Just got my car back today.. It was the HPFP and everything was fixed free of charge.. They didn't even make me fill up the tank in the loaner car lol.. I think what helped was doing research and telling them I'm almost positive of what it was.. if i would have went in like uhhh idk whats wrong with it.. who knows what they would have done

 

That is great.

So it appears that doing your homework before (and I think documenting things) gets a better result from MINI.

Which makes sense from a money-making standpoint - do the least possible, if possible...if someone appears knowledeable and might cause trouble = makes more sense to "do the right thing".

 

Great, glad to hear it! I haven't had many problems with my MINI, but that is the value of a board like this one. I think just about every car has a known issue or two (some have many!), and arming yourself with knowledge is always a good idea.

That said, I've had generally good service from my own dealer, MINI of The Woodlands. The one time I needed an emergency on-the-road repair, I was in southern Colorado, and was able to limp into Albuquerque's Sandia MINI dealership. I had a leaking water pump, and even though it was 1:00 PM on a Friday before we were able to get there--several stops to refill the radiator--it was promptly and cheerfully diagnosed and replaced under warranty. I love a dealership like that.

Incidentally, there's a feature of your warranty you may not be aware of--the "Trip Interruption" policy. Simply stated, if you're over 100 miles from home and your car breaks down while under warranty, you'll get lodging and food paid for by MINI USA, (limited to $1000)! Just call Roadside Assistance and tell them you need to activate it. This was a tip my home service advisor told me when I called to ask about advice when we were in the middle of nowhere in Colorado with an overheating car. This is in addition to the towing provision. MINI USA paid promptly when we sent in our receipts.

 

My HPFP failed a month ago(2007 MCS 23,000km) and I'd asked BMW-Germany on the 100k km extended warranty issue, my case been forwarded to BMW-HK and BMW-HK told me that extended warranty does not apply to Hong Kong and the official answer form BMW-HK "We haven't encountered any HPFP problem on MCS".

I thought MINI is a reliable car and recommend my brother to buy a MCS as well, my mechanic just replaced the HPFP for me and my MCS runs OK now but we are not sure when will the HPFP fail again! We've installed a BSH OCC to reduce the carbon deposit build up on intake valve but we are also worry about the chain tensioner problem. Although MCS is fun to drive but I will give up on the MCS when the HPFP fail again.

I also asked BMW-HK if 2012 BMW335i use the same engine as current 335i cause a lot of 335i owners has problem with the HPFP. BMW-HK told me that the new 335i will use the same engine but "We haven't encountered any HPFP problem on BMW335i". Feel very disappointed with BMW and probably will not consider/recommend this brand again.

 

@Ultraman - sorry to hear HK will not cover the work???

Agree - so when my HPFP went for the second time on my 2007 S...so now I am driving a 2012 Base Cooper and feel so much better...I actually got what I think is a very fair price on the trade-in (usually I sell privately but this time I felt it was unethical to such an unreliable product - MINI will hopefully resell with an extended warranty)...

Good luck!

 

irishpunk,

BMW-HK said extended warranty does not applicable to Hong Kong but they charge a cheap price on the HPFP replacement. Around USD400 part & USD100 labour with 2 years warranty on that pump. My mechanic told me that HPFP must has a high failure rate, otherwise BMW won't charge a cheap price on the HPFP.

BMW-HK did offer a trade in 2010 and the 2007(3years old) MCS worth less than 50% of the original purchase price, the 2nd hand price drop a lot when this offer came out.

So, you've changed from 2007 Cooper S to 2011 Cooper? Do you think Cooper has less problem than Cooper S?

 

The R56 definitely has fewer problems - at least based on NAM posts - I have not seen a single, repetitive, recurring problem. The first generation R53 base model had LOTS of problems (steering, automatic transmission) - but not the current model.

With lighter, slightly smaller and wider diameter wheels, and some weight reduction (rear seat delete), and perhaps a CAI and flash of the ECU I am hoping to make up some of the lost performance difference between mine and an "S" - and be able to keep the car for a long time without worrying.

 

Uh, both the Cooper and the S are called R56. And both HAVE had various repetitive, recurring problems. I don't think there are as many overall as the pre-2007 years (Coupe models), but there are some. I have been surprised at how few I personally have encountered, though. As a newly redesigned model, I was expecting my 2007 to have more. I now have over 75,000 miles on mine, and have been very happy. Mine was a week-3 build, too.

 

@daffodildeb

Can you give an example of a recurring problem with the R56 (not R53) base Cooper? I have not seen a single instance of "recurring/frequently reported by many" problems (many with the R53).

 

I don't have a Cooper, so I'm not really up on them, but I know many people have had O2 sensor/check-engine-light issues. I had one myself on a brand new loaner.

 

OK. I would say that is relatively "minor" compared to the many reports on NAM of catastrophic "S" engine failures due to oil loss/leaks, timing belt failure, HPFP failure, turbo failure, carbon build-up (and costly removal), etc. - the latter leading to a $3-9,000 repair cost when out of warranty...

 

Boy, that's a long list of failures. How many cars have actually failed? I've had nothing of the sort...and hope I don't. The closest I've come to anything was a missing under acceleration a few months ago. Dealer said to replace plugs, replace coil, and walnut shell blast the valves--total $1300. My independent said to try replacing plugs and coil first to see if that would do it. It did. Total cost $250, INCLUDING $100 diagnostics done by the dealer.

(Leaving again on another trip next week--this time for MINIs in The Ozarks. Just got back from Florida.)

 

@daffodildeb - well do the math - this is page 8 of this thread (12 posts per page = 96). this is one of 30-40 (??) threads on problems I listed - so 96 X 40 = 400 - not all problems so say "300" - so we know 300 people who have had catastrophic engine failure with the "S" model - if there are 1000 "S" owners her that is 30%. 100,000 "S" models sold in N.A.: 30% x 100,000 = 30,000 catastrophic engine failures clogging up our wrecking yards...obviously this is an estimate - you are free to actually go through and count - I am happy just to observe that everytime I come onto NAM (4-5 times a week) there are 3-4 more people reporting serious problems (3-4 X 5 = 20 X 52 weeks = 1000 people - another way to estimate)...and of course the Facebook Group (672 members) which represents our European cousins (it is a Peugot engine after all - they use it in the 206's): https://www.facebook.com/groups/dist...onTHP.PSA.BMW/

 

I have no way to conjure up engine failure figures, and I have no doubt there is a specific problem, BUT I would suggest your figures wouldn't pass statistical analysis. I haven't had it, for example, yet I've posted on this particular thread multiple times. It might make sense to count the number of INDIVIDUAL posters, not the number of times SOMETHING has been posted. In other words, counting 100 individuals who have posted makes more sense than counting 100 posts as 100 failures. How many people have posted multiple times within a thread, and how many people have posted on multiple similar threads, on NAM or Facebook, or anywhere else? After all, using your own figure, have you had anyone suggest that there are 30,000 (THIRTY THOUSAND) ruined MCS engines cluttering the junkyards? I doubt it.

 

That is bad to hear. mini in Australia are the same when I asked them about it. I even showed them the letter from bmw of USA about the extended warranty. they just said they have never heard of any problems with it.

 

Replaced fuel pump at 22K on my '09 Clubman S today. Also had carbon buildup.

Very disappointed in the reliability of this car. This is not 1968! Cars, especially ones that charge you a premium price, should go AT LEAST 75K without an engine related failure.

I'm getting a catch can for the oily buildup on the valves. Now I have to look forward to timing chain issues and who knows what else. Too bad my wife likes this car so much or I'd unload it.

 

Sorry you're having problems. I'm wondering--what kind of gas do you use? Brand and octane. I've had no carbon buildup so far (or other engine problems), now at nearly 80,000 miles. I use exclusively 93 octane, top tier (usually Shell), non-ethanol if possible. I've heard that makes a difference.

 

Yep. I've had timing chain issues, HPFP replaced, and carbon build-up on the valves -- all of that on my '07 S. The only one that cost me was the carbon -- $800 for a media blast to get at the upper valves, and it still hesitates a little if I really gun it. I heard mixed opinions on the value of a catch can. Heard mixed opinions on Seafoam treatments. I am using Techron every 6 weeks with fill-ups, but heard mixed on that, too (at best, it only cleans below the valves where the direct inject shoots the fuel.)

I did not use 93 octane in the first three years, and then saw the light and switched. (The gas mileage improved so much, I was not saving anything using less than 93). Again, mixed opinions on whether the octane has anything to do with carbon build up. By the way, Chevron and Texaco already have Techron added to their premium fuel, so you get an added benefit there without buying the additive (cost me $7 every six weeks to add a can.)

The other disappointment I had was the clutch going out at 30K miles. I've driven a manual for 35 years and this is literally the first clutch I've replaced, even though I've kept cars 10-15 years.

 

I think the problems aren't that big of a deal if you are comfortable with working on cars. My car has had all the same issues as the other 2007's, but thanks to this forum, I've saved myself a lot of money.

Thanks to NAM I found out about the timing chain issue and replaced the tensioner. $40 part that took all of 10 minutes to replace. Had to buy the socket size, but I never have a problem with adding tools to my box. I wonder how many dealers are replacing the whole tensioner assembly and charging people thousands when a $40 part would do the trick?

The carbon build up is caused from the way our cars intake system is designed. It's not the brand of fuel, oil or the way anyone drives. They pull part of the air for the intake manifold through the rear tube connected to the top of the valve cover as well as pulling air through the airbox. This oily air vapor collects on the hot valves and starts to build up. The only way to get around this is to cap off that tube from the valve cover and force the system to pull air through the airbox (Install a Boost tap, http://www.waymotorworks.com/bsh-boost-tap-r56.html). Adding just the oil catch can won't work. You have to cap off that rear tube and force the turbo/intake manifold to pull air through the lower tube and through the Oil Catch Can.

Every car with this design of intake system will have carbon build up. I don't believe anyone that says they don't as I doubt they have pulled the manifold and looked at the valves. If you think about the way the car pulls air in through the engine, you would then see that Seafoam is a waste of time. Especially if you're car has 20K+ miles. With the time I had to soak & scrub my valves just to get them clean, you would understand that pouring the seafoam just to splash over the valves, isn't enough to get them clean. Even letting the seafoam soak (it's only going to be two cylinders as the other two will be open) isn't enough to get them clean.

But thanks to this forum, I was able to pull the manifold and clean the valves myself, saving a lot of money and learning a ton about our cars engine.

The unforunate part with having all these issues is for those that aren't comfortable or equipped to work on their own cars, and those that don't know about forums like this. Then all these issues make the car very costly to own/operate. I can see how frustrating it would be for the common owner.

 

Texas, I think the issue is when owners pay $25k-37k for their MINI S you'd think owners have the right to have a nearly perfect car and shouldn't have to do bandaids or more preventative maintenance than is needed. Like hpfp, clutches, throwout bearings, timing chains, high oil consumption and anything else that's a wide spread issue.

Hopefully the N18 doesn't have the same issues as the 07-10 N14, though some have reported the same issues on 11'+ N18.

 

I want the aftermarket to catch up to the newer cars so we can stop using POS OEM Mini parts!

 

I'm getting the gas smell on the interior and exterior just like the SIM says. It talks about a seal or connection going bad or wearing out. Is it possible to replace the connection versus replacing the whole pump? I realize it's covered under the warranty but if they are replacing it with the same defective part why deal with the down time and having them tearing into my car.

ThatMiniGuy - I agree. If you bought a $5k used car you would expect it, but not with a $30k+ new one.

 

2nd HPFP replacement at 30k miles. My first replacement was done at 20k. I asked the SA what was the deal and he has no real answer. Just glad I was covered under the warranty for the pump. This was at Passport Mini in Alexandria, VA.

 

Check out the recall for MINI S posted by the NHTSA for waterpump controllers.

 

Anyone in CA done this boost tap change? I would think if caught / noticed in the biannual smog tests, this could be a cause for failing. Thoughts?