Hello, longtime Subaru, Hyundai and BMW owner here but no experience with Mini Coopers. Helping the GF shop for a used mini and found a local 2009 AT MCS with 45k miles at a decent price. Found it on Autotrader and its at a local Mini dealership with the usual line that its been inspected by a Mini master tech, whicb Im sure is not the same assurance as a CPO.

I've done random research here and there with people reporting chain tensioner failure and fuel pump issues. Anything general issues I should inquire about assuming the test drive is unremarkable?

 

A 2009 MCS will have the N14 engine which due to direct fuel injection and the design of the PCV system suffers from carbon build-up on the intake valves, and will require periodic maintenance (walnut blasting). At 45K it might be time for this. The N14 is also prone to high oil consumption, so you need to be diligent in checking the oil level.

 

Thanks does this issue improve with the 2010 or 2011 models. She currently drives a 2009 G37 coupe right now which works fine she just wants to downsize her car and maybe get a few thousand back in tradein so we're keeping the budget to no more than $13-14k.

 

I think 2011 was the beginning of the n18 engine. Far fewer problems have been reported..

 

Make sure that you look the car over for any leaks. The thermostat and water pumps are plastic and the housings crack and leak (water pump on passenger side of engine, thermostat is on driver side and leak will accumulate on top of transmission). Any leaking on the front of the engine near the exhaust will get expensive (oil filter housing, turbo oil line) because it is a big job to get to these parts to replace.


These cars require maintenance, they cannot be ignored like a Honda or Toyota. Like stated above, watch for oil consumption. See what maintenance has been done as well.


They are fun cars, but just be aware that there are issues.

 

Yes. I would not let any friend by any n14 motor .

 

Is the N14 that unreliable?

It's a serious question - I too am looking at an '09 MCS that has just under 21k miles on it, so this has me a bit concerned. I was under the impression the carbon buildup applied to both the N14 and the N18, but if that's not the case, I may need to revise my search.

 

It's not the most robust engine, but with care, they're fine. One big thing to look for was consistent oil changes. If the owner has records of all changes at small intervals (like shorter than the factory recommended intervals), that's probably a good car to get.

 

Correct, the 2011 model year also introduced the LCI changes, including nicer interior trim ...

 

By all means stay away from N14 motor..... My engine was shot when its got exactly 40k. Maybe they have calculated that the engine will fail when the original new car warranty is running out lol FYI JCW are still using N14 until 07/2012.....

 

Can you elaborate on the failure you experienced?

 

cyclinder walls were scored, burning oil, superknocking and losing compression

 

Sorry but what does LCI stand for?

 

Life cycle impulse. It's the BMW way of saying mid model change (or mmc).

 

The N14 engines were problematic from the get-go, regarding the timing chain, tensioner and plastic guides rails breaking up and falling into the oil pan. This is what happened to me 2 months after I bought my Mini is when the timing chain started to rattle, if the timing chain gets too loose it can fall off the cam sprocket cause severe engine damage. Pistons collide with the valves and now it's time for a new engine.

I strongly believe that the previous owner knew of the timing chain failure and put a new tensioner in it and traded it in for a newer car. Mini USA has in the past refusal to cover it even though it was under manufactures warranty with only 1500 miles.

Mini Cooper Timing Chain Tensioner Class Action Lawsuit

MINI Cooper Timing Chain Issues