How many miles does your Mini Cooper R56 have?
Mine is at 98k miles. How much longer is it going to last before the repairs supersede the worth of the car?

Bought it at 66k and since then:
Mileage: 71,128 - replaced water pump, thermostat.


Mileage: 72,032- Cooling System Flush



Mileage: 79,848 - Replaced camshaft timing chain and associated components



Mileage: 85,709 - Replaced battery


Mileage: 98000 - replaced spark plugs, bled brakes, replaced leaking vacuum pump, replaced fuel filter.


Looking at replacing automatic transmission filter and fluid.



I ought to be good after that for at least another year/10k miles or so, right? Or am I about to face expensive repairs?

 

My Camden S (2010, White Silver) is very strong. I do 5,000 mile oil changes without fail. Flushed the paddle-shifting transmission at 50,000 along with a walnut shell valve blasting and new NGK spark plugs. Thermostat replaced at 60,000. Otherwise trouble free and getting about 30-32 MPG with a roof rack on top. Michelin 215/17 Pilot Super Sport tires made a huge difference in ride and handling. Almost can't get the tires to squeal and corners like it's on rails. I hope it continues this way. If so then I'll drive it until.........who knows?

 

The equation isn't just repairs vs. value of the car. It's also repairs vs. cost of replacement car.

You can do a lot of repairs on a car and spend less than the cost of replacing it.

And you reduce the cost by: 1) avoiding dealers for repairs; 2) doing your own work whenever possible.

Just about everything on your list other than the timing chain is fairly predictable repair and maintenance, and is achievable by a do it yourself type with basic tools. I'd pass on the tranny fluid replacement because of the mess factor.

 

Yes, are you having the work done at a dealer, an indy shop, or are you doing them yourself? If you have a good set of tools and feel up to the job, doing repairs yourself will help keep the costs down a good amount. We have some awesome tech articles on our site that show you a step by step process for a lot of repairable items on your MINI. Check them out as they could be of some use to you going forward.

 

I replaced spark plugs, bled brakes, replaced leaking vacuum pump, replaced fuel filter all by myself. I did use your articles and buy the components from Pelican Parts!
I just wanted to see if there were common Mini problems that aren't prevented by the maintenance schedule outlined in the Bentley manual. I don't know that the water pump and thermostat were a part of the maintenance schedule.

 

Excellent! Nope, the water pump isn't part of the schedule, but if you put in close to 100K miles, some repairs can be expected. The timing chain is a known problem and not a cheap fix.

 

Definitely not cheap... Do you know of any other known problems?

 

My daughter has a 2011 and I've just read about the timing chain problems in earlier models. I have the impression that many were repaired under warranty.

I don't know of anything other than the expected carbon clean-out on the valves on S models, probably in the range of 60-80K miles.

When you get well above 50K miles, every vehicle on the road is in the range where small stuff can fail - starters, belts, alternators, brakes (normal wear), water or fuel pumps. But most of that is more normal over 100K miles. Regular maintenance, fluid and filter changes all help prevent problems.

A I say to my friends often, preventive maintenance is much less expensive than corrective maintenance.