So just got my car (used with 55000 miles), well actually went back to the dealer after a day with some issue with the right brake calipers being stock.

After browsing the forums it seem that these little beauties are not that reliable.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ent-fubar.html .

Once I get her back I'll have 4 more days to return her for a full refund. I don't want to be negative , just new to this car and without a budget to replace an engine at 55000 miles.

Maybe I should get this:

http://www.carmax.com/enus/maxcare/default.html

Any input?

Thanks

Andres

 

74 views no inputs?

Hope I didn't hurt anybody's feelings, just learning here.

BTW called the dealer today, the new parts ordered were also defective :( .

Thanks

Andres

 

You don't see people coming to automobile forums to say that nothing is wrong with their car.

Most are here to find out about the efficacy of modifications, help them make repairs or to just complain about their dealer or car. Auto forums are always overwhelmingly negative.

There are a lot more MINI owners who have had no problems with their car than those who have had problems.

Dave,
Who has had no problems with his MINI.

 

I'm typically not a fan of extended warranties, although I full acknowledge that some would not be without one. I personally think that the money spent on an extended warranty -- certainly by the time the warranty takes effect (i.e., after the manufacturer's warranty expires) -- would pay for any necessary repairs.

Also echoing "DneprDave's" experiences, my MINI has been trouble-free. And he's also correct in pointing out that almost any automotive forum will scare the bejeezus out of you!

Rendering a full opinion on your vehicle is difficult without knowing the model year and model (turbo or normally-aspirated; automatic or manual transmission). However, what seems to be the key to keeping these MINI's (like their big brothers, the BMW's) running well past warranty expiration, in either case, is regular maintenance. Anything designed and built by BMW is really not very tolerant of neglect; this may seem to be a contradictory set of traits for a 'premium' car like a BMW (or MINI), but what you need to realize is that what makes these cars perform like they do is, among other things, adherence to tight operating tolerances. As soon as something strays outside of its tolerance band, its performance (and/or lifetime) will degrade rapidly.

Get into the habit of checking fluid levels regularly and performing oil changes at an interval of 5-7.5k miles (despite BMW/MINI's recommendation of 15k miles). When something is worn, replace it ASAP. Keeping the vehicle 'like-new' as time goes on (and barring just plain bad luck with a component -- which happens) will probably negate the requirement for an extended warranty.

Ultimately, though, it's your money and your peace-of-mind that's in play here...

 

Sorry, mine is a 2007 MCS 6spd, as far as I know it has the factory installed LSD and JCW body Kit.



thanks

Andres

 

Good-looking MINI! Never saw one with checkerboard bonnet stripes before; that's a unique touch!

Well, in your case, the likely problem candidates are the timing chain tensioner, high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP), and the clutch. That's not to say that it's likely you will experience these problems; just that those seem to be the likely (most common) problem areas. Water pumps and vacuum pumps also seem to occasionally go on these cars, too, with the vacuum pump almost always taking the engine down catastrophically with it...

Keeping the oil level correct will help avoid tensioner issues -- short of just having a bum tensioner. And if you do find the tensioner is going bad on you, my understanding is they're not difficult or expensive to fix yourself. But if you let it go too long, and the chain or tensioner break, repairs can rapidly get expensive...!

Same goes with the vacuum pump: keep the oil level correct and change the oil/filter at 5,000-7,500 miles to keep the oil clean. This should help to avoid problems there.

The HPFP has been a real thorn-in-the-side for these cars. I think the manufacturer MINI used for the component just didn't design or build them well. In any case, the good news here is that MINI has warranted that part for 10 years/120,000 miles. So if yours goes out, you've got a free replacement until 2017 -- or for the next 65,000 miles -- whichever you hit first.

Water pumps fail on all vehicles; they just seem to be a bit more fragile on these MINI's. If you see a drop in your coolant level (remember: you're going to be checking the fluids regularly, right...?), start looking for reasons. If you find weeping on the pump -- or puddles of coolant forming under the car, you need to check the water pump.

The clutches don't seem to have a real correlating factor to their failures; you seem to either get a good one that lasts and lasts, or you get one that fails. If yours is the original clutch at 55,000 miles, and it still pulls strongly, you've probably got one of the good ones. But there's no guarantees either, and clutch replacements on a MINI aren't cheap.

And with yours being an '07, it's possible either or both of those items have already been addressed with previous owners; it would be a good idea to find a local MINI dealer and have them provide you with a service history of your vehicle; they can print this out of their service system based on the VIN.

Start searching for a good local independent mechanic that specializes in MINI's; I don't have a good online resource specifically for MINI's, but here are a couple sites that provide BMW independent shops, and one of the shops in your area might also handle MINI's:

My gut feeling is that, at 55,000 miles, you're probably 'out of the woods' with expensive repairs on this particular vehicle. Keep up on the maintenance, and you'll likely keep it running strongly! But like I already pointed out, there's never any guarantees; and ultimately, it's your money and peace-of-mind that's at stake...

 

I'm pretty new to all this mini stuff but I bought an 07 S in mid August. It's an automatic, same color as yours. A month after I bought it I noticed (by checking fluids), my coolant level kept disapperaring. Couldn't find any leaks so took it to Mini of Pensacola. Ended up being cracked thermostat and housing. Had them go over entire car and all checked out great. Fixed the thermostat and all the diagnosis for $450. No other issues. Since then have replaced stock rim/tires with Enkei and 205's (16's), H sport rear sway bar, nm turbo heat shield and CAI, Zimmerman cross drilled rotors and EBC redstuff brake pads. All good upgrades. Love it. My MA said it is not uncommon for a turbo to use a qt oil oil every 1000 miles. I have not noticed that as yet. Always right up to level. Forgot to mention, mine had 57,800 miles on it when purchased. Today, I have 60,450.