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.

My 2006 Mini Cooper S convertible has the same transmission issues as others here. Very dangerous to drive. Hesitates and then slams into gear and lurches forward without warning. I have been without a vehicle for about 6 months. I was hoping to get a rebuild on the transmission through a third party, but was turned down for most of the financing. My situation has changed since I purchased the vehicle and I am no longer in a full-time paid position because I am traveling back and forth 3000 miles two to three times a year to care for parents who recently lost their mobility.Now, I find myself in a similar situation because of a car company that did not care about putting out a quality product and denies the problem. What they didnt tell me when I shelled out the 36,000 for their vehicle 6 years ago was that in 3 to 5 years the car will theoretically be totaled and there is nothing you will be able to do about it. I would not have bought the car. One of the reasons I bought the car was that I thought BMW was a good make. I was familiar with their motorcycles. When I first bought the car, I raved about it to everyone who asked. I can no longer recommend Mini Coopers to anyone, and I’ll let people know whenever I can not to buy their vehicles. There should have been some kind of back up plan for the failed CVT transmissions. It is not like it is a $2000 fix. It is a $6,000 to $9,000 fix, and even a new or rebuilt one is the same situation. No guarantees, really.

The tailpipe on my 2010 Mini Cooper has now caused 2nd degree burns on two friends legs. In both instances, we needed to remove baggage from the hatchback rear of the car, and while leaning in to retrieve it, they got circle and half crescent burns, respectively, on their shins. I feel horrible and have no idea how to remedy the situation. Furthermore, Im terrified now that it will happen again and again. What can I do?

BMW/mini is in the BIG business of WHITE COLLAR CRIME! This company is no different than your average criminal that breaks in cars, Rob you at gunpoint, or even hold you hostage. The only difference is these criminals (BMW/mini) wear a fancy tie AND ARE IN RESPECTED POSITIONS! Pls beware and get informed about this company. May ruin your life. I pray this saves someone the heartache I am going through with this DEMON brand!!! Despite public record of this class action lawsuit of defective recalled products (skeen vs BMW) mini is refusing to pay for the repairs that are recalled. Which is the heart of any car, MY ENGINE!!! BMW threw me in the trash just like all the rest of you. Im sorry.

From the day, I bought this brand new Mini Cooper S Countryman in 2014, I started spending extra money like water. In a week of my purchases, I found out I had tire pressure issue then I took it back to dealer, they said I need to reset tire pressure but freaking every week the pressure lights comes on and I have to put air and reset it again. Im sure, it is leaking air somewhere and because of that one of my tire got tore within 2 months which I had to change and cost me $300 and my tire pressure still pop up until, now. Im so sick of tired that I dont even talk this issue with my dealer anymore. Now, it been a year and Im having different issue which is created by animal sabotage. In mini, there are lots of wires running through the hood inside the insulin cover which looks like made a soft foam can be damaged by anything. Mine was cut into pieces by chipmunks just couple weeks ago, my bad luck. It is already more than a 10 days and they could not figure out the problem. First, they said I need to change wires $400 then sensor and now diagnostic. It looks like they are trying to ripping me off. Even the lady told me that it is better if I talk to my insurance. Anyway, my point is mini is not reliable car for daily use. It is good only for the people who have lots of extra money. Im not suggesting this car to any of my friends and relatives.

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?

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

I have to start by saying that the Mini of Fairfield County in Stamford has been great about dealing with my 09 Clubman. I purchased this car as a post cancer treat to myself, trading in a 95 Mazda MX6 that had not given me a lick of trouble for the 14 years I owned it. It drives great, is a lot of fun, and hauls an awful lot of stuff! I do wish I got a turbo, but perhaps I would regret the tickets I would have invariably gotten. From the start, the sunroof stuck and would not open when parked in the sun. It went in several times. And now I just resign myself to pushing it up during the first hot spells of summer. One of the most frustrating problems was the car not starting. I push started the car the first time and dropped it off at the service department over the weekend. But it started when the mechanics showed for work on Monday. I talked to the service department. I stated that at times it would not start (no noise, nothing when the button was depressed). But since no warning indicators flashed, they were at a loss. Over the next year, the car was towed in 4 times for not starting. The first three times it was okay by the time they got to it. The final time, I picked up the car after a week of being in service. The very next day it failed to start. When I dropped the car off that day, I also left both sets of keys and told them I didnt want the car back. They actually found the faulty wire that time and it has started ever since (almost a year now). Now the problem is leaking. First, the water in the spare tire well, now under the passenger side mats and on the driver side, is causing a soggy seat belt. It has been in twice or more for leaking. I live in CT. It rains. Get over it. Occasionally, I go to the car wash, get over it. And, heres the kicker: I do park outside. This car needs to get over it!

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!

I bought my 2005 MINI convertible in March of 2006 with only 4,000 miles on it. At that time, it was still under warranty. Every summer, I would take the car to the dealership because the top would not go down. Last year, Rasmussen MINI paid to fix it even though it was out of warranty because I have had continual problems with the top. This year, its broke yet again and MINI doesnt want to fix it because its two years out of warranty. But the top has never worked right. I only have 28,000 miles on the car. I even called the corporate office, but to no avail. In fact, the girl named Amy was extremely rude.

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

Only three thousand miles, so far so good. And Im extremely abusive with my manual mini cooper.

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

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!!!

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

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

I have a 2006 Mini Cooper. 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.

Thank you Mini! Mini has contacted us directly and we are very satisfied with our resolution.

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

2009 MiniCooper JCW, silver and black. Love the car, but...The first clutch linkage had a problem at just over 9000 miles. It was making a noise when I engaged the clutch and accelerated. I took it in. The service dept. at my Mini dealer where I bought the car said the clutch had been abused and that the clutch had to be replaced. The service technician sent me a picture of the clutch linkage, saying the linkage had been glazed because the fluids inside the casing got so hot. I drive the car to and from work. I dont race it. Ive driven standard on Mazdas, Pontiacs and Audis. The least distance a clutch lasted with driving in my 20s (read: probably drove much harder then) was 30,000 miles. Today, the same issue started to happen to the replacement clutch. I have 20k miles on the car. Now, the service dealer will not do anything unless I guarantee to spend $2000 to check out the car. They say if they determine that the clutch wore out because of my abusive driving then I will owe them $3400 to replace it.I called BMW of North America. They connected me with a Mini representative who would do nothing without my commitment to spend the $2000 for a diagnostic. Amazing. These guys are putting clutches out there that fail in under 20K miles every time. Nice business, if you can get away with it.

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.

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

First, I am not a fan of BMW products. We owned a 2006 X3 which was purchased CPO from a BMW dealer here in NH in 2008. Had the car 6 years and it was at the dealer 11 times during the first 3 years of ownership for warranty repairs. Torn engine mount, failed sunroof controller, failed ECM, failed radio, failed drivers seat memory module, failed rear door latch, failed brake light, failed airbag wiring harness, broken rear coil spring, phantom check gas cap lights, multiple instances of gross engine misfiring when started which the dealer was never able to diagnose. And then after it went out of warranty, the troubles continued: broken other rear coil spring, failed CV joint, leaking oil filter mount. In 2014, I convinced my wife to get rid of it at 105K miles because it was evident it was going to be a money pit. She then saw and fell in love with a used 2012 Mini Clubman S. Low miles, well taken care of, fun to drive. Seemed to be a good car and I stupidly thought that, perhaps, BMW had addressed their quality problems so we decided to buy it. The Mini had 23,000 miles and was still under warranty so I thought, OK. The car is a daily driver that is not abused in any way and only driven on paved roads.Car went in for a service at ~28,000 miles; nothing wrong. Went in again just after the warranty expired for a bad ABS sensor in the right front wheel and the dealer was nice enough to fix it at no charge. Run flat tires were replaced with non-run flats at around 40,000 miles. Always hated the run flats because of the very harsh ride. You could feel every imperfection in the road. New tires were great and gave a much improved ride quality.Right around 50K started hearing a droning sound from the front end and the tires started wearing oddly. I am an excellent mechanic and have been doing all my own car repairs for 40+ years. Oil changes, brakes, shocks, engine repairs, transmissions, torque converters; you name it, Ive done it. So I quickly found that both front wheel bearing assemblies were bad. I mean wobbly, sloppy loose bad. Car was out of warranty and I knew Mini would charge an arm and a leg for the repairs so I did them myself and saved $$. Not happy about wheel bearings going bad at 50K but, oh well, it wasnt an expensive fix because I did the work myself. Probably caused by the crappy run flats transferring shock and vibration to the suspension.No further problems... until now. Car has 60K on it. The other day all three of our cars were in the driveway and my sons and I were standing there when we heard a loud ping sound. Couldnt localize where it came from but I know the sound of metal snapping. So we quickly checked over all three cars but didnt find anything. A few minutes later I asked my son to move the Mini so we could play basketball. He starts the car, puts it in reverse and the moment he started moving backwards, the left front dropped 4 inches with a bang. Got the car up on the jack, pulled the tire off and saw that the coil spring had snapped about 1 full coil up from the bottom. I was dumbfounded!! I couldnt believe that a car with 60K would have a spring break let alone break while sitting still in the driveway. Other than the BMW, Ive never had a car or know anyone whos seen a coil spring break like that. Thank God it happened in the driveway and not on the highway as Im sure that the sudden change in the steering geometry would have caused a potentially fatal accident. Called the Mini dealer 35 miles away in Bedford, NH and explained the situation and that I wasnt happy about the coil spring breaking at 60,000 miles and potentially putting my wifes life in danger. I asked them to send a wrecker and get the car and replace the spring for free because a close inspection of the break clearly shows it had cracked at some point, rust had invaded the crack and weakened it. This is clearly a defective spring. And, while they were at it, they should also replace the right spring too because now it couldnt be trusted either. They refused to do anything. Said it was normal for springs to break. Told me it was my problem to get the car to them if I wanted them to repair it but they would be happy to sell me a new strut assembly (which they didnt have in stock anyways) if I wanted to do it myself. We went round and round about the defective spring being Minis problem, not mine, but they wouldnt budge. Suggested I contact Mini USA which I did. After waiting 3 days I was told that I had to get the entire car to Mini of Bedford, at my expense, for them to diagnose the problem but that there was no guarantee Mini USA would pay for the repairs. I told the nice woman that the diagnosis was very simple: The defective spring broke! I explained that it made no sense for me to pay $250+ to have the car towed to the dealer, have them diagnose the broken spring at $120/hr, then tell me I would have to pay for repairs (another $300+ for the part(s)/labor) when I can get new strut assy for $125? So I would potentially be out $500+ for their defective spring. And, if I chose to repair it myself, then Im on the hook for another $250 tow back to my house? She said Mini USA would not consider doing anything until the car was brought to the dealer. I offered to take pictures of everything and send them to the dealer and anyone else inside Mini/BMW. I offered to remove the strut assembly and bring it to the dealer for them to look at. I offered to do all the repair work myself if they would pay for the parts, since, after all, the spring is defective. She refused it all. I asked if we could escalate this issue higher inside Mini USA. She said no, she was the highest person who would deal with this.Mini/BMW does not stand behind their products at all and does not give a crap if their defective parts could cause fatal accidents. I am through with BMW forever. Ive learned the hard way that they build cheap cars with cheap parts and that they could care less about driver safety. A coil spring is a vital part in any suspension and for one to break with so little miles is totally unacceptable to me. Theres no way you can convince me that its normal for a coil spring to break under normal use.When the X3 had the broken rear spring I did a little research and found that BMW used to use a German company for their springs but had switched to a Romanian company in the early 2000s. Since then, hundreds of reports cases of broken suspension springs across all their models. I dont know why there hasnt been a NTSB investigation/recall yet.

I am the owner of a 2006 mini Cooper and my car has 65,000 miles in it and needs a new transmission as well as a water pump, struts, oil gasket and other things. The quote I received totalled nearly $14,000 for all repairs, which is approximately what the resale value of the car is at this time if it were in good condition. I was only asking for help with the transmission, since they are asking close to $10,000 to replace it altogether as it cannot be fixed. I have read up on many occurrences on the same nature of these cars manufactured between 2002-2006 and I was surprised when all they offered to me was either 20% off of a new transmission or $4,000 on a trade. I will be making my last payment in September and I was excited about the possibility of trading up for a newer model. Instead, I will own a car that is technically negative in value. I have two sisters and a best friend who each own mini Coopers because of my enthusiasm for the car. They know my story and are just as disappointed to hear that the dealership would not even meet their customers expectation but would rather lose a customer and possibly four. I guess it is out of their hands after they sell the car. In fact, I never even heard from the sales department again after the purchase not even a follow-up call. In summary, over the five years that I have owned this car, if I were to pay for the repairs it needs now, I would be the proud owner of a Mini Cooper S that has cost me a grand total of $55,000 (this includes the cost of the car and all repairs completed and still needed). Please help. Thank you.

I bought a low mileage car, 76000 miles. I smelled something burning while on my way to work. Guess what, no power steering! People need to file complaints with the NHTSA to get a recall ordered before people get killed. Its dangerous for women to drive if the power steering quits in a turn.

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

I 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 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.

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

My wife and I purchased a brand new 2011 Mini Clubman S in Dec. of 2010. We have already had the water pump circuit board replaced, passenger side window motor, passenger side window regulator replaced under warranty. On 3 December 2013, my wife was driving home and at one light the car was fine. 300 feet down the road, the clutch pedal was stuck to the floor and the clutch would not disengage. Here it is 1 week later after the Mini of Nashville has had it at their shop my wife and I drive the 70 miles to the dealership to find out that the clutch and flywheel are toast. The dealer showed me the clutch and it was completely bare with no clutch material present. The flywheel was sent back to Mini to be fixed and then resold as a refurbished part even though I had to pay the $3200 to get the parts replaced. Today I could not even pick the car up because the car is still acting up. The BMW tech thinks it might be a bad throw out bearing. So after $3200 in repairs, I still have no car to drive. After I get the car back, I will be trading it in for a Ford Explorer.

I purchased a brand new 2008 MINI Cooper (back in 2008). I currently have 126k miles on the car. I bought this car because of the good gas mileage. Unfortunately, once I actually paid off the car (60 month financing), thats when coincidentally the problems started. I have had to replace the coils and spark plugs (several times), cyclone separator, and water pump and thermostat. After a lot of research, it seems like these are common failures. Now it has cost me much more to repair/service the car than what its worth. As much fun I have driving the car (easy to handle, sporty) - the total cost of ownership isnt worth it.

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

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.”

I bought a used 2002 Mini Cooper Hardtop a couple of years ago with 72,000 miles on it. It was the first car I ever bought and I got a loan on it. A couple thousand miles later the CVT transmission blew. $4,000-$5,000 fix. And that isnt the only thing that went wrong with this car. Dont buy a Mini or anything from BMW. They dont stand behind their products.

I bought a used 2011 MINI Cooper S in 2012. One year old, 11K miles. Although fun to drive when its running properly, this car is a LEMON. Im currently at 62K miles & change, and have had to replace the ignition coils twice, spark plugs, a cracked hose, brakes, pieces of the interior and am now facing a major engine repair. Oh, and the pin holding the rear windshield wiper fell out, and the emblem on the hatchback fell off. This car is a CONSTANT source of frustration--and a very expensive one. Out of warranty, but at the dealership every other month for some repair or another. Its infuriating. As soon as Im able, Im trading this car in and getting a Honda/Kia/Hyundai, something reliable. This has truly been the worst ownership experience Ive had in 27 years of driving. I HATE THIS CAR.

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 drive a specific number of miles to work each day and the miles are doubled from what the actual mileage is.

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

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

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

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

Just bought a used 2005 mini Cooper S with about 86 thousand miles on it and the car worked fine for the first month. Now Im having problems. When I get into car it wont start on first crank and even the second time still wont start. All the power comes on and nothing happens. Gone to the point where Ive drained a battery trying to start it up.

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 have a 2005 Mini Cooper convertible. I love my car, but now she is costing me a fortune. First, the power steering pump went out and I had to replace that at $1,100 (that was going to a certified Mini mechanic, but not the dealer). Since this is a problem with Minis, why is there not a recall? Now, I am having problems with my convertible top, (also a problem with Minis). The dealer wants over $800 for the parts and $520 for labor. But they only want to warranty it for 2 years. So I have found someone who specializes in convertible tops and is doing the work for half the price.There are other things that I am having to replace all at once. But my issue is, Mini has recognized most of these things being an issue in just about all Minis and refuse to recall these items. I bought my car used, because I saw what other Mini owners were complaining about and I was not about to buy a new Mini and have to always go to the dealer for repairs. This will most likely be my first and only Mini unless something is done. I love my car, but this is getting to be ridiculous and with the price of gas going up and our economy coming down, you would think that Mini would start taking some responsibility.

My 2010 Clubman S had an exhaust problem roughly 2 years after purchase (I bought it new). Specifically, carbon buildup in the exhaust system, which has to be sandblasted out using walnut shells. MINI covered it under the warranty, but only after I threatened to sue. I was told to use Shell gas and to drive the car harder, which I did. Now, at 57,000 miles the problem has reoccurred and extended warranty I purchased, which was the best available from MINI, wont cover it. The cost: $1000. This is clearly a design defect in the car and MINI should have recalled it. Id never recommend the car or the company to anyone.

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

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!

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

I have never felt so disrespected, unappreciated and taken advantage of by a company in my life! Minis recent decision to extend the warranty on the faulty power steering pump for models between the years of 2002-2005 as well as some 2005 Mini convertibles has caused there to be literally no replacement parts available in the North Texas area where I live. I happen to be one very unfortunate 2005 Mini convertible owner who has had to pay an inordinate amount in repairs on the car, such as paying close to $8,000 for the CVT transmission to be replaced after only 70,000+ miles, having to get the control arm bushings replaced, and so many other problems that should not have happened with the car considering how cautiously I drive it. I am being told by local dealerships that I can expect to wait up to a month before my car can be fixed. Until then, however, my car cannot pass state inspection with its current lack of power steering. I have now been left without a car and no options that I could feasibly afford to get into a temporary vehicle. I have received absolutely no help from Mini to assist with temporarily getting into a different car until mine has been repaired. Again, I only have to wait because Mini does not have the parts available, not to any fault of my own. I am left to decide whether I want to break state law by driving without current inspection and risk getting more citations for it, or dropping out of school as I will have no way of getting there. I have been completely screwed over by Mini, and it appears as though they couldnt care less that they have left me and possibly others in distress.

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

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 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 bought a Countryman in 2012 with the technology package that included iPod integration and the Navigation system. The car consistently resets the iPod, forgetting where it is in the playlist, rebooting the iPod, forgetting settings (i.e., Random) and generally being garbage. The nav system frequently confuses north and south, indicating that Im going in the opposite direction as I am, off roads, into rivers, and generally being useless. The folding side windows frequently do not deploy all the way. Ive had to turn off the ignition at a stop light and turn on the car again in order to get the mirrors out. Dont buy this car.

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

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.

I have had nothing but Hondas. I was involved in an accident where it totaled the front end of my car. So I got my money and decided on getting a Mini. I got a 2007 with less than 65,000 miles on it. I got it home and two months later, the oil light came on. I didnt want to change. It had head gasket and air condition compound thats gone out totaling over $2000 worth of work. I got it back a month later and another part went out. Then another month later, the timing belt went out. After that another issue, the total is over $5,000 in less than a year - I have only seen my car. Its beautiful on the outside and inside but horrible engine and electronics. i would not ever recommend getting a mean Mini. And from what I have learned, BMW is also another one that I would never ever, ever get unless you have a lot of money and time to blow.

Horrible Mini Service Experience: On Wednesday, May 24, I called a Mini Cooper dealership in Burlington, VT. A mechanic I use down here in Southern Vermont told me I need new rotors and brake pads. Before I drive two+ hours to Burlington, I want to be SURE these items are covered in the extended warranty I purchased. After a pause, I was told Yes they are - well change your oil and get you new rotors and pads. I wanted to be 100% sure. So after hearing this, I cancelled work on Thursday and left on the TWO HOUR drive to Burlington. This is the result:I waited in the waiting room for an hour and a half while my car was being serviced, at which point someone from the Service Dept came out - and handed me an estimate for over $1,100.00. Your calipers are seeping. I said I didnt want the new calipers - I planned on trading the car in soon. I didnt hear anything else: Okay was the reply from the Service Dept Rep. He came back 30 minutes later and said Youre all set. But the funny thing was the lack of any indication of rotors and pads on the bill. I went out to my car, and saw there was no brake work done, at all. I was not informed of this - I could have driven off thinking I had new brakes. Instead I still had the dangerous situation I drove the two hours to Burlington to have fixed.I went back into to Service dept and wanted to know why they had not replaced the rotors and pads. The reply was: This is tricky - just what you want to hear from an auto dealership. Your calipers were seeping, and this voided the warranty. Before I could go any further he then dropped another bomb: And your warranty doesnt cover the rotors and pads anyway.So that was three hundred miles and five hours of driving - for absolutely nothing. Im getting out of Mini Coopers as a result of this experience, and I would strongly advise anyone to STEER CLEAR of any and all Extended Warranty offers made by any car dealership - it is a complete con job. And you might want to consider this as well: after 70,000 miles, these cars become incredibly unreliable and expensive to own: AT 70,000 miles, things started to go expensively wrong: another dealership, a Mini dealer in Albany, NY, told me I needed a new thermostat - and wanted $1000.00 ($975.00) for the repair.I said no thank you - and took it to a certified independent BMW mechanic, and got the exact same job done for under $500.00. I neednt tell you - if you have the deep pockets and dont mind being ripped off on a continuing basis - by all means keep using the Mini Cooper dealerships. They are more than happy to have your business. They will never get mine again.

I have a 2010 Mini Cooper S with 24k miles. I hardly drive the car and maintain the car well. All of a sudden I realize oil is leaking. I turn the car on ready to get it examined. The car is making a loud noise and starts to stall. I stop the car and get the car towed to the Mini Dealership. Six hundred dollars later and no real answer but it could be the cylinder, the timing bolt or the engine. Repair would run from six thousand to ten thousand dollars. After reading many blogs I see Mini Coopers are known for these problems and the car co. will not offer any discounts or take responsibility. I have a car which is not working and will be taking up space in my driveway.

Well before I owned a 1995 Honda accord and the catalytic converter went out and it was a 200$ repair, bought it used AND THAT WAS IT! It was a 19 year old car with 200k miles on it. It was a God compared to my 2012 brand new off the lot German made piece of junk mini cooper S, four days after I bought it the crank shaft pulley fell off. Fell off? yes, fell off. Along with my passenger window breaking; shortly after my clutch went down, my radiator gasket broke, battery went out, the brakes, and now the high fuel pressure pump is going out. I have 37k on my car and every last mile I have had to pay for in some way, thanks the legalities and fine print that you agree to buying the car. Keep in mind Im still making payments on the thing. All the while the big wigs at mini could care less. Im 100% for a class action lawsuit against Mini. Worst car/experience of my life.

Love the car although its not as reliable as Toyota. But then, you dont buy a Mini if youre shopping for Toyotas. Ive had some issues with bad battery connections and the cap on my emergency break has been broken since I got it. I will day that Ive left it parked for up to 3 months and it started up just fine.

My automatic 2006 Mini Cooper with full option had many different problems from the beginning (e.g. A/C hose broke at week 1). But the transmission problem is really what angers me and makes me want to start thinking about legal steps. My car is 4 years and 7 months old with 75,000 miles yet the transmission is already broken. I still havent paid off my car at this point and they are saying that the car is only worth $3,500. I guess they know Mini is **.

The top went up crooked, so my wife put it back in place. It locked down but some part of the top frame is hanging at a 45-degree angle and causes the front and rear windows to gap an inch and wont close. I bought the car 3 weeks ago for $10,000... Dealer in Indianapolis, IN wants $9,797 to replace the frame for the top. I bought the 2005 car from a GMC dealer who refuses to have anything to do with my problem.

I purchased my 2007 Mini Cooper S used in October of 2010. Shortly after purchasing, I was contacted by Mini to tell me about a warranty recall in the transmission, which resulted in replacing the transmission, clutch, timing chain, all of that. This did not cost me anything as it was under warranty. Ive always followed the regular maintenance schedule for my vehicle and have only had small repair issues for the most part. However, I took my Mini in for an oil change Nov. 21, 2014 and also to ask about a knocking I was hearing in the engine. I got a phone call from the dealership near the end of the day with some pretty bad news. Apparently, my timing chain is broken and has also broken the guide rails (Im not sure what those are), causing pieces of metal and plastic to fall into my oil tank. The cost to replace the timing chain is $1566. I was pretty shocked, since there was no indication anything was wrong with my vehicle. I was told that a leak in my turbo oil supply line is what caused the timing chain to break. Basically, every time the turbo was engaged, oil was just spewing out everywhere... I never saw it on the ground because it would burn off and didnt leak while the turbo wasnt engaged. I was told by the dealership Mini doesnt have an internal oil sensor to tell you if your oil level is low. My Mini was almost bone dry when I took it to the dealership and thats what caused the timing chain to break. So, to fix the leak and the timing chain, Im looking at almost $3,000. To me, this is completely unacceptable. Ive always taken good care of my vehicle, and the fact that there is an engineering flaw (not having a low oil LEVEL sensor - they have a low oil pressure sensor... but that doesnt come on until your car has about a quart of oil left) isnt my fault. And I dont really think I should have to come out of pocket $3K for it. So now, my Mini is sitting in my garage and not being driven because I cant convince myself to fork out the cash. Im working with the company right now and Im hoping theyll pay for this repair since its a systematic breakdown of their own engineering flaws.

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

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.

Power steering will intermittently fail while driving. When I turn the car back on, its fine again. Not today, though. I turned off the car and the power steering is still running. I cant get it to shut off. I called Bavarian BMW in Michigan and they said, Just wait until it burns itself out. There isnt a recall but I can get you in here Monday to fix it for $1200. Other people have had this issue and their car has caught fire. Im worried.

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

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

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

After reading the bad reviews I felt I had to say I bought my 2006 Cooper new from Mini Irvine. It has 115000 miles on the clock and has been trouble free. I recently had to replace the AC pump, but apart from that it had been only tires and brakes. An excellent car. WE have however serviced it regularly and Im sure that helps.

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

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 just bought a 2010 Mini Cooper S Manual Transmission car from a private party. Drove it 500 miles and clutch started making metal-on-metal grinding noise when leaving first gear. It now needs to be replaced and is going to be extremely costly. I found a number of people with the same year, make and model and having the exact issue. The clutch obviously was made cheaply. It cannot handle the torque the engine. This is completely unacceptable. I will be pursuing legal action. I recommend that you look into your clutch and if youre considering buying a Mini, make sure you the clutch looked at. I enjoy the brand, style and performance of the vehicle but this is a real hassle.

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

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

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

My 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.

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.

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

Have a 2010 mini clubman and once it hit 80000 miles, of course the extended contract (yes, I too thought it was a warranty) expired, I have had nothing but problems. Refuse to go back to dealer 1 hr from home. First the engine fluid leak, $1000 repair, then engine light is on. Codes indicate its the thermostat so they replace the entire thing, another $600. Five days later, engine light back on, car sounds terrible, fan runs after turn off car, and brake light is out. Mechanic now cant figure out what the codes mean when running diagnostic tests. Cant catch a break - but will be selling as soon as possible provided someone will buy!!! Will never buy another MINI.

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

I purchased my Mini from a Mini dealership four years ago. It was a used certified car. In the time that I have had it, I have replaced every major part, including clutch, alternator, water pump, thermostat housing, all coils, timing chain, cooling fan motor, blower motor, both rear electronic locks, headlights, brakes, and even the passenger seat (the airbag detection sensor went out). Even though I did most of the work myself, Ive spent over 6500.00 on it. If I had a shop do it, it would have been well over 10,000.00. I DO NOT recommend anyone buy a Mini. I am paying it off and selling it. Im done.

I also own a 2009 Mini Cooper Clubman S and have had nothing but problems. This vehicle was supposed to be very reliable and the BMW brand was pushed hard during sales process as to show quality. I have paid for a major repair almost every year Ive owned it. At 50 years of age, this is the WORST QUALITY vehicle I have ever owned. The Mini and BMW brands are hype.

The car is scheduled for yearly oil changes. Because it was 2000 miles over the oil change time when it was changed, they refused to honor the new car warranty. I could not believe it and went to corporate, to no avail. The turbo went out and they refused to fix it on a 35K mile car purchased new from them.

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.

My power steering has failed AGAIN. The first time was in 2013. Mini replaced it.... after much hassle... free of charge... (The car is 2005 model). It has just gone... in the middle of a roundabout! Scary experience! Diagnostic charge of £160 confirmed the obvious. Mini are adamant that they will only pay 50% of the charge... yet it was them who fitted the 2013 one that has failed. I need some advice, please. Thank you for reading.

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

I bought a used 2009 Mini Cooper in May 2013 and have been out it since August 23, 2013 and it is now October 27, 2013. My Mini Cooper had a coolant leak that caused my engine to blow and was taken to three shops before any one would even fix it. A newer engine was put in as well as a new radiator which cost about $3500 on top of needing to be taken to a BMW shop to be reprogrammed which took two weeks for them to do. The day I should have gotten it back a sensor went out and am still without my car. It has been over two months with my car. The shop it was taken to has now fixed 6 Mini Coopers with the same problem. I will never get a Mini Cooper again once mine dies on me again.

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

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

I took my vehicle in for an oil change and while there the dealer installed a Turbo Feed Line Heat Shield that is a recall item to protect the turbo feed line due to OVERHEATING. After the shield was installed I was informed that the turbo line is failing and oil is leaking because the PLASTIC O-Ring has been overheated causing it to degrade. Now the dealer wants to charge me $1500 to repair the leaking Turbo Feed line. The failure of this line was obviously caused by excessive heat around this line - the same reason that the heat shield needed to be installed! This is ridiculous and the item should be recalled and replaced. I am so dissatisfied with this car!

I have been driving a stick shift for over 20 years. I have over 400,000 miles driving one. I have NEVER lost a clutch until Mini Cooper 2010 with less than 38,500 miles on it went. I called corporate, I called dealership. I was ACTUALLY told You can drive a car off the lot, brand new and it could break. That was enough to tell me to NEVER buy a Mini Cooper again. I have an 11 year old Mazda 3 with 90,000 miles that has cost me less to fix in the last 11 years than the Mini did in the last year. They do NOT stand behind their product and can clearly care less about quality and workmanship. They said a clutch is a wear and tear part and there is nothing to be done. Wear a dress tear at 38,000 miles when another car I owned hit over 100,000 miles or close without losing a clutch...its a DEFEAT and they know it!Yesterday, I get into the car and it decides it doesnt want to accelerate past 26 mph and it took 5 min to get there. I live in a MAJOR metro area. I was almost hit 7 times on my way HOME! I dont consider it poor quality anymore. I consider it endangering to me and others on the road. I have 8 months before its paid for and I have already spent almost the purchase price to fix it. Not worth it. It was fun to drive and was great on gas, the only reason I bought the car to begin with, now I want it gone! I no longer feel safe. I would rather drive my 11 year old Mazda. Its safer and more reliable.

In August of 2016, I leased a 2017 Mini Clubman from Mini of Manhattan. I wish I could say I had a good year with it. On the contrary, this past year has been a nightmare with this car. The 2017 Mini Clubman has many problems and inconveniences. - When the high beams are activated, the regular headlights go off. I use the high beams when I need MORE light, not the same amount but in a different direction. - When you shut the engine, only the driver door unlocks, instead of all doors. (I spoke to my friends and some said this did not bother them.) - The middle headrest in the backseat obstructs the view of the back and I had to remove it. - The kick-to-open trunk feature NEVER works, EVER. Even during the instructional demonstration when I was picking up the car, the salesman had trouble opening the trunk this way.- The defogger has a long pause before the blower starts working. - The center console is not very user friendly, and I am a tech savvy person. Using your phone’s Bluetooth for GPS is a nightmare. - The trunk door has opened on me, while I was driving, on multiple occasions. The key fob was either in my pocket or clipped to my belt when the button was accidentally pressed. There should be a lock that prevents the trunk from opening while the car is moving. The Clubman I have, has two swing-out doors, so it’s very easy for things to fall out of the open trunk when the car is moving.- The low-profile run-flat tires suck. In eight months, I have gotten four flat tires. More information below.The tires make this car unusable. As previously stated, I got four flat tires in eight months, I stopped driving the Mini in April, thats why its only eight months even though we have had the Mini for a year. This is from normal driving, going up driveway curbs, and rolling over little potholes. I think paper mache tires would last longer. Each replacement tire from Mini costs $335. Thats $1340 gone, not to mention the time to bring the car to Mini and waiting for the tire change, waking up super early to wait for the tow truck, frustration and stress, and safety issues as I have a baby in the car most of the time. Its all a scam to buy the tire insurance. The tires at BJs Wholesale Club are $150 each and come with a lifetime guarantee. They are not run-flat but who cares, I know how to change a tire. It is ridiculous that Minis tires are such garbage and not backed by any warranties, and are double the price of tires found elsewhere. I bought a 1999 Honda Accord (for $1500) in April because I did not want to drive the Mini anymore, I simply did not want any more flat tires. For the price of 4 tires from Mini, I bought an older (19 year old) Honda which has run perfectly and has fewer inconveniences and disappointments than the 2017 Mini. I have driven the Accord for four months and we now call it the good car, and the reliable car. Every time we go over a pothole in the Accord, we say, That would have been another flat tire on the Mini. I wrote this review in August 2017, and it is now December 2017. In four months the BJ’s tires have performed well with no flats. The tire tech at BJ’s said the Mini factory tires are garbage. If anyone else had problems with Mini’s tires please write about it. I think it is a big problem.

My son was excited to buy his first car. Bought a 2007 Mini Cooper S fall of 2016 and this week the timing chain broke while he was on the freeway. Lucky he was able to make it off the freeway before he was hit. He found out that the timing chain was recalled. The recall was extended to 7 year or 100,000 miles last January 2016. But that wouldnt do him any good as his car is now 10 years old. What was the purpose of BMW doing a recall that most owners couldnt even get. When the chain broke it dented his valve and now he is stuck with a $3000 bill. He is a new college graduate and trying to make it in the world, to be screwed over by Mini Cooper/BMW.

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

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

I have a 2007 Mini and it currently has 38,000 miles on it. The timing system has to be replaced which I find ridiculous considering the low mileage and how well I have taken care of it. Do not buy one of these cars - they suck!

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

Ferman Mini in Clearwater Florida has had to redo most repairs they have done. So unreliable and they asked ME not to come back... HA! ALSO my 2005 lift back was elevated one day and randomly came down and cracked me in the head. Terrible that the engineers never thought to put a safety catch on the elevated door but instead they all say I should expect it from an end left vehicle. Now tell me that is a dependable manufacturer/dealer when your customer got cracked in the skull by your inappropriate design. Shame on them for trying to humiliate me telling me to never come back. What losers.

2006 Mini Cooper S Convertible - I bought my Mini used in June 2013. Within the first month my roof was leaking, my tire pressure light came on and my check engine light came on. The leaking roof turned out to be the window being uneven. The dealership spent the day and repaired it free of charge. My tire pressure was off and they added air as needed. Neither of these problems have been an issue since. The check engine light is another story. Turns out it was the oxygen sensor. They also replaced that free of charge (I was still under warranty). They also had it for more than a day because they told me it was fine to drive until the part came. But, the sensor had seized and because of that they had to repair my exhaust. After getting my car back and having it for 3 hours, the light came back on. I took it back and again they repaired it free of charge. I went to pick it up again and it came on before I left the parking space. I ended up going back and forth to have the oxygen sensor repaired six times in 5 months. While the dealership did fix it free of charge each time, the point is I had to run back and forth several times and every time they said it was fixed and should be no problem. Since the last time I got it fixed, the 3rd brake light has gone out and it is connected to a chrome bar that frames the whole back end of the roof, which they claim was working when they inspected it in June. The vent guard that is in the cowl on my roof has come up missing since it being in the dealership garage last and my hood shows a big gap between it and the top of my front bumper on the drivers side and no gap on the passenger side. My drivers side window is not working properly now. With the convertible the windows go down a bit when you open the door and back up into a groove under the roof when you shut the door. My drivers window no longer does this. So, every time I open my door you hear a loud sound like the release of suction from the window coming out of the groove and when you shut the door, the window hits into the roof and creates a pretty big gap from pushing the window out. To shut the window properly, I have to put it down and shut the door, go around to the passenger side and get in and put the window up so it goes up into the groove. I called the dealership because I am now ready to get myself out of this car if at all possible. After my 5th visit for the sensor, I contacted a firm regarding the lemon law but they couldnt help. They said my car was too old. I feel like my car is turning into a money pit. While these things may not be major, this is my first Mini and I have lost my faith in them to the point that I do NOT want another Mini, ever! I really love how fun the car is and how it corners like its on rails and I looked for reasons to drive it but, my love for the car has fizzled. I feel like its one problem after another :(