I purchased my 2012 Mini Hardtop S on Aug. 2012. Salesman said its limited edition - Bayswater, only 13 of them in California. However, just few months ago I saw another exact same one on the road next to me, I wonder how low is the possibility will that be. Anyway, my previous car was Scion XA 2006 - I had driven that car for 5 years with 100k mileage. In the last 2 months, I had flat tire twice (due to some nail needle on the road). Therefore, when I purchased my Mini, I have tire insurance since the tire I have is more expensive than the normal one. At around 6~8k miles, my front tire at driver side had an area raised abnormally. I went back to Mini Service for oil change and also asked them to check my tire. At first, they said the tire was used. I said I purchased the brand new one thats impossible. Then the technician changed his word, said it was due to some hold on the tire caused by needle. Beside tire issue, the technician also pointed that something wrong with my engine, he has to check it and might take more than one day. Anyway, since the tire problem was under warranty, I did not say anything more, so I left my car in the dealer overnight.Just today, I took my Mini to another dealer for service due to the engine light was on 2 days ago. At first I thought it was oil change only, just the service guy said something wrong with my engine, but it is only 16k miles. I dont race my car, I drive average under 30 miles a day, rarely drive 50 miles a day. Later on, I asked him what is the thickened oil thing laying by the front cover of my engine, he said the original dealer did not do deep cleaning and the oil was leaking from the inside of the cover. I asked him to clean it for me. He said it costs $160.00. He suggested me to go back to where I purchased and they should be able to do it for free. The guy said since there are multiple issues with this car, they might need overnight to fix it.Mini is always my dream car, but now I miss my Scion XA, that car never caused any problem and always been in good condition. I regret purchasing Mini....the dealer attitude was bad and the car always has some problems in very low mileage, by thinking of the cost after Im past warranty period...I think I have to sell it ASAP.

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 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.

A year or so ago: “Well, what can I say? I’m a lucky MINI owner when someone like Andre will eliminate that strange little rattling somewhere bugging your mind. Claude **, who has helped me resolve Mini issues, took notice. I said to everyone that the gentleman is a dear (referring to Andre). Sweet natured and eager to be your friend.” I have also always received excellent service from Corey.Well, that was then and this is now: I’m sorry Andre is no longer at Mini. I used to be treated like royalty there and have continued to patronize the shop. However, current service (06/09/20) team seems a little adversarial/contentious. The repair bill today came to almost $2000 — isn’t that outrageous? I was shocked. Even worse is that I wasn’t warned of the full cost ahead despite being a woman in the middle of a pandemic, widespread unemployment and riotous unrest.Frankly, the advisor was not so eager to help with my insurance adjuster, which would have been a relatively minor issue due to specifics and deductible. I resent that he, instead, took it upon himself to feed the insurance adjuster information he never discussed with me first, extrapolating from whatever he thought led to this Mini repair. Our conversation is, by the way, substantiated on texts due to my bout with laryngitis. Again, that was very disconcerting, as I’ve been unable to talk and on antibiotics to boot.One person can truly make all the difference in the world. I’m disappointed and more. I hope Mini service makes it up to me for my follow-up to this here review. After all, I had my Mini flatbedded there from Goodrich tires In Glendale where I drove right as the tire sensor light came on. I don’t need attitude. I need good friendly, honest, fair service and advice as a loyal customer. We all do. I continue to be speechless. Deserve response.

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.....

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

I bought the car new in March 2004. I had it serviced by the dealer only. The power steering went out last year. Expensive fix. And just last week, the transmission went out. How can they charge $8k for repairs on a car worth $8k! I had less that 70k miles on the vehicle. I thought I was buying a BMW-backed product! I loved that little car.

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

Mini Cooper S 2006 Convertible - New radiator and cooling system at 5k, 3 new convertible roofs due to rotting weather stripping, one rat attack, one harmonic balancer, one transmission, engine mounts, transmission mount, control arm bushings - all at 65k.

I just bought a 2009 Mini Cooper S from Carmax last week with 21,000 miles on it. I drove it less than 400 miles before the clutch became an issue. I took the car to Carmax for warranty work and was told that the dealer would have to do the service. Sure enough, the dealer stated it was not covered under warranty due to normal wear and tear. Based on all the comments Ive read on this forum, I am returning the car to Carmax for a full refund since I am not the only one with this same issue. I understand that buying a used car is a buyer beware situation, but Mini Cooper should be more responsive to a problem that exists for many owners. Mini Cooper is not building a quality product and I will never buy another Mini Cooper.

I purchased a used 2002 Mini Cooper S from Mini of Knoxville with 70,000 miles. I thought I was purchasing a great car from a reputable dealer but it turns out that I was not. After just a day, the clock stopped working and a screw fell out of the lower dash trim a week later, and in the following month my windshield trim began pulling away.Within the first month, my power steering pump went out nearly killing me and my wife. I tried to work through Mini USA and I was told to take it to a dealer who preceded to tell me that I had a whopping $3400 in repairs! I told them I just bought the car a month ago from them!The car needed a P.S. pump ($1400), front control arm bushings, total shot ($900), crank pulley, balancer and belt which were warped ($500) and that the brake fluid and coolant were in terrible shape (remaining cost). Oh, and by the way, the tires were the wrong size. This is the way I was sold the car. After fighting with the dealer, they replaced the pulley and belt and thats it. They told me sorry, you bought a used car. Where is honesty? I thought we had a lemon law, it turns out not so much. I removed the p.s. pump and had it sent off and rebuilt for $225 and replaced it 30 minutes total. WHY is MINI so EVIL?

I am shocked and dismayed about the number of complaints about Mini Coopers! I too fell in love with my 2009 mini (cute as a box full of kittens!) LOVE driving it! BUT at 25k the water pump went. At 49k the top had to be replaced. Later the thermostat housing cracked, and at 82k a freeze out plug inside the timing chain housing blew out, blowing the engine. I still love the car and am going to fix it (at about $8000 for a used engine). I think BMW should be responsible for all of these engines blowing! What if the used engine blows? I cant afford another 8 grand!!!

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

I 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!

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

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 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!

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

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!

I took the 2012 Mini Cooper to the SLC dealer to check the check engine light. They had no mechanics on duty at 10:30 AM Monday. The earliest they could diagnose it was 4:30 pm. I live 350 miles south. I drove home and the car broke down 200 and more away from two different dealers. I had it repaired with a service contract sold by the dealer. They would not honor that because the car was not out of warranty. Mini Cooper Corporate USA would not pay for repair of the auto unless I towed it 250 miles to Las Vegas. The problem was the ignition coil. This was checked by the dealer prior to sale at 36,900 miles and broke less than 2,000 miles later. Its a dishonorable company with a shoddy product.

After reading some of these reviews, I am now holding my breath. I have owned my brand new 2015 Mini S now for 8 months and truly could not possibly love it more. Any questions I have or any needs have been met right away from all Mini dealers in Tucson and Phoenix. Sounds silly but I even enjoy writing the check monthly for her. Yep, I am most definitely twitter patted (as Bambi or Thumper once said) with my Mini (even named her Itty Boo) (yeah, I know, over the top! ).

My review will be short and sweet. Ive learned over the last couple days that BMW is a professional corporate thief. My wife owns a 2012 Mini Cooper Countryman. I will admit she loves the look of the car and I will say that it looks pretty sleek. I wont go into details but her battery died and would not hold a charge. No worries all I will do is buy a new good battery and replace it. After needing to take the passengers side wiper blade off to remove the stupid battery I learned I wasnt even close to being done. I learned I had to take her car into the dealership so they could program and certify my new battery to the cars computer. I called three dealers and the quotes were $75, $60 and $100 just certify the battery with a laptop and BMW software. I bought an expensive battery costing me $195 and then I had to pay the dealer $75 to program the battery. IMO that is horse **.Why would BMW engineers design the car so that you had to take it to the dealer for such a simple maintenance project? Obviously I know the answer to my question and that is $$$$. What scares me is if I had to pay almost $300 to change my battery what happens when something real goes wrong. In the end I guess this is really my fault because I should have researched what I was buying. This is the first and last product that I buy from this corporation. Its not really the money that ticks me off but rather just the fact that BMW is one greedy bunch of people. I will make a concerted effort to tell my friends, family, peers, team-mates, acquaintances, neighbors, people I see at the store, people who are stopped at the same red light as me, my clergy, my Facebook friends, my Twitter friends and last but not least God to never, never, never buy a Mini Cooper or Mini Popper!

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

In 2013, I bought a used 2012 MINI Cooper S R56 with 10,000 km on it. I like this car, but in Jakarta theres many broken road...and this car is low...so Im not recommend this car in broken road city. The performance is amazing...Im happy about it. But in Jakarta, the used car cost 60k USD...so its expensive here.

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

I bought a brand-new BMW Mini Cooper D in February 22, 2012. After two days, in the morning (February 24, 2012), I got big problems. First, the driver door was not opened. Second, when I turned my car off, the engine continued to run and the bonnet was hot with smoke and has burning smell for more than 5 minutes. It happened 3 times within 3 hours on that day. This condition has happened again in March 8, 2012 and March 21, 2012. Third, the window was opened by itself (I mean, I didnt do anything to open the window.) four times from February 24, 2012 to March 5, 2012.I have visited four times the AS center since February 24, 2012 (2.24-3.19) to fix the problems. But the AS center fixed only the first problem (The driver door was not opened.), and they changed the air conditioner compressor. Unfortunately, they failed to find out the reasons for other problems. Those things are a shock for me. How come those things could happen to the brand-new BMW within two days of purchasing it? But more shocking for me is the response of Deutsch Motors in Korea. One of the customer center staff called me on March 19, 2012 and said in an unfriendly manner that the company is going to provide only an accessory made by Mini to compensate the inconvenience I had.Yes, of course, I deserve to have some compensation for the cost of my time, mental stress, inconvenience, and mileages (about 120 km from my place to the AS center). But what I really need is confidence that I am concerned by the Deutsch Motors. I am a customer who is suffering with car troubles since I have bought it. But what the company just wanted is to close this case with Mini accessories that I even dont need. This is a very wrong attitude in handling customers. What do you think?

At 43,000 miles the clutch went on my 2010 MINI Cooper S Clubman. Between towing costs & repairs, I anticipate a total bill around $4,500. The car is no longer under warranty and the dealer, although very understanding, expects full payment. An internet search indicates that clutch and transmission problems are a common problem with MINIs: particularly with the 2010 and 2013 models. My search results indicate that some clutch failures occur as early as 15,000 miles. I have always driven a standard; my last car had 139,000 and the original clutch. I know when/when not to/and how to use a clutch; I dont ride the clutch and I dont rip the car around, although all MINI TV commercials show the car being driven this way. MINI has had issues w/ the transmission also; in fact there is a class action suit against BMW North America that is pending settlement. I wonder if there is potential for a class action suit here since it seems to be a consistent problem, and I am sure MINI must be aware of it.

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

Updated on 03/26/2019: The last time I posted my Mini was in the shop (at 55k) having the head gasket replaced. 8k later the head gasket had to be replaced again. The shop wanted to re-check the car 500 miles after the repair, which they did, and all was well. Decided as soon as the first sunny, reasonably warm day came I was going to clean/wax the car and get rid of it. The other day fit the bill so I went to the auto parts store to buy wax, etc. Got out of the car and noticed the fan was running. Managed to make it back home without any lights coming on, but the fan continued to run. 10 minutes later I went to start it to move it a few feet in the driveway and the engine light came on and the car didnt want to start. The car just turned 65k and has always been maintained. We have mechanical breakdown coverage through our insurance and frankly Im hoping the entire engine is bad and we can just get whatever they give us for it and be done with it. Absolutely a blast to drive --- but from a mechanical standpoint its far and above THE worst car Ive ever owned.Original Review: Although my 2012 (hardtop) Mini is a blast to drive I will NEVER buy another one. Just turned 55k miles and Ive already had to replace tires/rotors, ignition coils, and the water pump. It is currently in the shop with head gasket/engine repairs to the tune of $2,500.00. Thank goodness for the mechanical breakdown coverage we opted to buy when we bought the new Mini! Its absurd to have this many expensive repairs on a car with only 55k miles!!

I had the exact 2 things happen to me in that exact order. The car was running weird when cold, so I took the car to the dealer. They determined that the plastic brackets that hold the timing chain were cracked and could break and cause major engine damage. They showed me and it was apparent the plastic had become brittle and cracked. I called Mini corporate and got no help there so I had the chain replaced as they said they could not just replace the brackets. I have to ask how does the brackets get brittle at 60 to 70k miles on it. So after they fix it the car still was not running right. So back to the Mini dealer. They now said that the pump was not keeping oil pressure high enough when cold and it needed to be replaced (2 grand to fix it). I checked on web and there was a known issue with that part. I verified it with Mini. If I had not I would have paid for this repair. Had it done at no charge.6 months after I noticed an oil smell, and noticed I was going through a lot of oil. Turns out I had a major oil leak. (If this happens to you, check the oil filter seals 1st. I searched and they go a lot. I never had these seals go in any other car I ever owned, including 2 that made it to the 300k miles.) So good luck. As for me my next car will not be Mini.

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

I have had a problem with my 2005 Mini Cooper S, off and on, for about a year. The passenger side air bag light comes on in the dash and over the rear-view mirror. This was occasionally on, but when someone sat in the seat, it would register the seat as occupied. Then occasionally, it would come on, when no one was in the seat. Now, it is coming on and staying on, even with someone in the seat or not. I called my local Mini Dealer and spoke with a man in the service department. He knew exactly what I was talking about, but stated that there is no recall with this problem. It seems to me, that if enough people have this concern, Mini would have no choice but to issue a recall on this defective sensor. Especially, someone was seriously injured before.

We have had our 2007 Mini-Cooper for less than three years. We bought it, used, and spent a small fortune just to get it running right first thing after we got it. Now the timing chain has caused our car to be completely unusable. It is going to cost upwards of $8000.00 to fix. We have read everything we can about this happening to our mini and like the thousands of other owners, are extremely upset that Mini has not taken any responsibility for this built-in failure. We love our Mini and are greatly disappointed that our Mini will have to be abandoned and we will no longer drive another Mini, EVER. They are way too expensive to fix… if you can find anyone in your area to fix them. Short love affair with a high maintenance gold-digging lover!

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.

Did you know Mini Cooper was a centerfold in Playboy Magazine? Got your attention now, dont I? Good!Thinking of buying a BMW or Mini Cooper Product, DONT! At least until youve read this and the class action lawsuit against BMW and Mini Cooper Aarons VS BMW. This lawsuit is being handled by Kurtzman & Carson Consultants, Philip Cooper. 886-381-9100.When I purchased my 2007 Mini Cooper I did so because I thought it was the cutest, coolest, and most fun car I had ever driven. Then the practical side of me took over and I did my due diligence and research. Who knew that the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) would prematurely fail and without warning, recklessly putting me in a gravely dangerous situation in the high speed lane on the expressway way during rush hour traffic? BMW and Mini Cooper knew, thats who!! Its amazing that I wasnt struck by the semi behind me traveling at a high rate of speed, considering my Mini Cooper dropped down to 15 mph after the CVT permanently failed while traveling at a rate of 65 mph!BMW presented the Mini Cooper as a high performance, yet affordable high end premium small vehicle which emphasized their design and performance features, cornering abilities, good looks and fashionable styling. Did you know that the Mini Cooper even graced the centerfold of Playboy Magazine? Yes! Playboy Magazine!! BMW group bragged, through its aggressive marketing tactics, that the Mini Coopers design, layout, content and performance along with it being fun to drive, its price point, and high quality were enough to wear the BMW Badge.I thought I had died and gone to heaven! This was my favorite car ever! I babied my Mini Cooper and serviced it regularly, of course. None the wiser, I loved that car, still do. BMW & Mini Cooper not so much!I was so excited and proud to be driving a Mini Cooper and I remained ecstatic until recently. A Mini Cooper convertible was my dream car, BUT now it’s my recurring nightmare! Well, for once, I made my extravagant purchase base on emotion AND logic, what a change for me. Now I wish I didnt do the research to back up my emotional purchase, at least I could said, shoulda, woulda, coulda messed up again. Oh by the way, that BMW Badge, what I didnt know it means Badge of Dishonor! Shame on you BMW!Not only did BMW deny knowledge of the premature CVT but they also undertook affirmative efforts to conceal the failures through a series of TSB Technical Service Bulletins issued to repair facilities, thus stalling long enough for the warranty to expire before owners were made fully aware of the true problem. Its obvious that BMW knew of the problems based not only on the complaints made directly to them but also numerous complaints made to the NHTSA National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration. Yet BMW refuses to publicly acknowledge the problem or offer remedy, instead keeping it a secret as long as possible. As if this wasnt bad enough, BMW CONTINUED TO KNOWINGLY SELL VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH CVTS PRONE TO PREMATURE FAILURE! Despite BMWs efforts to conceal the issue, customer complaints and CVT failures continued. Way to go BMW! Something to be said for your consistency.Thinking back now, Mini Cooper was always aggressively sending me marketing materials for the newest, latest, hottest Mini Cooper Convertible, of course wanting me to trade in my 2007 Convertible Mini Cooper, for a brand new sleeker, faster more stylish Mini Cooper Convertible. What would have happened if BMW would have put all of that time, effort, and cost into a recall? Or a Just FYI, your CVT might fail, please call us later. Well never know because that would be considered above board or proactive good customer service and as we have discovered, BMW possess NONE of those qualities.There is a saying, If it seems to be too good to be true, it probably is. This is so true with BMW. BMW knowingly under budgeted production and could not keep up with the demand it created. After all everyone wanted that beautiful, cool car that was featured in Playboy Magazine! Too bad the beauty was only skin deep! BMW sacrificed quality and turned out substandard parts and shoddy workmanship, all the while refusing to take responsibility for their actions knowing full well that they were recklessly putting their loyal customers in harms way when the CVT failed.To this day, even in the face of these numerous complaints, BMW continues to deny that there is a problem with the CVT and refuses to disclose the truth to consumers. I ask you, How is this possible in this day and age? Who does BMW know that we lowly (no longer loyal) consumers dont and why should we have to pay to clean up their mess?Never again will I own a BMW or Mini Cooper product and I will make it my lifes mission to share this message with everyone!

Wife had been looking for a new car - one that fit her personality - and chose to order a top of the line Mini - specifically a fully loaded 2018 John Copper Works Countryman All4. After waiting for almost 3 months to have the car delivered from Belgium (BMW) factory, we took the train down to Mini of Portland to pick up her car. Upon inspection we noticed white slime coming from outside the interior of the car and staining the black trim. Dont worry we will get it cleaned up for you was the managers response. After driving it 2 hrs home we noticed the next day that the black trim molding was stained as the Clear Coat (extra by necessary living in the west mountain regions) was bubbling in the front bumper. After taking a day off from work it was brought to the dealership where I was told there was a notice out from BMW but since the model of the car they hadnt received it from corporate so they wouldnt fix it because they would have to pay for it!!! Doesnt matter that it is a 4 hour round trip plus my cost away from work. When it was finally down they had to take the hood off and clean the slime off - which is what they stated was used to prevent rust from the transatlantic trip. OK, if that is what a takes, even if it was inconvenient and expensive for us. She wanted her dream car and said it was worth it.A week later the white slime was back and a passenger side window molding fell off. Called the dealer and they said to take another day off from work and make a four hour trip down - of course at my convenience. While trying to figure when to take it down we noticed that some of the Mini medallions that are throughout the interior were starting to peel off. I finally got so angry I called the Mothership; BMW of North America to file a complaint. After nearly 2 weeks I was called today and told I had to deal with the dealership only and that BMW of North America had nothing to do with.I said the dealership didnt build it and that BMW of North America does indeed have everything to do with it as they represent the brand and factory and that whether a car cost $5,000 or $5,000,000 there should be no reason for shabby workmanship. He continued to deflect responsibility until I just disconnected the call. So, save your money and buy a used Yugo - at least you know the quality to expect.

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

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

Mini CVT transmissions - Another family member wrote on this forum about the Mini repairs that have been done on our 2004 Mini Cooper. Well, to top that off, the transmission died at 77,000 miles and they wanted $7K to fix. Great fun car, but reliability is the pits. Our other cars? A Saab 9-5 with over 154K and a Jag with 51K. All with less problems than this BMW Mini. I would not recommend anyone buy a 2004 used Mini at all. In fact, we traded our Mini in for a Honda. Yes, I know, its boring!

I own 2005 Mini Cooper S with 55000 miles, just had engine failure. There is small kicking sound from the timing belt area. I contacted Mini USA, they put me on 5 months of investigation by me providing all my maintenance records, which were up to date. And after all that wait, they refused any help.

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

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?

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.

Our engine light came on on our 09 Mini with only 18000 miles on it. Took it to the dealer and they told us that there was excessive carbon build up on the intake valves and it would cost $1000 to grind the valves! I asked why this happened to a new Mini with such low mileage on it and was then asked what gas we used. We use Costco Premium almost all the time and then we were told that this is the problem. They said Costco gas was poor quality gas, it caused the problem! What BS!!! Its poor quality engine! We are also seeing other people having this same problem, so it is just not us. Mini should stand behind this problem!

2015 Cooper 2-door hardtop - I was driving down a hill from my neighborhood and I braked to slow down. The brake pedal stuck midway to the floor and wouldnt stop. I had to use my emergency brake to stop. Once I let up on e-brake the brake pedal released. It is in the shop now.

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

In September when my engine temp light went on, I took my 2007 Mini Cooper S with less than 50K miles on it to my local repair shop since I live in Columbia, SC with no Mini dealership. A cracked and leaking thermostat housing was the diagnosis, but there were no parts available... None anywhere. I called Mini, they told me to call dealerships, which I did. I called Charleston, Greenville, and Charlotte. I told everyone this was my only car and needed to drive it. They put me on a waiting list for the part... A month later, Hendricks Mini in Charlotte called to tell me they had a part! YAY! I had been barely driving my car and filled it with coolant every time I took it out. But when I got up there, I was told there is engine damage due to an overheated engine. A week later, Mini refuses to pay for engine repairs caused by the broken and unavailable part because they had told me to take my car to a dealer when I called them! WHAT?!?! If the part I needed was available when I needed it, my beloved car would be in my garage with me now, not 100 miles away broken! This will be at least $3K to fix and I really do NOT believe its my fault or responsibility to fix!!! Make this right MINI!! I am already not going to buy Mini again, something I never thought I would ever ever say... Make this right!

My 2005 Mini Cooper convertible that’s purchased new has had and still has a myriad of serious problems. The dealer, Mini of North Scottsdale (Penske), never addressed these problems. These problems include: windows that do not completely close; windows that failed; CD player that does not eject the CD; and others. The warranty, as interpreted by this dealer, means nothing. Repairs are not made, even after multiple appointments. One telltale indication on the quality level of the Mini Cooper is that Consumer Reports lists this as a “too be avoided vehicle.”

Apparently, MINI thought it was a good idea to put non-sealed cup holders over the gearshift box so when any liquid is spilled, it goes directly into the gear box and requires a $1200.00 repair bill to replace the entire part. The cup holder had a part in this also since the grips inside the holder put a hole in the Styrofoam cup of coffee. The coffee drained into the gearshift box causing the car to be locked in park. I honestly thought MINI had a great vehicle, but obviously you are not to put any type of liquid container in the cup holders because spills/accidents do happen.

Our countryman (standard) is fun and does good on gas. Very roomy. Im 64. So I know what Im talking about. We just dot back from a 650 mile round trip. Enjoyed the trip. Do it again. We would highly recommend the countryman. If you want a little fun in your life this is the car. My age is 68.

Within the the fourth month of purchase, the radiator needed to be replaced and the warranty covered it. Upon 15K, the whole convertible top needed to be replaced due to inferior use of rubber or plastic for weather stripping (warranty covered it). The inferior run flat tires needed replacement at 15K and service admits that it was an inferior product. Since my warranty has run out (*Note: Im at 40K on odometer), everything is falling apart. The transmission suspension has folded and service admits that it was due to inferior plastic issue. Also, the oil pan is leaking and automatic steering fluid is seeping out due to breakdown of rubber or plastic.

Just purchased a 2009 Mini Cooper S from Carmax. We are not happy with either. Yes, they are neat cars, but the reviews and warnings you read about are all accurate. These engines are so poorly designed. Had the car for a few months and it has been parked more than driven. Purchase something else and maybe Mini will eventually redesign. We have already seen a failed vacuum pump, timing chain tensioner issues, misfiring engine. This was a huge mistake. Worst car we have ever owned.

This is by no stretch, the worst car on the face of the planet. I say this in all fairness to mini and BMW. I had to have the engine changed four times. The turbo changed 3 times and the transmission changed twice. All with less than 85000 miles on the car. I have spent over $50,000 on this car because my wife loved it and wanted to keep it. I currently still have the vehicle. It still runs after repairing it last but, I paid more to repair it than it is worth (blue book). So I will drive it till it breaks then scrap it.I bought her a brand new Nissan. It has had no issues nor do I expect it to in the near future. I just spent another 2300 on the car to have other Plastic components fixed to repair the car to make it usable. However, if I had thought it through I would have taken the car to a scrap yard instead. If I could have given Mini a negative star review I would have. The kicker here is the fact that they Mini knowingly sale crap vehicles to the public. Knowing the issues exist but failing to accept responsibility for the shortcomings is truly the real issue that makes me hate them.I feel there are a few things everyone should know. Yes, the mini is a very fun car to drive when it works and while it last. However, this is few and very far between. The cars reliability rating should be sitting in the negative range. I say this because as long as I have owned the car it has sat in the service department more than it has been on the road. I have had lots of awesome rentals over the years though. Thus the reason for the purchase of the new Nissan. Do yourself a favor and stay away from this company that fails to own their mistakes. Instead, you will be left to pay for them if you make the purchase. I recommend any other manufacturer over Mini. I dont say that lightly. I havent seen one that would provide such an inferior product all while failing to uphold a warranty. Take my advice and RUN from Mini. It is truly a terrible company to deal with. Worst reliability of any car I have owned.

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.

Minis new 4 door hardtop is beautiful but BMW/MINI cannot repair it. I have had my NEW car in the shop since August 20th. The part needed has been unattainable. (Its backordered. We dont have a manufacturer.) & I havent been given loaner.

My Mini Cooper Spontaneous caught on fire. Before all this happened, I took the car in for service. I stated to the service advisor that the car was not driving right. I said Im sure that some services need to be looked at. My buddy ol pal popped the key into the card reader and said, Nope, nothing showed up. Youre good to go. I exited with a smile on my face, never thinking twice. It could be that my mind was playing car games.On Saturday, 8/27/11 (10:30 pm), the car was sitting in drive. I came home, parked the car and didnt hear or notice anything. On Sunday, 8/28/11 (4:00 pm), a police came knocking on the door. My car was on fire. The plantation fire department was in the process of putting out the fire. The cause was unknown. The fire department guy said, From the looks of this incident, whats seems to cause this was the electrical fuse. The flames were shooting 8 ft in the air. The car is totaled. Theres no engine. Theres nothing left besides some of the interior cabin.

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

I like the Mini Cooper a lot. It stood up to a wreck but its pretty worn down now and its very expensive to fix. The drain for the oil pan somehow has become stripped and its a custom ordered part. So its not an easy fix. No money is tight and I havent been able to fix it. So Im worried for it.

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.

My 17 year daughter went to a local car lot, and fell in love with a 2004 Mini Cooper. She went to the bank on her own, and bought this car. Two weeks after having it, the oil pump went out. I say went out, I believe it had an issue when she bought it. Our bad is, we own an auto repair shop, but she didnt let her dad check it before she bought it. She left the parking lot and I noticed a puddle under her car. When she came back there was no oil on the stick. She called on the warranty (that the dealer had her purchase), but because she didnt tow the car 1/2 a mile back to the auto repair shop the warranty will not cover if the engine is knocking or locked up.After getting it in the shop her dad noticed the oil light had been disabled from the dash and an oil sending gauge had been installed. The car had oil in it when she left or there would not have been a puddle. We were able to fix the oil pump and all the gaskets and sealed that were leaking. It seems to have been running okay; with the exception of mysteriously losing 2 quarts of oil after a week. She drove it for 3 weeks, and had it towed off the side of the road. We have not diagnosed it yet, but it just died on her going down the road. It was not running hot; had gas in it, and plenty of oil. She was able to start it again and it just died. When my husband started it at the shop it shook the whole car, and is making an awful noise. Hes guessing a rod. So now she has $9000 in car payments, and may need a motor. Biggest piece of junk we have ever experienced. For the parts to be on the high end (expensive), they sure didnt design a high quality car here.

The problems with the Mini Cooper are two-fold: 1) the design of the car is atrocious. 2) the maker & the service are designed to financially abuse the purchaser. First, the design flaws: OK, this car was designed as a toy, not as a practical piece of transportation. But why did they make the dipstick impossible to read? Why did they go out of their way to make the clock a brain twister to reset the hours (which we do twice a year in America)? Why did they make it so that putting the windows up and down while driving is actually a painful distraction from driving? Other than that, the car is small but has terrible fuel efficiency. It is too small for road trips (unless you really, really like this car), too small for carrying much more than a few groceries, and too small for anyone with children. Yet it is not a luxury sports car, and it sure isnt an economy model. The ride is nauseating. There is such turbo-lag that it is dangerous to try to pull into fast-moving traffic because your car will wait a beat or two before lurching forward. NOW, the use of this car as an instrument of financial abuse: this car is designed to take your money away from you. My wife bought it to drive to the train station and yoga on weekends (not good for anything else, really). She bought it as a Certified used car from the Mini dealer. In a year and a half, she put on 900 miles. I took it in for an oil change - and they told me I had to replace the brake fluid ($150) as well as the micro-filter ($110). Another 18 months, another 1700 miles - and THIS TIME the dealer wants us to spend more than $3,700 to fix all the little things they say are rotting off the car everywhere they look. To review, with oil changes, that is more than $4,000 in maintenance to drive a Certified car 2600 miles over 3 years. Good thing / bad thing? BAD THING! Bad bad bad car!

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

We 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

Advised by Mini, I need a new engine below 100,000 miles on a 2003 Coopers. Original clutch, all recommended and required service done by authorized Mini dealers. Owned since new. Experience is that MINI and BMW do not stand behind their product. Buyer beware!!!

I bought my 2010 Clubman about six months ago from the Mini dealer in Jacksonville, FL. I asked about the timing/mileage for tuneups, oil changes, etc. The salesman told me that this was all computer controlled - all I had to do was watch the dashboard lights and readout. I read the manual especially the section about maintenance. It is important to note that neither the salesman nor the cars manual states anything about checking the oil level or water level on a periodic basis. Neither the salesman nor the manual states that the oil level is monitored by one of the cars computers and lights/readout.So, one day the engine light comes on. The manual says it is okay to drive slowly with the light on. Which is exactly what I did -- I headed the car to the shop. Unfortunately, in less than one mile the car died. The car was towed to the shop. The engine threw a rod due to a lack of oil: there was less than one liter of oil in the pan. Now I am facing a $7000 bill to replace the engine. Why wasnt I informed to check the oil periodically? Had I done so, my engine would not have died. Mini was on notice of the lack of oil level monitoring and on notice as to oil usage/burning; however, Mini was completely silent. Question - is there a lawyer out there who is interested in a gross negligence lawsuit against Mini? If so, please contact me.

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

Ive had my 2009 Mini Cooper since, well, 2009. It was the car that I test drove on the lot, and I fell in love with it at first sight. All was great, until it wasnt. Started having problems at around the 2 year mark. Since it was still under warranty, some stuff was covered. But once the warranty was out, I had to pay out of pocket which was REALLY pricey. Finally after 5 years, I was able to find a good, honest, Mini-expert mechanic who told me my Mini would need a refill of oil every three gas fill ups! He said my model Mini burns oil every couple hundred miles. Ive also noticed that my coolant needs refilling every few weeks as well. And just today when I turned it on my window said it needed service, when yesterday the counter told me in 600 miles. I think its come to the end of the road for me and my Mini. But it will be in tears because I just love that damn car.

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

I bought a 09 Mini Clubman s and at 53k the turbo oil line started leaking. Fought with dealer to repair and dealer just played games. Mini America didnt seem interested in helping. This oil leak is a known problem and Mini should have recalled this. Now it failed completely and I had to pay to have it fixed. Mini knows its an issue by they put a cheap heat shield over oil fitting to stop the fitting from failing! But wont acknowledged this is faulty and dangerous. When it finally failed and started spraying oil all over! My brakes were soaked and couldnt stop fast enough! Not to mention the smoke that overwhelmed the cabin and windows. Anyone who has had this issue needs to make a complaint and get together to make Mini pay. Another issue is the carbon build up inside intake that makes your Mini have horrible acceleration before 3k rpm. You have to have it walnut blasted and buy a delete plug to stop the returning of emissions being put back into intake.

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.

I bought my new Mini Cooper 2012 in November of 2011. The saleswoman never told me that it did not have an alarm system. The car shakes, and now the paint is peeling off. I have been waiting for 2 months to get an answer when they are going to fix it! Cannot speak to a manager and no one gives me any time line!

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

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

I bought my 2007 Mini Cooper S used in January of 2013 from a reputable and well known dealership in the Hampton Roads area. Since owning it, the timing chain failed at 50,000 miles and was repaired by the only Mini Cooper dealership in the area. At 62,000 miles, the oil filter housing began to leak and was also replaced by the same Mini Cooper dealership. Now at 75,000 miles, the timing chain, oil pump, and turbo has failed. The dealership is also advising me that my Mini Cooper might need a new engine. Really, a new engine at 75,000 miles? My Mini Cooper has been at the Mini Cooper dealership for almost two weeks as they try to fix this poorly built machine. This vehicle has always been maintained and has never been abused. Mini is aware of the issue with the timing chain and oil filter housing and yet they fail to take the responsibility to correct the issues for their owners. The dealership cant even provide you with a loaner vehicle because they have more owners with broke down Minis than they have loaners. So far, the warranty company has paid for all the repairs, but as of today the warranty is questioning if any more repairs should be done since the cost of repair is approaching if not exceeding the value of the vehicle. If you are considering buying a Mini, spend your money elsewhere and stay as far away from this poorly made, issue prone, and unreliable machinery.

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

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.

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.

I purchased a 2003 Mini Cooper from Orange Empire. After 7 months of owning the vehicle, it started acting funny when driven more than 50 mph. It pulled back, hesitated. I took it back to the dealer where I purchased it and all they could recommend at that time was to have Irvine Mini Cooper check it out. So I dropped the car off at Orange Empire. They made the arrangement with Irvine Mini to have it checked. When I picked up the vehicle, they had reset the transmission and changed the transmission oil. This mickey mouse work only lasted for about a year and the same problem came back again. Mini Coopers are very hard to diagnose or at least several of the shops I took it couldnt find the problem until I took it to a shop that was highly recommended. Their diagnosis was the transmission needed to be replaced. The cost is approx $8,000 which is outrageous. Since then, I have been following a lot of blogs reporting the same problem Im having with Mini Coopers that were released in 2002-2005. I guess, BMW realized that the transmission in these models did not function to satisfaction and made changes from 2006 and above. But what about the rest of us that have bought Mini Coopers from 2002-2005? Are we stuck with such a high bill because BMW doesnt want to take responsibility? Im highly disappointed and angry. The car oil or any repairs arent cheap. Im still paying for my car and on top of it, I have to pay for a bad transmission? Not fair. Please help the thousands of us that own these vehicles. Thank you for your time.

I purchased a used 2005 MINI Cooper in October 2010 with less than 27,000 miles on it. I thought I was getting a good deal, especially with the low miles. Less than 100 days after driving it, the transmission went out. It now needs a new transmission costing anywhere from $5,500.00 for used to $9,000.00 for new. Seriously? As others have noted, MINI Cooper knows there is a problem with the transmission on the older models. Although they have changed the transmission in the newer models, they refuse to help with the older models.

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

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

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.

2010 Mini S extended warranty - OK I purchased my Mini about a year and a half, bought all the bells and whistles to protect it from major work inside and out. 2 months after check engine light came on. Took it in, Oh it is just the sensor BUT you need new spark plugs. OK well should be covered NOT paid over $200 and they reset the sensor. My Mini run hot, towed it to the shop and it needs a lot of work. Now seems since I have been changing the oil myself they do not wanna honor my extended warranty to fix what is a $2,300.00 buncha crap stuff. So my question is is my 2010 Mini S extended warranty voided since I like saving money and not driving so far to the dealership for oil changes?

Bought a used 2006 Mini Cooper s. Shady lowlife salesman. Transmission is junk. Paid $6000 for the car. $8800 for a transmission!!! Have they lost their freaking minds? BBB wont do a thing. Attorneys general for California doesnt care. Big old ** you to me! Thanks for building such a ** ridiculous uneconomically fixable car. Good luck to any and all who buy these junks.

My wifes car is a 2007 Mini Cooper S with about 98,000 miles. We bought it used at approximately 14,000 miles. It is on its third engine! There has been so much maintenance on the car. I can only begin to list the problems. The entire panoramic roof cassette had to be replaced. Currently, it is burning about 2 to 3 quarts of oil every 600 miles. The exhaust is making a noise which approaches the threshold of pain. The radio behaves erratically such that you only get one am station. When the battery inside the key fob died, we had to replace the entire key fob! The car devours tires and brakes. While I have mechanical breakdown insurance, we still had to pay costly deductible payments. Mine is for sale - cheap!

06 cooper s - Bought this car used with 54k miles on it. Didnt even make it home without transmission issues. Seems we bought a car that needs over 1000 dollars to fix the issue that Audi and VW are taking care of for their customers... Should have bought a Toyota.

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.

Purchased a Mini Cooper s new. After 32,000 miles engine started having major problems. Long list of repairs totalling $7,000 were needed. Sold car for a loss. I was sold on Minis styling, fuel economy, and small size. I wish I had paid attention to its lack of quality and longevity. I been driving for over 30 years and have never had a car with so many issues with such low miles. The service people and dealers seemed to imply my mini was some kind of unique problem. Guess theyve been drinking the Kool-Aid too long.

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.

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

I am sitting here waiting for a tow truck now going on 4 hours. My car - Mini Countryman 18 with 8800 miles just died. It won’t start and keeps shaking. No one was available from the diagnostic area so the roadside called a tow for us. I had to get the roadside info from the closest dealer - 45 min away. My dealer - Mini Annapolis didn’t help at all since their service dept. closes early. The roadside employees seemed calm and wanted to help but 4 hours for a tow when AAA takes 30 min - this is unacceptable!!!

My 2007 clutch had to be replaced on February 2012. I had to replace the valve cover, gasket, and hose at 37,500 miles. It cost $718.00. Then in March at 40,000 miles, I have to replace the timing chain at $2200.00 and a thermostat at $675.00. I have to pay out of my pocket for all the repairs since February 2012. I think that Mini does not built a car to last longer past 35,000 miles before you have serious problems. I am getting off the car and buying an American-made car. I have contacted Mini, and they said theyre sorry and that they will not do anything to pay for the repairs.

I have a 2006 Mini Cooper. The engine wouldnt turn over. They charged me $359.00 in Oct 2011 and said the battery was shorted out. In Feb 2012, the same thing happened again. They said it was the battery cable and it would cost me $454.00. Since the original problem wasnt the battery I asked, if they would deduct the $359.00 I had already paid. They said they wouldnt.

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

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.

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

Bought my Mini new in 2010 and absolutely loved it. Always had the dealer service done to schedule. Had very few small issues for the first several years. I had approximately 36,000 miles after 4 years then took a couple of cross country trips and added a quick 20,000 miles. I love good road trips and my Mini is plenty fast and fun. With the over 50k on the odo my engine had an oil leak. Got it fixed pronto for $300, shop never did tell me which cover blew out. Just that it was a cover on the side of the engine??! No problem they fixed it. At about 64,000 miles I noticed my coolant pressure tank needed coolant. Not much but enough to know I had a coolant leak somewhere. I did a search online and found my water pump was still covered under a 7 year 80,000 mile special warranty so I took it to the dealer for the work. Well the water pump is bad but so is the thermostat and hose. Pump covered, thermostat not!!! The dealer wants $800 and change. I cant afford the 800 so Ill have to keep a close eye on coolant levels. I think Mini Coopers have an ongoing issue with water pumps and thermostats, wouldnt you think the thermostat would also be covered. Crazy! So if you buy a used Mini with 50k or more miles make plans to cough up big bucks for repairs that should be considered defective and covered under warranty.

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.

I am very disappointed at the sales practice in Morristown Mini. I would advise DO NOT buy car there, I had to bear a loss of $17,000 because this dealer didnt disclose the tire information at purchase. As a loyal customer, we have purchased a Mini Cooper two years ago and were satisfied with the car. However, when we decided to replace another car and got a Clubman last Sept. in the same dealership, nightmare started not long after the joy of having a fully loaded clubman. First snow, which as a resident of NY and NJ for 20 years, was really nothing, my husband though couldnt even drive the car up to a small hill for my daughters music lesson, it was a dangerous zigzag. We couldnt figure out why. Until we sent car to dealer, they told us its performance tire and cannot be driven under 40 degrees. Since we bought it at 6k miles, no one bothered to disclose this information to us. And I tried to call dealership, the manager never called me back. We are caught off guard. We purchased a car not suitable for weather here. After that, the car is mostly stalled on the driveway, upon recent snow storm, when we had to go out during and after snow to get gas for generator. So, after 5 months of suffering, we terminated car with $17K loss... Bought a SUV with all season tire.

I bought the car with 28000 miles. Ive had two sets of tires, strut tower replaced, valve cover replaced, timing chain replaced, two thermostats, re-programmed, battery, window re-programmed twice, auxiliary fan replaced and now the ac compressor is out. I have spent three times my payments on this piece of crap. I will never buy another BMW product again.