what would bother me the most with 100k miles, expect carbon build-up in the combustion chambers and intake valves. When this carbon sticks to the intake valves can weaken them causing them to break apart.

 

I'm glad this post came up as I was looking at a 07 with the same amount of miles.

So it looks like timing tensioner is the biggest issue to pay attention.

I'm a diy kind of guy and can basic maintenance and suspension work. just no clutch or in depth motor work.

 

I'd say avoid these models:

2007 – 2010 R56 S model (N14 engine)
2009 – 2010 R57 S model convertible (N14 engine)
2008 – 2010 R55 S Clubman (N14 engine)
Also - the JCW used the N14 thru 2012

 

+1

 

I would look for a 2011 or later, with the N18. Even then, it's a roll of the dice. Low mileage and records of maintenance are HUGE! The N18 has been re-designed to (hopefully) mitigate some of the carbon buildup issues the earlier engines had. But....still direct injection, so carbon buildup may still occur. My 2011 MCS 6 manual has 37k, still running strong. Bought used from a local BMW dealer at 22k, just about a year ago. I did buy the extended Hendricks warranty, so I have some hope that if things go catastrophically wrong, I may have some insurance to cover the issues. I had a chance to buy a 2010, but paid more for my 2011 with less miles. I now realize that this may have been the right way to go. Time will tell, as always! Motor On!