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

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

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

60,000 and I need a new engine. Had the car 1 1/2 yrs. Mechanic told me damage was done BEFORE I bought it. Timing chain, oil, etc just like all the other complaints and Im getting the run-around. Thought BMW was a great product.... Guess not.

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

Mini Cooper S 2010 problems -- I got this car from my niece with only 17000 miles on it. Since then, my car has spent a lot of time on local dealership. I had to replace following things: Faulty High Pressure fuel pump, Torx Bolt, Pressure hose assembly, Turbo heat shield, stabilizer link, steering box, brake pads and sensors, vibration absorber, Timing chain tensioner leaking, aux water pump. They also serviced my car for carbon build up in the intake valve. Well this was done in last one year. Last week my car stopped at the freeway and I had to get it towed to Mini Dealer in Gaithersburg, MD. They told me that it has missed the timing which could be due to slipping timing belt or loose timing belt tensioner. I am waiting for this phone call and heavy bill they are going to tell me about. Since the car is just out of extended warranty with 27000 miles and little over 4 years, MINI will not cover the repairs.

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

I was riding my old BMW R80 down the interstate when a lady in a beautiful MC passed me on the 4 lane interstate. As she pulled back into my lane a large cloud of oil fogged me and my aging bike. She exited the interstate and was stopped by the failed engine. Again, this car was beautiful with 12,500 miles on the odometer. My grandson and I stopped to assist the lady (in her late 60s) and we were met by the sight of a well ventilated Mini engine when we opened the hood. The oil pan had been ventilated by two connecting rods that were found on the edit ramp. She was quite pleased that werent burned by the oil coming from her car. Or worse yet, had crashed in the oil slick from her car.A month later while riding on the same road, a BMW SUV pulled in front of me (I saw his SUV in my mirrors) and was met by yet another fog job from another BMW product. My R80 has over 100,000 miles on it, I rebuilt it from a basket case and this old scooter has what was once known as BMW quality. I lost a trans in my R100 back in the 1970s and BMW took care of all costs even after the bike was out of warranty. What has happened to this once proud mark? After those two incidents we bought a poor mans BMW. It is known as the Mazda 3. Fun to drive and easy to own. It uses no oil between changes and gives 43mpg on the highway at 70 mph.

Have a Mini (2006) that will crank over but wont start. Similar problem to Lura ** below. Does anyone have fixes or suggestions? Any help is welcome.

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

I 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.

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.

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

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

The clutch in my 2005 Mini went out suddenly after less than 2K miles. The dealership replaced it after I raised hell. Now, the clutch in my 2007 Mini started going out - after only 55K miles! Ive driven standard transmissions my entire life & never experienced this. My 1991 Nissan Sentra lasted 200K miles and my 1995 Mazda Protege lasted over 100K. Yet the dealerships always say the same thing - driver abuse. I called Mini. Sure enough, its not covered unless its normal wear & tear, which they cant evaluate unless I put down $2K for them to tear down the engine to look at it. If they see any signs of damage that indicates beyond normal wear & tear, then Id have to shell out the money for the repair, too. A clutch going out after only 55K miles is bound to show signs of defect, certainly beyond normal wear & tear! After I read similar stories from others, I decided it wasnt worth fighting. So, I took it to a trusted mechanic and shelled out the $1100 to have them replace the clutch (a few thousand less than the dealership), since my car is still worth over $15K. But as long as I live in a hilly community and an area that Im in constant stop-and-go traffic, I wont get another Mini. I love my Mini and have not had any other real issues with it, but I dont love it enough to have to shell out for a new clutch every few thousand miles!

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.

My 2007 Mini Use 1 quart oil every 3 week! After 60,000 miles. My dealer told me that is normal. I do not think so.

Dont ever buy a Mini Cooper new or used. Awful awful awful. I purchased a new Mini Cooper S in February 2007 and just recently traded it in for another car after driving only 85k miles. A partial list of what was replaced or fixed - two timing chains, two high pressure fuel pumps, two engine computers, two thermostats, two sets of spark plugs, one water pump, two walnut cleanings of the intake manifold, turbocharger oil line + other nightmares that I would just as soon forget. Not to mention bmw brakes having to be replaced every 20k ($800.00 per axle) and clutch (it was a manual) at 50k when most for me last >100k ($2500.00). It is critical if you own one of these to check the oil periodically as it will use some. Many of the engine failure problems that happen are because all the oil goes and the vehicle dies. The vehicle will give you no warning of low oil. It is the owners liability.I traded the vehicle to a dealership because I could not in good faith inflict it on someone directly. Fortunately, between factory and extended warranty did not have to pay that much to repair BUT no car should have this many problems. Engine warning lights would keep coming on than going away and after a few years never could trust the car to not breakdown so stopped driving it long distances. The mechanics has a hard time diagnosing these random failures so had to wait till could hold the code for them to fix. This is not a car that a regular repair shop could easily diagnose. If it was complex or an engine code, had to go to the dealer. Have owned regular BMWs before and really liked them. Do not understand how BMW could attach itself to a product this bad.

Approximately around September of 2010, I began to notice my Mini experiencing shifting issues. Around 70,000 miles, the engine would lurch into gear, seconds after failing to change gears effectively. At times, the car would suddenly drop out of gear while driving. I began taking my car into a BMW/Mini certified shop in Austin, TX. After much trouble shooting and emptying my pockets to the mechanics my Mini Coopers condition only worsened over a few months, and suffered complete transmission failure in July 2011. I sought other opinions on transmission replacement, rebuild options, with each shop giving me similar stories, and huge prices to fix my vehicle, averaging around $10,000. My vehicle has not been fixed or altered, and stands as it did the day of the transmission failure. It was towed from the shop to a safe place, where it sits today. My vehicle is no longer under warranty, and it looks like there are many others out there who have had similar circumstances. Class action lawsuits are in the works in California and New Jersey, for premature transmission failure. Why has there not been more light shed on this, as a national issue?

I first purchased a used 2011 Mini Cooper Countryman with automatic transmission in early 2015. I owned this car for 4 months and at about the 2 month mark I noted the transmission seemed to be having a hard time with the shift into 2nd gear when the car was cold. Initially, it was so infrequent that I thought it was nothing but then my boyfriend noted the stutter as well. Throughout the third into the fourth month of ownership, I returned to the Dealer for service three times trying to correct the issue. They insisted they could not duplicate the problem even when I left it for several days so that they could run the car cold. I was moving to Greenville, SC and was uncomfortable driving that car that distance with a faulty transmission so I traded in the car on a new Mini Cooper 4dr hardtop.It is important to note that I had purchased a rear mount bike carrier from the same dealer about 2 months prior and had used it only about 6-7 times since the $700 purchase. I dealt with the same salesman on many occasions throughout the 4 months, Ryan **. When I decided to trade in the 2011 for a new Mini, he was aware of my need for a rear mount bike rack. When I picked the car up at the time of purchase, they had to remove the bike rack from the Countryman and install it on the Cooper. They were unable to but assured me that mini had an adapter for it which was not yet available.I moved to Greenville, SC and after the winter, I went to the local dealer, explained the situation to them and asked whether the adapter was available. They informed me that with the 2016 year model, the rear mount bike rack required a factory installed option to be a part of the car at the time of purchase and that there never was nor ever will be an adapter. My car did not have a factory installed bike rack option. I have a shoulder issue that prevents my using a car top mount. Mini of Rochester AND Ryan ** failed to provide me with a suitable vehicle for my needs and in effect lied to me at the time I picked it up (note, I had not yet ever driven it off their lot after purchase) regarding the adaptability of the car I purchased.I am stuck with a new bike rack I cannot use and a car that cannot transport bikes. Therefore, I will need to buy a new car. They could have corrected this issue by telling me that at the time and I would have bought a different vehicle from them that would permit the use of my bike rack, but they did not. After this experience, it will not be a Mini, nor could I ever suggest anyone buy a Mini given the ethics of the car dealer as displayed by their representative, Ryan **. I tried to post this testimonial online. However, Mini picks and chooses what gets posted so your testimonials are not accurate representation of customer satisfaction. Another reason not to trust Mini.

I am the owner of a previously owned 2010 Mini Cooper Clubman. I purchased this car from Carmax in Ontario California in March of 2013. At the time of purchase, it had approximately 27000 miles on the odometer. After seeing this car I just fell in love with it, and for the first few months, all was well. Then the warning lights on the dash started appearing...all small, easily fixed items, but still annoying. I was willing to over-look a few weird items because of the fun to drive factor. It handles like nothing else, and gets pretty good mileage. I liked that it was easy to work on, such as doing brakes, or oil changes, and felt confident that this would be the last car Id need to buy....Then Friday February 20, 2015, while running errands around the area, my temp light came on. I quickly pulled to the side of the road and opened the hood. I found the reservoir low, so I added water from my emergency roadside kit. I continued on my way and there were no indications of any problems. The car ran fine, no lights or warnings appearing, etc...Suddenly the temp light is back, and now it’s turned from yellow to red! I managed to pull into a gas station where the car promptly died and the terrible ! light came on...the car refused to start. I found the reservoir empty, so I added water, hoping this would get me home. After adding water, I decided to check the oil level and water poured out the dipstick hole. The car has 45178 miles on it. I called a friend who is a mechanic and described the situation...not good..possible blown head gasket, possibly worse.I called AAA (love these guys! This is what service is all about!) and then called Carmax...to their credit, they tried to find any and all remedies to help me out, but no deal. I didnt purchase an extended warranty (why would I on a car with 27000 miles?). I never bothered calling BMW, as Ive heard endless tales of how they refuse to admit, acknowledge or compensate their loyal owners when the inevitable catastrophe comes...I now have the expense of repairing this vehicle, at which point I will sell it and NEVER purchase another BMW product. Im DONE! Im lucky my 15 year old Mitsubishi Montero Sport with 138000 miles is still here...OH and BMW, my Montero has NEVER stranded me!! They built like it’s meant to be used and made it to last. You guys should take a lesson from the Japanese. I can only imagine what may have happened if I was traveling with my family and this failure had happened on a freeway here in California...Shame on you BMW/Mini! Ill be contacting the lawyers in the class action lawsuit, maybe I can get some relief through them.

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

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.

Purchased a 2006 Mini S last year with 67,000 miles. Have put another 1000 miles on it... until it stopped working. Last week I drove it around town to do several errands. Got in it to go home and turned the key, it cranked but wont turn over. Had it towed to a mechanic who three days later said come and get your car. We cant help you. Towed it to the nearest MINI dealer. Theyve had it for two weeks and cant their diagnostic equipment to work on it. Said they created a case file and asked for advice from a corporate engineer. Called yesterday and asked about progress. Still working on it. They asked if I had any ideas. Ah ha ha ha.... Really? Like the look of the car... am not trusting the BMW engine. How can they be proud of their product?

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.

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!

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

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!

I bought a used 2007 Mini Cooper in July 2010. At 69,000 miles, I was driving it home from work which is about 40 minutes from my home when it started losing power. At that time, the engine light came on and I just didnt have the time to get to the side of the road before the power completely went out. It was unable to restart and there was an earthquake type of rocking/knocking in the engine area. Upon having it towed away, there was dark oil on the pavement. The mechanic that I took it to was unable to diagnose the problem but stated that there was an oil leak that seemed to start from the gasket area. They quoted me $8,600 to repair and I owe $8,300 on it. I have never in my life had such a lemon of a car. Even in high school, my junky $200 car lasted longer than two years! There is no recovery per my insurance or through Mini of Louisville. They basically said I am SOL due to the warranty being over at 50K miles. It was nearing its next oil change but other than that, no warnings. There must be something illegal about a company that sells such an overpriced product that doesnt meet up to the standards of what the product should do.

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

I am the original owner of a 2009 Mini Cooper and without warning - no lights, no other issues. My car died on the way to the Mini/BMW dealership. Funny, it happened there as I was going to return a product I purchased the previous day. It almost felt as if the truck next to me was pushing me around on the highway in his side draft. When I couldnt get gas to get around him into the turn lane, I started to get scared. As I got into the turn lane to exit the highway, the car started to lose more power and began to sputter. I coasted to a stop at the end of the ramp at the stop light and the car sputtered to a halt. I was unable to restart it through three lights and was on the other side of a divided highway from the Mini dealer.After more restarts and a lot of angry drivers behind me, I literally coasted up to the service department at Dreyer and Reinbold Mini in Indianapolis, IN. I was shaken and scared as I have not had any luck finding employment out here in Indy since losing my job just eight months after purchasing my Mini and terrified at what this might mean. The service person was new, and much better than the previous person and in a calm, intelligent manner took me right in and took the car to be diagnosed. Two hours later, he revealed that there was coolant in the oil and needed $250 something to find out what was going on. I paid and they gave me a loaner. I have put some miles on my car as I am from outside of Philadelphia, PA and have made several road trips home since owning the vehicle. I also purchased the car from a Mini dealer in West Chester, PA as at the time, I absolutely hated the dealership and the dealers at the dealership my car is now getting serviced. As it was explained to me, it could be a blown head gasket, or a cracked engine - either of which would cost in the thousands to fix. As I currently owe about $8,000 on the vehicle and have no income and am only 12 weeks out from graduating with a BBA in Management, finally, I am completely distraught! How could this happen? The vehicle has been serviced pretty regularly and I even pressured them to change the oil over 11k when the oil change light didnt come on. Weve done it ourselves, taken it to a mechanic and to the dealer. No lights appeared on the dash. The vehicle is out of warranty now. I live in Indiana and have no way to get to class to finish my degree and no credit now after two years of unemployment to buy a new car. It is quite a drive to get anywhere and almost 30 miles to class two times a week. The last temporary job I had was 35 miles each way. I am terrified. The service person did mention to me that it may be this issue began before I ever possessed the car, like maybe the engine was faultily produced. That would be a godsend. But, really? What could I have done for this to happen at 74,000 miles? I drive like a grandma. After reading many of the statements on the site, I feel that Mini is aware there are issues with the engine and the transmission. I am anxious to see what they have to say when they call to tell me what the reason is for the coolant leaking into the oil. If they do not take responsibility and repair it or replace it themselves, I will, and perhaps even if they do, I would like to take my place in whatever class action is pressed against BMW/Mini for my loss, inconvenience and aggravation. If they do not fix it on their own dime (as I did nothing and had no warning, no lights or otherwise that something could be wrong), I will not be making any more car payments to BMW. I will not beg, borrow and steal to keep a car I cannot utilize. They will be calling me tomorrow (Friday) most likely.

Had the winters tires exchanged for summer ones today and during the Mini inspection, the technician noted rusting and pitting on the brake discs. Recommended replacing at a cost $1300 (CDN). The car has only 16K kilometers on it. I had my previous Mini for 6 years and it did not require brake replacement during the time I owned it. The technician suggested the rust was the result of the car sitting for long periods of time, but my driving habits are identical to those when I had my first Mini. My concern is that this is something I have to look forward to, every year, like taxes.

Took the car in for a recall on tensioner chain, found out also had active recall for heat shield. Service called and stated when heat shield was being put on, found there was an oil leak. They said 928.00 to fix. I told them I thought that was why the heat shield was being applied, because it caused oil lines to leak, the o ring hardens and begins leaking. They said the recall is only to add the heat shield??? I contacted BMW and they said they would research and get back to me in 3-5 days. I dont understand how the two are NOT related.

I own a 2006 Cooper S convertible. I just read the blog on 12/9/2011. I have experienced exactly the same. I have taken the car into the Mini dealer at 12,000, 24,000, 32000 and 47000 for the same issue, each time to be told that the computer shows no fault found. I have serviced the transmission and had Mini Cooper service look at it again at 94,000. The car has been kept in excellent condition. The car will surge and the tachometer dial will move then the car grabs and shifts hard, sometimes making the tires squeal. I have had an independent mechanic drive the car to agree that there is an issue with the transmission. This is a manual transmission with the steptronic paddle shift capability. After having the transmission serviced, driving the car home and the transmission would not shift out of the gear. It was in and would not move forward other than a 5 to 7 mile idle. This happened while driving in rush hour traffic.

Bought my Mini new (2012) and all it is a money pit!!! Every time Ill take it to get fixed it is a $1,000 to fix it. Mini should let other shops work on it. Never never never ever going to buy a car that only the dealer can repair. Dealers employees are rude and arrogant. I hope this helps so no one else make this mistake.

I am writing to express my extreme disappointment with the recent failure of the original clutch/flywheel in the above referenced vehicle. The vehicle was purchased new from Mini of San Francisco on February 17, 2007 and all scheduled maintenance has been conducted in a timely manner including a recent scheduled maintenance on September 15, 2011 (Mini inspection), a mere seven weeks before complete clutch failure. No comments or suggestions were noted by the mechanic during this scheduled maintenance that clutch wear was occurring or should be monitored.The Mini Cooper was driven under extremely light driving conditions with an experienced manual transmission driver. The vehicle was typically only used for “motoring” trips on weekends. The previous manual transmissions driven were a 1986 Honda Civic DX (original owner 97,000 miles with one clutch replacement at 65,000) and a 1996 Honda Civic DX Hatchback (original owner with no clutch replacement as of 60,000 miles when car was donated). Furthermore, the driver was experienced in using the parking brake while resting on a hill to spare any unnecessary clutch wear. All maintenance has been performed by Mini of San Francisco and online service history is current per owners’ lounge website.The driver had never experienced a complete clutch failure with no prior warning signs. Furthermore, the driver had never seen a clutch fail under such light driving conditions so anticipated that it must be some sort of mechanical failure and immediately drove the vehicle to Mini of San Francisco. While the service department of Mini San Francisco provided excellent customer service, the driver conducted his own research into the situation while the mechanical review was being conducted and has noted that many other drivers of this vehicle have cited the same problem.The driver seeks a response from Mini USA on this very disappointing early clutch failure, the occurrence of this situation within the specific model, and the manufacturer’s guidance on extending the life of a clutch.

My daughter was hit from behind causing major damage to her Mini Cooper Hardtop. She was in the driver’s seat and the vehicle was at a stop when she was hit from behind. The air bags failed to deploy. She hit her head such that she blanked out and did not recover until she was in the hospital. I would like to understand why the air bags did not deploy.

Mini is not listening. I am a careful driver/owner who loved their Mini until today, a few years down the line (5) of having bought a brand new Mini. Repairs are outrageous. They renew and do not repair, so waste must be vast and parts i.e. gearboxes are giving up after about 45,000+ miles, and repair is more than the value of car. A few years ago, my nephew experienced gearbox problems and now it is my turn; cars bought at the same time. I have done a lot less miles than my nephew, so this makes me suspicious. This is a BMW con, lovely leather fittings and comfort, but dodgy engine. And they are getting away with it over and over again. BMW dealers should be able to repair engines, like the good old days, not replace at huge costs to the client and a cost of waste on the environment. My gearbox problem means I am able to drive around town but not on motorways, so driving beautifully until I hit 50+ mph. You would think this could be repaired.

I have now owned 3 Mini Coopers. A 2004 Cooper 2dr hardtop with a 5 speed manual purchased in 2018 with 151k miles, a 2013 Cooper S 6 speed manual bought in 2016 with 21k miles, and a 2016 4dr hardtop Cooper S 6 speed manual purchased new. I have loved each of these cars! My 2016 I was in an accident with that totalled the car and the car kept me totally safe. I had no problems with this car, in fact I put 64k miles on it in under 2 yrs with no issues.The 2004 was intended to be a little junker until I bought something new after my accident with the 2016 Cooper S. This car has been so reliable and is so easy on gas and economical that I will keep it till it dies, and I have already put over 12k miles on it for a grand total of 164k! There are issues with the dimmer switch for high beam headlights beginning to wear out which makes the brights come on when I put on the blinker if Im not careful, and the parking brake no longer holds, and a previous owner dismantled part of the dashboard so I do not have the large speedometer, or a working gas gauge LOL! It had no exhaust system, only the manifold was left, and I put in a new exhaust pipe, muffler, and all of the components needed to mount it for about $800. But even with these quirks I love this car! No problems with transmission or engine.The 2013 was my sons car and I admit he has been hard on this little vehicle. Not keeping up with all scheduled maintenance and racing any other sporty vehicle out there he could find, however this vehicle has had no high ticket issues. It has always started without issues and has been a very reliable car. I will be trading this car for a 2017 Cooper S Clubman because I want the AWD and a little bigger car, and I miss the 4 doors. All in all I am faithful to the Cooper vehicles and have been very happy with all of them that I have owned. I am truly surprised and saddened by the bad reviews posted here and that made me want to share my experience with them.

I purchased 4 Mini Coopers for our company. 2 of the Minis experienced serious braking issues. 1 of our engineers got in 2 low impact collisions when the brakes locked and failed to stop. The 2nd Mini, our engineer was on the freeway, going 70 MPH, when traffic started stopping. He put on the brakes and they went to the floor. Completely failed. He used the emergency brake to slow down and the brakes started working.Both cars were towed to Crevier Mini. I complained to Crevier & to Corporate. Corporate investigated and found nothing wrong. Crevier went through the software logs and found nothing wrong. However, these cars were in US a couple of months before these incidents happened - which makes them intermittent problems. Our engineers refuse to drive these cars. I wanted them returned - but to no avail. I asked Crevier to buy them back - I cant in good faith sell or turn these cars in as a trade-in if I feel there are serious problems with the car. Crevier offered to purchase them back at an approximately $18k loss. I am so unhappy with this whole experience.

This is to report/address the steering tightness problems on older Mini Coopers. (My car is a 2006 with 90K on it.) We know about the power steering pumps going bad/out on many Minis potentially causing a very dangerous driving condition. A pump failure causes extremely hard steering. Do not confuse the tightness problem with a total pump failure.But I digress, I took my Mini into a dealership complaining about the steering being tight. They couldnt find anything wrong and said its not that bad. I then took it to an independent service garage. I explained the symptoms and they knew right away what the problem was. The lower u-joint in the steering column tends to rust up and start binding. This seems to be a common problem especially in the salt belt part of the country. It is such a common problem that one cannot even find a new replacement assembly in the USA. A reliable source has stated Mini has no idea when, if ever, there will be replacement parts.The official solution is to order/install an assembly for a right hand drive car. The dealerships are now aware of this problem (I have seen official detailed instructions from MINI). The tight steering also can be dangerous when fast steering input is required when making an emergency maneuver. I also think its very poor of the dealership not to diagnose/recognize the problem. As a side note, I had the right hand drive part installed by an independent. I then took it into my dealership to have an adjustment made due to the install. The dealership then said I needed the part that I just had replaced. Best of luck to all Mini owners Im selling mine and never buying another.

I purchased a 2012 Mini with 9,000 miles from Mini Cooper of SF. The purchase experience was good. The service experience is terrible. The engine light comes on and to maintain the warranty, it has to go to Mini. There is a horrible monopoly in one spot. They, every day, give no details; make you wait; dont answer the phone; and put you on hold. I am used to Nissan that had one day turnaround and eleven years of routine maintenance only. A lovely experience. I am so incredibly disappointed and frustrated.

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

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

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

I purchased a new 2017 Mini Cooper Clubman from Vista MINI in Florida. The car currently has 30k miles and it has had several problems. The car currently has a strong vibration problem which affects the acceleration. The car has been in a MINI Service Center 3-times for the same problem. The dealership acknowledged this problem to affect the non-turbo models. There is no current fix for this safety concern according to the dealerships service center. MINI solution to the problem is spending more money on a more expensive S model. If you are interested in purchasing a MINI please check all consumer complaints before the purchase.

I have a 2009 Mini Cooper S with 58,000. I drive the car daily. Recently a oil drip started to appear in the garage. I take the Mini to dealership (they are the only ones I take this car too) and they tell me I need to replace the gasket for $1,800.00. I am also told - that this is a common issue and 1-3 are seen each month for the same work. I am told the cause of the gasket failure is the engine goes from cold to hot and then back to cold. I asked like normal drive - from the house to the office then back home 9 hours later - I was told yes. Upon further reading and investigation - the issue is not the gasket but the housing becomes warp over time - due to poor design - no bolts to attach the oil housing to the oil coolant - thus a heat warp is created and oil starts to leak out. So, even if I pay $1,800.00 for the gasket repair - the warped housing is not corrected and the oil leaking will start over again. If Mini is aware and so many are being seen each month - why not a recall and a corrective fix.

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

I have a MINI 2009 Clubman S. At 48000 miles, I had to replace the turbo. At 58000, I had to replace the engine for a failed timing chain. I will have put 10000 more into a car costing 28000 with 56000 miles total. Both the turbo and the timing chain gave me no warning lights from the super duper computer system I was sold on. My dealership in Memphis Tn is horrible as well. I went to one of the dealerships in North Atlanta, Wonderful service! I had been missing the passenger foot mat for all the visits to the Memphis location for years. They never replaced it. The Atlanta dealer did at no charge. I did not even ask. I am at my wits end with my dealership and this lemon of a car. I am talking to an attorney tomorrow.

Last Friday when I was driving home and my 2015 Mini hit a telephone pole. The car hit the pole at about 35 MPH on the drivers side at about the level of the headlight. The car was totaled. For whatever reason, no airbag was deployed. I hit the steering wheel with my chest and have bruised ribs but fortunately I am going to be OK (I was wearing a seatbelt). Up until now I was a loyal Mini owner (this was my second) but I am concerned how this car could hit and damage a telephone pole so severely it had to be replaced, without airbag deployment. More of a concern was what if the accident was even more severe. Has this happened to others? Obviously, my replacement vehicle will not be a Mini but others may want to use this as a cautionary tale.

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

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

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 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.

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

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

Loved my Mini for 10 years. Now everything is breaking! Most recently 2 pulleys related to the engine have melted and would not turn belts. Also at have a problem with pulley related to air conditioner... Any advice?

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

I leased a brand new Mini Cooper Countryman S only 6 months ago. Everything has been great until recently. I was three hours into a 5 hour drive when suddenly a red light came on telling me to stop and shut off the car since the engine was overheating. I immediately called my salesperson who said to use the SoS in the car to get a tow. I was told to not drive for car. Unfortunately, I was on the side of I-95 where 18 wheelers were flying past. Well, I sat there for 3 hours, THREE hours, waiting for my tow that Mini organized. It was terrifying to say the least.It was towed back to Alexandria, Va where I live and leased the car. I was informed that a stone hit underneath and damaged the radiator and that I had to pay for it. What? How could that be? My drive was smooth and nice - no problems. I have since discovered that is a design flaw that exposes the radiator to this type of damage. I had to get my insurance co involved, and I have been waiting two weeks already since a needed part is coming from Germany and they have no idea when it will arrive. I have been car-less except for the first several days when Mini gave me a loaner. After all of my complaining, they have since said theyd give me another loaner which I will pick up shortly. First of all, this is a lease, and this is a corporate problem so I should not be responsible. Secondly, if my leased car sits in their garage for a month (?), why should I make a payment when I dont even have the car. Needless to say, I am dumping this car after my lease, and I am not leasing or buying another Mini Cooper.

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.

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

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.

I have a 2013 Mini Cooper Convertible (47k miles) which already had following problems: busted Spark plugs, Ignition coil replacement, Engine Leak, Blower motor and blower motor resistor, trunk latch sensors, etc. and Customer Service. My biggest problem is one of the most pathetic customer service of Mini USA. I will make sure that none of my family members or friends ever buy mini. #**Mini They sell you car and then dont give a ** about it. All they ever do is we will document your complaint and we will handle it internally. WTF does that mean? If you dont have warranty on this dud, be ready to spend your hard earned $$.

I purchased a used 2011 Mini Cooper in 2013. Let me start off this complaint by saying I LOVED the Mini and always wanted to own one. Needless to say, I have had nothing but problems! Since I have had the car, the following repairs have had to be made: new thermostat, new cooling system, 2 sets of spark plugs, front light replacement, rear light replacement (the bulb burned the casing...should not happen!). Latest issue...clutch burn out. This car has cost me thousands of dollars. The worst part: nothing covered under the sorry warranty that came with the car.

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.

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

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!

2006 Mini Cooper Convertable S... Bought brand new. New transmission at 35k and now its my steering fluid pump at 75k... Once the transmission went, its been a repair every 6 months or less. Thanks Mini!

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

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

2006 Mini Cooper S- Absolutely loved the Mini Cooper look and driving feel from the moment I saw it! Bought a brand new 2006 and excitedly waited for it to be built and shipped to the U.S. I knew going in to this purchase that minis had their issues and was willing to deal with little problems for a sweet ride. My mini finally arrived and for the first 6 months the mini was everything I could have dreamed of!!! 6 months in I heard a chatter and had to have throw out bearings replaced...ok not a problem I knew they had problems. 12 months throw out bearings replaced again and window wiper solution tank replaced..ok all under warranty but honestly this is getting old. 24 months throw out bearings, clutch has issues (really! Ive driven a manual car my whole life 300,000 miles with no issues) and the window wiper tank needs to be replaced but we need to take the bumpers off to fix it... Of course you do cause it’s out of warranty and it’s going to cost me 300.00 for the window wiper tank, and I didnt even wait for the other estimates. I walked out saying “Ill sell the car before I give you another dime!!” Walked out and bought a Subaru. Not the same fun :( but I can get up my driveway in the winter and no maintenance issues. Love the peace of mind! :)

I was pressured into buying a car that I didnt need... purchased car because warranty was running out. I asked if I could extend... they lied, saying that I could not pay for an extension.

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

Oh boy!!! I wished I would have read some of the reviews before buying into this 2012 Mini Countryman S from a CarMax dealer in GA with 26k miles, automatic, that is currently at the dealership for a shift assembly repair. Bought the car with warranty still in place. Without warning, car would not get out of park, had to be towed in. Dealer took a few days to diagnosed that a leak was found that came from the drink cup holder that leaked down into the shift assembly, and considered it was due to what they call misuse. Now I dont know about everyone else, but I thought drink holders were made to hold drinks??? Well duh! Not on these Minis!!! An 1,800 out-of-pocket repair. I dont think anyone would purposely pour a drink into the cup holder but I think accidents can happen. It is very concerning for me because I have to pay for this car for several years and was thinking about purchasing the extended warranty for coverage while still paying for this car. Based on the reviews Ive read, I scared of whats to come next. Ive never owned a car to be totally disabled on me and cost me for repairs while under warranty for major problems. I really think that Mini/BMW or whomever needs to take a look at their warranty. After all, a car doesnt just need oil and water maintenance! I feel stuck and afraid of whats next. As far as Im concerned, they should just remove all the drink holders or caution or let customers know its just there for show and not to hold cups with liquids in them!!!!!!

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

I purchased a 2003 MINI (used) in 2004. Loved the car, but the engine was constantly overheating. While it was still under warranty, I brought it to the MINI dealer in Annapolis, MD. The service department would do various things to fix the overheating, such as, replace the radiator cap, replace the thermostat, replace fan motors, replace hoses and refill the fluid levels. Nothing they did under warranty was a permanent fix. After the warranty expired, and the problem continue to rear its ugly head, I was informed the head was warped. Several thousands of dollars out of my pocket later, that problem was fixed and finally the car no longer had overheating problems. Then I started hearing noises which I suspected were coming from the transmission. I changed the transmission fluid hoping that it would fix the problem and noise; however, the noise - albeit aggravating - continued, yet the MINI continued to operate at a normal rate. Then the unexpected happened: while driving at just over 30 mph, I heard a sound of metal breaking and the car was powerless. Under 90,000 miles and the transmission was gone!

I loved my car (2009 Mini Clubman, purchased new) until it hit 52K miles. I always had my car serviced by Mini Service, at the required intervals. At 52K miles, it needs multiple repairs ($6K) that are more than the blue book value. Repairs include drive belt, water pump, front crank seal, transmission fluid leak, and thermostat. I reached out to Mini USA and they covered $780 cost of replacing the thermostat, but refused to cover any of the other costs. (My understanding is the life of these parts is short because the engine runs hot, is in a small space, and the heat from the engine is drying out and cracking the small parts.) Mini doesnt seem to be concerned that the car only lasted 52K miles.If you are going to buy a Mini, be aware that it has reliability issues, has a very short life, poor resale value and that Mini USA will not stand behind their product. And sell your Mini as soon as the 3-years of included maintenance (or extended maintenance, if purchased) ends so you dont end up stuck with a car that is worthless.

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.

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

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

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 bought my wife a Mini Cooper 2006 R50 in 2010. It already had 52k miles on it. It now has 120k on it. I do most of the work myself because its simple, but very time consuming. If I dont do this Id look at spending about 40k dollars (overall) at the dealership to fix everything that wouldve gone wrong with it. And I should point out that Houston where I live is extremely hot so the more heat the more prone to failure. I usually go to the dealer for an inspection every 10k miles. They tell me what the problems are (charge a fair bit) but its worth it to get their knowledge. I think I was around 400 dollars, but had them replace the oil & filter as well etc. Then I go fix it myself.To avoid costly repairs the engine oil needs to be checked and topped off if necessary every month (about 6 or 7 hundred miles! Not changed).. Topped off to the max. If the engine oil goes low thats when plastic chain tensioners start to get hot and fail/break off causing catastrophic failure. I dont go for the oil change every 3k garble. I have the dealership do it every 10k (when they inspect it).Lately Ive had a misfire on cylinder 4. It cost me 20 dollars for a compression tester and will tell you that it has low compression (could be something else). Note 400 dollars if you want Mini to do it. Youll also be able to figure out if its the top end or bottom with a drop of oil (Google it). In my case it was a burnt valve on the head. As stated before its very simple to do these repairs. Its just very time consuming. The head was put to a machine shop though. Machine shops are pretty cheap.Over the 70k miles Ive had suspension issues, radiator fan issues, thermostat issues. Oxygen sensor issues. Engine mount issues. And numerous others I cant think of. 400 dollars to change a crank shaft sensor O-ring is a little excessive especially if youre changing the pan gasket at the same time. But in all its not complicated. It just takes time and some elbow grease.I have to say though I was tempted to buy a 40 thousand dollar BMW, but after the last time I took the Mini in and the guy said Its pretty good shape for a vintage that was the clincher for me. Its clearly obvious BMW do not want to work on cars over 5 years old, that is why they are charging so much. They want you to buy a nice new car every 5 years. So look forward to either spending 40k in repairs or 40k on a new car. I remember when Mini was Mini. Cheap and cheerful and would save on gas! Now its just spend spend spend. And can we please stop making plastic manifolds and plastic thermostat housings!!!!!!!!! Geesh Ill pay the extra 1k dollars and wont complain either!!

Has anyone else had trouble getting the wheel-controlled Bluetooth phone controls? Mine comes and goes, without any apparent cause. Dealer said he could fix it for a thousand dollars US. No way. Others have told me this is a known fault. Any and all suggestions appreciated. By the way, I love my Mini Cooper S 2008, 54,000 miles, hardtop.

I bought a 2010 Clubman S in December of 2009. Since the beginning, there have been lots of problems: tons of rattles inside, the windows stopped working twice, the A/C made a huge whining sound, there are clunks from the engine area that no one can figure out where they are coming from, the check engine light came on randomly twice and the car went into limp mode (at the dealer nothing wrong was found), pieces of outside trim were installed poorly, the sunroof wont open on hot days without pushing it with your hand, the brakes sometimes feel shaky when making sudden stops (not ABS, or if it is then its the worst ABS Ive ever experienced) and the inside of one of the club doors popped off.This car is made incredibly cheaply, and the problems I have had are echoed by some other Mini owners Ive met and all over Mini message boards. I spent $32,000 on a poorly made piece of junk, awesome! Both Nick ** and South Bay Mini have not taken responsibility for some of the problems, sometimes saying things like, Well, the MINI is a quirky car. If quirky means made like junk, then yes, theyre right.To top it off: the handling is downright dangerous because of the torque and bump steer.Fun to drive but made horribly, and way over-priced for the quality you get.

I almost feel as though I should apologize to all of you. I bought my 2003 Mini in December 2002 and feel now that I should have warned you all away. It is an adorable car and fun to drive, but Ive had more problems with it than with all of the other vehicles Ive ever owned combined. While under warranty, the power steering died along with the motors for the power windows and the sun roof. At about 45,000 miles but out of warranty, the transmission died. I was lucky, Roadshow BMW/Mini in Memphis, TN replaced it at no cost. I think that was the last time I saw them. Ive paid twice to have the power steering replaced. The shop that works on it said its a screwy design and will go out again. What car needs the power steering motor replaced three times? Ive replaced the alternator, bought multiple batteries and even spent almost $800 to replace both locks. I missed work because I couldnt get in my car. I assumed that had I waited to buy a later year, a lot of these bugs would have been worked out. But from reading the reviews here, apparently not. I thought it was just the 2003s that had the transmission troubles, but it seems every year has them. So after spending $2,000 this month on car repairs, Ive decided to stop throwing good money after bad. Im car shopping. Im embarrassed to admit that the owner of the foreign car repair shop that works on my Mini told me not to buy it in the first place. He said most of his business comes from European cars. Ill listen to him this time and get a Honda.

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

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

Bought a 2002 mini type s in 2012. Had 29000 miles on it. Not even a month later exhaust right at the flex pipe ripped. Took to the dealership, wasnt covered under warranty. They pointed me to a mechanic who could fix it. Cost $1600. Lasted about a month. Broke again. Took it to a different shop. REPLACED it. Spent $1600. Lasted about a month, broke again. Brought it to 3 other mechanics who all could not even begin to tell me what the real problem is. Barely driven the car since 2012. Waste of time and money.

I bought the car for my daughter and I to share after the death of my wife. The 09 Mini S in laser blue was the car of her dreams which turned into my nightmare! I purchased the car used with less than 40k miles and purchased an extended warranty for almost 2k. The car has since had a blown turbo and failed vacuum pump with almost 6k in repairs after the warranty ran out! I have done all the routine maintenance myself and brakes, rotors and tires. I replaced coils, plugs, CVV, and vacuum myself. I didnt have the tools to replace the turbo. Now looking at fan assembly replacement and have the timing chain death rattle. You wouldnt believe the run around you get! I am saving every penny from my second job to pay down the balance to trade it in for a Toyota! I only pray it runs for a few more months until I get rid of it. I tell everyone that asks or looks at the car at the grocery store... Never buy a BMW or Mini Cooper. They are engineered to fail! Run from this car! If it still starts... trade it in. Mini refuses to stand by their product and only until their sales drop to zero will they learn that they cannot abandon their customers. Tell everyone you know about your bad experience! I go out of my way just to tell people never to buy BMW products. I thought all these people were just bad owners that never checked their oil or coolant and that I would have better luck through superior diligence... Dont be fooled! If it looks like a **...and smells like a **... Then its a **!!!

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

I bought my daughter this Mini Cooper Clubman S 2009 a year ago. AMAZING condition... Only 55,000 miles. We did not know there was a Recall on the timing belt tensioner. The tensioner backed out and the car lost all oil. Therefore damaging the engine. Mini Cooper of Kennesaw took the car in and said that due to the recall, Mini would cover 50% of the cost of the repair. After 4 weeks they tell me the engine cannot be fixed. Now we need to replace.The cost to repair further is prohibitive. They changed the offer, Mini will cover 50% to install a new engine, but I am 100% responsible to pay for the repairs up to this date. They refused to cover more as they needed a service history for the car. I researched and provided a FULL service history for the car because one of the mechanics on the list was no longer in business, they claimed his service records were fraudulent and have removed all financial assistance. I am devastated!!!!

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

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

While I have enjoyed driving this car, the cost of continuing repairs has been staggering. The electrics and the mechanical components of this car are poorly engineered and have been repaired or replaced on a regular basis throughout the eight years I have owned the car. It has leaked oil as well as burning oil from early on. It is now requiring a great deal of repairs due to leaking and burning oil and a non-functioning oil warning light. In fact I was told by my mechanic that it is not worth fixing. It only has about 160,000 miles on the clock. Fun to drive does not make up for poor engineering and high cost of repair. I would never recommend a MINI to anyone.

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

I bought my 2007 Mini Cooper S in July 2009 and in August 2009, I had to have the car flat bed towed to San Antonio because the clutch and all parts had to be replaced $2793.09. March 2011 - water pump drive belt cracked $1106.52. October 2011 - excessive carbon buildup $851.00. March 2012 - timing chain $941.98. Total spent on repairs $5693.05 in 2 years and that is with them discounting.