Hi all,

What kind of problems are common in the first few years of owning a Countryman? I have read quite a few posts about repeat windshield breakage, which makes me nervous, as I've had my current car since 2006 and never had as much as a chip, despite the horrible roads in RI. My guess is that the angle of the Countryman windshield is more condusive to breakage?

I know this is a Mini fanciers forum, but hope you can give me an honest answer as to what other issues might be common.

Thanks in advance!


Background:
I am new here and as my user name says, looking for alternatives to my beloved Beetle. I am finally admitting to myself that my Beetle while cute as a button, is just not practical enough, so I am looking at alternatives that have more storage space and where I sit a bit higher up. Additionally, I don't care for the new Beetle design. Call me superficial.

My current shortlist includes the Mini Countryman, the Nissan Juke and the Fiat 500X. Car review sites only tell so much of the story, so your input will be very helpful.

I can say that my current car has been reliable even at 140,000 miles, but stuff is starting to need replacing, and it's time I say goodbye to it. In the time I've had it, there were zero big issues, it does not even have a timing belt (what about the Mini Countryman?), so even that did not need to be replaced.

 

Might be wise to do some real homework and start scanning thru the numerous threads here that discuss the most reported issues (clutch/fuel pump etc) with the Countryman along with the recommended maintenance for these vehicles. Note that some of those issues are different in a turbo vs a Justa vs an ALL 4.

btw... the Juke might actually be the ugliest vehicle on the road today. I cant imagine how thick the glasses were on the little oriental guy who designed that vehicle...

And...the Fiat isn't built as well as the Countryman.

 

Welcome to NAM. Here (post #2 has some good info) and here are some threads about some common issues. As said above, note the differences of the issues listed between the Countryman and Countryman S.

 

Oh Mike, people either love or hate the Juke's looks. It speaks to me because it looks like a big, mean Beetle.

I read through some of the threads but can't really gauge how common any of the problems are. For every one reporting a problem, two more jump in defending the brand, which makes it super difficult to figure it all out for someone like me.

 

Thanks!

 

My pleasure!

 

A 'big mean beetle'? Really???? Stop this before i pee myself from laughing.


Its the same in all these types of threads. One person will ***** & complain about certain things, the next person will say they've never had that problem. A short & simple version is that the manual 'S' & 'S' ALL4 has had a history of eating clutches during the early years. That issue was supposed to have been resolved by the 2013 model but there are still a few complaints about the new vehicles. The 'S' MUST be well maintained & serviced. Regular maintenance is mandatory if you want them to survive. The Justa's didn't have the clutch problems (probably cuz owners didn't drive the snot out of them) but like the 'S' also had issues with the high pressure fuel pump. Again that problem appears to have gone away with the newer models.

MINI's put a smile on your face and provide a driving excitement though that neither the Juke (rhymes with puke) nor the Fiat can match and the car's quirkiness is one of the things that appeal to most owners. And then there are those people who could care less about those things. Good luck with your decision.


I'm one of the lucky ones i guess. My 2011 Justa automatic Countryman has been nearly flawless to date.

 

I have been an active member here for many years, and we have owned both a 2012 and a 2013. I would say that it highly depends on what model year you are talking about purchasing. The first year clearly had the most problems by far, and it looks like quality had just continued to get better and better in terms of the number of required repairs. With the last couple of model years, I can't say that I have seen anything that I would consider to be a chronic problem that lots of owners are experiencing. While a few owners who needed to replace windshields, it just doesn't seem to be a widespread issue, at least to me.

I'm not claiming that the mini is ever going to be the least trouble prone vehicle on the road, but with the countryman specifically there's little question there has been a dramatic improvement, as the situation with the first year was just horrible. All you have to do is go back and look at what owners were seeing here during that time. It's all here on the forum.

 

Which one is the Justa?

Also, good to know about the S, because I suck at remembering my car needs maintenance.

 

Thank you!

 

Shark715 is telling you the same things i said...the early years 2011-2013 had some issues but most have been resolved or considerably reduced. And i think that's not unreasonable for a completely new model like the Countryman was. If you are seriously considering buying a turbo version for the performance it offers and intend on keeping it for 3 or more years then i would suggest spending the extra on an extended warranty.

The 'Justa' (you know, like 'its just a...' ) is the base version without the turbo. If bought new you can option it with most of the items an "S" would have (except the turbo) and its usually far more reliable cuz it doesn't get the crap beat out of it on a daily basis...

 

Ooooh, gotcha! Thanks!

 

i have an 03/2012 all4 since new

only problem has been 2 bad front wheel bearings apparently caused by incorrect torque value on the assembly line

there have also been 2 other items upgraded by mini but both were done before causing me any issues

1) replaced engine temp probe with upgraded part
2) replaced oil solenoid seal with upgraded part

for every CM with a problem there are many with no problems

 

Thanks for your input, and:
... This goes without saying

 

I had a 11' CM S All4 Auto, had tons of problems, bought it used from a dealer and was in the shop for 8 times in less than a year. Motor mount busted, battery, transfer case, differential, water pump, thermostats, Nav stop working after they reset my CM, blah blah...
I got rid of it as quick as I bought it, less than a year. Bought my self the ugliest on the road with a NIsmo package ^^^^ for realibilty, but I still miss my CM and will get another soon if I am lucky enough to find a good one. Coming from Bimmer its really difficult to drive a Japanese.

 

thermostat and temp sensor has gone 3 times on me. high pressure fuel pump went twice. no other failures @71k miles.