Thought I'd start a thread on problems related only to 2nd gen justa's.
Seems that most all the threads I've read about problems related to 2nd gen Mini's tend to be with the "S" model and not the standard base model justa's.
There was a thread on justa's oil consumption but I felt we should open it up to all things problematic about them.
How about it, how reliable are our justa's compared to the "S" models?

 

here's a thread I made regarding oil consumption

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...on-issues.html

it seems overall, no major issues a normal car doesn't have. I think the base coopers have proven to be very reliable

 

Even if the problems been covered under warranty it will still be a potential problem after warranty is gone.
Timing Chains?
Water pumps?
warped valve covers?
Thermostats?
etc.

 

We have 55,000 miles on our 2008 Cooper clubman. Other than standard maintenance it has been problem free.

 

yea like i said, with standard maintenance i think everything is fine on the base cooper - same as any other car really. it's a shame how much the mcs has tarnished the reputation

 

The problems I have had:

- Oil pump solenoid leaked; solenoid plus wiring harness plus thermostat housing replaced
- The stock jack failed to lift the car and dug into the rocker panel, scraping it badly

I have had a couple of minor electrical glitches (radio turning itself off, speedo/odometer window going blank) and the cold idle is sometimes a bit ragged. No other issues.

I'm changing my oil every six months, which is a bit under 5,000 miles.

 

Sorry to hear about the jack causing damage but thank you for the inform. Maybe it will serve to warn others about the jacks potential to damage the car.
Was the Oil pump leak the only leak and required the replacement of the wireing harness and thermostat housing as a result of that one leak?

 

the GF has a 2008 justa with 88k weve only had to replace a coil... it seems like it enjoys getting dusted by rocks tho. quite a few nicks after the clear bra

 

Great car, replaced a weepy water pump at 52k but not another issue on it. So glad I did not get the "S"....

 

Too slow

Sorry could not resit

 

Ha! Sometimes I think that too, but I do have a faster car in my driveway that handles excellently but gets about 8-12 mpg,....

 

Just passed 113k with mine, and gotta say been a great car. Replaced a leaky water pump at 110K. Getting ready to do it's first thermostat housing, minor leak I noticed last weekend, at the same time going to do the valve cover gasket because of a minor oil leak. My only gripes have been two trips to the tire places that ended with stripped out hubs, and some issues pooping up with soft paint( easily gets rock chips) and windshields that like to get dusted by lifted pickups with rocks. Replaced the windshield twice.
would buy it again in a heartbeat.

 

The solenoid leaked, which got into the wiring harness. So the harness had to be replaced--and the thermostat connector was different than the old one, so the t-stat housing needed to be replaced as well. Which is just as well, as the newer housing is updated and supposed to be better.

 

MINI uses lite weight glass and it pits easier.

 

08 justa 57k

Just replaced the serpentine belt and water pump last month.

Bought the car in Oct. When I brought it home I realized the driver and passenger on the driver side foot wells were sopping wet with water. Turns out I had some blockage in the sunroof drains. Dealer cleaned those out and haven't had any issues since.

Overall I'm happy with my justa! 😬

 

It's looking like the "justa's" are pretty reliable cars with just a few very minor issues reported.
Way to go Justa's. Keep up the good work.

 

I recently bought a 2010 Justa Convertible and when it went it for service I was told the solenoid was leaking, they put in a repair kit which I assume is just the seals. A quick Google of this seems to be a fairly common issue.

Also had to repair the boot lid switch as it was full of water and the switch was toast, I did a home repair job for 99cents vs new part which is over $100. another common issue.

 

Wise guy!

 

Need to bump this posting as there has just been a thread started about some pretty serious problems an n12 "justa" owner has encountered.
Here is a link to that thread.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...in-issues.html
Also I should note that I have read past incidents where the N12 justas have developed the same timing chain issues as the N16 "S" models but on a very limited basis.

 

Perhaps oil starvation occurred in the past on this fellows situation. Some Justa owners are reporting relatively high rates of oil consumption and I think mine is one of those.

 

Yes that could very much be the cause. While oil consumption issues with the justa's is not as bad as for the "S" models, there are certainly some that do indeed use a quart of oil every 5K miles.
Of course exasperbate that with the poor dip stick design and Mini Coopers 15K oil change interval up until just recent and it's a recipe for engine damage.

 

Other than the leaky solenoid replaced under warranty, so far so good. 2012 Clubman.

 

I've spent a few days reading posts about timing chain issues in our N12 engines. They are vulnerable to the 'death rattle' too, just slower and less so, but it's showing up with age. My take is to have it all replaced as I near 90k,or as I listen for the rattle. At least we should check the tension and the amount of slack.

 

Justa = Just Awesome.

 

A follow up to my earlier post, repeated elsewhere on the forum, is that I had my N12 timing chain slack measured at 6 years, 65,000 miles, and it was beyond the spec at 69 mm of slack, supposed to be 64mm or so. Mini put in the new tensioner bolt and it should improve my chances of a 100k life. It took $300 to do it.
Justa owners beware that you need to pamper your timing chain if you want to keep your Mini.