Just wanted to gather some advice from you folks.

I have a 2021 MINI Cooper S Sidewalk package. Could not find a new one for sale last year so, I bought a used one from a couple who bought new from Baltimore MINI. They had it about 20 months and with 11,000 miles on it. I now am up to a whopping 14K miles after 9 months of ownership. Bone stock, no add-ons or mods. They were a professional middle-aged couple as we are, no track days, no goofy habits. Automatic tranny.

I started noticing a slight shudder up on the front brakes even under minimal in-town driving. But, there is one 4 lane mountain pass between two towns that we frequent and wow.....what a disappointing shaking the brakes are giving us when we are "coasting" downhill from the peak of the pass. No squeaks, just hard shuddering, extremely noticeable.

Anyone else have an issue with warped rotors at this low mileage? Car is still under warranty but, not sure if they would address this situation?

If you did upgrade, what did you decide to go with?

 

Most of the time its the pad transfer to the rotor, they dont warp. They just get a little build up on materials.

Most of the time it was not proper break in when new, maybe a Demo MINI at the dealer or they were very hard on the brakes when New? Or rust spots from parking long period and rain, but those get knocked off after a couple drives.

I would get them checked out at the dealer. I had a couple MINIs and when new it should not do that.

 

Brakes are a wear item and only under special circumstances will a dealer do anything about brakes unless there is a clear mechanical/hardware problem or fault.

*Warped* rotors might qualify but warp would have to be confirmed. Have to mention for warped rotors not showing up until between 11K and 14K miles is not normal. Warp (from build up stress being relieved) should occur in fewer miles as the brakes heat up and cool down over and over again.

Unless I could see a dial indicator moving from run out of the rotor surfaces I'd say -- and this agrees with what ECSTuning had to offer -- rotors are not warped. The problem is uneven pad material deposition.

I once caused this to happen -- to be sure inadvertently -- when I was in my new 2002 VW Golf TDi. I had washed the car on my driveway the day before and had *not* driven it after to dry the brakes. When I went to use the car the next day the parking brakes were "stuck". From rust. I recognized of course what was going on when the car wouldn't budge with the normal gentle application of throttle to pull the car out of my driveway. With more throttle the brakes let go with a loud pop. On the road I didn't have presence of mind to use the brakes to remove the rust on the rotors. Drove several miles without once using the brakes than had to make an emergency stop to avoid another vehicle. The driver ran a red light. I brought the VW to a safe stop but that resulted in uneven pad deposition to the rotors.

Afterwards during light braking I could feel a mild pulsing. I tried rough sanding the rotors at home but this didn't help. The only cure was to either 1) Machine surface the rotors or 2) replace the rotors.

But I found a work around. I just used the brakes a bit more aggressively -- but not that much to upset other drivers around me -- and the pulsing never appeared, except the rare occasion when I applied the brakes too lightly.

Drove the car to 150K miles and then decided to sell it. Woman came to look at the car and of course she braked very very gently for a stop about a mile ahead (typical of not only women drivers but men drivers too) and of course she felt the pulsing. I had almost forgotten about it. I gave her a several hundred dollar discount on the price. The brakes were original and there was no brake wear light on and brakes were otherwise healthy. 'course, at 150K miles they had I guess not many miles of service life left.

In the case of your car I doubt more aggressive use of the brakes will help. In the case of my car the pulsing was only present with a light application of the brakes. On the freeway though even with a light application of the brake pedal I don't recall feeling any pulsing. Just in town driving and with light braking.

Mentioned the above to give owners a heads up regarding wet brakes after a car wash (or if the car has been left out in the rain or parked in the winter with snow/ice under the wheel wells which will melt and drip water onto the brakes) and to make it a point of driving the car enough using the brakes enough to get them hot and hot enough to dry them. The parking brakes especially. While I don't recommend applying the parking brake while the car is moving, even at a slow speed, with sufficient use the rear brakes will get hot enough to dry the parking brake hardware which is inside the rear brake hubs.

Oh, I haven't forgotten you: If you opt to replace the rotors my advice is to just stick with the factory rotors.