My seven month old September build 06 Cooper S broke down for the third time last night. This time in lovely downtown Los Angeles as the sun was coming down and the businesses were boarding up.

The first time a jump seemed to get the car starting, but the check engine light was on. I towed the car to Universal City Mini and their service department said there was nothing wrong with the car.

The second time the jump didn't work. I had the car towed to South Bay Mini. They said the throttle valve was defective and they replaced it.

Less than a month later, the car breaks down again. First, I have no idea where to send the car. Do all Mini service departments suck. It also seem that the consensus among the tow truck drivers is that Mini's seem to break down a lot more than other cars. I'm getting to know these guys so well, I'm thinking about writing a TV show about them.

At this point, I'm about ready to throw in the towel. Has anyone had experience using California's Lemon Laws? I'm about ready to go out and buy a Toyota Prius. I've already talked two coworkers OUT of buying Mini's. Maybe I should be taking my own advice.

 

Your going to get a LOT of different opinions on this.

 

Its good advice to keep away from first year build or redesign vehicles because all of the bugs haven't been worked out yet. It could be that you have a lemon. It could be that the people at the dealer are all high school dropouts. It could be that whoever built the car was hungover. Maybe the 3rd time is the charm. I say get a different dealer to look at it and give your ride 1 last chance. And yes, there is 2 dealers my way. If I ever need to go one, I will go out of my way to get there. There is a dealership closer to me but the people on the phone seemed like real azzh0les when I talked to them. The further dealer was much nicer and way more considerate on the phone.

 

Except he has an 06 ... the last year of the build and bugs should have been worked out

 

The '05 & '06 years have seemed to be the most reliable models thus far but hearing that doesn't do you a whole lotta good as it seems you may have gotten a lemon or perhaps you will get lucky & the dealer will finally discover what is causing your problems

 

Sorry to hear that your MINI is having issues.

Regarding Lemon Law, check with a local Lemon Law attorney. I think you have a bit further to go before you are in Lemon Law buy-back territory, but an attorney can better advise you on that matter.

A Prius is a nice car (I know, I recently traded in one of my Volvos that the lease was expiring on for a Prius Touring edition). It is not a MINI (handling is not quite the same...), but I am having fun modding the car (just added upper and lower front suspension braces, ceramic pads and forged wheels and wider (205mm) tires to the Prius. When I want to have fun, the MINI is there, but if I can get to maybe 80% of the MINI's handling ability and have the 50+ mpg of the Prius, well, who knows? But then, there is Jan's monster head that would change the equation all over again on the MINI (230+ hp makes a major impact on anything in a 2,700 lbs car). At this point, I am enjoying the benefits of both cars relative strengths.

Hope you get your MINI's issues sorted out.

 

In California, I think we are paying the highest in the nation for gas. Premium just adds insult to injury. Especially considering that the Prius is quite happy with good quality regular. But as you mention, it all depends upon what is important to the individual making the decision. In my particular situation, I am fortunate to have two cars where I can enjoy the relative strenghts of each.

 

Well said Sometimes when you read MINI owners comments, its like the world revolves around the attributes of one car model when in fact, their are different choices for different needs.

 

Not just MINI owners.... Unfortunately there is no shortage of bigots for just about any model of car. It seems that when someone buys a car, part of their ego gets invested in the decision. Any contrary decision (by another person) is interpreted as an assault on the bigot's ego....

Me, however, I am just enjoying my cars' relative abilities.... Horses for courses, as it is....

 

You didn't say in your post what happened to the car. Did it just die while you were driving and then wouldn't start? Or was it that it wouldn't start after it was shut off? I have an 02 MCS. Last year it shut off once while idling and I restarted it, no problem. A few days later it wouldn't sart, wouldn't turn over, jump start got it going. Then several days later it wouldn't start. Not with a jump, not pushing, nothing. Dashboard lights went crazy. It was still in warranty, called dealer, had it towed. Turns out it was the battery. Haven't had any problems since. That was the only time my Mini has failed to run. Could it be you have a defective battery? I know it's new but it is possible. Most of the problems I've read about involve squeaks/rattles and drivability, not so much engine failure. Unfortunately for you it sounds like your Mini has an intermittent problem that your dealer has been unable/unwilling to diagnose. If there were no fault codes recorded (there should have been with the check engine light) I would suspect the battery. If the light stayed on, then the dealer or some parts stores like Autozone should be able to read the fault codes and point to the problem.
Good luck.

 

well, southbay mini is dead to me.

i called last night after my car broke down. unfortunately, only a sales rep was on the premises. after i vented, he took my number and promised me their sales manager would give me a call. no call.

this morning i spent 30 minutes talking to their receptionists, trying to talk to a service advisor. after putting me on hold for 20 minutes or so, she got back on and told me the service advisor was swamped and would call me back in twenty minutes. that was 10 am this morning. still waiting for that call.

and this is the dealership where i purchased my car. nice. miniusa will be getting an earful from me about this so-called dealership on tuesday.

this whole ordeal has been made more difficult by the fact that i bought into the hype. i loved the original mini. i wanted to purchase the new mini when it first came out but i couldn't afford it. then finally i could. i placed my order and waited four months. i don't think i've ever been happier with a material item. then the breakdowns began. i've also experienced a noticeable drop in performance and mileage before this latest breakdown. this has been a heartbreaking experience for me. this was my dream car. i feel like i've been betrayed.

even if mini can somehow fix the car, it won't be the same. when i first purchased the car i told my sister that i was going to be an owner for life. mini has lost me for good.

 

All dealers suck.

It almost sounds like a bad alternator.

 

No they don't. It just depends on your personal experience. I've had great service from my dealer. Of course, my only experience has been scheduled maintenance....translated....3 different MINI's....no problems, no breakdowns, with the exception of the broken aftermarket dipstick.

 

i am surprised that you get 50MPG+, i have run into 2 owners that are pissed that can't get 50mpg at all, and read the same on other websites. seems like your gas savings from the prius has found a home in the modifications budget! enjoy

 

It really depends on how the car is driven. If you drive it north of 70 mph forget about even 40 mpg. Freeway merges are another area that directly affects mileage - punch it to merge into traffic and mileage will suffer. In a prior lifetime, I had a Diesel Rabbit, so merging into freeway traffic with sedate acceleration (I seem to remember a 0-60 time of something like 16 seconds for the Diesel Rabbit) is something I am familiar with. What tipped me to the Prius was a weekend loaner Prius that the dealer let me have to try before I bought. I ran my normal errands in a mix of City and Highway traffic and got 69 mpg (124.2 miles / 1.8 gallons with the MPG being calculated after filling up just before returning the loaner car).... Admittedly, I tried to drive the car as a hybrid, but the opportunity to give the middle-fingered salute to the oil companies with the Prius was too much to pass on.

Mod-wise, I seem to be infected with an inability to leave cars that I own stock. Something inevitably gets under my skin and I have to "fix" it. The forged wheels and ceramic pads were calling me before I even took delivery of the car. With gas prices where they are in California, the forged wheels are starting to look like a mod that can be justified on gas savings alone.

Suspension mods are next on the list. It doesn't help that I have the MINI, which gives me a reference point to shoot for.

 

Well, they don't all suck in normal circumstances in dealing with minor or standard issues. I believe they do suck when the problems are extraordinary and puzzling - somewhat like yours. They are apparently not well trained to deal with this situation. They quickly run out of scripted responses and find themselves out of their depth.

I found that escalating the issue beyond the dealership, beyond the regional manager and beyond the 800 number using a thoughtfully written registered letter to the VP of MINI USA can yield results.

 

Another variation on the letter writing theme might be a preliminary letter from a Lemon Law attorney that puts MINI on notice that they need to focus on a successful resolution in an effort to head off a Lemon Law action.

 

thefred,
am sorry you are having these problems. My 2006 S was built in March/April 2006 and has been perfect. I wonder if your automobile was built on a Monday (in German this is a "Montags Auto" and we believe autos built on Mondays are built poorly)

 

Hehe... I had one of these as well. No [FONT=&quot]acceleration [/FONT]at all! Turn the AC on and you were lucky to get the thing moving....