I had a 2003 Mini Cooper back in 2009. It came to a tragic end in December of that year. I was coming home (not drunk), and I lost control of my car and hit a tree head on. I am still thankful to this day that I survived. In January, I went looking for a new Mini. So I went up to the one in Nashville and saw the one I wanted. It was brand new off the truck. Well, on November 11, my engine blew! I was furious! I take great care of my car. I was thinking, How can this happen?!” I got it towed to the dealership, and that cost me about $300, and the car was still under warranty too.They gave me a hard time because they didnt want to pay for the new engine. New engines cost about $15,000-$20,000 plus the labor, so basically get a new car! Well, I got that all sorted out. So in the meantime, they got me a rental car for a week! They told me it would take about that long. Well, it didnt. They wouldnt pay for the rest of the rental, so I had to pay for it, about another $350 because I didnt get my car back until January 15 of 2012! This time I was getting pissed! Well, in March, I moved to FL for school. About 15 minutes away from my new home, my transmission went out! It took them about 3 months to fix, and they also gave me hell.About August, my transmission blew again! They did the exact same thing to me (“We’re not gonna pay”, “Its your fault”, blah, blah, blah). Well, I had it. I wanted to get an estimate about trading in my car. They said $10,749 with 49,000 miles on it. I was super pissed. Now, my head gasket blew, and it’s not under warranty apparently. So Im done with Mini. Im calling corporate, and I will tell them the exact same thing I’m typing, and I will tell them I got a lemon, and I paid in full for this car by the way. I’m going to a Honda or a Nissan, better yet a Chevy!

1. Right and left engine mounts cracked at 55k. 2. New transmission at 55,123 miles. 3. Weather stripping rotting and replaced often. 4. Convertible roof replaced due to rotting weather stripping (twice). 5. Power steering hoses leaking and replaced. 6. Thermostat replaced. 7. Thermostat gasket replaced. 8. Oil pan leak and gasket leak. 9. Trans harmonic converter replaced.10. Bushings.... The most exciting part of this car is that indicator lights dont come on for some of these issues... I can tell you from experience that its very unsettling to have some of these issues arise when on the freeway or on busy city streets .P.S. I maintained this car accordingly my Mini advisor told me so... along with that he stated he just didnt understand why I was having so many problems.

Minis are great as long as they are under warranty. I was having mechanical problems within the first 3 month. The car was repeatedly at the dealership for various problems. That was all ok for the first 4 years. Just don’t keep it past the 4th year cause Mini won’t recall any of the many known problems and it’ll gets costly. The repairs don’t end.

I wish I read the reviews before purchasing a 2010 Mini Cooper Clubman S. Mechanically, this has to be the absolute worst car ever. Let start with the timing chain. Didnt snap once BUT twice, even after the recall fix. Then, within the same month, the thermohousing unit cracked and cause coolant to run out of the car. That was a lovely $500 fix. Then the AC compressor went a month later, that was. $1200 fix. The S model also burns oil, I have to carry a few quarts of 5W-30 on me at all times (thats no joke, if you open my trunk theres two bottles in there). My most recent problem is the latch that locks the truck doesnt shut. I have to fiddle with the latch every time I try to close it. Lastly, where the spare tires goes in the trunk, there was about a gallon of water sloshing around back there.Anyone reading this and thinking about purchasing a Mini; dont. Believe the reviews here. I wish I did and now Im paying for it. That leads me to my last complaint: Mini doesnt care. I made the mistake of going there twice for my timing chain and it was the biggest mistake. Theyll also find several other problems that do not exist. My Mini has enough problems. I dont need fake ones. Go buy a Toyota or Honda. Seriously, stay away.

I bought a 2008 Mini Cooper couple years ago. Since the first day we have owned it, we have had nothing but problems with it. First week of owning it, a sensor went out on it, lucky still under warranty, cost 200 bucks to replace. We have had the body control module act upon it and have to unplug the battery to reboot the car regularly. The sunroof switch quit working right. The driver door window switch automatic quit working. The radio screen doesnt show up all the way sometimes. When its cold it sounds really loud and the exhaust is Really loud when its cold. Tires go flat in cold weather a lot. Just had to replace the coil wires due to misfiring on all cylinders. Seems like we havent went over a month without the check engine like coming on. For what you pay for a Mini you should get a quality car and Quality they are not... Nothing but junk. Will never own another nor a BMW see tons of post about same problems with them. Mini doesnt back their product. I am going back to American made once I get where I own less than the car is worth. DO NOT BUY A MINI COOPER unless you like to be broke fixing it. Now I know why they kept pushing the extended warranty and maintenance package. You have to use the the whole time you have the car because its constantly in the shop.

2009 Convertible S - Engine began making terrible rattling noises at cold start. Tensioner has a campaign for replacement. Mine was so bad the entire timing chain had to be replaced. Now the car backfires and has severe carbon build up. There has been significant power loss and increased fuel consumption.

On 3/1/16 my 2009 Mini Cooper caught fire after I turned the engine off and walked away. It started smoking and the engine compartment was fully engulfed in flames in just minutes. My car only had approx 69,000 miles on it. The result was a total loss. I never received any recall notice about my car despite the fact that I took it in for maintenance numerous times. Ive read that other owners had engine fires back in 2012. The dealership did perform a turbo heat shield check on 10/28/13.On 5/ 13/11 I had to have the turbocharger and oil supply pipe replaced at a cost of $3212.38. I recently received a notice for a class action suit against BMW for timing belt issues and engine failures. Dont know if that is relevant to my fire issue. I have received a settlement from State Farm Insurance for the fire loss but I think Mini Cooper and BMW should be responsible for these issues. How many other Mini are on the road that may catch fire? I would just like to know where I should start with these companies. I would appreciate any advice. I have all my receipts and images of my car fire.

I have a Mini Cooper 09 FOR 5 years with 51,000 miles. Just a couple weeks ago as I was driving home the engine light came on along with the temperature coolant light on. Right as this happened, I headed towards the next freeway exit when my car slowly started to slow down and came to a complete stop. My engine had died. I towed it to the dealership and told me that I needed to do a diagnostic test which I did and found out that my coolant had been leaking but later informed me that I need to do a engine tear down to see the core of the problem and figure out if this was the cause of a faulty part. Couple days later I found out that the dealer did not do the breakdown because Miniusa had told the dealer that a claim cannot be filed because through a remote, they said that since I drove 8 miles after the warning light, this is a case of negligence and nothing can be covered.Would anyone just stop there and then in the middle of the freeway when the warning signal comes on? Because the first thing on my mind was safety. Now I am stuck with a bill and a car without an engine which is going to cost me $8,000 to fix...when the car is worth only about $9,000 if it was running. Do not buy a Mini. It has too many problems which they know but would not acknowledge. Mini USA is even worse when it comes to customer service. All they say is that this is their policy and decision is finalized.

SO SICK OF MINI. First the timing chain and engine head need replacing. Okay fine there is $1300. Now the vacuum pump needs to be replaced $719; $500 just for the part! Money I dont have. Ive only had this car a year and its a complete money pit. MINI needs to take responsibility for their product. Theyre a huge name company and theyre just tarnishing their name.

I bought a 2008 mini cooper in 2014. It only has 63000 miles on it. It has been cutting off in heavy traffic. I am afraid for my life because it may cause me to get hit from behind and seriously injured. What can I do to get this car fixed by the manufacture. Bmw shop told me it will cost me 4000.0 to fix. Can anyone tell me how to file a lawsuit against Bmw to get this car fixed.

2005 Mini Cooper - When car is going between 5-8 miles per hour it goes into neutral, but if you give it gas and get it rolling faster its fine. Automatic with only 69,000 miles.

Mini cooper 2002 chilli pack - I love this car with a passion. Trouble is BMW dont love it as much as I do. Otherwise they would make life with this car cheaper and easier to live. Far too much specialisation in the build that makes it that I have to refer to main dealer rather than my own trusted local mechanic. To me it smacks of BMW trying to keep a steady revenue stream rather than provide a true service to their clients. There you are. Have said it now. Happy.

I recently purchased my wife a 2014 Mini Countryman all wheel drive for her safety. Driving it home over 1000 miles away, it broke down. Getting Mini Road service to communicate was miserable at best. Then we find only a Mini dealer can do the repairs. Do you really want a car so limited? My wife is stuck in the middle of nowhere, half of the way home. Mini will tow it to one of their dealers for repair and that is their limits. Please check out how few Mini dealers there are in the United States and realize you may buy a beautiful car that everyone seems to like but you are putting yourself in harms way. And plan on spending lots of time in desolate spots in the world awaiting the Mini dealer to fix your car while they will not allow or tell you of other Automobile dealers or repairmen that can or will fix your tin can.

My daughter was driving our 2008 Mini Cooper which has around 85,000 miles. No warning lights were on other than the airbag light that stays on all the time because the passenger seat sensor is no longer working. That is another matter. When she stopped at a red light and tried to take off again, the car died and would not restart. We had it towed to the Mini Cooper dealership and they said it had over heated causing the engine to lock up and break the timing chain. The cost for repair would be $10,915.00 including parts, labor and tax. (We are unable to pay that kind of money so we have a cute piece of yard art). We later found out that lots of Mini Coopers have had the timing chain break which is inside the motor and when that happens it can ruin the motor. We believe that is what happened because there was no sensor light on showing the car was getting over heated. We have never had to add water or coolant except at regular maintenance times. They are just trying to blame it on us so there is no way they can be held responsible. There are just too many other people that have had the same problem. Apparently Mini Cooper has known about this problem with the faulty timing chain since 2008 and have not issued a recall. This is horrible!! They should also issue a recall for the passenger seat sensor because that is a safety hazard.

I bought my 2005 Mini Cooper S (automatic) brand new and now, 7 years and 85K miles later, it needs a brand new transmission at $10K! Are you kidding me, after only 85K miles? After reading the posts, this seems like a class-action lawsuit waiting to happen. Previous to this, I had a BMW 325i with 140K miles on it and it was 11 yrs old, before it started having severe issues. So disappointed in BMW/Mini.

I love Mini Cooper Countryman 2011 but the car I was driving and the steel wheel lock by self when I was exit on the freeway. Scare me. So now I don’t trust the car anymore. Pls let me know if that happen to anybody. Thanks.

2007 Mini Cooper S - I fell in love with this car the first time I test drove it! So much fun, so cute. Then I took it off the lot and it all went downhill and I wished Id never seen that car. The Carfax the dealer showed me had 8 previous owners! I bought it in 2014 so thats quite a turnover! I just couldnt resist it even with that huge red flag! What a huge waste of money, so many repairs in the year I had it! I had an hour commute to work and this car was constantly needing repairs. Not dependable at all and the repairs are so expensive. Just to have your oil changed is 100 dollars! I finally gave up and traded it in on a used Scion. I love the Scion, not one repair, not one mechanical problem! Nice looking car and exactly what I needed in the first place. I learned my lesson the hard way, cute car but costly and not a car you can depend on at all. One year cost me about 4000 in repairs out of pocket. Mini wont cover anything if youve taken it to another dealer.

Timing chain broke 30 days after I bought the vehicle @ 59000 miles.

I bought my 2009 Mini Cooper Clubman S used at 20,000 miles in 2011 from a local dealer. At 63,000 miles (after the warranty ran out), it was discovered that the head gaskets on the engine were blown. This was discovered by my mechanic during an oil change and fluids top-off; I had to have it towed 45 miles to the closest dealer. Ferman Mini in New Port Richey, FL, who did the work, promised me my engine would be like new - after paying $4,500 to fix it.At 67,000 miles, I noticed that the water coolant tank had black sludge in it (no warnings or nothing, just happened to check the water level). Mini of Ft. Myers has had my car for 2 weeks - they took apart the oil casing, the gasket heads and turbocharger and still couldnt find what was wrong. They still cannot find the point of failure and have said the only option is they replace the entire engine for $10,000. Or I could trade it in for $3,500 for another Mini from them. And I still owe $9,000 on my loan (thats $23,500 for the loan, previous and current [suggested] repairs). The repairs on this car cost more than the car is worth and more than I owe..... For someone just out of grad school, I now have no car, cant afford the payments to fix and cant sell it. Never, ever buy a Mini Cooper. Im heartbroken as I loved that car. Ill be paying it off for the next 20 years.

I know I am going to get bashed for posting this but understand the only reason is to let Mini customers know that repairs they are paying for at Mini Georgian or after talking to Mini Canada may have been a warranty repair. Georgian Mini Cooper in Barrie tried charging customers for work that should be covered under warranty. This happened twice to me. Once for rust repairs and just recently for a power steering pump at a cost of $1600 plus tax. I had the power steering pump replaced under warranty at Mini Vaughan with no issues. What is strange is I have a email from Mini Georgian in Barrie saying my car has no warranty/recall for power steering pump and a second email from Vaughan Mini stating that yes, the power steering pump is covered under warranty.SO BE VERY CAREFUL DEALING WITH MINI GEORGIAN IN BARRIE or information from Kelly at the head office for Mini Cooper Canada AS THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS AND ONLY CARE HOW MUCH THEY CAN CHARGE YOU. IF you had a power steering pump replaced at Mini Georgian or anywhere else, you should call Mini Vaughan to verify that it is not on the warranty recall. My car is 8 years old and was covered.See below correspondence with BMW CEO Mr. Reithofer email (**):#1 - I regretfully having to contact you again regarding the service I have encountered by my closest Mini Cooper dealer (Georgian Mini) in Barrie Ontario, Canada. As stated in prior emails, I am a true and true Mini Cooper owner and am a lifetime owner hopefully. Mini Georgian is trying I feel very hard for me not to continue owning future Mini Coopers as I just had to AGAIN travel 360 Kilometers (90 Km each way 180 x 2 days) to have my Mini Cooper serviced at your Vaughan Mini location in Woodbridge, Ontario instead of my local Mini Georgian dealer that is about 4 km. away.Mr. Reithofer, this all started when I was having issues with my power steering on my Mini Cooper and did a little research (Google) on Mini Cooper power steering problems. I noticed that my car might be covered under 150,000 or 10-year warranty. I phoned and asked Georgian Mini if my car was under warranty for the power steering pump and was told as you can see in the attached email from the dealership that no warranty left on your vehicle and it does not have any recalls regarding this issue.Mr. Reithofer, just because of past dealing with Mini Georgian regarding warranties or recalls as they just seem not to care about their customers only how much can they make off of them, I contacted Vaughan Mini Cooper to inquire with them. After talking with Ashley at Mini Vaughan, she advised me without me saying anything about warranty/recalls that if the problem is the power steering pump then it will be covered by warranty and if it is only a leak then it would be my cost. Please see attached email from Mini Vaughan.So, Mr. Reithofer, why do I have to travel 360 Km. over two days (Mini Vaughan did not have power steering pump in stock) to have my car serviced under warranty when I contacted Mini Georgian who has the same info on my vehicle as Mini Vaughan does but advise me that the power steering pump is not covered. If I did not follow up with Mini Vaughan, it would have cost me approx. $1600 plus tax to replace a part that is under warranty. How many other customers have been taken advantage of by Mini Georgian in this manner? As of now, I am afraid to take my Mini Cooper to Georgian Mini for so much as a oil change as all they seem to care about is how much they can make off me bringing my car in and no regards to how to treat a customer.#2 - I just received a call from your Canadian office by a rep named Kelly. She informed me that there is no recall to the power steering pump. She started out stating that we have talked before and that she had talked to me about previous complaints (previous rusting issue covered by Minis 10-year rust protection) indicating that I am a constant complainer. Kelly was under the understanding that the power steering pump would not be covered as it does not have a warranty under my vin!!!!!!I asked if she even read my concern and she said yes. When I mentioned that the pump was already replaced, she quickly backtracked on what she said to me. I ask her then why in my letter did I mention I had to travel over 360 km to have my power steering pump repaired, She advised me, I thought you drove down for two days to have a consultation regarding it being covered by warranty!!!!!!!!! You have to be kidding me that someone would do that and it indicates to me that she just figures I am a difficult customer and I would do something ridiculous like this. So your senior employee dealing with customers with the already perception that they are wrong and she seems to take pride in being right and letting me know that. She was 100% percent wrong telling me that it will not be covered under warranty and as stated was shocked to know it was already done. So how much did she look into my concern before she called me?Again, my original questions were not answered as Kelly was too quick to just verbally attack me telling me that she dealt with me on previous complaints and that this concern regarding the power steering pump I was wrong also and as in her words it will not be covered by warranty. I dont like the word complaint as it is more of a concern. I guess Mini Canada Reps calling them complaints are all on the defensive and not dealing with customers concerns in a bias manner.I am so frustrated by this treatment I could just sell my Mini as I do not want to have dealings like this every time. But on the other hand that is silly talk as I love my Mini and I guess the relationship now is a abusive one. Every time I deal with Mini, I get treated poorly and I keep coming back for more. So it is my fault for coming back every time but I love my Mini too much not to. All this just makes me sick to my stomach in how I am treated every time. Awaiting your response and please do not hesitate to contact me should you need further clarification on any manner.Again you can bash me but all I want to do is give Mini owners a heads up when dealing with Mini Georgian in Barrie as they may pay for work that should be covered by warranty. Hopefully, if you have had work done, you can get your money back.

Yes! I am finally sending my Mini to the junk yard tomorrow with not even 100,000 miles on it! The first transmission blew up early on. Of course, like most of the others, I found the replacement cost insane. I found a replacement at a junky which I could afford. That lasted a few years and yes, that blew up too. I also had the mysterious misfire in cylinder 4 that you read about. My cooling system /radiator went down. My drivers side door wouldnt open unless you threw yourself against it. The back hatch wouldnt close properly, so it leaked. My drivers seat broke. I had a few broken windshields like you read about. The computer never worked right. What a nightmare!

We purchased a used Mini Cooper S for 6500 while trading in a car. This was going to be a car for a teen. The check engine light came on and we were back and forth to the dealer in Texas- Mini of Arlington multiple times and they kept resetting it doing no work. We gave up. We then found about the tailpipes recall and contacted Mini of Arlington again who said the recall had been done even though the pipes are clearly sticking out past the bumper. Then we have had intermittent issues with the turbo and there was a lawsuit regarding transmissions and now ours is slipping in 3 gear. We again took it back after owning it a year to mini of Arlington who again rejected any claims of recall work. We stopped driving the car for the last 8 months due to issues with it. We moved to another state. We have now owned it over 2 years. My son was getting stuff out of the trunk as we drove it to the store and he suffered a burn to his leg due to the exhaust pipes sticking out past the bumpers. I contacted Mini corporate who asked for vin and other information. I took pictures of the exhaust and vin plates and sent it to them. They have since ignored me. I think a previous dealer did claim to have done recall work and never actually did it. If that isnt the case perhaps they entered the incorrect vin number. I need it fixed and they are denying repair. It now has transmission and turbo issues and my son has a burn and probable scaring.

I bought a 2016 Mini Cooper from Monrovia Mini Cooper in 2016. Im the original owner. I have taken the car back for tire vibration and was told that is because I bought the sport edition and the ride is rougher. I later found out that was a lie when I took my car to Just Tires to do an alignment. I was actually told my rear tires are cupping and this is due to either the shock or the rear struts are worn out. I took my car to Mini Cooper and they told me this is a low problem with the Mini Cooper as the rear end of the car is to light. So you either have to rotate your tires more often or buy new tires more often. I also noticed that my transmission started feeling like it was slipping as it would jerk my head back from time to time. I took my car to the same dealer for this issue as well and they said there is nothing they can do until they can replicate the issue.I have taken my car at least 10 time for the same issue with the transmission. I told the service Mgr. if I would have known about the tire issue prior to my purchase I would not have purchased the car. I also said that the transmission is a safety issue as I was stopped at a red light and it turned green but I have no transmission as the car would not move until I raced the engine and it grabbed into gear and I almost hit the car in front of me. NOTE: I feel this car is a LEMON but Mini will not do anything.

If I could give negative stars, I would. After owning this car barely 4 years, and JUST as the warranty expired, the engine pulley had to be replaced. Lights came on Battery Malfunction Engine Overheated- turn off car, do not drive, etc. Mini changed how they made this part in 2016 but have failed to recall it in this model. They only recalled the S Cooper. In spite of this part being a problem, they refuse to reimburse car owners for the very expensive repairs. Courtney from Mini USA called to give me her speech on this not being a known problem, even though they changed how they made it the next year. She also said it was too bad for me since I agreed to pay the service department for the repairs. I told her I was stranded at the grocery store when the lights came on and had to have it towed to the dealer. Was I supposed to walk to work? She said the warranty expired and I shouldve bought the extended warranty at purchase. I said the car shouldve lasted more than 4 years without an engine issue! Obviously, BMW USA AND MINI USA couldnt care less about standing behind their cars once they have your money. Your only recourse is to spend more money for when they break down. IF I CAN GET RID OF THIS LEMON, I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER MINI EVER!!!

I love my Mini. Aside from some superficial quality issues (bits of the grill have just simple fallen off on three different occasions), my 2011 Cooper has held up well. I utterly detest working with Mini dealerships. The list of reasons is long: Celebrity name dropping at Santa Ana on the day I purchased the vehicle in 2013. It just so happened to be a celebrity who knows quite a few gaming acquaintances and friends of mine, no less - and yes I directly told that person what happened. The utter lies told to us about our warranty and how it works, even when we showed noted from date of purchase which showed different information. The racial slurs tossed at me in Torrance by a car wash attendant. A regional BMW manager had to reach out personally to resolve that situation. The bizarre fees for even looking at a car (which change with every call and each dealership), ranging from $50-$250, even when the car was under full extended warranty. The misogynistic garbage I was fed by not only by the maintenance associate but the liaison to the general manager who told me that the first guy is close to his mother so couldnt possibly have treated me with disrespect.

I bought my car as an ex demo. I absolutely love the car, but the service isnt great and the build quality is not what I expected. The hood broke after a year - instead of making the components of the hood out of metal, they are made out of plastic. And guess what, one tiny part snapped. And as a result, the entire hood cover had to be replaced. On a positive note, it was covered under the warranty. Had it not been, I was told the cost would have been 1,800. No one in the UK had a hood in stock, so one had to be ordered from Germany. Of course, whilst waiting for the hood to arrive, it rained pretty much nonstop (when doesnt it in the UK?). As a result, the boot was filled with around 2 inches of water. By the time the hood arrived, all the carpeting in the boot had fungus growing on it and also needed to be replaced. The garage also allegedly spent 24 hours drying the boot out. The car is a UK registered 09 plate with less than 30k on the clock.I have taken my car into the Mini BMW garage today as (1) it is due a service, (2) the boot keeps opening as I am driving along, and (3) it needs new brake pads. Firstly, the service - the guy reads out a list of things that are due to be done under this service including new spark plugs. I pointed out that the garage replaced the spark plugs at the end of October and charged me 200 to diagnose the problem and replace the sparks. Why didnt they mention then that they are covered under the service? Then, he said they didnt replace the sparks - it was something to do with auto sensors. I pointed out I have the receipt and it clearly states spark plugs were replaced. I then get a story that it is something to do with the Mini service pack. Had they gone wrong this week, the cost would have been included under the service. But because it went wrong 2 months early, I have to pay. I pointed out that surely if they go wrong early, they are faulty. But no, that was not the case. It is just my bad luck they failed before the service was due.The reason why the boot keeps opening is because all the components in the boot have rusted and corroded. I immediately linked this problem with the faulty hood and all the water that got into the car whilst I waited for a replacement hood. Apparently, had the components corroded immediately, they would have been covered under the warranty. But because the corrosion has only now become apparent, it cant be covered under the original claim and basically I have to pay for any repairs as it is just normal corrosion. Now, firstly, corrosion does not show up immediately. So I couldnt have bought it back straight after the hood was replaced, as I didnt know there was a problem until now. I think anyone with an ounce of common sense would realize a car boot that sat in inches of water is likely to suffer early corrosion if not dried out correctly. But, hey, not according to Mini BMW. On that basis, I must conclude that all their cars after 3 years are likely to suffer serious corrosion of the electrical components in the boot or just general corrosion all round. Brake pads are being replaced as we speak - BMW charge around 200 for them. So before having yours done, check the price of other reputable garages. It is also worth comparing prices with other Mini dealerships. I only have a short drive to another county and the tires in my garage are 165 fitted each. But if I drive 20 miles down the road to another BMW dealer, they are 118 fitted. It has been a fun quirky car and I do love it; however, I will be reverting back to a Mazda MX5 - never had any problems with Japanese reliability.

In the summer of 2016 I bought a used 2013 Mini Countryman S from a Mercedes Dealer at 75,000 KM (just under 50,000 mi) thinking it is German and therefore, quality. I also bought a 3 year extended warranty through a 3rd party carrier and thank god I did. The car is now at 105,000 km and we have had the vehicle into Mini BMW 4 times. The thermostat, solenoids, spark plugs, water pump, hoses, pipes, chains, belt and the headlights have all gone in that time. Every time I go in I have to pay the ridiculous diagnostic fee and the $300 deductible. Some of those repairs are routine maintenance, sure, but I also own a 2013 Kia Soul at 160,000 km which I’ve only had to replace a couple lights and the brakes and tires on. I’m going to sell the Mini as soon as I get a reasonable offer for it. It’s an absolute piece of garbage. I would never buy a Mini product again, and by proxy would never buy BMW. I’ve heard they’re just as bad.

I purchased a 2005 automatic Mini Cooper last year which had 70,000 miles on it. From the word go there where problems starting with tyres needing fixed and reverse parking sensors not working. Then I discovered a much bigger problem whenever I turned my engine on my mini was either revving far too high or far too low. My mechanic didnt know what was wrong and tried a number of things to fix this including replacing the oil (£300!). The problem kept coming back however and so I went to another mechanic who told me my solenoid valve was broken and it turns if you cannot buy solenoid valves separately for minis you have to buy a whole new gear box, roughly £5,000! Essentially deeming the car unfixable. Has anyone ever had this problem/ did anyone find a solution?

I am a super fans of MINI COOPER since I was a teenage girl. I always wanna have Mini as my first dream car. With decades of hard work in my career, my saving money got enough to lease it. When I got the car and sent it to insurance company, the inspection report showed me that it is a used car with over 9 thousand miles on it! On 7/11/17, a dealer name Enrique ** from Mini of Morristown, NJ said found a car to me, but he never ever mention it is an used car. This is such a trick because the sales just wanted to make money out of me and push me to sign without explaining and showing me everything. What a “great” service! A sales push customer to sign? NO ONE WANTS TO LEASE A LOANER OR USED CAR!The dealer Enrique ** told me the car is $32,000, but it is only $26,997. I have paid $3,000 down, $270.5 per monthly of 35 months by leasing. And a maintenance service fee $600 package (I called MINI Service it is only $399). Again, I want to lease a new car, not a second hand or loaner car. The main point is NO ONE mention it is a 9,662 miles loaner car or a pre-own car until I found out, this is such a fraudulent conduct.On 7/14/2017, I called the manager Omar **, he is not helping to get this case done, he yelled at me, speak so loudly, and didnt even say sorry to me. Just say: bring the car back, I give your money back. I took 2 days off, driving 2 hours from New York City to NJ, spend my time to deal with the dealer, and I am a client and big fan of MINI, I should not deserve they have this kind of attitude to me!All in all, I cannot believe that MINI Morristown Dealership is so rude and deceitful! I have my friend accompany with me, so that I have all the text messages can be used as evidences. It destroyed my dream of the first mini car I have. I need to have my right back! I need an apology and solution on this as soon as possible. If your company just try to let it go and fool me, then I will file complaint to NJ Consumer Affairs, BBB. Furthermore, I will report it on all the medias since I am working in the media and PR field for 5 years, I will use all of my connections to get my fight back! Even seriously, sue Mini of Morristown. I am NEVER THAN EVER DISAPPOINTED!!! Shame on Mini of Morristown!!!

This is the worst car Ive ever had! I was so excited when I first purchased this car. I felt like a celebrity because kids would run up to it and hug it. I just loved the way the wind felt against my hair as I drove with the top down. We all know this car kills you with cuteness. Dont be blinded by its adorable exterior, its super sensitive money-eating machine. The first year the dashboard was lit up with issues. The first two years I drove a loaner and Mini Cooper employees knew my face very well, and I should have moved right in. Anyway this car has steering wheel issues that will cost you thousands of dollars. An airbag recall that Mini will repair but leave you to any other airbag related issue thats probably related to the stupid recall, but they want you to pay for it. I had plugin problems with the cooling system, whatever that means... The car would be shut off and it would sound like its still on trying to cool off.One issue that drove me crazy was you cant bring this car to any mechanic because this is a foreign car, they have no clue what to do with your car. Ive had mechanic break parts on the car doing a simple oil change, so I was a slave to MINI Cooper. I couldnt take it anywhere else which is super annoying. MINI isnt trustworthy either though. I went in and asked them to check my engine because the light was on. I specifically asked them to check my fluids. They didnt and later my car overheated and was smoking everywhere. They came and served it but I was a scared mess after the experience. Overall I wouldnt recommend this car to anyone, and if you want to spend money on two cars to keep one cute one go ahead. I drove around anxious all the time worrying about what light will come on next and how many thousands of dollars will cost me when the next light comes on. Not a way to live.

Nothing but a junk transmission gone on 70.000 mile and cost me $4800.00. 2 months later, engine gone which cost extra $5500.00. Nothing but the junk.

We purchased our new 2010 Mini Cooper Sport with the hopes that it would be a reliable, sturdy commuter car. The problems began two years later, in May 2012, when the check engine light illuminated. The car was taken to our local Mini Service Center, where the timing chain tensioner, seal ring, and auxiliary water pump were replaced due to recall. The check engine light illuminated again in December 2013, at which time the car was taken to our local service garage, who replaced the spark plugs, ignition coils and leaking valve cover gasket.In March 2014, the check engine light again illuminated, resulting in another trip to our local Mini Service Center. The repairs required on our four year-old car included the following: turbo heat shield replaced (recall); carbon cleaning due to carbon buildup on the intake valves (parts $251.92; labor $1350.00), fuel injection and induction system cleaning (parts $54.00; labor $100.46), leaking oil filter housing and turbo oil feed line replaced (parts $436.29; labor $1822.50), leaking vacuum pump replaced (parts $525.61, labor $202.50), leaking water pump replaced (parts $201.79, labor $652.50), oxygen sensor replaced (parts $317.73, labor $157.50). Unfortunately, just 11 days later, the overheating engine light illuminated and coolant was running from underneath the car. The car was again taken to the Mini Service Center, where the following repairs were made: T-Stat replaced (no charge due to warranty), Turbo boot replaced (parts $140.00, labor waived).I contacted the Mini Corporate Customer Service in April 2014 to file a complaint, requesting reimbursement for at least some of the charges, as our car was only four years old, has been well maintained, had just missed the maximum mileage of 50,000 for warranty coverage by 4,000 miles, and required what I would consider an excessive amount of repair. My experience with Mini Corporate Customer Service was very disappointing. The agent ultimately assigned to my claim not once spoke with me in person. My claim was denied, but I have concerns that my claim was not properly documented. Additionally, attempts to speak with a Supervisor about the service I received, and concerns with my claim, were blocked; I was informed there is no management that can be contacted.

Prior to the Mini craze that came to the USA in late 1999 we owned 4 Austin Minis and 1 Austin Mini Cooper. The Cooper was a dual fuel tank. The car was so small and light (weight) that 3 men could pick up the car. Our neighbors like to play tricks with us and often we found our Mini moved overnight and place between two trees. Much has changed since then. Our first BMW made Mini was purchased (leased) in 2003. Since then we have owned seven Mini Coopers and to this day own 4. My wife drives the Clubman S (2011), our son a Paceman (2012), our daughter a convertible S (2009) and I drive a Cooper S (2006). All of our vehicles are the automatic transmission. We like the 3/36 maintenance warranty as well as the 5/50 bumper-to-bumper. My Mini and our daughters were purchased from CarMax and we purchased the warranty MaxCare which thankfully hasnt been used. Having the extended warranty is more for peace of mind than anything else. We have been fortunate to have not experienced any of the horror stories many folks have written about on the forums. However, knowing our warranties cover everything major is a definite plus. MaxCare is identical to the BMW extended warranty but a grand cheaper and CarMax has more centers to get your car fixed than Mini Nationwide. MaxCare will also tow your vehicle anywhere you break down. And rental reimbursement is $40 better than BMWs $20.The Mini Cooper runs best with synthetic oil, 93 Octane, and radial tires (we prefer the Goodyear Eagle 1). There is a terrific website that will give a prospective used Mini Cooper buyer an excellent reference tool in helping decide which Mini year is best. Best wishes and happy motoring!

I bought the 2007 Mini Hardtop at 61K. Within one week the timing chain needed to be replaced along with the valve cover and leaking oil, it ran poorly and stalled out at lights. The cost to me was $3K. I cant afford a car like this. Who can? I want to sell it and Ive only had it 4 weeks.

In 2009, I brought it brand new. The engine light has been going on several times. Each time I take it into the dealer (thankfully it’s still covered under warranty), they tell me that it’s the type of gas I put in. Okay, fine. I bought the 91 octane gas and put in fuel injector cleaner as per their recommendation. This happened 5 times. Tomorrow, it’s the sixth time. As soon as this repair is done (thankfully still under warranty), I will drive to the Mazda dealer and trade it in. There is just no excuse for this type of problem. After reading the entries on this and other sites, I guess I feel lucky that I have not spent thousands of dollars on repairs. I love my car (09 Cooper S convertible). So much fun! But I have to let it go.

I have a 2006 Mini Cooper with a manual transmission. The engine and clutch were just bought in 2009. But now, it already needs transmission repair or needs to be rebuilt.

2008 Mini cooper S - First off this was my grandpas car and it was lent to me for a Grad present last year and let me tell you that car had so many issues and repairs I couldnt afford it at all. Just to replace the battery they had to take apart the engine to do so which cost 700 dollars. The car died on me 4 times in the middle of traffic and took it in and they said it was just because of the heat (lived in AZ at the time) then it happened again. BTW I only drove that car for 2 and half months. I now bought myself a Lexus and it runs so much more smoothly and no issues with it at all so if you want a mini just make sure you have a few thousand dollars hanging around.

I have a mini cooper 2007 with less than 67,000 miles that has given me many mechanical problems. Just a few months ago $6000 was spend on mechanical issues. Once more at the shop, but this time Mini Cooper wants to charge me $3000! I cant believe Mini Cooper doesnt give a warranty on parts being of such good standards!

2007 Mini Cooper s - Replaced oil pipe, gasket, spark plugs, timing chain, #1, 2, 4 cylinder. They couldnt fix #3. Finally need engine replacement at 68,000. Insurance wont cover. Car totaled waiting on settlement. SIMPLE; DONT BUY A MINI.

My cars power steering will intermittently fail while Im driving. When I turn the car back on, its fine again. I already had one pump since owning the car, number 2 will be next. When will Mini recall for this problem?

Had my car 2 months and was driving home when the tire blew - this was late at night and I was alone, tried to get a tow from Mini Roadside Assistance to be told the car was Canadian (which it is not) - they refused to tow it so I had to get my own tow. Took to a local garage and ended up buying two tires because the other was so worn out - bear in mind I’ve had the vehicle 2 months and it was still under warranty and was pre certified (both are totally useless by the way) - got my vehicle back and took it to mini in Knoxville for an alignment to be told it would cost over $6,800 for a blown tire!!!! I was told by the dealership that the screws were not tight (finger tight) and there was bright yellow paint on the problem area cleaning indicating an issue - this Mini dealership told me to contact the seller of the vehicle as it was clearly done by them.... This is where it gets super shady... When I told them I bought it from another Mini Dealership - they quickly put me on hold and then changed their mind and said it was my fault.. I had driven down a pothole or ran into a curb!! What?? That’s not true!!! There was no damage caused by me and had I driven it into a curb how the heck did the other tire get so worn that I was not allowed to drive it!! Unfortunately this seems to be Minis way now, they sell you a vehicle but the second you drive off the dealerships courtyard you are 100% on your own!!! The original dealership has washed their hands off me and have only called once to pretty much say it’s not our fault.. 2 months in and I’m about $8,900 in the hole. Oh and don’t call Mini Corporate because they don’t care - they will take notes but will not follow up with you or help because ‘each dealership is independently owned’ so you are not covered. So disappointed in Mini, it’s such a fun car but it’s a huge risk - would I even buy another one? Not on your life!!!!

By now, every Mini owner should know of failures of the power steering fan, pump and guard and that Mini has pledged to repair or reimburse owners for breakdowns. I applied for reimbursement in May 2013 and have yet to receive it. Mini-USA told me it may be 2014 before I receive my check. My automobile shifter linkage failed within a month of purchase; it spent ten days in service five or more times the first year alone for this one problem that freezes the transmission in 5th gear. Repairs made to this automobile: At 90k miles, I have replaced 4 or 5 clutches, a transmission, power steering pump, throttle body, ac compressor and condenser, fan, alternator, both power window regulators, motor mounts and rear strut. Electrical harnesses connected to the warning system are prone to fail from rainwater leaks and/or require cleaning service. Dealer estimated charges for each of the above repairs average 1000.00 USD. Responsiveness of dealer and manufacturer is almost non-existent. I estimate I have paid 6000.00 for repairs in the last 30,000 miles.

It is 2 years and 2 months I have a new Mini Cooper S coupe and it is full of problems. Started with overheating issues which took 3 multiple day visit to the dealership to finally get the right fix. The issue was documented by multiple technical bulletins which referred to 3 fixes overwriting each other. However bmw was only addressing one bulletin at a time, making the problem an ongoing issue. Another problem is the smell of unburnt gas when I start in hot weather. Bmw never been able to resolve this, telling me there is no problem. This is my 3rd Mini and I know that something is wrong there with this one. Finally, now it is the radio that keep playing even if I press the power button, turn off the engine, remove the key or lock the door. I had to remove the fuse to stop it. Now I will have to spend more personal time at the dealership to get this fixed.The car is now close to be off warranty because of the mileage, and it seems that problems are far to be terminated, cause huge inconvenience and soon huge cost to resolve out of warranty issues. Any problem discovered during the warranty period should have extended coverage so bmw would be forced to fix issues and not wait the end of warranty to charge the client.

Mini Roadside Assistance does not provide assistance, instead it provides terrible unprofessional customer service. On two occasions now, I have called in for assistance when broken down on the side of the road. The agent was not friendly or helpful. On both calls, I was on the line for 16-24 minutes and at the end of both calls I ended up calling AAA for help. AAA was able to provide me with roadside assistance after a 3-minute call and I was towed within 30 minutes. The customer service at AAA is kind, efficient and professional. The complete opposite of the service you receive from Mini Roadside Assistance. I strongly suggest they look into who they hire for these call desk positions.When you lease or purchase a Mini, one of the perks is Roadside Assistance, but when that assistance is provided by rude and incompetent people where is the perk? Instead Mini Roadside Assistance has been a huge waste of time that has left me stranded and angry in an already frustrating situation. Mini you should be disappointed and embarrassed by the service you provide!

All good until warranty expired, Then... 2016 model bought new. No problems at all. Love the car religious with maintenance. Hit 53k miles and developed unusual noise and driving characteristics. Transfer Case is shot (part of the drivetrain on the all-4 models) and repair is $4,000ish. SERIOUSLY?! Vehicle driven exclusively by middle age highly conservative driver...very disappointing!

I purchased a 2009 Mini Cooper from Mini of Charleston (owned by Rick Hendrick) in 2011. I bought the service warranty for about $1,200. They told me that the Mini needed a new clutch ($2200) and that wasnt covered under the service warranty that I purchased (**). Their service is horrible and then they dont want to fulfill their obligations through loopholes. I would have never purchased the service warranty if big ticket items were not covered. So I picked up the car and took it to a Mini/BMW repair shop where a friend takes her BMW and it cost me less than half of what Mini was going to charge me.I am going to trade the Mini in and I will never, ever buy another Mini or BMW again (I currently have a 2006 BMW 325CI that I bought from the same dealership and I have bought BMWs in the past). It appears (after reading multiple reviews on multiple websites) that the Minis transmission are crap as much of the complaints are around the service and transmissions. Gotta hate a company that backs their product.

I have a 2007 Mini Cooper S, 6-speed manual transmission and is just under 60,000 miles. Had to replace clutch for being worn down. Body shops quoted me at least $2500 for clutch kit + labor. After research and talking to all my friends, clutch can be worn down and may be replaced after 100,000 miles. All the mechanics I talked to say its very unusual for this to happen at 60,000 miles. Clutch may wear down earlier if you were constantly driving on a hill, driving up mountains all the time... which I have not. Ive been driving for 16 years and I know how to drive a manual. I also had to replace all four coils and the fuel pump which was another $1000. I had a 15-yr-old Civic with 250,000 miles prior to this Mini. I miss my Civic. Never gave me any problems.

As mentioned by thousands of other unsatisfied owners of Mini Cooper, I am also a victim of the dreaded CVT transmission. Had I known about the unreliability and short term of CVT transmission in ’06 (apparently BMW did), I would not have wasted my money on a Mini. Dont buy a Mini. My transmission just gave out without any warning. And now, I am left with nothing due to the expensive cost of the repair and not being able to afford it. I hope you burn in hell BMW. BMW has a class action lawsuit against them regarding the CVT issues but will not acknowledge or help. I am going to park the car in a parking lot until the suit is settled. Hope it will be soon.

I just bought a 08 Mini Cooper S Automatic with 77,000 miles. The person I bought it from showed me an inspection done at Mini in Pleasanton, and showed walnut blasting done to fix check engine light. I was told that was the only issue. After buying it, the check engine light came on 2 days later. I took it back to Mini in Pleasanton, they told me actually there was a big list of problems the seller never disclosed to me. Upon questioning him, he (Sean) who works at Nohrs RV center, said he felt the other items were not important so never showed me the paperwork.The other work that he had written paperwork needing consisted of water pump leaking needs replacement, vacuum pump replacement, fuel feed line, air intake boot cracked. So, I left car at the Mini dealer for 2 days to check everything. I found out on top of those issues it also needs the timing chain replaced, which Mini customer service refused to help pay anything towards, well known Mini defect. Also valve cover gasket needs replacement, and catalytic converter. I was tricked by the salesperson at Nohrs RV center in Pleasanton in the beginning, and now found out these cars have so many issues, as the manufacturer does not stand behind their product at all.

A year after I got the Mini Cooper, and just by coincidence, I looked at the car jack. It had some surface rust on it, but nothing else was rusty around it. I asked the Service Agent to correct it, but he told me, that it would not be an issue in the future. Now, 3 months after the warranty ended, the rust has corroded the welded seams and springs. When I took it back, of course, it was not their problem now, and the clerk told me that if it was broken, maybe they would look into it! So it means that if I used the car jack and it broke on me, with physical harm or injury, then maybe Mini will do something? I guess liability is cheaper than a $75 car jack.

We had a 2016 Mini Cooper S, very zippy and responsive, stereo was wonderful...BUT it is horrible in snow, the seats hurt your back and neck. It rides like a potato cart. We traded it in for a Ram truck. We spent 40 days, with over 5 hours on hold WAITING to get confirmation of payoff. They lost the first check even though it had proof of delivery. After 3 weeks of no check, Ram stopped the first check, REISSUED another, more proof of delivery, they lost that one too. The local consumer advocate, and threat of lawsuit inspired them to locate the 2nd check. They were rude and short with me, the customer, because I was weary of no action, and NO answers, and NO RESULTS. MY ADVICE dont spend the money on a Mini Cooper. If you do, good luck. Lynae **.

Were the crazy car people you hear about. Every year we go to the Detroit auto show, New York auto show, Philadelphia auto show, etc, and we generally replace one of our cars every 2 - 3 years. In 2014 I was impressed with the Mini Cooper at one of the auto shows that I ordered a nearly fully loaded Mini Cooper S Hardtop with the John Cooper Works package. After all was said and done, I spent approximately $36k. After waiting a few months, it finally arrive on the docks of New Jersey but it had a recall on it (already) and it wasnt allowed to leave the docks to be delivered until the recall had been satisfied. That process took a month for someone to change a part on the dock, which is very disappointing knowing that your new car was being held captive by slow moving dock mechanics.After about 4 months of driving, the oil filter exploded. Yes, EXPLODED. The mini dealership did a pretty good job of towing the car and bringing me out a loaner for several days until they could fix it. At that point, things went downhill. Heres everything going wrong with it to date: During driving, several times the stick shift came completely off its base, leaving me scrambling to shift but could not. This was fixed when the oil filter exploded and have not had any problems since. Several times a month, when the car is started (warm or cold) the RPMs will go back and forth from 0 to 1000, then die and restart itself (all while the auto start/stop is disabled) and will continue the same cycle for up to 10 minutes.During normal driving, I lose all power to the car. Just last week I was pulling out of parking lot into traffic and lost all power, even with the gas pedal to the floor. I was lucky enough to get into the center turning lane before being struck by oncoming traffic. The window seal on the rear seat window (on the drivers side) has slowly begun to unravel and hang out of the space between the window and the hatch on the back. The service department at the dealership said they had seen it before, and a glass company claimed it shouldnt effect the seal, but I can visibly see space between the window and what should be the seal. The low tire pressure monitor displays warnings about tire pressure even after I have confirmed the tires are inflated properly.Getting additional errors on the display in regards to a discharge of the battery while the engine is stopped (perhaps a draw on the battery somewhere). The voice recognition software is either just plain horrible, or something is faulty. When I supply a valid, easy to understand address or location for the GPS to navigate to, it changes the radio station. While in reverse, the backup lines on the reverse camera disappear every now and then. The only way they show up again is if you go into the settings and re-enable them manually. When I buy a car, I keep it for 2-3 years before even considering trading it in. With the problems Ive listed above and having only owned it for about a year, I asked around for trade in quotes. I was astonished to discover that the car I had paid $35k for a year prior, was now only worth $18k on trade in. Thats nearly a 50% drop in value in one year. When the car is running ok, its a lot of fun to drive... A LOT. But the issues that Ive had with it arent just annoying, theyre dangerous. In fact, due to the loss of power on occasion, I cant allow my wife to drive it because I fear for her safety. Im not sure how much longer Ill have the car (or how long Ill be stuck with it rather), but Im truly disappointed. I expected better from BMW. Ive owned a lot of cars, but this one was by far my biggest mistake.

Whatever you do in life do not I repeat do not purchase a Mini Cooper. What amazes me is that BMW continues to produce this pile of **. I guess as long as there’s consumers not willing to research like me why not! If you value your money spend it wisely on Honda -Toyota.

I have a 2014 Mini Cooper coupe and I love it - not had one bit of trouble with it, love how it handles on the freeway. Only one problem - me 5ft2 perfect driving position - can see all the through the windows, hubby 6ft has trouble that cant be a bad thing stops him from driving my baby. This is my 3rd mini, before this one I had a 1974 Mini Cooper and a 2007 Mini Cooper - just love these little cars.

We bought our daughter a used 2008 Mini Cooper S in 2014 and the transmission went out the first week of 2016. Mileage is currently at 134K. We have had 2 quotes for the repair, including the Mini dealer, both are $8,000 with no guarantee the transmission wont have another untimely fail. This repair cost is the book value of the Mini. It is very unfortunate as the car is in otherwise great condition and was fun while it lasted. Its now sitting in our driveway while we figure out how to dispose of it... at a total loss. This was our first and last Mini. I would run... not walk away... from buying one of these again. The cost to maintain too great. Do your research.

So here is what I think should be taken care of under a recall for my 2006 Mini S: 1 ) coolant tank - Should be molded from one solid piece; too close to the heat shield. Thats what makes it crack. And they all do it. 2) transmission - Thing is made to break. There are over 1000 complaints on this problem. And nothing has been taken care of. Big problems. Other than those problems. Love my car.

My husband bought a 2010 Mini Cooper two years ago. Thought we were getting a great car, not so much. It is a money pit. He kept up on all required maintenance, but it didnt matter. Three weeks ago it was leaking coolant like crazy and there was oil in the coolant, of course an $800.00 fix between the thermostat and whatever else they did. Now this week the check engine light is on again and the car is misfiring. Changed out all the spark plugs and the coil and doesnt fix the problem. Take it in today to the shop and its the motor. Needs a new one. So now we are left with a car, that we are still paying on and doesnt run, that we can spend $6,000 to get it fixed or $7400.00 to get fixed at the dealership. Not what I expected to happen with a car with 62,000 miles.

I got my 2009 Mini Cooper convertible back in 2013. It was below 18,000miles so I thought I was getting a good vehicle. By far the worst decision I ever made, and am at this point willing to lose money on what remains to be paid for the vehicle just to see it behind me. In the past 4.5 years, I have easily spent around $6000 in repairs, and I have another $2400 to repair on the engine and brakes just to pass this years inspection. Not little things, mind you - HUGE issues. Things that kept it in the shop for days.And it seems like every day there is something else that needs to be done. Will be trading it in, and I tell everyone I know that unless they have a bottomless pocketbook, and dont plan on really using the car very often - i.e. if its your fun/weekend vehicle, not your primary - then dont go there. It isnt worth the stress or the expense. Like a mechanic recently told me when I hit another expensive brick wall with this car: its a toy, not a car for people who actually need to drive somewhere.

I have sent many many e-mails to mini of Towson and mini of america and they indicate that the peeling of the coating on my rims is just curb scratches. Well dealing with this type of answer indicates they DONT care about there customers and maybe future customers.Based on this I will not buy another $28,000 car from MIni who does not care

I had my 2012 4 door Mini Cooper piece of junk for 2 years and needed to return to the dealer at least 12 times for various repairs. This car is a piece of junk. Nothing about it is normal. You cant buy a normal battery for $100 because the Mini battery has a stupid vent hose, so of course its going to cost $350! You cant change a lightbulb on your own because a sensor light goes off that there is an electrical problem. It needed an engine gasket after only 60,000 miles. The engine light was constantly going off. And, of course, the stupid dealer would not covered under warranty! Do not buy this car! It shouldnt be offered to the public! Amazingly, Mini (BMW) put all the money into perfecting sensors for every stupid idiotic problem with the car, but no money into making a decent transmission and engine!

I own a 2010 Mini Cooper Clubman. Like others, I have loved the car - fun to drive, cute. I was fully prepared to replace her once she had finished her useful life. I did NOT expect that to happen soon after I paid her off and before 60K miles! As others have stated, repairs are costly - I purchased an extended maintenance package and have kept up on regular maintenance through the dealer and have used premium gas as recommended. About 2 years ago I had to have the spark plugs completely replaced - dealer blamed it on poor gas. This year alone I have experienced: Valvetronic Motor and Centric Shaft issues - the car engine light came on and the car could not go above 5 miles an hour. Mini wanted $3K to repair stating it was out of warranty. I pushed back and they ultimately covered it but what a hassle! Now, 2 months later, I am experiencing over-heating issues. AGAIN, the car does not even have 60K miles on her! I am now constantly on high alert, expecting another problem. I am frustrated because when I researched the Mini reliability seemed high. That has not been my experience.

My 2010 Mini Clubman S is a danger to everyone. 3 times in the past 2 months, the engine light has come on and then the gauges go out of control. The speedometer and RPMs go up and down wildly; the windows wont roll down; and the blinkers wont work. This is a serious hazard on the road especially if youre driving on the Autobahn. From what I have seen on several blogs, this is a common issue that has gone unresolved. It has 50,000 miles on it and I have already taken it to the shop to have the solenoids and gasket changed. 3rd times a charm I guess because oil is still leaking and the same issues have come back. It is extremely frustrating as a customer that a company would make such a pathetic product that has so many issues in their infancy of its life. People dont have time or money to spend deal with this crap. Mini should recall these vehicles because not only is it a serious safety hazard, but customers are losing massive amounts of money off the lot for ** product. Go back to the drawing board Mini! DONT BUY MINI!!!!!

My 2006 Mini Cooper convertible has been serviced by the authorized Mini dealership since the day I got it. My last service was at 100,000 miles. At 127,000 miles my transmission has gone out. I love my Mini but golly, Ive never known anyone driving any vehicle that has had their transmission go. Is this a known Mini issue or is my case an anomaly? Is the suit in California regarding Mini transmissions a national class action suit?

I purchased my 2006 Mini Cooper S brand new in January 2006. The car currently has 108,000 miles, which are mostly highway miles as I commute to a job out of state a few days a week. Since purchasing the car, I have had a myriad of serious and unsafe issues starting with the replacement of run flat tires within the first 2 years of owning the car. Those tires run $350 a pop and if you run over a nail, you have to replace the whole tire. They didnt warranty them back then, though I think they do now. For the first 65,000 miles, I did all my maintenance at the dealership, but switched to a National Auto Care chain as the dealer costs were 40% higher for the same work. I changed tire to regular tires with a warranty to stem the bleeding.The latest issue began two weeks ago when I noticed the car was slipping between second and third gear when running for a while in stop and go traffic. The car shifted fine when cold. I brought the car in for a check up where I was referred to a National chain transmission repair shop where I was informed that my CVT would need to be re-manufactured at a cost of $6,000. I was also informed that my power-steering pump is leaking and the power-steering cooling fan is not working, so both need to be replaced. As much as I love this car, and even with these problems, I still do love the car, but I cannot recommend it because the premium price I paid for BMW engineering does not translate to reliability. These issues should not be occurring at this point in the cars life.I will be without a car for another week, at least, because the valve joint they need to re-manufacture the transmission is on back order as they re-engineered a new valve joint, for the originals were prone to premature failure. One would think BMW would address this or work with their customers on a reasonable repair cost for this. Unfortunately, when I called the dealer I purchased the car from for assistance, they quoted me over $10,000 for the same repair. Needless to say, I will never buy a Mini or BMW ever again. I am aware of class action suits in NJ and CA regarding this issue, but I cannot find anything in MA. If there is, or if there is an attorney looking to start one, please contact me.

My husband purchased a new 2009 Clubman from Irvine (CA) Mini, which has ~50k miles. He did not have any major problems with this one (previous Mini was traded in due to engine fan problem), until a few days after the New Year. We noticed transmission oil leak on the garage floor and driveway. He took it in for service. Upon inspection of the transmission, the service rep informed him that the transmission pan was broken/damaged and welded. They claimed that they do not have this type of welder. We were subsequently advised that the repair would not be covered under warranty. We informed the service rep that the car has never been in an accident and they were the only dealer (service) that have touched (worked) on our car since it was purchased from their dealership as a new car. My husband called the corporate office. We were told they will not cover repair - cost was more than $1,000.00. The other infuriating part is that they will not guarantee their repair! I just spoke with another (2011) Mini Cooper owner yesterday, who coincidentally purchased hers from the same dealer (Irvine). Her car also leaked transmission oil. The pan was noted to have been bent/damaged. It was repaired twice because it continued to leak after the first repair. She was lucky it was repaired under warranty.

We had several malfunctions on our Mini Cooper convertible, which the dealer was happy to cover under the original 48 month warranty. I actually got the feeling that the dealer was on my side. I then purchased the Mini Cooper USA extended warranty when the car had about 18 months left on its original warranty. About two years later, something in the steering failed, and also the trunk stopped opening. It took them a long time to determine that the latter was simply a short in the wires to the electric trunk opener latch in the truck door. The dealer appealed to Mini Cooper USA, but the response was that neither repair was covered because all rubber wear was not included in the extended warranty. It cost me close to $800. I felt cheated.

Ive never owned a car so fun to drive. My 2010 Mini Cooper S Clubman 6-Speed had plenty of spunk and was on rails. Thats where the joy ended. The downhill started with an engine light at 100K miles. After $2,700 in suspicious repairs, I was told I wasnt driving it right. 6 months later, without any warning from the amazing computers, the timing chain broke. Now I have a great looking car that needs $10K in repairs. The dealership in Portland has been accommodating with loaners, etc., but they arent admitting these vehicles are not designed for higher mileage and they are all too willing to keep bleeding me dry with the repair bills. I have thought about having a third party replace the engine for $7K, but with the poor reliability, I may just junk the car instead of sinking more good money after bad. Will not be buying another Mini.

My 2005 cooper had been making a ticking noise for a while. I changed my front tires because one of my tires was wearing incorrectly and this didnt solve the issue. I decided to take the car the the Mini Dealer in our area and have them diagnose the problem. They found that the noise was coming from the transmission. Well, I was dumbfounded because my car is at 89K miles and a manual Transmission. So I thought how could my tranny be going out? I called 1-800-ask-mini and asked for assistance and help in regards to the transmission going out and I also needed a new passenger seat mat because my airbag warning light was on and this means the seat mat is messed up.Brent from Mini said he would call me back in a few days to investigate. The mini repair called me back to let me know that they would be able to offer me 15% off the price for the seat mat and they never referenced the transmission.A few days later, my car actually broke down. I have spent over 3K to replace my transmission. The mechanic showed me the core which has a nice little hole bored through the metal. The upper part of the transmission was blown out by what ever it was that was digging through the metal. Nonetheless... the transmission problem I had was truly a defect and I would like to know how I can get Mini to take some sort of ownership for the problem.

I purchased a 2009 mini cooper hard top used with 50k miles from the dealer. I was so excited to finally have my dream car, and for a year or so it was heaven. The car was not only adorable, but fun to drive and got great mileage! Sure, I had to pay for premium gas and oil changes were around $100, but the car was a dream. That was until the problems started to roll in at around 60k miles. The car began making a thumping noises after driving (with the engine off) and the engine would idle very loudly and even rattle. I took the car into the dealer and they assured me it was fine. One night the engine died. The cars oil had leaked into the engine and the engine was done. Third parties wanted 7k for a used engine replacement and mini wanted 10k for a new one. I was devastated. That was over half the price I bought the car for. I found someone who was willing to rebuild the engine for 4k. That lead to more nightmares. Several nights making long drives the car just died on me. Stranded and alone I had to have a friend pick me up and the car towed (at least 3 separate times) and then wait for weeks while the car was in the shop. The car was on its last leg, huffing and puffing around, ready to die any second. More repairs were needed. Mini said the car needed a part, I cant remember what it was, and that it would be $900. And only mini had the part. Recently I was rear ended on the freeway and the car was totaled. It was a rare case where the person whose car is totaled is actually happy about the situation. I still have a few more payments left on the car, and the payout will cover just a bit more than the payments and the engine rebuild, but at least this is done. Everyday driving my mini was uncertain. I never felt safe in the car. That said, I loved the car. It was still fun to drive and so cute, but the anxiety and maintenance repairs make this car criminal. I would not recommend this car to anyone unless they are leasing it or rich and dont care about all of the repairs.

I purchased my 2015 Mini Cooper Hardtop in October 2014. First issue with the car was at 6,000 miles (April 2015). Vehicle was having a hard time going on a slight uphill, car then misfired - white smoke came out of the tail pipe. Within 5 minutes, the car misfired 4 separate times altogether. My car began to chug along and go very slow, an alert came on the dashboard saying Drivetrain Malfunction - drive moderately.. Oil below minimum. Add 1 Quart of oil as soon as possible. Car was then towed to dealership. They had my car for a little over a week. They called & said there was a lot of carbon buildup on the injectors. They then asked what gas I use which I said 89 or 91 and always getting it from Sunoco gas stations.. which is what they recommended when I purchased the car. They replaced the spark plugs and the injectors.For about two weeks after repairs, car was driving okay, seemed as though it accelerated a little slower than when I first had the car. I, then had an alert show up on my dashboard saying Oil below minimum. Add 1 quart of oil as soon as possible. I had to turn around on the thruway & take my car to the dealership. Again, they had my car for over a week. They replaced an oil sensor that apparently was bad. The service department manager gave me a service log for Mini Cooper that said, ALL Mini Coopers that have a turbocharged engine should top off their oil with 1 quart every 750-1000 miles. Seems very, very strange. But the car was repaired & they sent me on my way.The following Friday (6 days later), I decided to measure my oil while my engine was warm.. the oil meter seemed to have lost a quarter of oil in the past 6 days which DOES NOT SEEM NORMAL. The next day, Saturday, I had an alert come on my dashboard yet again that said Drivetrain Malfunction - drive moderately. Luckily this time, my car seemed to have been driving normal - it didnt misfire at all. Turned around & drove the car back to the service department. They had my car for about a week. They said there was a crack in the valve over the gasket, so there was some oil leakage - which the service department manager said that would explain the excessive oil loss in a matter of 6 days. A warranty extension was presented to me, 6 years instead of 4 years.However, the service department manager failed to mention that the last 2 years of warranty would not cover exactly what the first 4 years covers. I am EXTREMELY displeased with their customer service. I am eligible for a brand new Mini Cooper but I had told the service department manager I do not want a new car, or my current car - my 2015 Mini Cooper Hardtop falls under the Lemon Law & I want a FULL REFUND. No brand new car with only 6,500 miles on it should have this many issues. How can a brand new car be unreliable? This car has immediately lost its longevity as well as its resale value. Mini Cooper is an unreliable product.

I have a 2009 Mini Cooper Clubman still in warranty with 45,000 miles on it and I have owned the car purchased new for less than 3 years. First, the airbag light came on. I took it to the dealership in Memphis, Tennessee. I was told that the sensor got wet and it was not covered under warranty. I am not sure how an important sensor such as an airbag sensor would even be in a place that water could touch it. Even better, how about making a part that is water-resistant? It is the air bag sensor for Gods sake! Even though I provided recall announcements on the sensor, the dealership would not cover it. At 42,000 miles, my car began hesitating almost to the point of losing power when increasing speed rapidly to move from an interstate ramp to the interstate. I brought the car in and I was told that the oil needed to be changed (out of general maintenance so I declined the dealerships oil change due to elevated cost), brakes were now dangerous (now not under warranty but 4 weeks ago, they were in good working order and I drive 10 miles/day). They checked the hesitation issue and stated that the car was showing electrical voltage changes and they tightened the battery cables. As I was driving from the dealership, the car immediately began to hesitate. It continued to worsen. I called the dealership and I was told to check the gas cap for a tight fit, then take it to other service stations because the gas had water in it. Blah, blah, blah. The emission light came on and then the engine light. I had it towed to Roadshow BMW in Memphis, TN where I bought the vehicle. For 2 days they tried to find a diagnosis. The shop foreman was called in, the service manager was looking at it, and even a regional technician was contacted. Finally, I was called by a service rep. She stated that the turbos needed to be replaced at a tune of $3,000.00. Yes, this problem was covered under warranty, but because they did not do the oil change when they were to fix the problem in the last visit, the turbo replacement would not be covered under warranty. The dealership, in my opinion, is anything but honest. I am hiring an attorney and beginning my correspondence with Mr. McDowell, president in NJ at Mini USA. Fun car but if the dealership is slippery as a snake, it is not worth the money and headache.

My 2010 Mini Cooper Clubman S had 14100 miles on it. Within 4 days to continue driving it I would have had to put out over $2,000. First the brake pads which needed to be replaced could not be done without replacing the entire brake unit... over $800.00. Two days later the engine started idling roughly and the check engine light came on. I brought it to the independent mini dealer I was using and they told me that Peugeot was actually providing the engine for the Mini and many of the parts were made of plastic. The error reading was indicating *engine misfiring... Like badly*. It would cost around $1,000 to fix it and it would take 2 days and of course there would be labor costs also and the same thing could happen again. They cleared the check engine light and said drive it until the light came on again and then when it did repairs would have to be done. They were surprised, very surprised, that at 14,100 miles brakes and engine part melting was happening. I had 2 extended warranties but they covered nothing (brakes aside - wear and tear items). Now tossing and turning about this all one night, you gotta figure $2,000+ is like 5 car payments. When they erased the error, I RACED to the Honda dealer and got a Civic. The simple maintenance cost and repair cost of having the *hottest* car on the road wasnt worth the lack of reliability and exorbitant cost to maintain. I was always having to have sensor lights cleared at the dealer and after the check engine light situation I, sorrily simply passed the problem off to a non-Mini dealership. I dont love the Honda but I feel safe that I will not have to always be ready for some costly thing to happen before the next car payment is due. Amazing dumping a car because it is a financial and safety risk to drive!

Freak type of situation happened to my speedometer cover (the clear plastic)... On the weekend of 5/29/15 I decided to give my car a really deep clean and brought out my dealer supplied cleaning bucket of cleaning products. As I proceeded to start to clean the dash area and the speedometers lenses I noticed some cleanser seeping behind the speedometer plastic and then some very bad cracking and separating started. I immediately stopped and started to look at the problem and realized there had been a large crack that was not visible to the eye until the cleaner got onto it. I immediately called the dealer. Drove 1hr to get there and have them look at it. Now here is where things went bad.After about an hour wait I was called into the service area and they started talking to me about non warrantable items. I at this point now realized my situation and outcome was NOT going to be favorable. They deemed this as a situation that they had never seen happened before and then they blamed me for the problem. I truly believe that a $30,000 car only owned by me for a few months and that would have a freak incident like this would have been covered. I was only asking for the damage that I believe could have been a manufacturing defect, it should have been taken care of. I was then told, The service manager would reach out to you, and get back to me when a solution could be reached. I at this point got into my car and proceeded home a very dissatisfied customer.I received a call back from the service manager after several days, according to him after talking to a district representative, he stated as a measure of good will they would be willing to offer me a replacement at ½ the cost of the entire unit which still would cost me out of pocket $1200.00, or they were willing to pay of my deductible ($500)... if I could get this covered under my auto policy. This is my mind speaks volumes that in some way the dealership felt a certain sense of responsibility to cover this if they were willing to offer me this so called good will gesture. I fully understand this is an expensive item and there should have been a better resolution to the problem since the car is under warranty and you claim boot to bonnet coverage for 4 years or 50.000 miles. I truly do believe that my cost should have been $0.00.I was absolutely astounded that my insurance company decided to cover this (thank god for State Farm to which I have had them for 30 years) under ACCIDENT. They did not have to but they did, they went out way to make sure I got my car repaired... I am elated to be a customer of theirs and cant praise them enough and that is why I will remain loyal to them for life. I really wish Mini had felt the same way and taken care of this the same way. Especially since all I heard was We have never seen anything like this before.I also want to include in this statement that after receiving the adjusters estimate of the repairs, the dealerships estimate was considerably higher on list prices for the components and I have both repair estimates as evidence of what I feel was an extreme mark up when it looked as if I was paying of pocket the cost of the repair. However on the dealerships behalf after calling and going over the pricing they did agree to work within the monies provided. Thank god I had that information or I would have paid WAY too much on this repair. My intentions of bringing this up is to let you know how appalled I was by this deliberate attempt to pad the bill.

I just had to take my mini in for service as it sounded like a diesel it a metal rattle noise was quite obvious. I have a 2010 mini Cooper S that fell victim to a large issue two years ago just prior to the mini Cooper recall. I am not sure if that recall is in fact tied to anything with this problem but that day the car had to be towed to the mini dealer and it only had 30 some thousand miles on it. Now Ive taken it in and been told the timing belt tensioner is in fact completely broken and the car drained 2 1/2 quarts of oil- etc etc. The car only has 52,000 miles on it and if it even looks different I take it to the mini dealer for service constantly. This is not a car that has been even given the opportunity to be neglected. This particular repair is over $2400 which is extremely odd especially with this particular car and how Few miles its driven. I have now read about the unusual timing belt problems with Mini and I would strongly suggest as per a previous article I read that the 2010 Mini be included in this consumer complaint - and seriously looked at as a potential recall problem. This can be extremely dangerous and needs to be addressed immediately. As I write my car is in for service of this exact issue crossing my fingers.

My 2009 Mini Cooper S Convertible with only 41,000 miles was experiencing the death rattle associated with the timing chain problem. My local Mini dealership at first told me they did not hear what I was hearing. I also had the problem with misfiring and rough idling. After I took the service technician for a drive and he acknowledged hearing the same things I did, the dealer quoted over $2,000 dollars in repairs which including timing chain replacement and carbon build-up removal.At the time, I was mystified at how we could go from no problems to that amount of money with no further diagnosis being conducted. I did take my car back to the same dealer for service and they ultimately fixed both problems at no cost. Unfortunately, I still have a high oil consumption problem and was told by the Mini Service Manager that I will need to add oil after about 750 miles. Based on past history, this is another known issue that Mini is just not yet willing to admit to.

I was just informed by Mini that my transmission has likely failed. I have babied this car from the beginning and people routinely ask me if it is brand new. It has been taken to every service as required and generally well cared for. I took the car to the dealer after several codes came up at inspection that my general mechanic was unable to address. The car was occasionally starting in EP mode and running very sluggishly. Shortly after that the car began revving in second gear and failing to shift at the appropriate time. Eventually it does shift but only after revving at 3 to 4 thousand RPMs. After a $120.00 evaluation the dealer informed me that it was one of two things. I could either flush the transmission at the cost of $800 and the service technician stated there was a 50/50 chance that it would resolve the problem or it would not resolve the problem and the car would actually be worse. The service tech said that I could baby the car in the meantime or I could order a new transmission at a cost of $5500 plus at least another $2500 to install the new transmission. After reviewing an article on the internet I discovered a class action lawsuit that (of course) closed last year and addressed the problem of the failed CVT transmission. I owe one more year of payments on the car and WILL NEVER BUY A MINI AGAIN.

I bought a 2011 Mini last this year, it drinks oil like no other car Ive had and makes a thumping sound after driving it for a while. Any knows what that is about? This car is scaring me, Im thinking about trading it in, I cant afford any major car repair bills right now.

I got my Mini used in 2008. Two years after, my alternator went. A month after that, gas pump and brakes followed and then a couple of months, transmission went quoting me $6,000 to $8,000 to fix it. My car has been parked for almost two years while I am still paying for it. Its not even worth fixing because it cost either more or the same amount as I was to buy another used 04 right at this moment. This car only has 89000 miles. My purchase price was $13,800 plus tax plus about $3,500 in repairs before the transmission went. If I fix that, another $6,000 to $8,000 more. Hmmm, over $26,000! Insane. Im not even sure what to do with it anymore. I have put so much money in it that even if I get rid of it, it would be pretty much for free because I would never get that money back! You pay for Macys prices and get Wal-Mart material.

People only tend to write reviews with they are very angry and over the brink. I have my 2012 Mini Cooper S for more than a year now and it has 20,000 miles. The car drives like a dream and has had one service issue and I have had 2 oil changes done by the dealer. Each time they gave me a nice loaner car. I feel you cant ask for more than that. None of the visits cost me any money. Great dealer at Prestige Mini in Ramsey, NJ with nice people.

My wife and I bought a used Mini that was still under warranty back in April of this year (2013). Its a great car and truly fun to drive. A couple of weeks ago the air conditioning went out and we took it to the local Mini dealer. After about an hour and a half, the technician came out and said the entire line needed to be replaced. The warranty on her car had expired in May and of course the repair bill was $649.00. When I asked why it was going to be so expensive, they explained that the air conditioning line is all one solid piece. Fortunately, a good friend of ours who owns an automotive repair shop, suggested we bring the car into him and he could help reduce the cost. He did save us money, but when they were done, he brought the line out to show us something rather disturbing. The line had been placed improperly against a pulley. The line itself was not damaged, but the extension that all technicians use to check the line was damaged. Although it was clear to see that this easily replaceable line was the culprit, BMW/Mini does not and will not sell just that check line by itself. I have called Mini about this issue and to date they have refused to even discuss the issue with me. This car has 23,700 miles on it and every repair or servicing has been done at the dealership. Now with something as clear as a poorly placed line from the factory and no ability to just replace that piece, the manufacturer refuses to assist in any way. This is a poor example of support, especially knowing that low mileage and barely 6 months out of warranty they wouldnt assist us in the unnecessary repair. I have attached pictures of the damaged line and the repair shop has agreed to submit a letter stating the facts behind this issue.

I own a 2015 Mini Cooper Base Convertible. It came out of warranty 4 months ago but it only has 17,500 miles. The Check Engine Light came on and the car was stalling. Global Imports Mini, Chamblee, GA diagnosed the problem as Spark Plug Coils, and as a result over-heating and a new thermostat. $1250 later its running great. Dont keep a Mini past the warranty. Dont buy a used one out of warranty (unless you have a few thousand dollars to spare for repairs). The quality and robustness simply are not there. The car has been cheapened to the point the quality is almost, but not quite as good as a Czechoslovakian Yugo. When Minis first came out they were great value...but BMW was losing money on them. Year by year the build cost and the quality have both come down and the car is a shadow of its former self (in terms of quality and reliability). By the way...Mini USA doesnt care if you are 1 day and 1 mile out of warranty....you are on your own (if you didnt buy an extended warranty)! I asked them if the car is only supposed to last 17,500 miles before major repairs. They were really, really sorry and sympathized with me. But basically said, Tough luck, you are on your own.

My daughter and step-daughter both bought new Mini Coopers in 2003. They drove them and loved them until 2013 when they both bought new ones - then my daughter gave me her 2003 because my Kia SUV was a repair nightmare. I have had nothing but good luck with the auto... And I do maintain it as Im supposed to. Last year my power steering pump went out - cost $808 to replace. Then I found out Mini had a recall on it so I sent them my bill and a letter. Now, remember, the car at this point was 13 years old, and they refunded every penny of my repair. Now how can you beat that? I get great mileage, everything works great. Yes, Ive had normal repairs done, but the only complaint I have is there is a lot of road noise which has been corrected with the newer Minis. PLUS... No one realizes this car is now 14 years old - looks like the new ones.

I bought this 2008 Mini Cooper Clubman S in April 2013. The car was one owner and it only had 36000 miles on it. Did a Carfax and all it showed was it had been serviced for tire problems 4 times. I bought the car and the salesman and finance person really pushed me to purchase a extended warranty stating that when you purchase a used car you should protect yourself just in case. I walked away for a few hours to think about it and decided that I would purchase it after I asked the financial manager if something was wrong with the car that they were aware of that they are not disclosing to me. He said no absolutely not. Well 31 days after purchase car starts sounding horrible. I took it to checked out and was told my thermostat was bad. I said, Is it under my warranty? After calling the warranty company, I was told the thermostat was not covered but the thermostat sensors were covered. And fyi when purchased the thermostat the sensors come on it. $700 for part and labor. But the car still was acting strange sounding loud in the cold, also tires going flat in cold weather, my engine comes on and my brake light come... I take it back in, I was told I needed front and back brakes, rotors, brake sensors $850 still not fixed and its not even 40000 miles on it. Next was told to get oil changed and filters. Another $250 still not fixed and warranty hasnt covered anything. Now it barely runs, it sounds like a diesel truck running and its missing on all cylinders. So I now have had the spark plugs and spark plug boots done. $400 more. And now I find out this whole time BMW and Mini Cooper cars from 2006 to 2012 has a messed up turbo charger when they made it. The casings was made too small and there is not enough spaces inside to allow proper air to flow thru and so the turbo and seals are getting so hot that it has been melting and warping the case and it is slinging oil and gas thru the turbo charger. Which is just the beginning, the trunk locks and doors locks are not built correctly. Just to mention a few. After paying $ 20000 to $30000 for a vehicle and the cars are poorly made. And instead of recalling all cars to fix what should have never been the consumers problem or to pay to be fixed which from thousands of people that I have read that we all have spent an average of $5000 to $10000 to fix one problem to incur another one over and over. I say it is time that the consumers that have purchased the Mini Coopers that we start a class action lawsuit against BMW/Mini Cooper/Peugeot corporations. To refund all of our money and either purchase our cars back or permanently fix everything. They cant blame drivers causing this problem when there are hundreds of thousands of people that has been stranded, involved in accidents due to these damaged engines as well as everything on these cars and others where their cars have started fire due to all these headaches. These companies are to be held responsible for our lives and others that they are putting in harms way every time we start and drive these cars. If everyone is fed up with all these companies not doing whats right, please lets start a lawsuit against all of the companies involved with making the Mini Cooper before we are broke and cant afford to be broke down or wreck with engines locking up or paying monthly payments on cars that we should be paid to drive these pieces of crap. Contact me spread the message and word. To other Mini Cooper cars, Time to take action.

I have been burned twice now from the exhaust pipe on my husbands Mini Cooper S (2010). I was taking groceries out when my right calf brushed up against it! They need to change the location of the exhaust pipe!

2005 mini. In August 2011 at 74,000 miles the electrical fan stayed on after work the next morning the battery was dead and the dealership wanted 5k to do the repairs of the power steering pump/fan, radiator fan, and new battery. I could not afford that so the car sat in the driveway until I decide to attempt the job myself. Well $500 later, and two weeks. I completed everything the dealer ship said was wrong. EBay man’s best friend new radiator fan $180, Rebuilt pump (send yours in the rebuild yours) $250, new battery $85 advanced auto parts.January 2012 the transmission starts to slip. Seems like it is going from second to third gear. Seems to be getting worse. For as expensive as these cars are you think they would be a little more reliable. All the reports I read online say the same thing these issues all start between 70-80k. Come no MINI / BMW fix these on your dime, you know there is problem quit sucking our pockets dry while you are getting stacks of cash from people buying these cars and paying these ridiculous repair costs.

2008 JCW Mini Cooper S convertible with 33,175 miles. Clutch has gone out twice; the throttle twice. It brakes once. It was an unknown problem where they pulled the engine. I went to trade it in. When it was new, it was $39000. Less than three years later, they will only give me $14,000. They know what the car facts are. I got $14000 two years earlier on my 2002 Cooper S that was 6 years old.

Wow, where to begin. I purchased my 2005 Mini Cooper S convertible in July 2008... It only had 38,000 miles on it. Now it has 61,000 miles. I have had recurrent convertible top problems (going into the shop again tomorrow for another top failure issue); a broken glove box door (just fell apart); wiring issues; valve cover gasket, drive belt and tensioner; wheel bearings and many recurrent grinding sounds, squeaks and clunking sounds that the service folks can never seem to duplicate? Since purchase, I have spent more than $7000 in repairs... and certainly expecting another large invoice after tomorrows visit! I guess I should be thankful the transmission hasnt failed yet. Anyone want to buy a cute little lemon?

Thermostat housing developed a leak causing coolant loss. Engine overheated warping the head and bending valves. Having to rebuild the engine. Ive been informed that to date, there are 15,000 housings on back order nationwide and no idea when they will be in. Mini is doing nothing.

My Mini C S convertible is under 100k miles and took it to change oil. The mechanic says it run a diagnosis and diagnosed it need a new transmission and cost over $8000. I still owe on this car 5 more years. What is the thing to do now? This is the scariest thing ever. Now the car is lurching and light is on saying needs service. Where am I to get the 8k to fix? I heard a lot of people just leave and abandon this cars but did not know the experience until now. I am debating if I should take it to the Car Experts in Glendora, CA where they rebuilt for $3500. I am over 100 miles from them and really have no money now. I need my car so bad to go to school and work.

09 Mini Cooper Clubman S - At 50k took car for service and was told the sealed transmission needs to be replaced and some tensioner needs to be replaced at a cost of $2800.00. Checked online, saw these were ongoing problems and contacted Mini corporate. Got the services covered but it was a hassle. Now 5k miles later they inform me the turbo oil line needs replacing at $1300.00 same deal but Mini wouldnt budge on the service although its a known manufacturer defect.My question is why is Mini allowed to get away with charging for obvious defects that should be RECALLS? The car is fun to drive, however I will never buy another Mini or BMW based on service costs for their defects! Dont get me started on the hood scoop that was replaced 4, yes 4 times due to warpage from the turbo heat! Grrrrrrr.....

We bought our Mini in 2009 from Vaughan/HWY 7 Mini dealer north of Toronto. My wife really wanted it and I trusted all the positive reviews. We serviced the Mini at Vaughan/HWY 7 service center all the time. Our last oil change was in March 2014. Early June 2014 on a Sunday my wife was driving back from her volunteer work where the Mini stopped running behind the red light. I rushed to help and eventually towed it to a mechanic shop. No warning or sensor lights ever came on. Next day the mechanic ran a diagnostics but couldnt find anything. The computer showed nothing. Then they drove it around with probes attached to the engine, which they realized the spike on the temperature. They said the coolant and the oil in the engine are mixed. I tried to take it to Mini but they said they are so busy we have to wait till July first (3 weeks later!!). I had to change the engine, they said the engine is done! Cost me $8,000. Minis Vaughan/HWY 7 manager never returned our call. I called Mini Canada, they said since our technicians have not looked at it they cant do or say anything about this matter. Faulty engine, poor service, poor everything.

I bought a brand new 04 Cooper against my familys advice thinking its backed by BMW & such a cute car. For a long time, Ive had no major problems until recently. At 55,000 miles, my window motors gave out. That was a costly fix! Now, at just past 60,000 miles, my CVT transmission is dead. No warning! My mechanic who used to work at Mini had warned me about this possibility. He has said when he was working at Mini, all they did was switch out the CVT transmissions. It was a piece of crap & BMW knows it!I travel a lot & loved my Mini, so I took a gamble... & lost! I had just put in a $3000 fix just before its breakdown. There is no way Im going to spend $4000+ more on something that has no guarantee on not dying again! At only 60,000 miles? What happened to the famous German engineering? Compared to the Hondas Ive owned before, which were 200,000+ miles and only needed basic maintenance, Mini is an awful car! Terrible! And why is the part so expensive? Why doesnt Mini do something about this?

We brought our Mini Cooper in for an issue we had while driving our car. The car lost power while we were driving the car. They said that a solenoid needed to be replaced and this was the issue that was causing the power loss. We had this replaced, and within 24 hours of Hendrick Mini fixing the issue the car did the exact same thing that was supposedly fixed. This time the car lost power on the interstate while traveling at highway speeds. We had the car towed to Hendrick Mini and after they looked at it they said that a freeze plug had blown and the car needed a new engine and radiator. They quoted us $12000 for the repair. They took no responsibility for missing the diagnosis and after 2 months of our car sitting at the dealership rotting away, we are now stuck making payments on a car that doesnt move from our driveway. We have never been more disappointed in a business or car company. We are a young family and this was our nice car. We have not wanted anything more than to have our car fixed, and for Mini to own up to their mistake. Anyone who is reading this and considering a Mini Cooper, I strongly suggest researching the brand and the reliability. They are cool looking and fun to drive, but are very problematic.

I bought my wife a used 2003 Mini in Feb. 2013. The vehicle had 59k miles on it and is a manual transmission. The transmission failed a month later. Thank God I purchased the CarMax extended warranty! The following month, the axle cracked on the drivers side. If not for my CarMax warranty, I would have been up a creek. I really like the car. Its fun to drive and looks great, but I would not recommend this vehicle to anyone that is not able to get an extended warranty with it.

I have a 2008 Mini Convertible S. NO ONE wanted to love her Mini, like this girl, but... its been one expensive repair after another. The latest was a WIRING HARNESS. Really? On a car with 75,000 miles? I have owned a lot of cars, and even on my really OLD ones, I never had to replace a wiring harness (I had thermostat issues and intake hose issues at less than 30K miles). It turns out MINI re-engineered the original part. So there was no replacing it. I had to had a new throttle valve (nothing wrong with the existing one) in order to make the NEW harness design work. The cost was $1850.00. I argued, like mad, and Mini agreed that I shouldnt have to PAY for their shoddy design. Thats ONE point in their favor, but their reaction is one that suggests, You should be FINE having to completely rebuild this car after six years. I DISAGREE. That, to me, is a recall item. I also think about the HUNDREDS I put in to replacing a faulty thermostat at 20,000 and an intake hose that must have come from the factory with a hole was money I shouldnt have had to come up with.This car is made by BMW. I, frankly, expected better quality. TWICE, (first the right and now the left side) rear window pulleys have just SHATTERED when I raised the top. I swear, I thought someone had SHOT me. I looked for shattered glass. My husband is handy and can repair that, but he has to take the door apart and its a big PAIN. Its a cheap, plastic $248 part. I dont know how much it would have cost us with their labor. Also, the cup holder was placed right in front of the stereo, so when I hit a bump, my Starbucks went in to my stereo, burned it up, and that had to be replaced (Live and learn. Ask for a cup plug). Oh, and my convertible top is pulling apart at the seams now, and I was told its about $4000-5000 to completely replace it. I wanted to be a generational LOVER of the Mini. I wanted to buy my kid one for college, and maybe even treat my mother in law to one. As fun and sexy and cute as it is to drive, it hardly makes up for its expensive breaking ways. I almost traded it in on a second Prius. Emotionally, I am bonded with its cuteness (I dont really like the new models. They dont look cartoon-worthy like my year, but I GET that they want it to look more like a BMW) or I would trade it in on another car. Its like a BAD BOYFRIEND you just cant bring yourself to dump. I wonder how many more thousands of dollars I need to pour into it, before I can break up? Hubby is SO over this car, and vows NEVER AGAIN. He would have bought me a brand new one, this year too, had this one not given us such a headache.

I cannot agree more with previous poster. I have a 2003 Cooper S with 97k miles. I have not touched clutch or transmission. I have only machined front rotors, no work on rear, change brake pads every 30k, change oil, rotate and align regularly. Over the life of the car, I have replaced the power steering pump, heater core, front and rear bushings, and a computer issue with ABS/traction control system. That was it in over 8 years total.Your Cooper is a fantastic car, if you drive it properly and maintain it regularly. It is a foreign sports car and as such, its going to cost you a premium to get maintenance done. Parts are generally more expensive than youll find in a GM or Toyota. You should know that going in. Learn to drive properly and dont beat on it, maintain it regularly and most importantly, find a mechanic who works on minis because most local guys will not understand the car as well.

Do not buy a Mini Cooper! I have a 2006 Mini Cooper with 47,000 miles and the automatic transmission has gone out! I was told that you cannot buy parts; you have to replace the transmission at the cost of $7500! Shame on Mini Cooper for being aware of transmission problems and not standing behind their product!

I purchased a 2006 Mini Cooper from an individual with only 60000 miles on it. They had spent quite a bit on a new clutch and flywheel ($2800), $800 for new brakes and calipers, and $800 for new tires. I bought this car in 2013 for $8000. This car has sat in my garage more than I have gotten to drive it. First, oil was spewing out everywhere, so had to have the whole front end removed to replace oil pan gasket, got that fixed. Not 2 weeks later, steering fluid was leaking everywhere, had to replace hoses ($80 each) and clamps. Then the transmission fluid started leaking, so I put gook on it just to stop it from leaking and to get rid of it. I absolutely loved this car, so much fun to drive, but who can afford one? Had considered buying a brand new one, until I read all of the reviews. Anyway, couldnt get myself to sell to an individual, so I sold to Carmax. Bought for $8000, sold for $4000 just to get rid of it - of course they are going to take it to an auction. Couldnt let myself sell it to an individual because I knew it was junk! So buyers, be aware of what you are buying. They are so much fun to drive, but you better be rich!

In the end, I was contacted by an Executive Customer Care rep about my BBB complaint. She was professional and courteous and did everything she said she would do when she said she would do it. This was especially impressive given that her responses relied on many people around Thanksgiving vacation time. She said she did not know why the Regional Management Team would have turned down my request for a tow, and a week later, their decision was overturned. A day later, the new dealership contacted me to arrange EVERYTHING for just two days later. They said my MINI would be finished by Friday, but on Thursday morning, they contacted me to say I was moved to the front of the line and would have my MINI towed back to me, fixed up as good as new, a day early. MINI USA paid for EVERYTHING, and the new dealership took care of arranging the tow and the repair. When you find the right people in the company, I think they really DO care about their customers! One star off for having to work so hard to find the right people, but they have re-earned my business!

Im an original owner of a 2008 Mini Cooper Clubman out of warranty. I took the car into a repair place because the engine light was on. It was diagnosed with a bad turbo, even though I changed the oil every 5-7K with the designated synthetic oil. This was a hard pill to swallow at $3400.00 but it was the best option considering I owe 17K on the car and its only worth 17K with a good turbo. So I said okay on the repair. The shop called me on the day it was supposed to be done and said they had bad news. When they went to get the car started, the timing belt busted when it turned over and the engine is toast and needs to be replaced. So, any ideas out there? Ive read about peeps with issues in the turbo and the timing belt.