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

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

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

I have a works Mini Cooper turbo charged and it produces excessive heat to the hood and air scoop mounted to the hood.... Over a period of time the plastic air scoop has warped and now need replacing at a cost of $350. My contention is this is a design flaw and BMW Mini should provide the service and labour free of charge because a heat deflector needs to be mounted to prevent this problem and therefore it should be a recall.I have looked on numerous Mini forums and it is common place among readers so the problem does exist and the Mini technician are aware of this as I was told this by one of their techs during a service visit.

I own a 2006 Mini Cooper convertible (mileage: 56,561). Since within the first year of ownership, Ive had problems, but the car was under warranty, so I didnt pay as close attention as I should have to all the things that began going wrong or breaking down. However, that first year the entire computer/electrical system failed and my windshield developed a stress fracture. Every year there was something: the struts, the ball joints, the brakes, etc. I never knew what else would be the problem and it always cost a LOT of money to repair or replace (once the warranty wore out).But now, this is the end. After already spending $1,852.13 on November 9, 2011, on a week-long repair process, I was forced to return the Mini because it was still performing poorly. One of the major problems that I described when I dropped the car off on Nov. 1 was still occurring: The car was hesitating between 20/mph and 30/mph, the tachometer needle would quickly move to the middle of the dial, and then the car would jump or buck into the desired speed. After an hour or two of examining m car (again), the mechanic called and said the problem is now the transmission. But the real shocker was the price$10,000 to replace it. I nearly fell on the floor. I was expecting to hear $1,200 maybe even $2,000, but $10,000. I asked him if he was smoking crack!Whats really annoying is that Im sure the people at Westchester BMW/Mini knew from the beginning that the major problem was the transmission. However, they kept my car a week and replaced the thermostat/Hydraulic Suspension, replace leaking engine mount, replaced Drive Belts and Belt Tensor, fixed the broken convertible top, and much more. My gut says they scammed me out of $1,852.13. If Id know from the beginning that the transmission was the real problem, at $10,000 a pop, why would I spend nearly $2,000 to fix other stuff? Something they were very much aware of they took my money, and now no one will answer my letters.

I bought my 2005 base Mini convertible with around 35K miles on it. I bought at a BMW/Mini Dealership where it was first purchased. I was told I would be the second owner and that all services were performed there since new, including the first power steering failure. OK now, the certified vehicle they sold me had a throw-out bearing noise the day I bought it. I heard it at night with top up and windows up. Same thing with the power steering; it was failing when I bought it. I am sorry, but how can a BMW/Mini tech certify such vehicle? They had had to know it had these issues. Not to mention, the seat memory function was also broken from the day of purchase. All the issues were done under factory warranty. I also bought mercury platinum extended warranty. Now moving on, around 50K, the throw-out bearing noise is back big time. Power steering is noisy again. Once again, theres warranty on the throw-out bearing. No luck with power steering; I had to keep bringing it back and was declined every time until it actually started going out while driving! No power steering! It was replaced at that time under warranty, and the new pump was so silent at first. I was thinking hmm Im still upset they sold me a certified car with major money issues but this time the power steering is fixed good.The vehicle now has approximately 75K. All services are up to date, including resealing the oil pan and the third valve cover reseal. But what the salesperson never told me was that the interval for resealing the oil pan is every 40K as normal maintenance! And the clutch is shuddering; throw-out bearing is about to fail, getting really, really loud knocks with clutch out squeals if I push it all the way down. I have to push it down and let up around 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch to stop the squealing, but its still making noises always. So the clutch components are no longer under warranty. Great. And the power steering that was so quiet a short time ago has a crazy loud noise again and the fan is staying on after the vehicle is shut off. I can make it stop by turning the key on and off a few times. I should be covered for this power steering unit with a deductible through Mercury, but they seem to ask for mega diagnostic tear down money. Its like pulling teeth to get them to even act human. I will do that for the power steering, because its bad and I know it will be covered. (crosses fingers)I was told that the noise of the clutch components may be internal in transmission, so I should authorize a lot of money, so they can tear down the transmission and see. Really?! its the throw-out bearing again. Im not authorizing that obvious leap of faith/ripoff. Did I mention I have records from the first month I owned the car about it not going into reverse unless I for up to 3 full minutes mess with the shift left through all gears and let clutch out in each gear and a little trick I learned while being honked at because I wasnt backing up fast enough? The trick is hold the lever towards reverse and ever so lightly release the clutch pedal a tiny bit. It will go into reverse that way, and it may do so with super sweet sounding ultimate grind, which it does all the time even when not forced to use an awful trick to get it moving backwards.The last time I brought it in, the service writer, whos always so full of tech wisdom, actually duplicated the problem. The service writer could not get the vehicle into reverse, and after fiddling a while, it went in with an ultimate grinding experience. But now, this tech savvy writer has forgotten everything, and it seems all that schooling (self-proclaimed) and BMW-awarded service training has slipped the highly trained uber techy service writer into saying that he wrote on the repair order duplicated in service drive. But I still have to pay $1000 plus for tear down to prove to Mercury what I have been telling them has been happening since it was under factory warranty! I could duplicate it everyday, every time they said cannot duplicate.Well, they could have if they drove around more till they did duplicate it for not long rather than sitting in their service bay shifting the lever around! Both window regulators are starting to fail. I loved this car. Its fun. it looks great, but I would not recommend one to my worst enemy. Oh, thats BMW/Mini. Hmmm. Well, you know what I mean. I will never recommend BMW or Mini without saying They drive great, but youre gonna pay.I tell people if they must have a BMW or Mini and dont mind being in the shop a lot, lease it. Never buy anything from BMW! They are literally spot on to provide you with the ultimate repair bills as soon as warranty is out. BMW is criminal in this kind of treatment of their customers! I mean, really, its pretty well-established. The clutch components suffer from poor/weak/cheap design and parts. Its 2012, and BMW still doesnt even offer a superseded part number for clutch components; no upgrades for you! This is the absolute end of my time with BMW. They can keep their cars, until they fix whats wrong and stop covering up long-standing design flaws. Oh my God, some give them Japans phone number or even GM for that matter for a little updating on their still being filled with really bad electronics from silly connectors long obsolete to flat out... Really, you havent stopped those light from flashing yet! Which ones you say? I say pick anything. BMW electronics and Mini are in need of some updating.Lets say bye BMW/Mini. Never again. I cant wait to get rid of this nightmare that could have been so nice a car if they finished it. Too late trading it in on anything nice, even nicer not made by your dishonest bloated overrated company that smiles at you while lying and... I cant wait for my Lexus or Acura or Infinity. I just cant wait. Own up to the problems. And at least, if youre going to charge for a repair that is due to your cheap poorly placed parts in a nice car, offer a fix. Its called a fix! You know, like when you dont sell a Mini owner the same ** part. Why just fix it!

The fan kicked in the day I bought it in 2009, just after leaving dealer. Little did I know, it was in need of servicing then. $4,300 in repairs in under a year and still the vehicle overheats. Fan, water pump, thermostat, reservoir tank, all were done and now its going to be serviced yet again at local Mini dealer. They say the parts are warrantied but what part fails after eight months of regular use? The closest repairs are two hours away. I continue to rely on my insurance towing to get the car to be serviced as the vehicle will not make it there safely.I cannot recommend this brand to any one walking on a Mini lot nor can I express a positive remark about my experiences to family or friends. BMW should listen to all of the blog entries and issue a manufacturers recall on the entire line up. Faulty fans, transmissions and water pumps isnt enough to convince you to shop elsewhere? Then try your luck but there are plenty of warnings. A lot of disgruntled customers blogs had been available prior to my purchase. Had I read any of them, I would have steered away in a more reliable vehicle.

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?

2012 Mini Cooper Convertible. I love the car but a problem developed over a year ago. The problem is the fuel gauge. It is entirely inaccurate. When it reads half full for example, there are just 3 gallons left. The dealer has tried several times to fix the problem without success. Anyone out there that has had this same problem, please post your experience.

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

Recently my own Mini Cooper taught me more than I ever wanted to know about interference engines. Apparently when the timing chain tensioner fails it destroys the engine completely. So my Mini, which I love, which was my only way to get to work and help keep this country free is now sitting on a $12,000 repair bill. Now I am left to explain to my wife why she will not have a vehicle available to take my 2 and 3 year old to the dentists because I need to make money to pay off the car loan on a vehicle that is essential worthless. So needless to say I have done my research and have found a plethora of issues concerning the timing chain design problems that plague minis. From my perspective it just does not seem fair. I want to get this issue resolved. Better yet I would like to get this issues resolved without the necessity to take out a second mortgage.

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 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.

So first I want to say I own 3 currently and sold my forth a few years back. I loved the brand for a number of reasons like handling and performance and the overall style. At this time my stable consists of a 2012 MINI JCW GP, a 2012 Countryman and an older 2006 JCW. The Countryman has been in the shop almost every month since we owned it. It has had taillights replaced as well as the heating/AC replaced numerous times during ownership. Right now it’s got another check engine light and on its way back to the dealer since it hates to start. The heater will not warm up the car unless it’s floored and since it’s 18 degrees out that is unacceptable. Especially since it’s been fixed numerous times.Now onto the GP. This is the company’s flagship performance car. Its very limited and one would think well documented. Yet when brought in to have an alignment done, the techs were unable to figure out the adjustments and I had to assist by providing the details they needed and showing them how it should be done. The GP had a tail light out. This resulted in them frying the radio trying to replace it. Not sure why it’s connected but it is. So they had to replace the stereo and the ECU. The problem was the dealer installed the wrong ECU software version so the car ran like crap. I did not notice right away. It wasnt till after I installed a cold air intake that I noticed the car was running off. After convincing them on the 3rd trip there to install the latest ECU version did they see it was wrong. This was after blaming the CAI on the issues it was having. So I should be happy now right? They finally installed the correct ECU software and it should be back to normal. Nope. Now the car bucks on the highway. I tore the intake apart thinking it was the problem. I tried everything down to boost leak testing the car and duct taping the MAF tube in case it was leaking. I was TIRED of talking with the dealer. When nothing worked I brought it back in. They said it was the MAF. They replaced it. I got it back a day later and the same problem persisted. Here I was going back for the 4th time only to have them tell me my modifications were the issue. They said they fixed the seal on the CAI (which was fine) and the car was tested and perfect.On the way home I noticed it bucking again and no longer had the sport mode pops and burbles you get from the exhaust which is a key character of the car. I refused to bring it back. I looked around the engine bay and studied the MAF connector more closely. It had a brand new MAF so I knew it wasnt that. Turns out all the problems I was having was due to a loose wire in the harness connector. This did not fix the sport mode button but at this point I dont care. Im tired of missing work and dealing with the hassle of going to the dealer and being stuck with a loaner. Now mind you both my older 2005 and 2006 MINIs had issues but were basically bullet proof and well over 100k miles. The newer ones are nothing but problems so far. Neither new car is over 30k miles and have spent most of their ownership in the dealer for one stupid reason or another.

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

I 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.

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

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.

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.

2012-01-16, today, approximately 22,000 drivers of a Mini Cooper S, the Mini John Cooper Works, from the years 2006 to 2011 in Germany have to go back to the garage. The reason for the recall: a faulty circuit board on the water pump that is responsible for the cooling of the turbocharger, resulting to overheating or even fire. The vehicle owner will be contacted by the manufacturer and ask for free replacement of the faulty component. This message has been in the news section of Motor-Traffic.de with the slogans. Mini calls back 22 000 vehicles in Germany - released on 2012-01-16.

One prob after the next. Blown clutch not covered under warranty. Dealer asking 4,300 to repair. Bad thermostat 550 to replace (diff to access). Fuel pump defective, 800.00 to replace. Dealer, agent, manager at Hassle BMW, indifferent, rude, did not return calls... Do not buy a Mini. Inferior mechanics and no accountability.

We bought our 2009 Mini Cooper new, and enjoyed it for the first 20,000 miles, or so. Problems so far are: 3 trips for Oxygen sensor. Fixed on the third trip when I suggested the Pennsylvania Lemon Law, gave the dealer three attempts to repair. The next: Aluminum brake rotor replacement. Who knew that a complete four-wheel brake job would run over $2,200?! Then: At 47,000 miles, water pump needed replacement ($900.). Now, at about 48,000, we have a transmission shifting hesitation and lurching. Happy Motoring is being an oxymoron. Oh yeah, the passenger window would go down on its own, like a ghost operated it. It took dealership over 3 hours hooked to a computer to upgrade the software.

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

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

My 06 Mini Cooper convertible transmission died in 08 @ 28,000 miles. Mini replaced it since under warranty but now it is dead again. Not sure under warranty any longer. There is a class action lawsuit in California for mini owners there with faulty transmissions.

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

I bought 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.

2009 Mini Cooper S owner - In 2014 It was love at first sight, so much so that I flew to Colorado to Ralph Schomp Mini to pick up my car and make the drive back to Texas. A real beauty - pepper white with blue racing stripes, a blue jean style convertible top, gorgeous black rims, paddle shifters, heated leather seats, and only 30k miles!! I should have done my research. This year is a lemon. There is a huge class action lawsuit where Mini admits the Timing Chain is defective. Shortly after buying my car (in 2014) I received a notice in the mail regarding the lawsuit. Of course, I panicked and went to the nearest Mini Dealership, Momentum Mini, who calmed all my insecurities stating the timing chain was replaced and handled by Ralph Schomp Mini.Funny thing is in February of 2017 my car started the famous Death Rattle (go ahead and google it). The class action lawsuit was good for 7 years of 100,000 miles for the noted years with the defective timing chain. Here I am with my Mini in the dealership, around 2.5 years after purchasing (and after the timing chain was replaced) and Im told the entire part was not in fact replaced, only looked at, and Mini decided the entire timing chain kit did not need replaced. Mini has DENIED any liability in this defective part of in the improper replacement. My bill is now running well over $2,000. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER MINI... and I was the owner of two. My mistake. Mini has soured me. Do your due diligence and read the reviews online. Many people this year are experiencing multiple timing chain replacements among many other repairs. Its not worth it... and theyre not a company that stands behind their product or their customers. Awful.

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

I bought my Mini at East Bay Mini but soon realized that going to Mini of Marin was a lot easier than the drive to the East Bay, and so with that being said that is how I arrived at Mini of Marin. I feel that my 2009 Mini Cooper S was a lemon from the get-go. I have had nonstop problems with this car since purchasing it. The car has 67,000 mi at the time of this review. The reason I was prompted to write a review is because of negligence by Mini of Marin during yet again another servicing. This time I took the car in because I claimed the car was popping out of 2nd gear, they claimed the car was doing no such thing but kept the car for almost a week and after getting it back it never popped out (so why would you need to keep it that long if there was nothing wrong with it). So I have it back for a week plus and never opened the passenger door and today I opened the passenger door and find that the metal runner alongside the seat that says Cooper S is no longer sticking to the floor and is bent and making a terrible noise upon closing the door. I have always been very pleasant which is saying a lot after how many times this car has been in the shop, but there is a limit to how much abuse a customer can take. I really wanted to write a review to the Headquarters of Mini but I felt it would land on deaf ears. Within the last year this car has been cooked 2 times for carbon build up, had a new engine (which Mini headquarters required me to pay a portion, even though the car only has 60,000 plus miles), new clutch, popping out of 2nd gear. I feel like I spend more time at the Mini of Marin dealership than I do at my job.

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

Broke down within two weeks of purchasing new car and had to be towed. Issues that were brought up on many occasions while under warranty were ignored or told were not unusual. Only to find that post-warranty, I am told the car engine is damaged and car is not worth fixing. This is German engineering? This Mini Cooper was garaged and serviced religiously. Either we got a Lemon or Mini Cooper is all marketing. Needless to say, I will never purchase another BMW car!

2006 Mini Cooper S Transmission Issue - The transmission on my Mini went out. The car is six years old and has 68,000 miles on it. It’s certainly not old enough or driven enough to have this kind of problem. According to the dealer, it will cost $8,600 plus tax to fix. I have seen a number of comments online that suggest this is a common problem with this make/model, yet the dealer will do nothing, except take my money, since the car is no longer under warranty. It seems to me that if this is a common problem, there should be a recall or some kind of compensation for this problem.

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

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.

Do not ever buy these cars, no matter how good you take care of them something will keep going wrong. They are costly to fix, may tie a lemon to the roof and park it across from the dealer and its not just mine. We should all band together for a class action, buyer beware.

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

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

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.

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.

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

I 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 $$.

Hi, I purchased a used 2010 Mini Cooper less than a year ago which I am still financing, Yesterday my wife was on her way home. The car started smoking from the vents and soon after the car locked down while I was driving and could not breathe. While driving on the left lane she was able to come to a stop and turn off the vehicle then the door open for me. With the door open she then turn back the car as other vehicles saw that the car was smoking. They let me merge to the right lane. A police officer in his car noticed that something was wrong and came to my aid. As he was asking her what is wrong, she tells police officer that the car is smoking and thats when the car lit up in flames as the horn was going off. The car and all of hers and my personal belongings got destroyed in a blazing fire that almost killed her. What should my next step be? I am out of car, my laptop, cell phone, sneakers, etc. A response is needed. Thanks.

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

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

I have had two Mini Coopers, one the older model 2005, that everyone so loves to complain about, and the second a 2009 Mini Cooper S. I know several people that have Mini Coopers and love them. If you look on the internet, you will see countless websites for Mini Cooper fans; there is nothing wrong with Mini Cooper or BMW. These are singular issues. I think it is unfair for consumers to complain about a company because they made a poor and/or ill-informed decision when buying a car.

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

I love the car and I have always wanted one. Its small and compact but plenty of room. Its excellent on gas too. You can go two weeks on a tank of gas. But I dont like that its a 2 door. When trying to put something in the back seat its hard to do. Ive had the car 2 years and the thermostat sensor has went out on me 2 times. I recently had to replace the thermostat and you have to replace the whole housing unit. Overall the car is fancy looking and if I was to buy another car it would probably be the same model with a little more options to it.

I just want to shed some light on here in regards to having a 6-year old car with low miles or hell could be a 20-year old car with 2 miles on it... Heres my point right to the point: If you do not get critical connections, joints parts where metal to metal or hoses that are meant to have fluids run through them and just sit, they will all began to either rust/crack/stick or squeal. Its just that simple!!!If you dont drive that much or buying a collector car, rule of thumb: go out on the weekends and at least start the motor and let everything get up to operating temperature and the fluids lubricate, hoses, etc. and it would actually benefit you to either get your car off all four tires because they will flat spot and if youre not careful, they can and will dry rot!!!So when I hear people say its this old with low or super low miles, I do a double take. If they are selling it for two reasons: one to see how nice the car is and secondly have they taken care of it by doing the mentioned above, and if not I walk away so please stop moaning about problems. Its typically not the cars fault but end user lacking in their responsibilities!! My .02.

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

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

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

After reading 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! ).

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.

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

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

I 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

I bought a used 2007 mini October of last year. The week before my year anniversary the check engine light came on and a message about the catalytic converter came on and I couldnt drive over 25 mph. I pulled over and hoped that letting it cool would work. Waited a while and drove home about 10 miles VERY SLOWLY. I had to ship it back to the mini dealer that did the original engine repair (200 miles). The car in total had less than 48,000 miles and I got the great news I need to install ANOTHER engine because this isnt the first, but SECOND engine this car needed. Mini has had my car for 6.5 weeks now and they offer to give me $500 to help...... Thanks.Im devastated that I spent 16,000 on the car and now a year later I need to dump another 8,000 into it. I thought buying a German car would be great, but they dont stand behind their product at all. Im so disappointed that they feel $500 is a reasonable compensation for a car that will have its 3rd engine in under 50,000 miles. Im completely gobsmacked. All I can say is NEVER BUY A MINI!!!!!! IT WILL COST YOU WAY MORE DOWN THE LINE!!! Its so sad because I really did enjoy the car and I would have definitely had another one down the line, if this never happened. Buyers beware!

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.

Purchased the car new in 2007 for my wife. First NY winter, the car was towed to dealer twice for a frozen throttle. Same thing the following few winters. Lots of other little recalls and repairs. The dealer always had a must be something your wife is doing wrong attitude. Then at 67,000 miles, the engine died on the highway. Towed to the dealer and waited more than a week for a response. Diagnosis: complete engine failure. The dealer wanted $8,000 to put a new engine in the car. I fought with the dealer for weeks and they finally offered a reconditioned motor and I would pay for the labor to install ($1800). Immediately after the car was running again, I sold it for below book value just to get the thing out of my driveway. Waiting for a class action lawsuit.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I bought a beautiful brand new 2012 Convertible Mini Cooper, and sold it after 1 year and 20,000 miles. I got rid of the problem car. I refused to listen to my friends who suggested to me to buy anything but a BMW product because it is overrated. I could forget about the inconvenience of having only 2 front seats, because the 2 back seats are useless, they are very uncomfortable, feeling as if you are seating on a rock, my 5- and 2-year-old kids refuse to sit on the back seats.The car is poorly designed. You have to reach far away and over the top to reach the window controls, sunroof and lights. I had to buy myself an air compressor, to pressure the tires, because the stupid tire pressure sensing valves will leak air all the time. I bought a convertible car to be able to open the top as I please, but frequently, anything on the trunk will trigger a stupid switch, that will prevent the top from opening. My little Mini used fuel as if it was one of those Lincoln Continental of the 60s. I bought a Mini without Turbo Charger, but it is a gas guzzler. They claim the car makes 37 miles a gallon on the highway. The best it can do is 25 mpg. The car has a massive 14 gallons of fuel and for a good reason, it uses a lot of gas.To be objective, I can only cite one or two good things about this car. As small as it is, it has a rough ride. It feels as a go-cart ride, but it takes the road curves really good. This car is a city car; it was not made to ride for longer than 2 hours. If you have back problems, they will worsen with this Mini problem. The other advantage is that for a convertible car, it is quiet. You can have a conversation and listen to classical music.I do not recommend this car if you like the comforts of being in the city. Please do not buy a problem. The customer service is horrible. When you are buying the car, they offer you free 36,000 miles maintenance. They ripped me off - I had for brakes after 15,000 miles, and it was not cheap, because BMW cars do not replace pads. They replace rotors, packing, pads and bearings - $500 brake job. The worst part of the nightmare was the overheating problem. The car has been poorly designed with a bad cooling system. It provides weak air conditioning. If it is freezing, the hot air reaches you after 15 to 20 minutes. In a hot day, the air conditioning is worthless, and on top of that, after 20,000 miles, the stupid car developed overheating problems. I took it to the dealer and they did not want to even answer the phone. I took the car 2 times complaining about overheating, and they could not fix the problem. Instead of doing the lemon law frustration, I just sold the car and gave the problem to another fool. I do not recommend Mini Cooper. It is the worst investment you can make.

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.

Three years out of college and gainfully employed I bought the cutest used 2009 S with 67K miles for a reasonable price + 1 year warranty. First off - I only use MINI service centers. The run flats are the least of my worries. I started to get my moneys worth on the extended warranty right off the bat, repairing oil leaks/pressure issues at least 4 separate times in 6 months. 2,000 miles past the extended warranty we started hearing the death rattle on the front passenger side. The plastic guide had cracked and I was moments away from a busted timing chain. After fixing it ($1500) the service advisor at the dealership instructed me on the importance of oil changes every 5 thousand miles, (EVEN THOUGH Mini suggests you can go 10K/once a year!) and of checking the oil level every 400-800 miles or so.Three months later I was back at the dealer for the rattle, my chain had already stretched again, but not enough to cause concern ($500 just to look & measure + a few spark plugs). 10 days later I was in for rough running due to carbon build up ($700 walnut shell blast) typical around 100K. And then, three weeks after that I was in for continued roughness and rattling much louder than before. I am now on my second timing chain in 4 months. There is no way that is normal, but at least they covered the full cost of this one due to parts warranty.Thankfully I am OCD and insisted on service because at no point in this first year did a warning or engine light ever appear. The service advisors at MINI have been extremely helpful and taken pity on me, they are painfully aware this car is flawed. Every moment I am on the road and I hear a new whine/rattle/thump I am overwhelmed by sheer panic and see only $$$$. At first I thought I was going to be a MINI lifer, but I clearly cant sustain this kind of maintenance.

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

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.

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

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

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

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 a 2007 Mini Cooper with the extended warranty that has cost me thousands of dollars. I still owe 10,000 on the car and it has 50,000 miles. It breaks down with something different every few months. A class action suit should be filed against BMW and all involved. I am a school teacher and I have to take the bus 45 miles each way (stand in ice and snow, and 15 degree weather) because I do not have a car that runs. BMW of Anchorage and the Mini Cooper Dealership are crooks.

My wife and I purchased a 2010 Mini Cooper convertible at Greenville, S.C. in Sept. of 2010. The vehicle was fun to drive and could easily bring out the teenager in you. After over 5 hours of being brow beat in the dealership, we left with what we were led to believe was a 5 year, 100k, extended warranty. We sadly found out that it was an extended service contract. We also found out that, at this dealership 2 hours from us, there always happened to be over $100 in work needing to be done that wasnt covered. This quickly rose to $500-600 each visit. When we took our first trip of over 2 days or went to buy more than 2 bags of groceries we quickly learned the best way to put items in the rear seat was to lower the top. So much for the $500 rear seat cover I ordered. We stopped using the rip off artists in Greenville, finding a repair facility locally that is reputable and does fantastic work, though the expense of service was still high due to Minis pricing.Recently the engine light has been coming on and the vehicle began skipping. Our repair shop did all they could, sometimes at no charge to us, to repair the vehicle. They suggested we take it to a dealership. There was a new dealership that had opened closer to our home. We took the vehicle there and it took them a week to call me to report that the #1 plug was fouling and the suggested repair was to replace the engine.The vehicle was serviced regularly with all recommended services being completed locally. The vehicle was not abused, driven by 2 60-65 year olds. I think it is very poor workmanship when a vehicle with under 120k miles has to have the motor replaced. I was told by the dealer service manager that this was high mileage. Basically got the same from Mini corporate and that this may also be the norm on BMWs .If you have a Mini get rid of it before 100k miles. As far as the manufacturer is concerned you have a disposable car.

Mini Cooper Problem 2008 - I have had catastrophic failures before 45,000 miles. I have brought it to the MINI service center for these failures including: replacing spark plugs, faulty coil pack, catalytic converter failure, on-board computer replacement, total replacement of the transmission and currently, the solenoid valve replacement which is not yet fixed.

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.

On 07 July 2011, I went out to my car and the right quarter panel window of my 2006 MINI Cooper Convertible was damaged. I called my insurance company and they took the car for an estimate. I was told that it was going to be in a shop for three weeks. Unfortunately, I couldnt leave it because I could not pay for a rental. I had lost my job and couldnt afford a rental so I settled. I was then told that I could get my window fixed at home. It would not be a problem, I thought.I had three appointments for a window replacement and in all three times, no one showed. Nevertheless, I ended up calling Lauderdale MINI Service. I was informed that they had a window stock. I said, “Fine. I’ll call you back.” When I called back, they told me that they had the wrong part number so the window was not available. I asked if they could order me one. They said, “Sure. It will take a few days.” So, I continued to drive the car. After a week, my clutch went out and I had to get it towed to a shop. When the mechanic looked at it, they informed me that the hydraulic line base split into two. And when they called MINI, they were told that the part was on back order from Germany. I said, “Wow. You’re kidding.” So I called MINI service about the rental and I was told that it was up to the dealer. I had called and spoke to Jessica about the issue. I informed her that I felt like I shouldnt have to pay for a car rental because it’s not my fault that the part is on back order. She told me to call MINI customer relations and there was nothing she could do. After I told her that I had already spoken with customer relations, I was passed the buck at least five times.Now, Im told by the mechanic that my battery is dead when I had just bought it two months ago. I have had a rental for three weeks and my car is going to cost well over $1,000.00. Still, I have no window because it is also coming from Germany. It seems like I am back to square one and I have no windows, no car.When I called the service department, I spoke to a woman named Ann, who gave me all the information on my window. After a few days, she claimed that she never spoke to me so I’m still getting nowhere. I will never buy a MINI again. They are crooks.

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

I 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.

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

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.

The Mini is fun to drive, has been reliable and almost trouble free. It is also comfortable and spacious for its size. Annoying things are a poorly designed heater, it only produces heat or demisting the glass when set to the highest and noisiest setting, the AC is very poor. The windshield wiper just has two speeds fast and very fast, great if raining hard but a pain in drizzle or lighter rain as one has to constantly turn the wipers on and off. Hate the no flat tires, the car has no spare or jack, so effectively cannot drive further than 50 miles from the dealer as the low flat tires can only be fixed by them or more likely replaced at $500 a pop. If Mini had the common sense to fix these 3 basic issues, they would have a terrific car.

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.

I had the steering go out at about 50k miles. The dealer wants over $1200.00 to fix it. The doors wont open from the inside. You have to roll the windows down to get out of the car. If the power fails, you will die because you cant get out.

I have a 2003 Mini Cooper, with only 44,000 miles. I have everything original, and have had extensive service and care since it was new. It never had track time, or abuse, only 2 sets of tires and original brakes. The car is a lemon, and BMW Mini knows it. I have contacted them about the following problems, and their answer is this is normal operation, and the vehicle is out of warranty, sorry. The problems thus far, have cost nearly $18,000 in repair, and it’s still not working as it was designed. The following has happened: transmission failure/manual; 2 AC systems; 2 power steering systems; navigation system; radio failure; auto temp control failure; left high beam headlight stays on (I had to unplug it); internal lights and gauges are not working; and power steering leak. I am a disabled combat veteran, and would rather be back in war, than deal with this thing one more second. BMW Mini is junk. Never buy one.

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