It started making a noise coming out of first gear. Sort of a loud clacking. Took it in to have my Boston dealer look at it and they have to replace my transmission. My car has 6,000 miles on it. I am VERY concerned. This seems to be a recurring problem with 06's. (or at least the threads give that impression) Anyone else have this problem? And what if anything is MINI doing about it?

 

2 clutches, 1 flywheel, squeak noise from moon roof, in between 9 months period.

Problems' been solved under warranty and maintenance plan, no $$$ out of my pocket, plus 06 MCc, 06 MCS and 07 MC as loaners. Repairs and services was done in time as promised.

I can live with that.

 

I was hoping on keeping this car past warranty but I am getting the feeling it isn't going to happen. To expensive to fix. I can understand why people shop elsewhere. This has really hit me hard. I LOVE my car but dependability is key.

 

Though a great car, the Cooper is incredibly unreliable. This is the first car I've had where I felt compelled to buy an extended warranty. It has already paid for itself. For $1800 I got an extra 4 years and 50,000 miles of bumper to bumper (including electronics) coverage. Much cheaper than trading into a new car, especially since it is modded exactly the way I want it.

 

+1,

I have that too. Bumper to bumper warranty all the way to 100K miles. Nothing to worry about, ....... not until then.

 

I purchased the extended warranty for 4 years 50,000 so when I get the chance to buy into the next one that seems like short money! Thanks for the info. I do feel better knowing that there is an option!

 

My 2003 Cooper had very little issues. The only major one was a mangled tranny at 43,000 miles, and was replaced under warranty. I never once had to use my flat tire in the 63,000 miles I had with it before i sold it. In those 3 years, it was a lot more reliable than my 2005 MCS, although I made more changes to the MCS than the Cooper as well, most of my Cooper mods were cosmetic changes.

 

Was the extended warranty purchased through MINI or is an outside warranty company? I would be interested in getting this. I do intend keeping my MINI S past its warranty period.

Thanks in advance for the info.

 

My Midland 5-speed tranny is doing fine....so far.

The Getrag 5-speed was supposed to be a big improvement.

 

06 with no issues here so I don't get the "unreliable" comment.

 

'05 MCSa with 20K and no major issues (clock replaced and MINI emblem on steering wheel keeps popping up). '06 MCS with 22K and no major issues (had the motor mount replaced).

 

Yes--are these MINI-issue warranties? I heard that the 07's (at least) had a 100,000 warranty for about $1800, and that it covered full service like the 36,000 warranty. Hope it's true, because the extended service warranty would cover the various "checkups."

 

2003 MC with only one issue, fuel gauge stopped working, replaced under warranty, no other issues since then, not even the transmission

 

I've had my transmission replaced once before, the same problem. For some reason one of the gears cracked and a chunk of the gear threw itself around the housing. It was a fluke accident, otherwise the new one works fine. I had it for about 3 years, (the new one).

 

Not purchased through MINI. I bought the extended warranty through AAA. Their Platinum coverage (bumper to bumper) was priced much better than the alternatives and the mandatory upfront vehicle inspection can be performed by any AAA listed auto shop.

 

I think the '05s and '06s had the bugs works out of them. The '02s (first year) I think were the worst.

 

All of my issues with the car (that fill half a binder with service orders) were related to electrical and electronic malfunctions and interior rattles and creaks. Bad Nav, bad harnesses, bad cc, etc. All replaced with updated parts. (Problems obviously not limited to my car) No problems related to the JCW or aftermarket performance upgrades.

 

That is why the Honda and Toyota line is so stable. They never changed the formula. The 02's were a new line and expected to have bugs but the 06 should be and in my opinion is a pretty reliable car. Mine has been great other than a crappy battery which has already been replaced.

That being said, the first 07 line will have issues as well as most of teh car changed once again.

 

I've been a MINI gal since 2002 and have a number of friends with '02s that have had no problems. They've been great cars. The biggest issue with the early builds was the coolant expansion tank which was redesigned. I suppose some would say that the stiffer suspension was an issue, but for folks that like road-feel, it was actually considered a plus.

 

do u have the manual or the auto tranny on your mini s ?