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

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

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

I am a super fans of MINI COOPER since I was a teenage girl. I always wanna have Mini as my first dream car. With decades of hard work in my career, my saving money got enough to lease it. When I got the car and sent it to insurance company, the inspection report showed me that it is a used car with over 9 thousand miles on it! On 7/11/17, a dealer name Enrique ** from Mini of Morristown, NJ said found a car to me, but he never ever mention it is an used car. This is such a trick because the sales just wanted to make money out of me and push me to sign without explaining and showing me everything. What a “great” service! A sales push customer to sign? NO ONE WANTS TO LEASE A LOANER OR USED CAR!The dealer Enrique ** told me the car is $32,000, but it is only $26,997. I have paid $3,000 down, $270.5 per monthly of 35 months by leasing. And a maintenance service fee $600 package (I called MINI Service it is only $399). Again, I want to lease a new car, not a second hand or loaner car. The main point is NO ONE mention it is a 9,662 miles loaner car or a pre-own car until I found out, this is such a fraudulent conduct.On 7/14/2017, I called the manager Omar **, he is not helping to get this case done, he yelled at me, speak so loudly, and didnt even say sorry to me. Just say: bring the car back, I give your money back. I took 2 days off, driving 2 hours from New York City to NJ, spend my time to deal with the dealer, and I am a client and big fan of MINI, I should not deserve they have this kind of attitude to me!All in all, I cannot believe that MINI Morristown Dealership is so rude and deceitful! I have my friend accompany with me, so that I have all the text messages can be used as evidences. It destroyed my dream of the first mini car I have. I need to have my right back! I need an apology and solution on this as soon as possible. If your company just try to let it go and fool me, then I will file complaint to NJ Consumer Affairs, BBB. Furthermore, I will report it on all the medias since I am working in the media and PR field for 5 years, I will use all of my connections to get my fight back! Even seriously, sue Mini of Morristown. I am NEVER THAN EVER DISAPPOINTED!!! Shame on Mini of Morristown!!!

I have a 2008 Clubman. Overall, I really like the car. I bought it used with less than 6K miles, at a really good price. I would like to get a new one, but there are issues that turn me off about Mini/BMW--the dealers/sales/service people are just taught to deny, deny, deny problems. My windshield looks like the surface of the moon. Its the angle, they say. Low to the ground, they say. I have had VW bugs in the old days with practically vertical windshields that were no further from the ground. They just put cheap, soft glass in the Minis, and it wont change.Their computer people are idiots--why would anyone think that they should totally reset my radio settings every time I get out of the car? Insane! The sunroof has no shield. At certain sun angles, the light is blinding--not a thing you can do about it--very dangerous. The instrument panel can be totally unreadable if you wear sunglasses with polarized lenses--totally blanks out your ability to read without removing your glasses. It was utterly stupid, and again, dangerous.

2008 Mini cooper S - First off this was my grandpas car and it was lent to me for a Grad present last year and let me tell you that car had so many issues and repairs I couldnt afford it at all. Just to replace the battery they had to take apart the engine to do so which cost 700 dollars. The car died on me 4 times in the middle of traffic and took it in and they said it was just because of the heat (lived in AZ at the time) then it happened again. BTW I only drove that car for 2 and half months. I now bought myself a Lexus and it runs so much more smoothly and no issues with it at all so if you want a mini just make sure you have a few thousand dollars hanging around.

I just had to take my mini in for service as it sounded like a diesel it a metal rattle noise was quite obvious. I have a 2010 mini Cooper S that fell victim to a large issue two years ago just prior to the mini Cooper recall. I am not sure if that recall is in fact tied to anything with this problem but that day the car had to be towed to the mini dealer and it only had 30 some thousand miles on it. Now Ive taken it in and been told the timing belt tensioner is in fact completely broken and the car drained 2 1/2 quarts of oil- etc etc. The car only has 52,000 miles on it and if it even looks different I take it to the mini dealer for service constantly. This is not a car that has been even given the opportunity to be neglected. This particular repair is over $2400 which is extremely odd especially with this particular car and how Few miles its driven. I have now read about the unusual timing belt problems with Mini and I would strongly suggest as per a previous article I read that the 2010 Mini be included in this consumer complaint - and seriously looked at as a potential recall problem. This can be extremely dangerous and needs to be addressed immediately. As I write my car is in for service of this exact issue crossing my fingers.

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

Our car had problems that we could detect before 38K so we took it to a local dealership. They claimed that they do not see any issues and paid for transmission fluid replacement. We have a MINI Cooper 2004 that could not be driven, has 40k on it, was garaged, maintained properly, problems were apparent, but all we could do was to take it to a local dealership that sold us the car. They suggested that we change the transmission fluid and other maintenance, which we agreed to. The dealership assured us that nothing is wrong. They drove it over 100 miles and nothing was noted. We took the car home and had the same problems as before.When we called, there was no other response but that they cannot find anything wrong. Yet the car was towed several times and the dealership denied anything needs to be fixed. Unfortunately, at the time, we had experienced great personal tragedy and could not attend to a car or anything, just the bare essentials.Finally, when we took it to another private small company, they told us about the transmission problems that not only plague MINI Coopers, but that dealerships are known for not assisting with this and deny any responsibility. The same thing happened when we tried to call the corporate office. There is a class-action suit in CA and NJ, but what about the other states? We cannot put out almost $8,000 for another transmission on our MINI. What can we do? What do others do? Why all owners who have similar experience do not get together as folks in California? Why dont we inquire about MINI/BMW taking responsibility for a clearlyfaulty car that has brought us more headaches than we could ever imagined? Most of us saved years to get this car, as did our son. Most of us bought MINI as the dream car and depended on the MINI/BMW reputation. If anyone is able to put together a Web site and gather information from all owners from the U.S.A., I think that MINI would eventually have to assist us with the replacement of a transmission that they put in the car knowing that it does not work.We would do our part, but do not know what or where to turn, it helps to write for others not to buy the car. How could we get together and have something done? The corporate offices deny any culpability and claim that they are not aware of any problems. Transmission is way too expensive to replace and it is not the only thing people complain about, yet, outside from California activism, we just complain and do nothing.Does anyone have any suggestion? Someone with legal expertise? Someone who has experience with car mechanics? Someone who knows that it is possible to put pressure on MINI/BMW to request that they do something--given the years of knowledge of faulty transmissions?It is a sad story. We thought this was a reputable company. I am over 70 and would not want to part with the car that belonged to my deceased son. Could anyone suggest what can be done? Please contact me at ** if you believe that we indeed could accomplish something together.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I do love how unique my car is, however I thank god for purchasing a 100,000-mile warranty when I bought the car brand new. I even bought a tire warranty for blowouts on the run-flat tires. The tire warranty cost me a little over 900.00. It paid for itself the first year. I had 2 blowouts and the Dunlop tires were 400.00 a piece. I have not had one since then. I have had a serious oil leak that took the dealership about 5 different times to repair, but they finally did and paid for the oil stains to be removed from my driveway.OMG, I just noticed the new Mini S has the exhaust pipes, one on far right and one on far left, which is to prevent serious burns to your legs while getting things out of the back of your car. That is a wise idea! I am bringing my car in tomorrow to the dealership for service. The red lit up fonts are getting blotchy and I think I need a break job. I have never had a break job and there is 51000 miles on my car.... Hmmm. I get over 400 miles to a tank on my mini, and it is fast! ONLY USE SUPREME CHEVRON OR SHELL GASOLINE!!!!!

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

I love my Mini, I just dont care for the people who I believed would help me when the Mini had problems. The Mini Company needs new leadership. Someone who cares about customer support and takes problems with the Mini serious. The only way WE can fix these problems are to join together and take these guys to court. Separate we are weak and unimportant, but TOGETHER we can form a wave that can change things. That is the only way to right the wrongs that have been waged against us.I have owned a Mini countryman since November 2011. The car is a 2012 model that I had made at the factory. The car now has 63000 miles and the repairs include: 1. replaced fuel pump 2. replaced spark plugs 3 replaced all four tires 4. replaced battery 5. replaced light bulbs6. replaced the thing that holds your accessories on the railWith all the replacements, I still have a few problems with the Countryman. 1. The engine cannot handle driving for long periods of time with the air conditioner on. The engine malfunction light will come on and I have to let the car cool in order for the error to go away. That problem alone is something that Mini knows and just does nothing about. 2. The battery I replaced was faulty from the start. I thought that my car just had problems but once I replaced the battery with a battery outside of the Mini dealership, the car started doing things that it had never done before. Like for example, you are not suppose to be able to lock your keys inside your car but I did. I didnt realize that that was a problem until I did the same thing with the new battery and the car just opened back up after two beeps. It was amazing to see the car do something it was suppose to do. The car misfires all the time.Now that I explained my problems, I have some advice. Dont go to Mini to get your car fixed. They are hurting your car more than helping it. If you have to go to them dont leave your car alone with them. Watch the repairs like a hawk. This might help them not break something for future repairs. NEVER BUY A USED MINI!!! ITS STUPID... Its best to buy the parts and have another shop repair whatever it needs. I recommend Pep Boys. They are good and reasonable about the repair rates.

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

I 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 was so excited when the Mini came to the US and bought one of the first off the boat in SF. Little did I know the nightmares to come. My husband and I were US Park Rangers in the west when we started to hear a whirring noise coming from my Mini. We were about to transfer to a Eastern NP September 2009. We have always had the car serviced and people would remark how well we took care of our car and how it looked new!The government moved us but we drove our vehicles to Virginia. The whir seemed more prevalent when arriving. It was quite upsetting, as we knew we were on a tight budget. I have not been working for a year due to illness. My husband starting doing investigation on the web and was reading about so many people with transmission problems. He got very upset when he saw the costs to replace it. He then wrote to a ask the mechanic online, paid his fee, and he also said it sounded like a transmission problem. We did not have the funds since we had to find a rental, put down deposits, etc.Our daughter had a new baby who was premature and I offered to help while she went back to work for a month until he was strong enough for daycare. I kissed my husband good-bye as I headed to Florida. Little did I know that it would be the last kiss of our 38-year marriage.He was so worried about the car and if I would make it. He called around to dealers to find out pricing of a new transmission and we were shocked! I found a nice mechanic, not a dealer in Florida to at least drive and confirm if it was truly the transmission. It was, I remember calling to tell my husband. It was nearly the end of the month and time to return. He did not want me to drive alone back to Virginia. He decided to have my son follow me home. Yes we were upset and worried about the costs but decided to at least get it back to the area. I tried consoling him on the phone that night, all was going to be Ok, and we would just have to take out a loan. It was stressful enough just moving and starting a new job. I was going to return home in 9 days. I never heard him so upset.The following morning, my cell phone rang. I received the dreaded phone call. He was found dead in bed. My nightmare began. After many E-mails and phone calls to Mini USA, I was told they would surely look into helping me. Before they could give me any assistance, I needed to take my vehicle to Mini Sterling first for a diagnosis. She seemed compassionate. I needed to fly back to Florida and drive it back. It had been only one month since my husbands death and kept in contact with Mini USA to let them know my progress.I spoke with a local Mini Dealer and they also seemed compassionate. I really thought I would be compensated for a bad transmission. There were so many articles and complaints online regarding faulty transmissions.I made a appointment, they took apart my car, and I wound up paying full price less a 10% coupon discount off of the labor. It devastated me! I was led on that there might be help by both Mini USA and local MINI. My cost was close to $5,000. I was informed that it would be in my best interest to have the clutch done at the same time, even though it was not needed because in the future it would be costly. I was told it would cost thousands of dollars to have to drop the engine, transmission, etc to get to the clutch. I agreed. I knew, with no income it would be even more difficult in the future.I had close to a nervous breakdown, had to meet with a therapist and was put on medication. This was too much for me to handle.Lets now fast forward to the present regarding this costly transmission and clutch! I moved to Pennsylvania to be closer to my 90 year-old mother. A couple of months ago, I noticed that the car seemed to shutter when letting up on the clutch in first, second and reverse. I could not get it into the shop earlier since I am having health issues and my time is filled with doctor appointments and therapy. Finally, I looked at the warranty on the clutch and saw it would be running out in March and figured I needed to get it to a dealer ASAP.Last week, I took it to PA mini, gave them all the invoices and told them it was under warranty. I get a phone call that day saying Sorry, it is your flywheel which is not under warranty and that will be $2,100! I am disgusted! I have been online. I have talked to mechanics and everyone says that it should be under warranty. Mini VA should have seen if there was any problem with the flywheel when they did the clutch and transmission. I was also told that a problem with the flywheel is caused by the clutch not working properly! I nearly had another breakdown. I am so disgusted. Does MINI never stand by their work? Do they always find something else to blame it on? Why do I think this way? Let me tell you about the last problem I had with their dealer in VA.When I had the clutch and transmission done they also did an oil change, oil filter, and air filter. The very next time I went for an oil change, I used a local shop that worked on Minis. It was closer, I did not have to drive nearly one and a half hours and they were cheaper. This was a very reputable place. I sat and waited in their office. The mechanic came out and asked who did the last oil change? I said minii and he said, they stripped the oil pan screw. I was upset, immediately called Mini, spoke with the service manager and he said they probably stripped it. My guy said you dont strip a screw taking it out, only when you tighten it. Mini said bring it in. Then, my guy could not even change the oil filter. It was so tight. He did not want to break anything so I said just leave it. He physically showed me. His mechanic worked for 35 years and never had this problem.I took it to Mini. I explained that I needed this done ASAP because I was just informed I had cancer and needed to drive to Floridas Cancer Hospital for Women. I also wanted them to check over the car that everything is in good shape.Can you just imagine what happened? They said it was not their fault for the screw and that it happens after time and I need a new oil pan and gasket. The bill would be around $1,200! This was unreal. They said I also needed a shaft seal and element if I wanted to safely go to Florida. They said they checked out the car totally and that is what is needed. I felt they should replace the oil pan for free, they would not but did not charge me for labor on that job after really losing it! So I had them both done.Now here is the kicker. When I went to MINI PA and found out about the flywheel they do a inspection. On the paperwork I received, they suggested a new crank seal and oil pan. Just what I had done! I told the manager that and he apologized and said he had not seen that I had it done but there were some dried oil drops.Can you now see how I do not trust any of the dealers? I am out thousands of dollars and still have a car that needs a new flywheel. Is this the way an owner should be treated?

I bought the 2007 Mini Hardtop at 61K. Within one week the timing chain needed to be replaced along with the valve cover and leaking oil, it ran poorly and stalled out at lights. The cost to me was $3K. I cant afford a car like this. Who can? I want to sell it and Ive only had it 4 weeks.

I have (had) been a loyal Cincinnati Mini customer for the past 10 years. I have owned 2 vehicles and feel that that should have warranted me as a loyal customer. However, after my latest vehicle had over $15,000 in repairs, causing it to be worthless to both me, Mini and anyone else, I am not a happy customer. ($3000 repairs in February. Repairs in May estimated initially to be another $3700 (transfer case issue due to All Wheel Drive poor design), ended up being the transmission failure (additional $7000 estimate plus $4500 clutch that was shot after they put the transmission back in). I was willing to accept my loss, but the dealership decided to rub my nose in the issue by charging me an additional $590 to tell me the news. (And they expected me to be grateful for not charging me restocking fees for the parts they could not use). I was told by the service department manager (Steve) that he would look into my loyalty dollars and see about getting me a deal on a new mini. (This was on Friday afternoon). By Monday, I had to call them to find out what the deal was. Basically it was a used demo that had no special features and would cost me over $30,000. I was basically treated like a piece of garbage. I ended up paying the $590 to tow it away (sold it for parts for $700). MINI offered to “keep it” in exchange for my $590 bill. How kind. There was no way I was going to give it to them to fix up and resell to an unsuspecting customer. I’m amazed that there hasn’t been a lawsuit come down about All Wheel Drive transfer case. Steve shared several times that it was a design flaw MINI was aware of. (I have been so upset by this experience it has taken me several months to calm down to report it. Do yourself a favor and really research the dealer and the car before buying).

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

I recently brought in my 2005 Mini Cooper S Convertible for some jerky shifting issues about three weeks ago. Mini told me that they connected it to a computer to modify the timing of the shifting and sent me home after telling me that they fixed the issue. After a few days, the jerky shifting returned and I drove the car back to Grand Rapids Mini to have it checked again. I was told 45 minutes later that I need a new transmission. My car has 68,000 miles on it and has been services consistently at Mini for ALL maintenance issues, during and after warranty. The cost, $10,580.00 with parts and labor. After doing a bit of research, I found that there was a class action lawsuit settlement regarding the CVT transmission in the older model Mini Coopers, of which my particular mini falls under the category.After posting a complaint on Minis Facebook page, I did receive a phone call in reference to my issue. Tina, a Mini Cooper motoring relations team member, called to tell me that she was instructed not to discuss my case with me until I have received information from Grand Rapids... A very unproductive discussion. Grand Rapids called to offer a whole 25% off the cost of parts and labor with the new $10,580.00 transmission. I declined and told them that the offer is unacceptable and frankly, disrespectful. I called Tina back to discuss this case with her further only to be told that the offer from Grand Rapids was the only offer that could be made. After requesting to talk with a supervisor or manager THREE times, I was forwarded to Simon ** at Mini Corporate.Simon talked over me several times, told me that there is no record of my car being serviced at Mini of Grand Rapids, which it has been serviced there and ONLY THERE since 2008, for which I have documentation, and told me that my car is too old to fall under the category of the class action lawsuit, even with only 68,000 miles on it. He stuck to the 25% discount on parts and labor and that was it.I cant believe that BMW/Mini Cooper can really pass by without a recall of this transmission considering all of the well-documented material online regarding the lawsuit. How can we get a recall? Does it take death? Are faulty transmissions not considered to be a safety issue? This is ridiculous. I will NEVER purchase another Mini again and I will advise my friends and family against it. Customer Service is horrible and not taking responsibility for your own manufactured issues is disgusting. Mini sucks.

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

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

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

I had my 2012 4 door Mini Cooper piece of junk for 2 years and needed to return to the dealer at least 12 times for various repairs. This car is a piece of junk. Nothing about it is normal. You cant buy a normal battery for $100 because the Mini battery has a stupid vent hose, so of course its going to cost $350! You cant change a lightbulb on your own because a sensor light goes off that there is an electrical problem. It needed an engine gasket after only 60,000 miles. The engine light was constantly going off. And, of course, the stupid dealer would not covered under warranty! Do not buy this car! It shouldnt be offered to the public! Amazingly, Mini (BMW) put all the money into perfecting sensors for every stupid idiotic problem with the car, but no money into making a decent transmission and engine!

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

Were the crazy car people you hear about. Every year we go to the Detroit auto show, New York auto show, Philadelphia auto show, etc, and we generally replace one of our cars every 2 - 3 years. In 2014 I was impressed with the Mini Cooper at one of the auto shows that I ordered a nearly fully loaded Mini Cooper S Hardtop with the John Cooper Works package. After all was said and done, I spent approximately $36k. After waiting a few months, it finally arrive on the docks of New Jersey but it had a recall on it (already) and it wasnt allowed to leave the docks to be delivered until the recall had been satisfied. That process took a month for someone to change a part on the dock, which is very disappointing knowing that your new car was being held captive by slow moving dock mechanics.After about 4 months of driving, the oil filter exploded. Yes, EXPLODED. The mini dealership did a pretty good job of towing the car and bringing me out a loaner for several days until they could fix it. At that point, things went downhill. Heres everything going wrong with it to date: During driving, several times the stick shift came completely off its base, leaving me scrambling to shift but could not. This was fixed when the oil filter exploded and have not had any problems since. Several times a month, when the car is started (warm or cold) the RPMs will go back and forth from 0 to 1000, then die and restart itself (all while the auto start/stop is disabled) and will continue the same cycle for up to 10 minutes.During normal driving, I lose all power to the car. Just last week I was pulling out of parking lot into traffic and lost all power, even with the gas pedal to the floor. I was lucky enough to get into the center turning lane before being struck by oncoming traffic. The window seal on the rear seat window (on the drivers side) has slowly begun to unravel and hang out of the space between the window and the hatch on the back. The service department at the dealership said they had seen it before, and a glass company claimed it shouldnt effect the seal, but I can visibly see space between the window and what should be the seal. The low tire pressure monitor displays warnings about tire pressure even after I have confirmed the tires are inflated properly.Getting additional errors on the display in regards to a discharge of the battery while the engine is stopped (perhaps a draw on the battery somewhere). The voice recognition software is either just plain horrible, or something is faulty. When I supply a valid, easy to understand address or location for the GPS to navigate to, it changes the radio station. While in reverse, the backup lines on the reverse camera disappear every now and then. The only way they show up again is if you go into the settings and re-enable them manually. When I buy a car, I keep it for 2-3 years before even considering trading it in. With the problems Ive listed above and having only owned it for about a year, I asked around for trade in quotes. I was astonished to discover that the car I had paid $35k for a year prior, was now only worth $18k on trade in. Thats nearly a 50% drop in value in one year. When the car is running ok, its a lot of fun to drive... A LOT. But the issues that Ive had with it arent just annoying, theyre dangerous. In fact, due to the loss of power on occasion, I cant allow my wife to drive it because I fear for her safety. Im not sure how much longer Ill have the car (or how long Ill be stuck with it rather), but Im truly disappointed. I expected better from BMW. Ive owned a lot of cars, but this one was by far my biggest mistake.

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

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

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

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

My husband bought a 2010 Mini Cooper two years ago. Thought we were getting a great car, not so much. It is a money pit. He kept up on all required maintenance, but it didnt matter. Three weeks ago it was leaking coolant like crazy and there was oil in the coolant, of course an $800.00 fix between the thermostat and whatever else they did. Now this week the check engine light is on again and the car is misfiring. Changed out all the spark plugs and the coil and doesnt fix the problem. Take it in today to the shop and its the motor. Needs a new one. So now we are left with a car, that we are still paying on and doesnt run, that we can spend $6,000 to get it fixed or $7400.00 to get fixed at the dealership. Not what I expected to happen with a car with 62,000 miles.

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??

2010 Mini Cooper - Had been wanting the car for quite some time. Bought a used one in Nov 2013. Had one previous owner and low mileage. Approximately 25K. Four months later in Feb 2014 had to change thermostat. Thank goodness it was under warranty. It was downhill from there. In Oct 2014 had a needed oil power flush to the tune of $165. Dec 2014 brakes and rotors needed replacement, yet no warning ever came on, $1300. Jan 2015 ignition coil $700. April 2015 valve cover gasket $600.Sept 2015 thermostat replaced again as well as defective tire sensors $700. Nov 2015 took in for oil change to find out radiator hose has detached, oxygen sensor not working, and engine vacuum pump is leaking oil. Got all but engine vacuum for lack of cash for $500. And still have to take back for engine vacuum for another $600. In almost two years Ive spent close to $5000 in repairs plus regular maintenance and oil changes. With what else to come. Seems like the cars werent built for longevity.

Gee, I almost hate writing. Im so sorry for all who are having troubles with their Mini. I bought my 2012 in March of 2014. Only one problem so far; the 3rd door had to have the closing mechanical parts replaced. The thing was when I took it into the dealer in Los Angeles for an oil change, I had not had a problem with the door prior to entering the driveway of the dealership. Go figure. So the oil change was going to cost me under $80.00 and I left paying Over $300.00. Not happy. I love the car and the gas mileage. But now all the reviews are scaring me. Ive driven from central Calif to LA three times in this year and I drive from my home to town 21 miles one way, once a week. Hopefully Im good till its paid for. Ive always had a Chevi which we drove for forever.

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

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 bought my 2011 Mini Cooper used in April 2014 with 17K miles on it; mint condition, had it checked by my mechanic and perfect condition. At 28K the engine malfunction light came on but car was running great. Mechanic said small micro fuel leak, no worries. 30K tune up car was great. 10 days after the tune up the car lost all engine power on I95 and the engine malfunction light came on. Had it towed to the dealer. Apparently the ignition coil had failed, almost never heard of for any car at 30K miles. Dealer replaced ignition coil and plugs. I love my Mini, so fun to drive but the factory warranty is out in 4 days. Ive done a lot of research; the ignition coil is not a regular Mini issue such as the transmission or tensioner. I do not know if I should get rid of the car, I love it but do not have the time or money to have it spend a percentage of its lifetime in for repairs. I do not have nay problems with the car, it runs great. I am fanatic about oil changes, tire rotates, and general maintenance. But not sure if that makes a difference with the Mini.

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.

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.

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

I bought my Mini from the dealer - the owners daughter had driven it for 11k km. I got an extended warranty 160k and then it took two weeks to get delivery because the electronics in the car wouldnt allow it to pass emissions. Since then I have put 90k but have been through hell with the electronics telling the car the brakes were worn out 3 times but they werent, sometimes it wouldnt start, the CD player quits all the time, the air bag light comes on all the time etc etc. Its endless to write it all. The dealer each time says They cant replicate this condition and reset the computer. We can land on the moon but cant fix a Mini. Stay as far away from a BMW Mini as you can. Great car to drive - just too many problems and nobody that can fix them.

Beware, Minis have a tendency to have the water pump and tensioners go out at fairly low miles. Love my Cooper but I expected a BMW product to be better built.

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

I have had this car since September 2010 and have been feeling very unsafe in this vehicle over the past couple of months. It currently has 12,000 miles but it is not accelerating properly. The car hesitates between 20/mph and 30/mph. The tachometer quickly moves to the middle of the dial, and then the car jumps or bucks into the desired speed. I took it for service but the technician could not replicate the problem and said that it is handling as it should. They want to send me home in this death mobile. The cars computer system says it is ok so no one cares that Im experiencing a real threat to my life on a daily basis and unable to drive on my city streets safely or on the freeways going to work. Since Im under lease, I am totally stuck having the option to pay it off or give it to someone else. I cannot imagine putting someone else at risk the way they are to me by completely disregarding my concerns and complaint.

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.

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.

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

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

I 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!

Freak type of situation happened to my speedometer cover (the clear plastic)... On the weekend of 5/29/15 I decided to give my car a really deep clean and brought out my dealer supplied cleaning bucket of cleaning products. As I proceeded to start to clean the dash area and the speedometers lenses I noticed some cleanser seeping behind the speedometer plastic and then some very bad cracking and separating started. I immediately stopped and started to look at the problem and realized there had been a large crack that was not visible to the eye until the cleaner got onto it. I immediately called the dealer. Drove 1hr to get there and have them look at it. Now here is where things went bad.After about an hour wait I was called into the service area and they started talking to me about non warrantable items. I at this point now realized my situation and outcome was NOT going to be favorable. They deemed this as a situation that they had never seen happened before and then they blamed me for the problem. I truly believe that a $30,000 car only owned by me for a few months and that would have a freak incident like this would have been covered. I was only asking for the damage that I believe could have been a manufacturing defect, it should have been taken care of. I was then told, The service manager would reach out to you, and get back to me when a solution could be reached. I at this point got into my car and proceeded home a very dissatisfied customer.I received a call back from the service manager after several days, according to him after talking to a district representative, he stated as a measure of good will they would be willing to offer me a replacement at ½ the cost of the entire unit which still would cost me out of pocket $1200.00, or they were willing to pay of my deductible ($500)... if I could get this covered under my auto policy. This is my mind speaks volumes that in some way the dealership felt a certain sense of responsibility to cover this if they were willing to offer me this so called good will gesture. I fully understand this is an expensive item and there should have been a better resolution to the problem since the car is under warranty and you claim boot to bonnet coverage for 4 years or 50.000 miles. I truly do believe that my cost should have been $0.00.I was absolutely astounded that my insurance company decided to cover this (thank god for State Farm to which I have had them for 30 years) under ACCIDENT. They did not have to but they did, they went out way to make sure I got my car repaired... I am elated to be a customer of theirs and cant praise them enough and that is why I will remain loyal to them for life. I really wish Mini had felt the same way and taken care of this the same way. Especially since all I heard was We have never seen anything like this before.I also want to include in this statement that after receiving the adjusters estimate of the repairs, the dealerships estimate was considerably higher on list prices for the components and I have both repair estimates as evidence of what I feel was an extreme mark up when it looked as if I was paying of pocket the cost of the repair. However on the dealerships behalf after calling and going over the pricing they did agree to work within the monies provided. Thank god I had that information or I would have paid WAY too much on this repair. My intentions of bringing this up is to let you know how appalled I was by this deliberate attempt to pad the bill.

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.

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

We absolutely love our late 2017 Mini Countryman Cooper S ALL4, reliable, sporty and fun to drive. However, the radiator design is flawed and prone to damage by rocks that can enter via the large grill opening in the bumper. The design is such that the cooling fins of the radiator are located between the cooling pipes whereas most cars the cooling fins also go in front of the radiator. The issues is when a rock enters, it can pierce a hole in the exposed cooling pipes (the vertical lines either side of the cooling fins) rather than the fins absorbing the impact of a stone as they do on more traditional radiators. Though it is a design flaw, it is not under warranty as is is caused by general wear and tear and not a manufacturing or assembly fault. CAD ~$300 parts and ~$400 labor plus tax made it a bill of CAD $900 to replace the radiator.

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

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

10 June 2014: I own a 2008 Mini Cooper S with 6 speed standard transmission. Last month (May 2014) I passed 40,000 miles. Shortly after I experienced a loss of RPMs, speed and acceleration. I later learned this was the symptoms of a failing clutch system. My local mechanic was unable to do the work required because they need specialized tools that were too expensive for them. So I had the car towed to the local MINI Dealer. They told me that to replace the clutch and flywheel will cost over $3000. On top of that the timing chain and/or tensioner needs to be replaced and that will cost another $2000. I hope I can persuade.I do not dispute the prices for the maintenance although I do think they are somewhat inflated. What I do dispute is that the age and mileage of the car do not coincide with the needed repairs. I feel I was deceived by BMW/MINI about the reliability and durability of this product, and I feel I should not have to pay for the repairs. I will not be buying another Mini Cooper and will urge all current and potential owners of a Mini to buy something else.

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

Coveted this car for 10 years. Finally bought a 2011 Clubman S in October 2011. Was initially a blast to zip around. Sure, theyre cheaply made. They start to squeak soon after purchase. The plastic covers randomly come off while driving. The tire maintenance is the worst. The controls are in the dumbest place, but I didnt realize how unsafe the Mini Cooper is, until I had an accident.Three months after purchase, I was rear ended by a hit and run driver (a full-sized truck). I was at a stoplight. The truck was going about 50 miles per hour when it crashed into me. My seat belt failed to restrain me and my forehead slammed into the steering wheel. My forehead muscle snapped and my forehead busted open. Blood was sheeting down my face. Sub-dermal and topical stitches were required. $21,000 later, the car was repaired at BMW-certified repair shop.While I question the brains behind the insurance companys decision to fix it, what bothered me more was BMWs response to my experience. Because the computer had no messages (was disconnected to repair car), they could only offer me $2,500 off the purchase of a new BMW or Mini. Like Id ever buy another of any of its vehicles. The only blessing in my story is that no one was in the car with me. Lets face it, its a tin can. The injuries passengers might have sustained is unknowable. In this case, I think thats a good thing. Let my mistake be your lesson and keep shopping. Good luck. Safe travels to you.

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

Bought a used 2007 Mini Cooper r56 S model for general use. Was in nice shape, good Carfax, low miles (54000) and not even 30 miles down the road in the middle of a four lane highway, the car shut down completely. Had the vehicle towed home and then to Mini only to find that a vacuum pump went out while driving. Gave no warning which led to seizure of the engine. Mini has quoted almost $8000 in repairs and, after calling corporate, they are refusing to assist in any way, shape or form. This is a well known problem and I am shocked that they are continuing to allow this to happen with no resolve. My extended warranty doesnt cover vacuum pumps so no help there either. Just a terrible situation. I hope that someone engages a class action suit against Mini for these problems. Not only did it destroy me financially, it almost cost me my life as no warnings, bells, etc. went off and the vehicle left me in the middle of four lanes of traffic. Mini North America offered NO help, so now I will continue to write others and warn people not to buy these vehicles as they are dangerous.

Bought my 2007 Mini convertible in 2012 and at around 75k miles, the transmission started acting funny. If seized up and failed completely. Cost me $6k for a new one. Less than 11k miles later, its slipping and about to completely fail again. There are so many problems with this car. Both rear windows have stopped working, rear view mirror wont stay in place, the top has this weird grease stain that is coming from when I put the top down. Nothing but problems and issues. Although I am part of the class action suit, its taking FAR too long. Filed in April and have got NOTHING in return!

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

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.

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

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

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

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

I purchased a 2009 Clubman S as a certified pre-owned vehicle. The dealer never processed the proper paperwork to actually get the car warrantied through Mini. Mini refuses to cover the car. The dealer has given me a letter stating that they will cover any repairs, which would normally be covered under a CPO warranty. However, I paid an increased price for this car, and that value is not, nor has ever been with the vehicle, since it is not a CPO vehicle. Mini USA refuses to certify the car, and other than the letter I have received from the dealer, there has been no attempt to correct my situation, which was the result of the dealer not completing and submitting the proper paperwork with Mini. I feel that they have profited from their mistake, at my expense. No attempt to properly rectify situation or refund the increased price, which was paid for a CPO vehicle, that the CPO process was not completed. Mini USA refuses to certify the car, even though the CPO inspection was completed prior to the sale of the vehicle, and the Federal Warranty notice clearly states the vehicle is being sold as a CPO vehicle, with a warranty. Complaints have been filed with the Attorney Generals office of Ohio, in which the dealer has stated they made a mistake in not completing the required paperwork. The AG office is attempting to put a value on a CPO car vs. a non-CPO car.

I bought 2012 S Hardtop brand new in Aug 2011 and it has been a great car. I have a six speed manual with the full electronics, cold weather, comfort and sport packages. Over the last four years Ive had a couple of minor issues but the Mini warranty covered them and I havent spent a dime on anything other than gasoline. There are some things about the car that are inconvenient, like needing to take the car in to get a fuse changed or that the TPMS light will come on every time the weather changes. But in four years I think Ive had to take the car in three times for something other than a standard service. I bought the Mini as a replacement for a 2007 Prius and this car has had a quarter of the issues that the Prius had.

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?

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.

SO SICK OF MINI. First the timing chain and engine head need replacing. Okay fine there is $1300. Now the vacuum pump needs to be replaced $719; $500 just for the part! Money I dont have. Ive only had this car a year and its a complete money pit. MINI needs to take responsibility for their product. Theyre a huge name company and theyre just tarnishing their name.

Before purchasing a Mini Cooper, make certain that you will never have any need to contact their customer service, because they will do nothing. I received a letter in 8/2009 stating that the O2 sensor is showing a problem. The letter stated that it would be warranted for 10 years or 100,000 miles. My 05 Cooper had 58,000 miles. The O2 sensor failed this past July 2011. I had it replaced for $232.35 + tax. Mini refuses to pay for it. According to the customer relations supervisor, I was compelled to bring it to Mini for the service. On the letter, it states, Please feel free to call the nearest authorized Mini dealer for an appointment. The supervisor stated that they cannot warranty labor done by a 3rd party dealer. I stated that I was not asking for a further guarantee, just the reimbursement for the Mini parts and labor, which was $232.35 + tax. It is not a huge amount of money. It is an amount which should have been covered.

I have had my Mini Cooper for only three years now. I bought the MINI COOPER - 2009 / CPO with 22k on it. LOVED the car and it was a nice ride which QUICKLY became a NIGHTMARE!!!! The first almost two years of ownership, it was just maintenance on the car which was fine but quickly became a PROBLEM.1. With key FOB issues the car would not start with the FOB, but on other occasions it would. After going to the dealer in Massachusetts several times and pushing the issue that it might be the FOB, the dealer decided to try keeping my car for a week and said they didnt see the issue the car was fine. Just painful!!!! Finally after several attempts and being stranded a few time, it was the FOB and I had to pay a deductible and got the new FOB car then was fine.2. Window malfunction, light came on during the dead of winter and then the car COMPLETELY shut down and wouldnt start. Again, back at the dealer for another few days and they decided it was a computer that caused the problem. Replaced the computer.3. Car started stalling for no reason, VERY rough idle.. Surprise, back at the dealer. Another week the car was in, they couldnt figure it out. First they said it was the battery REALLY!! It wasnt after a week they decided it was another computer and had to replace that.4. Again car is running rough and RPMs are dropping and the car is ready to stall then my mini started having the RPMs ramp up at a complete stop and no foot on the gas... Weird. So I got concerned and knowing that the mini means business, the car is back at the dealer for another week. Actually is still being worked on. So far they said I have timing chain tensioner is gone and INTERNAL VACUUM LEAK IN ENGINE/CYLINDER HEAD NEEDS TO Be REPLACED so far.... OMG. I have never experienced a car like this in my life. Again I have owed the car for three years. Although the dealer is trying to fix the mini as the problems arise. This is NOT ACCEPTABLE for any CAR to have these issues so early in ownership and VERY disappointed.

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

Its ironic how I love my 2009 Mini Cooper but at the same time I have nothing but anger boiling inside of me. Problems are as follows: Valve gasket replaced twice, Engine rattling needing replacement of timing chain and tensioner, Need to put oil every 300 miles, Passenger window not working properly, and Engine sputters. It all started when I brought my Mini in for an oil change. I was told that I have an oil leak and that the valve cover gasket needs to be replace. Six months later, I brought it back for another oil change and I was told again that I need a valve gasket change. When I informed them that the gasket had just been replaced six months ago the reply was, Its probably a factory defect. I am the original owner of my Mini and it has less than 30,000 miles. My theory is that they dont know what theyre doing or they are sabotaging my vehicle to make money.

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

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.

Summary: My Mini had bad quality, and almost killed me twice in 3 days; horrible service; completely unacceptable. Car situation: 6 months old, around 4,000miles, purchased Aug. 2016 from mini of St. Louis. Details about car quality: 2/26 Sun.: When I drove on highway, my car lost power immediately. Luckily I could make it to road shoulder. Car was towed to Mini at the same night. I got my car back on 2/27 and was told that this issue was caused by bad gas. But I only went to Sams Club to get premiums gas. After I got my car, I drove home directly. This morning 2/28, I drove my car to work. My car was broke down again when I was driving on highway around 7am which was rush hour. This time, I couldnt make it to road side, because there was too much traffic and I was using most left lane. Due to drivetrain malfunction which was shown on the panel of the car, the car stopped on most left lane. I almost got killed by this situation. I had to call 911 to get help. Policemen came over to shut down the highway and pushed my car from the left lane to the road shoulder.How could my car broke down when its just 6 months old and only has 4,000 miles? How could Mini of St. Louis gave me the car without fixing it and put me in life threaten situation??? Whats really wrong with my car??? Whats Mini quality??? My Mini almost killed me twice in 1 week!!! Details about service: Mini road service: 2/26 Sun. When I called Mini road side service, they used 1 hour to locate my car, when I was stuck on highway. Your road service finally located me and told me the tow car would show up in 50 mins. After 50 mins, your customer service called me and told me the driver cancelled it. And she told me they couldnt find any tow car and asked me to leave my car and would tow my car next morning on the highway. I refused it. I told her I was on the highway, nowhere to go and worried about my car would be hit by other cars. Finally she agreed to help me to find another tow car which showed up around 1 hour later. Totally, I sat in my car around 3 hours on highway to get your help. Thats unacceptable!!! This morning, when my car broke down again on highway, I called Mini of St. Louis to get help. But they answered my call and refused to help me and asked me to call Mini road side service. When I called Mini road side, your customer service asked me to call local service and told me that I could get service quicker. How could both sides just kick me around when I was forced to park on the high speed lane. Finally, road side service agreed to help me and the tow car shown up around 9 am. Total 2 hours. Police station has this record, since they came over to shut down the highway and moved my car.Mini of St. Louis dealer shop service: gave me back the unfixed car and put me in danger. This afternoon, I went to Mini of St. Louis and told the sales manager what happened again and requested to changed to another new car. Because what has happened to me, I couldnt continue to trust this Mini. The sales manager refused to replace my trouble vehicle with new Mini. And he told me I was unreasonable!!! This car and service threatened my life twice, and the response they gave me was totally unacceptable.

My right front tire blew out from debris on a major highway. I called MINI Roadside Assistance. After being on hold for 20 minutes the rep told me that he was unable to find a provider in my area. Then he suggested that I try to find a tow on my own. Really? How? Then he asked if I wanted him to keep trying. As opposed to what? Walking 30 miles to get home? I called the MINI dealer hoping they could help somehow. Ha! One person did say he would contact the tow company the dealership used and would call me back. After an hour Roadside Assistance called to tell me he still couldnt find a tow provider. I was less than 30 miles from Boston, MA.Finally a tow truck appeared - a passing driver had called the local police to report a broken down car and the police called a tow truck. The tow operator would only take me to the nearest service station not the MINI dealer. The service station owner was very nice. He arranged for a delivery of a new tire. Then he discovered that the debris had also punched a hole through the alloy wheel. He called the MINI dealer. The wheel was in stock but they couldnt deliver it until the next day - it wasnt even noon. I spoke to the dealership and begged for someone to bring the wheel. I was about 15 miles away. Nope. If RA had ever done their job I would have been towed to the dealer. But the dealership just pointed out (needlessly) that they werent responsible for Roadside Assistance. And I should have been towed to the dealer. Consequently I had to pay for a parts runner the service station used in addition to the delivery fee for the tire and the tow.I commute 80 miles a day. I travel almost every weekend to Northern Vermont. I need a reliable roadside assistance program. MINIs contract with Allstate does not provide that security. The dealership said that they had a lot of complaints about it. I wrote to MINI USA. They said to submit a copy of the receipt for the tow to Roadside Assistance for review and that it would take 4 to 6 weeks to process. How about paying for an AAA membership instead? Some day when I have more time Ill describe all the problems Ive had with the car within the first days of owning it. The dealership is arrogant and dismissive, MINI USA doesnt care about poor service, and the RA program is worthless. If anyone reading this is thinking about buying a MINI just dont do it.

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

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

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

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.