Purchased a new 2004 MC hatch, only minimal issues until 2007 while still in warranty, the car slowed until full stop on the busy highway intersection. We were literally put in the danger since the traffic was heavy, and car could not be even started or moved. Towed to the local dealership, they changed transmission fluid, and we were assured the engine was checked and re-checked and driven miles, all is fine. It was for a while although experienced problems with automatic window and two other engine issues, but no lights went on and the dealership claimed this sometimes happens and not to worry. Once off the warranty, the same stop on the highway, overheated engine, stopped, towed back to the dealership and this time (although explained that the scenario was exactly the same and sanctioned by them as fine before), now the Cooper has a major issue and we need to pay around $8,000 for replacing CVT transmission. We were fortunate that on either occasion nothing happened to either us or the drivers in the traffic around us. MINI/BMW would not even listen -the only fix is to replace the CVT transmission.Took the car to an independent Euro repair-shop that did confirm that CVT is not properly working, but we also learned that MINI has known about this issue for years and this is far from individual problem. In fact, there are many complaints and pending class-action lawsuit related to this issue. Our MC with little over 40,00 mileage and after always being maintained and properly checked, has been sitting in the garage and would not drive it beyond a very short distance around the block. Other issues: faulty wheel, had to replace battery prematurely, CV player stuck, front seat unable to move, and the list could go on. We are the first owners, always driven by two family drivers with good experience, yet have never owned a car with so many problems, and excessive charges for any minute repairs. Will join any nationwide class-action lawsuit if available. Owned European cars before, but this one was built with faulty CVT transmission and BMW knew about it although they keep insisting this is a problem they havent heard about before? I doubt it. It is all over their website, even non BMW dealerships are well aware if this. How is it possible that BMW would not stand behind their product, this is not understandable. We hope that MINI/BMW would be forced to pay for CVT faulty transmissions they put into these cars and while they reject any assistance with repairs, we hope that class action lawsuit would justify the owners big expenses or those who have cars standing around and could not drive them. Shame on this company.

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.

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 loved driving my Mini Cooper, but could not take the chance of it breaking down out of warranty. I bought a 2008 Mini brand new. with the only mileage on it was my test drive mileage. I was back at the dealership within the first two weeks, because the windows would go up and down, of their own accord, and didnt always do so when I wanted them to. This problem took three tries to fix. It seems Mini likes you to return several times for each problem you encounter, before theyre willing to authorize the fix that will actually solve the problem. The gearshift was my next replacement. I took the car in numerous times, because the low tire pressure light came on every other day. That problem never was really fixed, and I owned the car for almost four years. I wont even go into what a pain the tires and their cost is, nor the fact that I had to rent a car for two days, because I had trouble getting the run flats for it. The check engine light would keep coming on, and I was continually told that I should just drive it that way, because they werent finding anything wrong with it. As it turns out, it was the engine after all. Mini finally had to replace the valves, head gasket, timing chain, 02 sensor, and whatever else went along with that (after telling me the light was on because my oil was low, so theyd do an early oil change on it). This was all before the 30,000 mile mark. About six weeks ago, the check engine light came on again. I got the same old story oil was low, well do an early oil change, and we think theres something wrong with some kind of air intake sensor, which is then replaced. Two weeks later, the check engine light came on, and when I took it in, I tell them its idling rough on start-up, and when I have my foot on the brake at stop lights, and its starting to make the same noise it did when they had to replace the valves. This time Im told, before they even put it on the machine, that theyd noticed one of the cylinders wasnt firing right, and theyd check that a little more closely (why cant they just fix things the first time? Over the last four years, Ive spent at least three weeks of my vacation time sitting in their waiting room, and theyve given me loaners four times in four years). So, they cleaned out the carbon buildup in the cylinder, and put on a new tensor/tensioner (beats me, I know little to nothing about cars, so I hope Im explaining things correctly) on the timing chain. I drove it home, and its still idling roughly. The car actually shakes when youre sitting with it idling. I finally decide that with only 200 miles left on the 50,000 warranty, I need to buy a car that will hopefully be much more reliable. I now own a Subaru, and I am truly hoping that the curse of my Mini is history. Its really unfortunate that the Mini has so many problems. It is the most fun car to drive ever! I did notice that after my last fix, I did not get the usual email inquiring about the service I received. I did, however, get a call shortly thereafter, asking me how the service was, and when I stated that I felt needed to get rid of the car, the comment was made from the salesperson that generally her customers trade their Mini in on a new one, after two or three years at the most. I wonder why that is. Apparently, this car is not made to drive for more than two or three years? Fortunately for me, except for time and aggravation, this car did not really cost me anything out of pocket. If your Mini is starting to have problems, even little ones, you might want to start thinking about getting rid of it soon.

Bought my 2008 Mini. Second day engine light came on. Brought it to pep boys - there for a few days. Got the car back. Fix a few minor issues. They did tell me I needed to replace the catalytic converter. Couple days later engine light came on again. Brought it to the dealership. They resettle the engine light - told me if it happens again to bring it back. Next day driving to work car starts shaking losing power - had to call triple A. They towed it to an auto repair shop which cost $165 to fix some other issues. This car is already too much - only had it for 17 days. Out of those days 2 weeks it was in the shop. Lost for words how these dealerships can sell the consumer crazy cars and get away with it. There has to be some kind of protection for us. Pissed as hell.

So I bought this Cooper second hand from Carmax and not even two months after having it, the transmission has given out in it. So tomorrow will begin the journey into having to find out how deep this rabbit hole really goes.

Since owning my 04 Mini Cooper, I have had to replace the automatic window control, the sport shifter, the whole gas line system, and a few other things on it. The gas system was the latest and greatest fix in the world of my Mini Cooper. I have had my car at the dealership in Dallas and Fort Worth, TX. They of course, after much haggling, fixed the issues with my car. The gas system was fixed in Kentucky only after my car decided that it was going into limp home mode and break down completely in Indiana. That was tons of fun. I am now thinking that my timing chain and tranny are starting to go. Granted my car has 109,000 miles on it - she is barely broke in. I love my car, but the issues and constant being in the shop for repair are starting to take its toll on me and my pocketbook.

I bought my 2009 Mini Cooper @ Mini of Universal City with 38,000 miles. It now has 54,000 miles on it. Within the past month the check engine light has come on a couple of times. First time, I was told it was going to cost me $4,800 to fix! I STILL owe $17,000 on the car! They told me that my exhaust side cam and rings were worn, vanos solenoid adjusting sprocket and solenoid valve were not working, I needed my exhaust side cam shafts replaced and vanos adjusting unit sprocked and vanos solenoid valve replaced. They also said my vacuum pump and oil filter housing gasket were leaking.TWO weeks earlier I had it in the repair shop for new brakes, and oil change, so my service adviser was SHOCKED that I was losing so much oil. He also said that I shouldnt be paying so much for a car I had JUST BOUGHT and JUST had in the shop for repairs! He called Mini and they agreed to pay for all of the cost minus $400 (which I had to magically come up with). My monthly car payment alone is $401.00! THREE DAYS LATER the check engine light came on AGAIN! This time, (same service adviser) told me it would be $1,000 to fix! Apparently my mass airflow sensor needed to be replaced and they had to reset my camshaft timing chain. I declined having them repair the sensor, and instead called Mini to complain. I ALSO spoke to SHAWN who informed me that he would do his best to help me, because $6,000 worth of work on a mini that only has 54,000 miles on it is ridiculous (his words). He told me he would get back to me within 3-5 business days. Its been 3 weeks. I have called him over and over and have yet to get a response from him. I seriously want them to buy back my car. This isnt fair. Plain and simple. Does anyone know about the buy back process?

2006 Mini Cooper - I am the second owner of this car, bought a year old from CarSense in PA. I have about 111,000 miles on it, bought it at after ~35,000. I faithfully change my synthetic oil well before the recommended mileage, yet my transmission began destroying itself anyway. My previous car, a 1997 Toyota Rav4, lasted over 250,000 miles before my family traded it in without issues. The clutch alone lasted past 200,000 miles. I am very disappointed that BMW would put such a shoddy product on the market. My car is currently being dismantled by my mechanic to determine the extent of the damage. My first indication was a clicking sound which seemed to be coming from the front left wheel area. I was able to drive it for several weeks like that and took it to the repair shop for that noise, only to learn it was the same transmission issue that is plaguing many Mini owners. I do not recommend that anyone purchase a Mini Cooper due to this issue, which is not acknowledged as a known issue by Mini service at the dealership. I would love to join a lawsuit to resolve this and hold BMW/Mini accountable for their shoddy products.

Ive read a majority of the posts and see that most of the issues come from buying a used MINI. In my past experience of car buying, Ive never had much good luck with buying used European cars. I love them, but they are usually used for a reason. Because of this, I bought a brand new Cooper S in 2011. I picked out everything on the MINI USA website because I knew I intended to drive a lot of highway miles between GA, where I own my house, and NC, where Im currently stationed. True to my word, I have 125K after driving it off the lot brand new (with accompanying extended warranty) on Memorial Day of 2011. In that time Ive had three repairs--one major. Honestly, I have never loved driving a car so much. Just like drivers in big pickup trucks feel powerful because theyre the biggest thing out there, I feel powerful because Im the smallest, quickest and most maneuverable. I love to drive and this car is meant to drive. I love motoring! Despite that, I am currently awaiting tomorrows appointment for the diagnostics on what I believe will be another costly repair. I believe the turbo has gone kaput. I wish I could trade the car in but with the number of miles, I already know Ill be upside down. I am afraid I wont be a Motorer much longer and its really sad. MINI could have a lot more loyal customers if theyd focus on making their cars more reliable. I dont know too many people who have so much money they are willing to waste it on brand loyalty.

I purchased a brand new Mini Countryman in May. It has now been in the shop four times for problems that have escalated in degree. Now it has brake issues. They have now had my car for six days this time.

2 years ago I found my beautiful Mini Cooper Convertible, a beefy convertible Ive wanted since I was a kid! Fun to drive, but not nearly enough power. I feel like it was at the Dealer getting services a LOT but it has 19800 when I bought it and MINI covered the maintenance/service up to 36k which was a dream. Tires had to be replaced due to them not being rotated before I bought it. I did start driving 25mi each way to work in LA traffic, but this has gotten ridiculous.In May of 2016, I noticed my oil light coming on. I didnt think much of it until my bf took it to the dealer and they stated it was just really low on oil and since I was close to getting an oil change, went ahead with the service. 5 months later, I noticed my car sounding weird/grinding. Checked the oil level and you can barely read the stupid dipstick in this car. Looked fine. Checked an hour later and it was EMPTY! There was NO OIL. I filled it with 5 quarts! I called MINI and other shops and this is normal?! How is burning 5 quarts of oil and having little to no notification normal?FFW to Feb 2017, My car has always lacked a lot of Gusto, but I noticed it sputtering then accelerating, esp on the freeway around 2000 rpm. I thought it may be a fuel line issue and needed a flush. Called a mechanic who specializes in MINIs, and he said it sounded like it may be a trans issue. Took it to AAMCO and sure enough my transmission has to be rebuilt/replaced. MINIs powertrain warranty ends at 4 years 50k, My car is 4 years, 3mo and has 51k. BS! Luckily I purchased an extended warranty from the dealer I bought it from (not MINI) and after fighting with them for a MONTH I got a used transmission put in. Im getting it today but Im seriously considering getting rid of it even though I am upside-down on my loan. This is ridic! Not to mention the stupid brakes/rotors have to be done at the same time. I knew MINIs needed some love, but this is too damn much.

1009 Mini Cooper S suddenly died after getting off of OC Freeway in the rain. Dead stop, cannot even charge battery. Clunking noise the day before. Towed to auto repair ... tensioner broke, blowing up gaskets, engine. Repair $3500. No warning light came on at all, just the clunking noise the day before. Engine light comes on for low tire but not tensioner!! The thermostat went out last month and then a week later the water pump. $5000 in one month. Very discouraging since after reading about it the tension will break again, since its such a bad design. Is there anything one can do?

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

The cars are garbage - trust what youre reading online because the issues are real. The dealers say well its a BMW - when your service bill is regularly $800-$4000. Well then I guess Volkswagen charges their customers PORSCHE repair rates? FIAT - Lamborghini? Turbo replacement - 70,000 miles = $4,000, clutch replacement 60,000 miles = $2,800 the whole front end of the car comes off, 2 water pumps & two tows!Car sucks oil like the Exxon Valdez 1qt every 1k miles at least and you have to check it ALL THE TIME. I havent had to do that since my first car in 1987 - which was built in the 70s!!!! RUN FLATS SUCK - harsh ride, costly to replace - TPSS sensors $199 each. Car engine clacks/rattles/ ticks/hesitates (turbo). Instrument cluster lighting - pixels go out. Third brake light - no longer working - $300 + labor. Convertible top wear (rubbing the mechanism) dealer says outside influence/tear - but it ISNT MINI Corporate doesnt want to hear it - doesnt acknowledge anything let alone work with you.The good things are its a good looking car, fun to drive but not near enough to offset the horrific expenses to keep it maintained and fix the amazing amount of problems that come up. Like others in the forum say - MINI Corporate considers everything to be your problem - too bad, so sad - next customer please. Well not me. Cant wait to get rid of it.

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.

2004 Mini Cooper Hardtop - The power steering pump failed at 90,000 miles, at road speed, causing a dangerous loss of all steering assist. A serious accident was narrowly averted only through brute force applied to steering. The Mini Cooper dealership claimed ignorance of any problems with the system and informed that any repairs would not be covered by any warranty.

I have a 2005 Mini Cooper and from the day I purchased it used, Ive had issues. I took this Mini in regularly for any service it required, however, Ive had to replace numerous things under warranty and now, items out of warranty. I only have 60k miles on it and I was told that I need to replace the transmission because it makes noise but in order to take it apart and look, you cant rebuild a mini transmission so a new one would need to be purchased. This is after $5,000 in other repairs out of pocket after the numerous repairs under warranty. Now I have to fix the alternator as well, which just went out several days ago. Other parts that have needed replacing include an engine temperature sensor (3 times), the bottom plate underneath the car, the battery (twice), power steering, brake pads and bearings. Im so sick of fixing things on this car! Never have had a car with so many issues.

When driving is becoming a boring task, you probably want to give Mini Copper S a try. It is designed to be different. It is not as comfortable as my Prius. But it makes driving to work a little bit more interesting. As long as you are not comparing it to Prius, Mini Cooper is quite reliable. But if you do need to get something fixed, dont count on the CPO warranty. It is just a marketing gimmick. Even if Mini has a list of items not covered by the CPO warranty, it does not mean items not on the list are covered. In fact, it would be quite amazing if you could find anything that is covered by their CPO warranty. So, if you want to get a pre-owned Mini Cooper, make sure it still has some standard warranty left.

I bought a 2003 Mini Cooper new and it had been a great car up until 70,000 miles. The automatic locks stopped working, the car would overheat when idling, but the biggest issue is the transmission went and I was told it would cost approximately $8,300 to replace. This is just wrong to have a transmission go at 70,000 miles. From what I have read this is a common occurrence. I was expecting a decent trade in value but now my car is worthless. Im very disappointed. The only reason I gave 3 stars is because I did enjoy the car for the time I was able to drive it.

We purchased a brand new Mini Cooper, a countryman. It has less than 7,000 miles on it and there was a nail in the tire. The repair shop replaced the one tire with a different brand without our authorization. We explained on a brand new car we would like the tires to match. We purchased this car for over $30,000 new less than 6 months ago and are concerned that there is no replacement tires on a brand new car?

I have Mini Cooper Clubman 2009. When I start the car the engine RPM is going up to 3, then going down and up weirdly, then it go back to the normal under 1, then the exhaust pipe is spitting out a black dirt when I started the car and the gas smell is everywhere. When tried to stop the car while driving, specially when the automatic transmission is going down from 2-speed to 1-speed. The car is going crazy like I cannot stop and the RPM is going up and down again. Please help me, thanks.

I privately purchased a 2006 MINI John Cooper Works with very low miles of 11,000 and was still under warranty at the time. Within a period of owning this car, the gear box has locked up three times a year. The third time it happened, I took the car in to get the value of the retail price. I felt that I needed to sell the car because it was undependable. While they were test driving the car, it happened again. The clutch went to the floor and was stuck. They told me that the repair would be costly now that its out of warranty. I would not leave owning this car so they made me an offer way below retail. I accepted the offer because I could not sell this car with integrity to a person without them knowing the problem. The bottom line is that Im disappointed in the MINI Cooper. I take care of my cars and drive them for many years. This car was not dependable for a long time.

One star for the Mini dealership, four stars for the car. I own a 2007 Mini Cooper S that I have owned for three years with just over 100,000 miles. I absolutely love it. The car did have a major oil leak, but my boyfriend (who is a trained mechanic but doesnt work for a garage) and I bought a kit from Detroit Tuned and rebuilt the turbo ourselves based. Using Mini forums for people who had a similar leak was a huge help. We repaired it for a tiny fraction of the cost it would have been at the mini dealership. Its not perfect, but the leak is fixed. Oil leak aside, this car does consume a lot of oil and you need to keep an eye on it. There have been a couple of other minor issues, but paying close attention to the car made it easy to nip those in the bud.I dont trust the dealership at all since I went in for a quote on the oil leak and they quoted me five grand for that repair and a bunch of other repairs I didnt need. For example, I had a faulty brake sensor and they quoted me all new brakes despite the fact that they were brand new and Id just replaced them. If you get a Mini, I highly recommend NOT getting your repairs done at the dealership unless its totally under warranty. Youre paying for the brand with them, not the repairs. Despite all of this, I love the car. Not a day goes by that I regret buying this car. It fits me, its fun to drive, I enjoy how compact it is but I can still haul tons of stuff. Im looking right now to trade mine in for a newer one, simply because its getting older and I might as well upgrade to some newer features while there is still a strong trade-in value.Moral of the story, this isnt a car you can just drive and ignore between oil changes, but a car that you need to pay close attention to otherwise it can become high maintenance. And find an independent shop or friend who knows auto mechanics, and know what the common issues are with these cars before you buy so you can anticipate them. That may sound like a lot of unnecessary work, but this is more of a little novelty sports car than your run of the mill family car. It needs a little extra love.

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 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.

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?

I love this car, however, I have had nothing but grief. When I read all the blogs about the trials and tribulations on the Mini for many customers, it makes me ill... You name it, it’s happened. And I never get a notice from Mini USA about recalls, nor does my Mini dealership/repair ever call to alert me. So what happens is the car suffers! Although my dealership has put up with me and tried to do what they could to deal with its issues, I frankly and truly believe that the mechanics there dont know what they are doing at the end of the day! They never go deep enough to find a problem and solve it. It has to go in over and over again! The best was when the fuel gauge was messing up for years and I kept running out of gas!! The dealership manager finally says, Well just fill up every 150-200 miles to ensure you dont run out!! Seriously? Every time that car dies and has to be towed 100 miles to the dealership, and then I get it back, I think ok, this time it’s finally all taken care of - no. I am three payments away from owning this car free and clean and that’s what I wanted to do when bought new. Not have to keep making payments, just maintain and keep the car until it dies for real. Well yesterday was the last straw. Have no idea what it is this time, will find out hopefully today. But I will say that now that I will most definitely have to get rid of this car, the records online will be so against me. As it is Mini offered me a year ago! Only 12k for this car as trade in. Seriously?? I paid 32k for this car 4.5 years ago. I want Mini to give me a new car. Anyone know how I can do this?? Any free lawyers out there to help me??

After 6800 miles, my clutch and flywheel had to be replaced. The dealer did the repairs under warranty, but made it clear that this was a judgement call. Its true, Im fairly hard on clutches, my last car, I had to have it replaced at 30,000 miles, but 6800 seems a bit ridiculous, no?

I bought my first Mini used. It had 77,000 miles on it at purchase. Overall condition of the car inside and out was excellent. I drove the car for a test ride and all was great. Only after 4 days of driving, the engine is developing a rap. The car was purchased as is as shown from a used car dealer.

On Saturday, May 11, 2013, I arrived at my local gasoline station to fill the tank with fuel when I heard a loud bang that I found odd. I drove off to my home 2 minutes away and as I drove up my driveway and parked my car, I noticed there was a trail of what I thought was water. That same night, I drove out of my driveway and this is where the nightmare begins. I drove about 4 minutes from my house and could no longer drive my car. It just did not drive. I called AAA and I was towed to my home. Next morning, AAA picked my car up and we took it to my local auto mechanic shop and the mechanic was in shock the transmission plate/casing was split in half. After calling Mini, they asked that I bring the car in. After further online research, I found there are 64 out of 252 filed vehicle safety complaints regarding CVT transmission failures. Most of the transmission failures have occurred in the 2003 Mini Cooper model car from the 30,000-90,000 miles. The average cost to replace the transmission ranges from $7,000-$9,000. In further reading, it appears the steel belt in the transmission comes apart destroying everything internally. Although, there are no known incidents of loss of life. Unfortunately, this leaves the consumer with a debt and dilemma. My car has 31k miles, a Classic 2003 Mini in mint condition with the Blue Book value of about $5K and the cost to replace the transmission is $5,900 + labor = average about $8,000. It does not make sense.

My name is Chuck Conway. I’m investigating consumer complaints regarding the premature failure of BMW Mini Cooper CVT automatic transmissions. If you’re interested in possibly joining a class action lawsuit and would like to share your experience, please email me at **. Please include contact information (phone number, email address and state of residence).

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.

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.

I have only had my Mini Cooper for 2 years and I have had thermostat problems 4 times, and it was replaced; the windshield replaced; the windshield wipers broken; tune ups and oil changes that are astronomical; and currently, electric problems. I have had more problems with this Mini Cooper than I have had for any other car in my life. Im beginning to believe this product is a lemon, a true sour lemon. After it is fixed, I am trading the damn car in. I have put more money into this car than I have had with a Toyota. My old 1996 Toyota Celica 25th edition runs better than this damn car and it is 17 years old. The car may be cute, but looks are deceiving. Do not buy a Mini Cooper. I repeat, do not buy one. Go buy a Toyota.

I was in love with my Mini until it hit 70,000 miles. The first time I was stranded for an engine malfunction was a disappointment as well as a safety risk. If that would have been an isolated incident, I would not have thought much about it. Unfortunately, I keep having issues and getting stranded in the middle of nowhere. The Motor-On slogan should have a disclaimer that tells you to motor-on to the nearest dealership. I contacted Mini and there is nothing they are willing to do besides sell me another one. Why would I buy another least-reliable-vehicle-I-have-ever-owned? That would just be irresponsible. Do not buy this vehicle! Unless of course you have unlimited money to burn.

I bought a 2012 Mini Cooper non-turbo hatchback in September of 2011. In the nearly two and a half years I owned it, it was in the shop seven times, more than a week three times and for two months once. The water pump failed early on and took the head with it, that was the two-month repair. I have had problems with sensors, brakes, starter, and the before-mentioned water pump. While the car is well-conceived and a great amount of fun to drive, the reliability is miserable. I work in a tough part of a major city and cannot risk being stranded anywhere near my office. Mini Cooper road service is a joke. Of the five times the car stranded me Mini Cooper Road service only effected a rescue tow one time. I traded the car last week just before the warranty expired. Glad to be out from under that nightmare.

First, I got to say it was great for about 6 months. Love the look and seemed affordable. First thing that went out was the windshield cleaner boxes. I went to the Mini Cooper dealership because that is where my warranty was honored. 3 times I went back to fix them and never was it fixed properly, still doesnt work. The second thing was the air conditioner stopped working. And then the windshield cracked on the top. Come to find out, it was a manufacturer defect. I did receive a call back for that and the paper work was so extensive, I didnt even bother to try to get my money back. And then the little exterior pieces started falling off, there are so many pieces I cant even get through them all. Lets just say I would go back to the side of the freeway to find pieces of my car so I wouldnt have to order overpriced plastic pieces to make my car look halfway normal. And then the passenger door wouldnt open. And then the antifreeze is dumping out everywhere. I just keep filling it up until I have time to fix that too. And not to mention the tires for a turbo are $215 at the lowest cost. Oh did I forget to tell you there is a small oil leak also. Oh yeah, lets not forget the cigarette lighter stopped working too. Cant charge my phone either. Oh and both of the door interior door handles fell off too. Buyer beware. This car sucks!!!!!

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.

My first Mini Cooper was in 2004. It was the worst car I ever had. The battery died in the first three months and it only got worse from there. Like an idiot, I was talked into getting another one in 2011, as the dealer told me how all the earlier problems had been addressed and now they are even recommended by consumer reports. Well, this car is not even four years old and my check engine light has gone off five times already and each time is some new problem I have to pay for. I cant wait to be done with this company forever.

I have had this 2007 Mini diesel from new, and it broke down at 19,055 miles. I took car straight to Mini BMW garage, Bournemouth, where I was told that the clutch was gone. I replied that I have never had a clutch go on any of my other cars in all my years of driving, and didnt think that 19,055 miles was reasonable time to go on. They agreed and they quoted me a price of £1,300 if it was my fault, and they would give me a call back on if it was faulty or was my fault. They called later to let me know the clutch and flywheel were gone and was now going to cost me £2,500 and it was my driving that caused this. I replied to the above explaining that I never had a clutch go before ever, etc. They contacted the Mini head office who said that they would agree to not charge me for parts, but I would have to pay for labor, this being £1,334. This was including a further 10% discount from Mini BMW garage. I was not happy with this and sent 3 emails to Mini customer service saying I was not happy, but they said they thought they were being very fair with this price. My argument was that I have had car from new and 19,055 was not good, stating that this wasnt an isolated case as I had researched the internet on this matter, and they said internet information was not genuine and they take facts from their records (funny that as they are not available for me to see!).The outcome is that as the car had been with them for over a week and they had said if I take legal action, they would withdraw their offer. So as I needed the car, I agreed and paid for the labor. I am very angry on this and feel they just fobbed me off. I am now scared that something else goes that’s going to cost this much to something I think was not fair under the Sales of Goods 1979 Act. I had this car from new and have never let anyone else drive my car. I have been driving for over 30 years and have been complimented on my smooth driving. I am 48 and not a boy racer! But now I feel they have also insulted my driving. From their action, I will never buy a new Mini BMW ever again. I also cant afford to take legal action upon Mini BMW. So basically I am left feeling broke and angry on this matter.

My car has had 2 HP fuel pumps, aux water pump, a new bat replaced at 8k, oil pipe, gaskets valve cover and 2 timing chain tens replaced prior to 50k. The warranty has now expired. BMW wants me to sign a release as they are offering to pay 50%? Help.

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.

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 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.

My car (Mini Cooper) presented an issue related to breaks. After 7 months the disks and pads are so rusted that affected and damaged the both rear disks and pads. I sent my car to Dealer’s facility and they informed the warranty wouldn’t cover this situation. The price to fix this was USD 547. There is no strong arguments, only the description in the service order in this way: CORROSION DUE TO AMBIENT ELEMENTS. I didnt agree with this situation, and wrote to them and the response was “I’m sorry about that, we will register your concerns” and that’s’ it. This is not a response/action that a customer want and wait from a trustable brand. Maybe this issue is more related to Mini cars not well acclimatized to Florida’s conditions and/or poor material used to construct then (I visited several forums where Mini’s owners reported same issue) and if is the case, the solution from Mini was a ridiculous. Living in Florida, I had some different cars from different brands, all of them with very same way of use, parked in the same way/place, exposed to the very same conditions that the Mini was exposed and I NEVER had any issue like that. Who expect to have to pay for change disk breaks in a new car in 7 months, covered by warranty? More than that, what if the same issue appears in the next 7 months? As my leasing is for 36 months, this means that I will need to change the disks 5 times?Maybe Mini is using poor or defective material in their cars to reduce its costs or maybe their cars are not well prepared or acclimatized to Florida’s condition. In both cases they should inform the situation to the customers in order to them make a decision considering spend a lot of money to fix disks breaks after 7 months, since they refuse to fix this issue using the warranty. I hope that everyone looking for a Mini to by/lease can check this review before do that and change mind about this worst deal ever. The Brand does not look be concerned about construct a long-term relationship with the customers but only sell cheap cars.

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.

2nd Post here - venting out frustration of owning 15 Cooper S. Late 2015, was looking for a sporty car for office commute. GTI, WRX and Mini were my shortlist in that order. Test drove MINI. It spoke to me and with all excitement I bought it. This was the only time when I had excitement buying a car. I was very much skeptical about MINI’s reliability – but learned that with 3rd generation it’s all good. Even the dealer assured me.Day of the purchase drove home and parked with a huge grin. Only to find white smoke from the hood. Called the dealer, they said it might be water evaporating after the wash. Since I knew better, I took it to the dealer next day and they diagnosed that it was oil leak. Brand new car with oil leak!! Dealer was intending to repair. Being frustrated, contacted MINI (corporate). They were awesome. Felt me valued. Gave me free extended warranty or return the car back. Seeing how I was treated, I didn’t return it. It was absolutely awesome customer experience. Things like these can only be found in marketing text books. Already started planning for next MINI then – Clubman or JCW or perhaps a BMW? Who doesn’t like a M3?All well. Until one day check engine light came ON. Panicked, stopped the car. Called the dealer. Luckily there was no power loss. They insisted me to send a photo of the light – to make I am talking about the same. Took to the dealer, they didn’t find any issues. Returned the car back. After a week again the light came ON. Took back again, they said they have to replace environmental sensor (along with radiator). This was a moment where I was very glad that my car had problem on the first day of purchase – extended warranty!! Dealer fixed it. On a routine service, dealer found problem with rotors and replaced all 4 around 25k miles. I was shocked about it. Replacing rotors? And that too at 25k miles? Anyway I am not paying for it, so went with it.Coming to present. Thursday evening from office - cold north east weather. Again the dreaded check engine light. Feels like it is the same old sensor. Going to the dealer on Saturday. Getting very much tired of this. All of this in 2 years and 32K miles!! Does not give me much confidence of keeping this car for long. Not a single car I owned had this many problems. No way could I keep this car beyond extended warranty. And because of the history of all repairs, I am not going to get much either when I try to sell it. MINI is build like a race car. It is awesome when it works. But we use MINI as a daily driver, we need it to last. It needs to be reliable. Owning MINI is like being in an unhappy marriage. You had some wonderful moments, but you know you can’t let this go for long… You will ruin your life… Talks a lot about BMW family as well… so called German engineering perhaps!!!

I had to replace the crankshaft pulley assembly and serpentine belt at 51,909 miles. The age of the car at this time was roughly 5 years and 8 1/2 months.The headliner has started falling. This started at around 53,000 miles in January of 2011. The age of the car at this time was roughly 5 years and 10 months. This car has been garaged for most of its life. I have had cars for much longer than this and these type of problems do not seem normal for the mileage or age of the car.

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 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!

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.

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!

Purchased 2009 Mini Cooper S for **s 1st car in 2014, 42K miles for $14K. Its 5/8/15 now; Mini is sitting in shop in Cypress, TX. Repairs are now at $5K. Timing chain broken/plastic in the bottom of oil pan. We will drain our savings to repair the car then go straight to dealership where we will LOSE $9K that was supposed to be for **s college. Contacted Mini dealership in Houston: did 90% of original maintenance, confirmed there is a Class A lawsuit against Mini for this reason.

Mini Cooper convertible S car is a very sturdy, fun ride. Mini has since updated their options which now includes a much more comfortable ride with a lot more options. Love the ease of the convertible top. The ride was a bit stiff for long distance motoring but has since been fixed to accommodate more comfort, electric seats, backup cameras, just to name a few. Such a sporty fun ride that I feel very safe in.

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 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.

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 bought my 2014 Mini Cooper from the Escondido CA store and I have had nothing but problems with the car. When I have brought my concerns to the service advisor they were rude and unhelpful. I do not recommend purchasing a Mini from this dealership.

The Clubman is a good entry model for first Mini. Ive owned mine for over a year with no issues to date other than regular maintenance. I use my hatch like a compact truck. It has power enough to carry 10 40-pound bags of wood pellets. I would only consider the 6 speed manual as it makes the car a hoot to drive.

Let me start by saying my vehicle is a 2007 MINI Cooper S. It currently has 114k miles on it. The original owner had purchased a 100k mile maintenance package so all service was completed by MINI at the recommended intervals. This car was taken care of and babied. My vehicle suffered a complete engine failure on 12/2012 at around 105k miles. The failure was caused by the poor design of a lifetime part. I received an undated letter sometime a few months ago where MINI admits that the part that failed on my vehicle was, fitted with a faulty chain tensioner which may lead to an insufficiently tightened timing chain. A loose timing chain is recipe for disaster as this is what keeps the pistons and everything moving in the correct timing and order. When this chain breaks or skips a link it can cause devastating damage which it did.I contacted MINI in hopes of getting some of my $6500 that I paid for a replacement engine reimbursed. After being put with a customer relations supervisor name Shawn who didnt return any of my messages for 3 weeks, he finally calls me back and states that my claim was denied. But when I asked for a reason, he wasnt able to give me one. I asked to speak to a supervisor to which he stated he was the supervisor and nobody would be able to give me another answer. Ive sent off various emails, most of which are ignored, and various calls which seem to get me nowhere. MINI has 100% admitted fault for the damage to my engine but they wont take financial responsibility for their design failure. It has put me behind financially and causes me to lose faith in a company I trusted. I have all paperwork to support my claims and wish to get them to own up to their failures.

I am writing because I am shocked at the terrible reviews I just read. I have owned my 2005 Mini Cooper Convertible since November 2005 and have never had a single problem. Of course some of that may be due to the amount of miles I have on it (about 38,000). We drive it from N.C. to Fl and return once yearly. Although there are only a few miles, the main thought I have is, why havent I had any problems in the 12 years I have owned it? Anyway just want to share my good news after reading the previous ones.

I bought the 2007 Mini Cooper in March 2012 and every month I have to take it to the mechanic for one thing or another. Now, it completely dies in the middle of driving (when I have the A/C on). All the lights come on for a second and then it turns off (cant even take the key out). So far I have spent over $3000 since I bought it in March! I am not working and this is taking a toll on me!

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.

My experience is in the email I sent to Victor **, the General Manager of Mini of El Paso: “Very disappointed” is actually an understatement. I have a 2011 Mini Cooper S that I paid a pretty penny for thinking I was paying for a quality vehicle with a company that stands behind their product and warranty; however, I am beginning to wonder. Your dealership states: Our commitment to customer service is second to none. We offer one of the most comprehensive parts and service departments in the automotive industry.” Correct? Well on August 11, 2012, I was driving to work, about 35 miles south of Ft. Stockton, Texas, on Hwy 285 in the middle of nowhere when suddenly my car will not shift into gears. I turned the vehicle off and went to restart the vehicle and nothing. It’s 108 degrees outside, and I am stranded in the middle of nowhere. I am just lucky my cell phone worked. I called Roadside Assistance and they were very apologetic and nice and said they would send someone to come get me and water if I needed. The only problem was they were coming from EL Paso. I assured the nice lady I would be dead if I waited with the vehicle that long. Lucky a nice old rancher just happened to be driving by and stopped to help and gave me a lift to town. All this on Saturday, August 11, 2012. The nice people from Roadside Assistance let me know they had picked up my vehicle and they would be towing it to Mini of El Paso. I called Monday (August 13, 2012) morning and spoke with Micheal and let him know what happened, etc. and that I needed to resolve this problem quickly since I am stuck in Ft. Stockton with no vehicle. I called on Wednesday, August 15, and he assured me he would call and let me know what the problem was. Well, he never called back. On Thursday, August 16, I called back and left message; no return call. On Friday, August 17, I called again; and the service clerk let me know they thought it was the clutch and flywheel, but she didn’t think it would be covered. I would have to wait and talk with Micheal. Well after sever more phone calls, I finally spoke with Micheal; and of course, first thing out of his mouth was, due to the low mile on the vehicle, it was apparent the damages were due to inexperience driving a standard, or abuse, or negligence to the vehicle. I have driven standards all my life, the last 24 years of it anyway, and I have never had a clutch issue with any of my vehicles until 75,000 mile range. I work very hard for my money and I am a 40 year old female. I can assure you that I don’t drag race in my car or abuse it in anyway. Thanks, to the many hours patiently waiting on Micheal to return my calls. I did some research on this problem; and to my amazement, there seems to be a large number of poorly qualified standard drivers who are mini owners. When I finally did talk to Micheal again, I questioned him on this; and he claims he has never heard of their being such a problem. I asked him if he had access to the internet and if so, to google “mini clutch problem” because if he truly wasn’t aware (which is doubtful), he needed to be. This was all on Friday the 17th. He said that they would have to open up the clutch to determine what caused the damage. But if they deemed it neglect and abuse, I would be responsible for the damages. I told him to go ahead and diagnose it and let me know ASAP. I am going on a week without a vehicle out of town working (which reminds me I only have 1 stop sign on my daily commute to work, so not in town hot rodding as he suggested). He assured me he would let me know something on Saturday the 18th. Saturday came and went as well as Monday. Here is Tuesday the 21st; and not only do I not have an answer, he also tells me they just realized the starter is out as well. I explained to Micheal last Friday that I need my vehicle no later than Tuesday, today. I am stuck out here in Ft. Stockton, bumming rides to work; and my Son is scheduled to have surgery for a broken jaw and eye socket in Houston at Ben Taubs Hospital on Thursday morning. Houston is an 8-hour drive, and I have no vehicle or any real answers. I have tried to be patient, but this has been a horrible experience all the way around. I guess I should have researched before buying a $35,000.00 vehicle. But I felt like I was paying for quality and that BMW would stand behind their product and honor their warranty, not to mention a better communication policy with the service dept. to the customer. I hope there is some way we can get this resolved quickly as far as how I am going to get to Houston by Thursday at 8 am when it’s an 8-hour drive. I have no idea. I guess I will try to find some shuttle system to Odessa, 80 miles away to the closet car-rental place, and then turn around and drive to Houston. I guess I would have been better off having my car towed to Mini of Houston? I am just so very upset with the service dept. right now, I am in tears.

I bought this car from a Mini dealer in June 2011, supposedly to have a normal years warranty and full service when required. Within a couple of months the cam chain snapped on the M25, breaking the casing, which drained it of all oil. The Mini was repaired under warranty, and I was told that there would be no further detriment with the car. Within a few months, a leak appeared within the car and damaged all the upholstery, which again was cleaned under warranty, but has subsequently reappeared after the warranty expired. The car was recalled for a part replacement whilst still under warranty. The car had been burning oil at a phenomenal rate which it still is. I was told that this is normal and generally have to put two liters a month in the car, despite not doing many miles.Within a month of the warranty expiring, all four tires needed replacing, despite having only done 4000 miles since the purchase. A fault light appeared regarding the wiper reservoir, which will not reset. Then after only 39,000 miles, the clutch started slipping and needed replacing which cost over £1000 to replace, which seems to be standard as I know two other owners which have had to replace the clutch at such low mileage. Since having that done within a month the front two new tires have had to replaced at a cost of £150 each as a result of the suspension bushes wearing, and which this is going to further cost more money to rectify. All I get from the dealership is literature on new Minis and as yet they havent even offered me the service as promised. Buy a new one, no thanks.

Bought my 2009 Cooper S new in Kelowna. This is by far the most fun vehicle to drive - love it. Has had a few issues mind you. New timing chain at 76000Km. New engine at 82000Km. New Turbo at 120000Km. New fuel pump - new high pressure pump - excessive carbon build up requiring walnut blasting on more than one occasion ($1000 each time not covered under warranty). The list goes on.Its now parked since the timing chain has failed yet again and the dealership wants another $4500 to repair it. So far this vehicle including extended warranties and repairs - not including general maintenance such as oil changes etc - has cost me a staggering $55000! This does not include parts and labour covered under warranty. Interesting how many horror stories I have discovered posted by other owners with similar problems with this vehicle.

My wifes 2003 Mini Cooper developed a steering noise and its steering boot was found leaking fluid in March of 2012 .Repairs were made to replace the leak and its steering rack in March of 2012. In May of 2013, we received a letter from Mini advising us of steering problem issues to the 2002-2005 models. In August of 2013, the steering became very stiff and was taken in for repairs. The repair facility found that the power steering pump was inoperative and the pump cooling fan had seized. These were replaced. Due to the severity of the steering problems taking it to the nearest dealer some 80+ miles to Seattle (we are in Sudden Valley) was considered too risky for my wife to drive there. So all repairs were done at European NW Automotive in Bellingham not a Mini dealer.These repairs were not covered by Mini and I have just discovered by phone were denied but no letter has ever been sent to us advising this. The coverage letter was 13 years or 150K miles whichever came first and to date this Mini has just reached 30K. All repairs were done at European NW in Bellingham not a Mini dealer. The Mini letter states repairs for parts are covered even if you had the repairs done at an independent shop. I have tried discussing this situation and cannot understand Minis explanation. Its my contention that although repairs were made after the letter of May 2103 all the repairs necessary fit Minis steering warranty coverage issues and should be honored and covered. Could you please help me with this? Note: I do understand now that I dont qualify for the 2012 repairs and do not expect Mini to reimburse us; however, on reflection I think that the 2012 repairs were a forerunner for the 2013 repairs outlined in their May 2013 Warranty Coverage Extension outlining the steering issues that needed to be corrected. The costs for the 2013 repairs were submitted to Mini in August of 2013 and are denied (without notice) for reasons I do not understand. Thank you.

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

We bought a 2016 Mini Cooper. Jan 2020 It had 46000 mi. 1 year and 4 Mos later we had it serviced at 48000 mi and were told engine mount failed-cost $786. Repair manager said he has seen this happen many times with the mini. I called several other repair places who said the same thing. Our friend who just bought a mini said it happened to him.Our $2000 4 year extended warranty excluded coverage for this. We dumped this warranty and called mini to get some type of reimbursement for this obvious design flaw. They offered nothing- not even a partial refund. Looking to sell our mini cooper asap. BUYER BEWARE- MINI CORPORATE DOES NOT STAND BEHIND ITS PRODUCT

I have the 2.0 Mini Copper S Petrol, well built and well finished. Beautiful to drive and great fun. However the most annoying thing for me, is the use of extremely cheap and discolouring plastic trim on the outside. My car is a very late 2017 and the plastic is marked and get, I have tried all sorts of plastic treatment including the one in my mini pack but nothing really restores it. Compared to my Wifes 2016 Mazda CX5 which is still perfect and any plastic product makes it look like new. Before the Mini, I have owned BMWs since 1999, never experienced this problem before, its very poor and lets the whole car down.

Purchase a Mini Cooper 2011 Countryman with 47,000 miles. I had dealer in north Scottsdale look the car over and was advised that mechanically the car is perfect. As the warranty ran out at 50K why would they want to find anything. At 56,000 miles the fuel pump in the fuel tank failed. I was told this is not unreasonable. The solenoid valve also failed and leaked out into the electrical harness and almost onto the electronic board (I was advised). The cost of this repair was about $4,600. I also had to replace all four break pads (not unreasonable but it was just another cost - $800).At 60,000 miles the clutch went bad most likely due to the fuel pump causing the car to buck like a horse for a while. I was told that this is to be expected from a mini. Cost $3,200. Total cost of the two repairs is $7,800. Considering I have had the car for 12,000 miles and the dealer told me that the car was in perfect working order when I purchased it I am to say the least very annoyed and angry. We bought this car to be a low cost effective vehicle. It has been nothing but a money sink. And to quote the dealer these issues are reasonable. So at minimum I can expect these costs to be incurred every 60,000 miles. Possibly more if other things go wrong.Dont buy a Mini if you have the choice. They are defective, unreliable and expensive to own. Buy a V8 truck. It will be more cost effective as you wont be paying for repairs to a poorly designed car.

OK, my last review gave the 2014 Cooper S manual trans a 4 star rating. Ill retract that now. My 3 yr lease was coming to an end and I did 6 months of research on sub compacts w/6spd man trans, turbo, power seat on drivers side, at a minimum, & good repair ratings, dealership close by. I could not wait to get rid of the MINI, the drivers seat was killing me. I didnt realize how irritating the dash functionality was until I leased a 2017 Chevy Sonic Premier, thats right a CHEVY! First domestic model car since 1976. 15 K less than a high end MINI. Fully loaded, great radio, intuitive controls all the way around, comfortable seat, easy shifting, 32 mpg on mostly suburban, inner city driving, not as noisy as the MINI. No complaints. The standard features on this model would have been pricey extras on a comparable MINI.My last hours as MINI owner had me wondering if it was going to make it through the 20 mile trip to the dealers. It had been sitting for 3 days and would not go into 1st or 2nd for a few minutes. Okay, my Sonic is not cute as a Volcanic Orange button, its turbo is not a rocket like the MINIs was. And, it looks like a Chevy. I had my own personal paradigm shift on what was important to me in a car. After owning 3 Euro cars for the past 25 years, Volvo, Volvo, MINI, I decided I was done, done, done. If you have the need for a cute car, the MINI certainly is that, but youll find the irritation factors outweigh the cutes in about 17 months or less. BTW, Im not seeing 2014 Volcanic Orange MINIs on the roads/highways lately. I assume they all went to the bone yard (auction) like mine did.

Bought my MINI Cooper S hardtop new over 3 years ago, and so far no major problems. It has been my favorite car I have owned after the x 1/9 I had many years ago.

I have had an excellent overall experience with my 2003 Mini Cooper. It wasnt until 2013 that I had to have any work done on it besides the normal maintenance. At the time I purchased my Mini, they were fairly new on the market, and it was the unique look that love it. It has run-flat tires and a Harman Kardon stereo/CD that I like a lot. However, the cup holders in the 2003 are useless, they only give you clearance for a small cup of coffee. There is no way to fit my travel mug or my Venti cold cup. I bought something that latches around part of the console and is secured with a bolt through both of its ends. The problem is that I had to tape up the bolt because I kept scratching my leg on the bolt. Still love driving my Mini!

I was with my children and had to call the roadside assistance due to temp/engine light suddenly coming on. I also was told there were no carriers in the area and we were on the freeway and it was getting dark. There was no sense of urgency and she said, We will keep trying and call you back. I called a tow company after dialing 411 (took 5 mins) and called Mini roadside assistance back and told them I had found a place that would do it. They asked me for the number and name of company which I gave them. The woman said, Thanks for doing this, I would have never found it. (Isnt that their job?) After waiting another 45 mins we were finally rescued. I just wasnt impressed with the level of service and cant imagine how its even functional. She kept calling me the wrong name and said, Where did you say you were again? It was almost comical. I love my Mini but this was not good.

First of all, I drive about 25,000 miles a year. This is my only car... I didnt buy a warranty past 50k miles. I should have done both warranties, the service and the general warranty. You need both... I didnt do everything perfectly.... I have a 2006 Mini Cooper S with the JCW engine upgrade. Obviously, this car has a 6-speed manual. It is my 2nd Mini Cooper (my first was a 2002 that I bought used). Do I love this car? Yes. It has had issues, most of which are known to those who research the car before buying: 1) Thermostat housing. Its known to warp and leak. Ive had this replaced 2x. First time was under warranty. 2) Crank position sensor O ring. Replaced 2x. Failed at 75k miles and at 150k miles. 3) Front strut mounts. Once for each side (left/right). These failed because of road conditions - i.e. potholes that I was trying to avoid but could not. 4) Passenger side engine mount - This is a known issue where the oil leaks out. A solid mount wouldnt be a problem, but solid mounts create vibration and noise that many do not like. 5) Exhaust header flex joint failure after 150k miles. This will happen to many cars, not just Minis. 6) Clutch. There is a service bulletin on the throw-out bearing. Clutches are rarely covered under any warranty by any dealer because it is really easy for the operator to screw it up. In my experience, most people dont know how to drive a standard transmission. Im on my 4th clutch (the first was replaced under warranty, the 3rd was a performance clutch that wore out so I cant blame anyone...) 7) Brakes. These are a standard wear-and-tear.....8) Control panel for A/C and radio. Half of the lights went out and the whole unit was replaced under warranty.Ive upgraded certain parts with performance parts (suspension, struts, springs, brakes). Ive never had issues with the windows. I baby my car as much as possible. I feel for the people that bought the CVT. Its not a good transmission. I feel that any brand can have issues. I also feel that if you pay for a service warranty, truly understand the terms before you sign. If you dont understand the terms, get a 3rd party to help you. If you sign it and dont understand, you are still liable as it is a contract, so try not to get indignant with the service people. Ive had multiple cars, Ford, GM, Chrysler, Volvo, Saturn. Ive had weird problems with all of them.Will I buy another Mini...? Yes. Will I be very careful with what I actually buy? Yes... Do I have a bias? Probably. However, find someone that doesnt have a bias to a particular brand of auto... Very hard to do.

BMW Corporation were rude and wanted no responsibility once you bought the car, if things went wrong. Now experiencing a steering and fan pump issue and was never informed of their extended warranty offered and Im very disappointed once again in the company. The company has put my life in danger by not informing me of this imperative and vital information!

Great car, street legal go cart. Sporty quick and a wonderful community of drivers. Small head turning car. All in all best car I have ever owned and still a manual option. Now I am out of words to add to get this glowing review.

Very enjoyable to drive - it is an adult go-cart. We particularly enjoy the convertible here in Florida. It is nice to have the wind blowing through your hair.

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.....

I had a Cooper S 2008 which had few issues only. Oil leaks. AC compressor failed. Gear box will not go after 3. Talking fair. NEVER buy this crappy product. I will not pay a penny for 2015 brand new with 10 years warrant. THANKING you and hope readers will know its good if you have 2 cars and you work for the agent.

I bought my Mini 2 years ago this month. A year ago, my car was stalling so I brought it to the dealer to see what was wrong. They told me it was the quality of the gas that was causing the problem. I had asked if it could be the transmission and I was told no, the Mini has a sealed transmission and thats not the case. Needless to say, a couple of weeks ago, I took it to the dealer once again with the same problem. $1,500 later, I was told it’s the ball joints and spark plugs that were ruined. I pick up my car and it’s far worse than what it was in the beginning. At this point, it was not drivable, so I returned the car to the dealer. I was then told it was my transmission and that I need to replace it and it would cost me $8,900. How ridiculous. I bought the car for $11,500, so how can a transmission cost more than half of my car? Im so disappointed at Mini. I thought when I bought the car that was doing a great investment but obviously not!

I took my Mini in and complained that there was a humming noise coming from the engine and that the check engine light kept coming on. But every time I took it in, the dealer kept telling me that this was normal and that there was nothing wrong with the car. After awhile, the car kept getting worse and started making a knocking sound and losing power. I had it towed to the Mini dealer and they told me nothing was wrong with the car, turned the light out and sent me on my way. I am tired of Mini refusing to fix whats wrong with the car. This is a serious problem and needs to be dealt with.

I’m not sure exactly how to write this experience up, but here goes. We recently visited a dealership with an intent to purchase a Demo as part of #Performance Auto Group’s sales flyer posted on Auto Trader. We went to the dealership we had visited about a year ago and had the opportunity to test drive a Mini. We weren’t ready to purchase at that that time based on our budget, but the service was great and staff supper friendly and helpful, so we returned to this location. First visit we tried a car but for some reason found it really rough, we felt like an egg that had been scrambled after driving it. When we got back we advised the two young men at the dealership and were told that was the Mini experience. At this time they snickered. We advised them of our previous experience and they said it’s the tires. They’re new. After a few more exchanges, I said, I guess that means we aren’t Mini people, and the young man said yup. I want to point out that we weren’t offered to try another car to see if we thought the same thing.We left and ended up at a used car place where we tried a 2017 and we actually enjoyed the ride. The first visit was on a Monday, and on Thursday my partner and I returned to that original dealership because they had four Demo’s at great prices and low kilometres. I asked about the last Demo that appeared on Auto Trader that same day (the same young man from the other day), he advised it was out. I had to ask clarifying questions, Is it on test drive? No, Can you find out? He comes back and advises it’s on loan to a client. What does that mean? It’s on loan, When will it be back? I don’t know. So we took our phone out and looked up for another car to try, and apparently that was off site as well. He hadn’t seen it in a couple of days. Is it sold? No, Can you find out? He disappears. I’m about to blow, you have to understand he’s just standing there and the body language is saying go away. It’s very clear he doesn’t want us there. He’s not checking the computer and when we ask him to check, he ask us what the vin# is. We didn’t know it and he said, You should know what car you want, it’s like this the whole time. I asked him about the last car and he said, I don’t know anything about it, but he did offer a new car. Interesting to note the first car we test drove was at the back of the shop in amongst other cars. I’m pretty sure there was something wrong with it.So after we left on the first visit on our way to Burlington we were divided. I thought they were laughing at us because we were old and old people shouldn’t drive Mini’s (we are in our 50s), but my partner thought it was because we were a gay couple. My partner didn’t want to go back but we had such great service once before, I really felt it was worth a second chance.I have to say we fumed all weekend, because we’ve been shopping for about a year looking at various places, from Toronto to St. Catherine’s at this point and we had tried Volvo’s, a Jaguar, a Cadillac, even a couple of pick-up trucks (he wants one thing and I want the other and it’s for me), not all places are the same but it has been some time since we’ve walked away with this feeling. Most places are Here’s the key. Let’s go, or See you in a bit. Most places are welcoming and the agent usually ask questions and if you don’t like the first vehicle it’s, Let me show you another, and the end we exchange information.I was so frustrated that night, I didn’t even realize how much. When we left that place we tried a BMW X4 that I spotted in a John Bear lot. The drive was excellent and the sales rep was in the back seat and at one point I started to laugh as I realized some of tension was beginning to dissipate, the difference between sales agents. That weekend we visited the Kitchener location and had an okay experience. We even stopped in Paris ON, and tried a AlfaRomeo Stelvio, again super great staff.I had emailed the dealership and #Mini Canada about our experience, the Corporate office advised that they are independent of dealerships. The manager had investigated and found out that the first car was loaned out as the clients car was in the shop and the second car was getting cleaned, but this doesn’t address that we were shunned from buying a Mini at that location. I emailed again, more in detail like this explaining our experience of homophobia over the last fifteen years so they would know we were genuine about our experience not being right. Head Office #Kelsey ** again advised it wasn’t Mini Canada’s issue and to deal with the dealership. Finally I received an email from a manager for BMW/Mini in that area and finally he replies with an email that says they will review training with the reps in question as well as they are looking into sensitivity training as I had suggested.So all good right?, No! I now need to know that Mini Canada head office are concerned that the people representing their brand and their products aren’t discriminating against older people and gay people and any other discriminatory combinations out there. I find it hard to believe that BMW/Mini wouldn’t ensure these retailers are representing fairly, but according to the replies I got IT’s NOT THEIR CONCERN. To me, it’s one in the same, different people may own the brand versus the product but they both represent the same thing. I’m hoping no one else has a similar story.

If I didnt like the car type, I never would have bought it. But it has been a nightmare to work with BMW on fixing something that is clearly their fault. BMW refuses to provide a satisfactory solution with a recall on a known flaw in the thermostat gasket on 2006 Mini Coopers. Thousands of consumers in United States, and even more across the world, have spent thousands of dollars and countless hours to find/fix radiator fluid leak through both dealers and special mechanics only to find out that the original gasket starts to leak through ever so slowly. A drop here and there at about 20,000 miles (more or less) due to the cheap mesh material. Because it leaks ever so slightly, the fluid falls, blows, drops down onto various parts of the engine and throughout the engine compartment. Even though the company, dealers and specialized mechanics are well aware of this known issue, they take full advantage of the consumer by pretending to speculate that it is caused by a leak in a hose or the radiator itself or some other issue, all of which allow these individuals to charge outrageous amounts to fix or replace parts that down need it. Most places have a minimum labor cost just to look at it. Add the unnecessary parts with additional labor on top of the base cost and you drive away without fixing the issue, only to return again and again until they finally bring up the real issue and charge you yet again to fix something they knew and should have fixed all along. It is a known issue for crying out loud. If they just fixed that, the parts themselves are less than $50. Add a minimal labor cost and you are still under $200 total. But no, BMW has systematically ignored the issue in an effort to sell parts, charge labor, and collect vast amounts of unnecessary dollars because it make them more money. The truth is, after the 2006 models, BMW intentionally changed the design to a poly urethane gasket. No recall, no recourse, no satisfaction! BMW should recall these or reimburse the wasted costs created by those that represent their firm. Thieves!

An engine light came on in my 2012 MINI. I live 100 mi away from my dealer so MINI Roadside contracted a tow company come pick her up and take her to the dealer. As per policy of MINI USA and MINI Roadside, she was put on a flat-bed tow truck. On the return trip, 14 May 2014, however, things did not happen per policy. She was towed behind a tow truck with back wheels on the road and the front wheels 3 ft up in the air traveling down Interstate 75 from Atlanta to Warner Robins. The entire front of the car has suffered from gravel impact damage. Everything on the front end needs to be either replaced or re-painted (hood, hood trim, head lights, fog lights, bumper, roof, side mirror caps, front air dam, and wind-shield). MINI USA and MINI Roadside will not cover the damage and the tow company (who was under contract by MINI USA and MINI Roadside), of course indicates they did not damage the car. Both parties did agree, through a posted letter and an email, that the tow policy was not followed but there was no possible way my vehicle could have been damaged. When a vehicle goes to any MINI dealer for service, it is inspected for body damage (so the dealer is not held liable for damage they did not do, MINI USA policy). The service report from the dealer indicates no damage at all. $5k worth of damage and no one is to blame and no one knows how it happened in the course of 100 mi from the dealer to my house. MINI USA and MINI Roadside will not repair your vehicle if damage, but they will offer to pay YOUR insurance deductible (I kid you not).

Christmas week 2013, Global-SONIC MINI, Chamblee (Atlanta), GA presented me with a $7,000+ service quote to fix the timing chain/tensioner and turbo charger at 29,000 miles; eight (8) weeks after the 48-month warranty expiration. The chain tensioner is already a class action suit in NJ and a well-known design flaw in the auto industry & consumer blogs. Complaints over the turbo charger performance went back several service intervals, the latest on July 20, 2013 at only 21,000 miles, and never fixed (under warranty at least). No way should a turbo charger fail at 29,000 miles! The car was serviced exclusively at the Global-SONIC dealership at all scheduled maintenance intervals. My wife is the sole driver of the car, I have my BMW 550i. So to summarize, an easy driver, extremely low mileage, car serviced exclusively at the dealership and MINI expected me to pay $7,000 in repairs (50% of current market value -or- 25% of original purchase price) at only 29,000 miles, 4 years ownership? Speaks volumes about MINI product quality and the true cost of ownership. Discussions with the SONIC dealership and MINI customer service went nowhere. Global-SONIC said the matter was simple - Your warranty is expired now and we have no obligation to you. My new mission in my life is 1) to make everyone aware of the reliability, quality & safety issues associated with MINI cars and 2) to make clear to everyone what they should expect post-sale from both MINI and the SONIC AUTOMOTIVE dealerships. Neither stand behind their cars, could care less about their customers post-sale and are dishonest, possibly criminally so given the fact that the turbo complaints were ignored during warranty coverage. SONIC AUTOMOTIVE, INC. has 107 dealerships in 15 states representing 29 car brands. CONSUMERS BEWARE - BUY ELSEWHERE! Please note, BMW owns MINI and is on the hook to insure their prestige brand is not negatively impacted by MINI actions & representations. I intend to have that very discussion soon with Global, thinking I was interested in upgrading to an M5 in 2014. Not so sure now. Perhaps, Id be happier with a new E63 AMG. Feel free to call to exchange thoughts and experiences and to keep posted on next steps with my MINI Disaster Campaign. Happy New Year to everyone.

I was in 2 accidents a month apart (Its not my fault.) in my 2007 Mini Cooper. So, I sent it to my local Mini dealer, thinking they knew what they were doing. When I had a warranty, I got excellent service, but not after my warranty was up! They broke things on the car, lost pieces, put things in backwards - it was a nightmare. I was told that all those things were wear and tear. It happened in the accidents; it was fine before. They would not fix the things they broke, and they were just so rude, saying I was making it up! Im not! So, they told my insurance company that its like that before the accidents. So now, they closed the claim and would not fix the problems. Problem is, they broke the parts or did not fix it right. They would not say they did it and made it right. They were very sobbing, and they think they are some great fancy place, not just another car repair shop. And in my accident, I broke my nose on the steering wheel. The air bag did not go off and the seat belt did not hold me back! I was slammed hard from behind. The problem is the dealership.

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.

Have a real doozy! Had a 2006 Cooper with 70000 miles with no problems until early May, 2014 when steering became tight. Went to import mechanic friend who put in new power steering pump and then rack and pinion but didnt solve the problem. He recommended I go to dealer, which I did. They told me I needed a new steering column which was binding. They told me there were no steering columns in the U.S. And would have to order it from Germany which would take two months to arrive (7/15). Left the car at the dealer and service advisor would keep me up-to-date but never called me. Went to dealer on 7/15 and was told that the order had been cancelled by someone in Germany but they didnt know who and could be another 2 months before part might get in.Needless to say, I was quite frustrated and asked how much I could get selling the car back to them. Their appraisers offered $2,500(median blue book is $7,500) which I thought was unfair so went to sales manager(who did not know the history) who then offered $4,000 which I accepted. Had to get this off my chest.

I have put less than 7000 miles since my lemon was purchased used. Over 2,000 dollars in repairs so far. Mini Coopers should be made obsolete because of unreliability and bad engineering. The salesman I dealt with do the two step and lie by omission. Buy anything else!

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.

Since March, 2018 I have been attempting to resolve an issue with the timing chain in my 2008 Mini Cooper S. The timing chain failed while the vehicle was in motion on the highway, causing the vehicle to lose power. A dealership has confirmed that the timing chain is in fact the problem with the vehicle (it may also be the case that the timing being off is causing issues with the valves). Conversations with the Mini USA customer relations and even BMW North American (their parent company) lead nowhere, and the manufacturer refuses to take any responsibility for the defective timing chains in these vehicles. There was a class action lawsuit regarding these timing chains, but Mini somehow got away with not having to issue a recall despite the obvious safety issues caused by timing chain failure when a vehicle is in motion. It is criminal that Mini refuses to issue a recall and refuses to assist customers with necessary repairs associated with their defective manufacturing. These cars are fun to drive when theyre operating properly, which isnt the case most of the time. I would rate them lower if I could, but 1 star is the minimum. Buyers beware! Mini is a shifty and dishonest company that will not stand behind its product.

I was hesitant to buy in first place. I bought new. It was a cheesy car. Everything was fragile. Window switches, seat belt labels, transmission shift mechanism, plastic trim, oh well. But its had four (4) different turbos at $3,500 each. Its had a number of service bulletins/campaigns/recalls depending on what persons or entity you talk to. One turbo was under warranty, the rest were not. But then BMW Mini rebates the $3,500. A different recall changed some turbo related part. The day after I picked the Countryman up, it wouldnt start; Dead battery. I just put my charger on it. Started fine. The service advisor suggested probably drained while in shop. The battery was relatively new. It needed to be jumped or charged 5-6 times in next few months. Then I found out that the recall, service campaign or whatever resulted in electrical consumption after shutting off engine hence the battery drain. Now I need a new battery; $300. INSANE. New FRONT brakes $700.00. REPAIR LEAK AT OIL FILTER MOUNTING FLANGE $1,300. I have owned a number of vehicles including Yugo, Smart, Mercedes, Porsche, THIS IS MY BIGGEST MISTAKE! My local dealer is immune to any logical argument about what is wrong or more importantly how it came to be so. Shame on them. The service costs are pathetically high- its not a Porsche, performance is mediocre. I believe in drive like a sport, pay like a sport. But this isnt that sporty. Next car; Toyota!

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 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.

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.

Brand new 2015 Cooper S with sunroof. Protective netting of the sunroof slid open as I drove. Gas mileage is 25/26 (I was quoted 32/38)! Brought it back for repairs. 1st time, 2nd time - No fix. Glue globbed on the sides of the netting; that didnt work and looks awful. They intimated gas mileage due to the way the car was driven. Loaners got much better mileage (same driver)! They tested 3 other like models and advised that the netting did the same and they didnt know what to do. I wanted to replace this car. Mini USA Execs denied my request. This is a DEFECT, and DANGEROUS! I was told that since the other models did the same thing, there was nothing they would do!

I bought a 2004 Mini Cooper used from Tony Harrington at Gates in South Bend, IN in Oct. 2009. This was my first Mini experience. I drove Mini with the sales guy and complained about some noises. He told me, Its a Mini. Thats what they do and assured me the Mini was completely inspected inside and out and that Gates would never sell a car with known problems. Well five weeks later, that noise I complained about was the power steering pump dying and went out. I called Gates Mini and got no resolution at all. I started googling and saw that tons of people had similar problems, yet there were no recalls. I was very upset and disappointed. These little cars arent cheap at all. The pump + labor through BMW was $1400+ but I found a local mechanic who did it for $983. That was a lot of money for this repair and it seems to me Mini should have issued a recall.