Hopefully i am posting this in the correct location and if not i am sorry.

I just purchased a 2014 Mini Cooper Coupe S for my wife as that is what she wanted (did not purchase it from a Mini dealer). It is an R58 series with a N18 engine. A few years ago we owned a 2009 Cooper which she really liked but we had it only a few years and no problems. There is one month left on the warranty and we are trying to decide whether we should purchase an extended warranty through Mini Canada or a third party warranty. I have looked at the third party warranty (it is through Lubrico Warranty Inc) and it would appear that it would not cover the most common issues that may fail. I only say that based on issues i have been able to find on this forum, although i may have completely understood the failures and also i may not be fully understanding the terms and conditions of the warranty. I also can purchase an extended warranty through Mini Canada and i am waiting to get a copy of it to see what it would cover. I have never purchased an extended warranty before but after reading some of the issues with the R56 series and some of the issues i have read relating to the R58 i am trying to decide if i should get one. While i thought i had a good quality inspection done (not by a Mini Dealer) i unfortunately did not have access to the service history. I was hoping for some help / thoughts. The vehicle has approximately 36600 Miles (59000 kilometers).

1. I have attached a copy of the Terms and Conditions of the Lubrico Warranty and wondering if anyone on the forum can give an opinion as to the warranty. Cost of the warranty $1600 CAD.
2. Should I get another inspection done at Mini Cooper to see if they find anything that might need repaired and would be covered under the warranty before it expires?
3. Any thoughts on the extended warranty offered through Mini Cooper. The cost will be about $2500 CAD.
4. Value of an extended warranty or whether self insurance through savings is better.
I know the importance of changing the oil and will change it every 5000 miles (8000 kilometers) after reading the forum.

As i said the car was very clean inside and out including the engine and the inspection was done by a reputable company. We did contact the local mini dealer and gave them the vin and they said it last had an oil change 11 months ago through a mini dealer and they would have checked to see if there were any warranty repairs required at that time. It did have another oil change 7 months after that with it not being driven in the last 4 months. I should also mention it was a lease vehicle.
I know that does not mean anything about future potential failures.

Any assistance is greatly appreciated. I will post a picture of the mini later.

Just trying to get ahead of things, manage costs and try and make this a positive experience for my wife.

Thanks

Brewster

 

I usually never keep my cars after 3 years/36K and my Coupe is really the exception in 20 years because I love it and has been a trouble free 44K experience since new.


The factory warranty will expire next July and of course I will ask for a total inspection. As far as I am concerned, I will be very comfortable without an extended warranty because always serviced at the dealer and I don't live in an area of severe climatic conditions.

 

extended warranty is another word for insurance

insurance against a bill you may not be able to pay

for health issues where a bill can easily hit hundreds of thousands of dollars or MORE, insurance is pretty much a requirement for most folks or a darn good idea anyway.

for a car the issue becomes how big of a bill would you need to see to make the 'insurance' cost effective? If the insurance costs $2000, what if you just kept that $2000 in the bank and collected interest? If the car was hit with a $2000 repair bill would you want to keep it? Would a $2000 repair bill 'break' you, or just be a PITA?

In my personal experience, when I was young and cash poor I thought extended warranties on cars (and most major purchases) were a good idea .... until I had a claim. Curious how my auto extended warranties always did not include everything that went wrong (see the fine print).

Is it better to spend the $ on insurance or put the $ in the bank????? If in the bank and the car does not break YOU get the money. If you buy the insurance and the car does not break ... bye bye money. Insurance / extended warranty companies exist because WHICH happens more often?????

Do ya feel lucky?

 

We are going to have an inspection done at the local mini dealer to see if and what, if anything, needs to be fixed under warranty. We do not want to assume there isn't something despite the detailed inspection we have already obtained. We have pretty much decided not to move forward with the third party warranty as there just seems to be too many ways they can avoid paying a claim.

Thanks for your input dube53.

Brewster

 

Thanks for the comments and advice I appreciate it. I agree. Oh and i don't feel lucky or i would have won the lotto by now.

Brewster

 

Here is a picture of the mini coupe we purchased.

 

You won't get any major problems on your mini until way after 100,000 miles. So the extended warranty is worthless. Additionally, all warranty work will have to be done by the dealer and they are really not good mechanics for major reapairs.

 

Don't buy it. All warranties are a waste of money. In the long run, if you say NO to every damn one you are pitched to buy, you'll come out WAY ahead. The headache dealing with these shady warranty companies is a joke.

 

Thanks for the advice.
I did have a 100+ point inspection done and everything seemed fine. They did note the following:

1,Tires have 5.5mm left on all four tires and depending on ones driving they should last 12 months or more,
2. Brake Rotor Thickness is 21.64mm on the Front left and 21.86mm on the Front right.
3. Brake lining is 10mm on all four brakes.
4. Park Brake lining is 10mm front and rear.
5. Park Brake Drum diameter is 9.69mm on the front and 9,72mm on the rear.
6 Rear Brakes are 9.69mm on the rear left and 9.72mm on the rear right.
I was told he brakes should be fine for a while.
The report seemed to be very detailed and included the following categories: Pre-inspection, Interior, Glass, Lamps, Exterior, Under Hood, Steering and Suspension, Tires and Wheels, Tires Depth, Brake System, Brake Measurements, Under Vehicle. All areas received a pass with nothing noted needing repair or service.

I think i will be comfortable not purchasing an extended warranty.

Brewster

 

They should have suggested some standard maintenance for 36K.

At 35K last June, they did the following on mine: Cabin filter and engine air filter, brake oil service (every 2 years) and usual engine oil change. They also replaced a bulb holder that was getting corrosion.

 

Thanks I will look into those items. It did have an oil change just before the inspection which is why they may not have mentioned that item.

Brewster

 

you've probably made you decision and moved on but I have a few comments.

the 100 point inspection items you mention are all brake system 'wear' items. IME an extended warranty does not cover 'wear' ... tires, brake pads, rotors, fluid changes and usually even a CLUTCH is considered wear. Now you may purchase an extended MAINTENANCE PLAN, but that's a different animal.

4. Park Brake lining is 10mm front and rear.
5. Park Brake Drum diameter is 9.69mm on the front and 9,72mm on the rear.

I've been doing brake jobs on MINIs since 2004 and I have NO idea what they are talking about here! MINI parking brake is a mechanical engagement of the rear disks via cable ......

This would cause me to toss the B.S. flag in the entire 'inspection' personally ... I find these inspections to be about as useful as 'home inspections' b4 a purchase: 99% worthless. Guy who bought my last house showed me the inspection he'd paid many hundreds for. It listed ONE discrepancy: loose **** on one kitchen drawer. HaHa .... I showed the buyer the things I knew were issues ...... or things to be aware of anyway.

dunno where you are Brewster but if near Cape Canaveral bring the car by and I'll take a look and show you some things to watch out for and DIY hints ....

 

Thanks for your input. We have pretty much decided against the extended warranty as most things we believe would not be covered. Luckily we did not pay for the inspection we had the seller pay for it. We did take the mini to our local mini dealer on Monday as they had a 55 point inspection special which also included one year roadside assistance for a cost of $50 which was a bargain. I can not normally purchase roadside assistance for that price. All items they checked passed, all fluids we were considered good, no top ups needed and oil level was fine. Interestingly they noted the brakes to be at 10% wear with 90% remaining. While again there are no guarantees the guy performing the inspection thought the car was in good shape and appeared to be well maintained. The interesting thing was the air filter was not checked as part of their inspection so I will do that on the weekend, although he said it would have been checked when the oil was last changed.

Unfortunately I am not near Cape Canaveral, love the area though, otherwise I would bring it by to meet you. That said any tips and DIY hints you can provide via email are greatly appreciated.

Brewster

 

With a Mini dealer inspection you are sure they look at the potential weaknesses of their product including any lubricant leaks and will recommend what to do. I don't think you have to worry here.

Of course, for those buying a car with a partial history of service or altered with after market parts, this is a different matter.