Cant give them 0 stars, so they get a lucky star...just one. Super friendly sales and service people for sure, MINI, good job, youve trained them well. The complimentary Starbucks coffee and Chex Party Mix are also a nice touch, but NONE OF THESE CAN SUBSTITUTE FOR ENGINEERING AND DELIVERING A QUALITY AUTOMOBILE TO YOUR CUSTOMERS! Id rather buy a car from a jerk that was a quality product, designed for performance, reliability, and longevity. The automatic transmission on my 2007 Mini Cooper failed at 108,000 miles. A regularly serviced automatic transmission such as the one in the 2007 Mini Cooper, by comparable industry standards, should be good for at least 150,000 miles.This was not an inexpensive car (over 30K new, with over $15,000 in labor and parts in the meantime). The transmission was serviced when the car was still under warranty, and well after the BMW corporation was aware of the design flaws that ultimately led to the transmission failure. Rather than service the defective transmission while the warranty was in effect, they sent me home with a car that they knew had a poorly designed/engineered transmission from the factory. Although the transmission was serviced 18 months prior to this failure, and I believed the work carried a 2-year warranty, MINIs position is that the work performed was not mechanical, but electronic in nature, and was not covered under the 2-year warranty. The MINI was fun while it lasted, and as a professional that works with young adults as a career, I always felt comfortable recommending the MINI as a first car. My position on the MINI (not Bill Jacobs, youve been consummately professional) has shifted, and I will ultimately share my story of dissatisfaction and disappointment with the BMW corporation. Of notable irony is the fact that I originally purchased a MINI because of their resale value. $45,000 later and I have a MINI that is worth $150. The final tow to and from Bill Jacobs MINI will cost more than that. I believe that any of the owners of Bill Jacobs MINI or its representatives would feel exactly as I do in regards to this situation. To MINI and BMW...you missed the most important thing that car buyers want, that is, a quality product. Everything else has been tasty, perfectly-brewed, and pleasant.

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

I have had an excellent overall experience with my 2003 Mini Cooper. It wasnt until 2013 that I had to have any work done on it besides the normal maintenance. At the time I purchased my Mini, they were fairly new on the market, and it was the unique look that love it. It has run-flat tires and a Harman Kardon stereo/CD that I like a lot. However, the cup holders in the 2003 are useless, they only give you clearance for a small cup of coffee. There is no way to fit my travel mug or my Venti cold cup. I bought something that latches around part of the console and is secured with a bolt through both of its ends. The problem is that I had to tape up the bolt because I kept scratching my leg on the bolt. Still love driving my Mini!

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

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

I own a 2007 Mini Cooper S. Its had all regularly scheduled services done at dealers (Phyla, PA; West Chester, NY; and Darien, CT). Now the car has about 50,000 miles on it (December 2011). In June 2011, with about 38,000 miles, the engine started having rattling sounds during cold starts. I brought it to an authorized Mini dealer (West Chester) and they found nothing wrong. Two weeks later, the sounds got worse, and the dealer checked the Mini. They said the timing chain guide (plastic) had cracked in pieces and scattered though the engine and oil pan. The dealer replaced timing chain, timing chain tensioner (broke too!), and guide. Its been less than 6 months (December 2011), and the same sounds are coming back!There is obviously a timing chain mechanism design flaw (just Google Mini Cooper timing chain problems). Mini should correct this on all affected vehicles. Mini is responsible for their design mistake regarding a substandard timing chain box.

I bought a 2008 mini cooper in 2014. It only has 63000 miles on it. It has been cutting off in heavy traffic. I am afraid for my life because it may cause me to get hit from behind and seriously injured. What can I do to get this car fixed by the manufacture. Bmw shop told me it will cost me 4000.0 to fix. Can anyone tell me how to file a lawsuit against Bmw to get this car fixed.

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

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

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

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

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

2004 Mini Cooper Hardtop - The power steering pump failed at 90,000 miles, at road speed, causing a dangerous loss of all steering assist. A serious accident was narrowly averted only through brute force applied to steering. The Mini Cooper dealership claimed ignorance of any problems with the system and informed that any repairs would not be covered by any warranty.

October 3/11 I purchased a 2007 Mini Cooper with 50,000 kms from the BMW/Mini Cooper dealership in Winnipeg Manitoba. It had at the time one year left on the warranty. In 2012 the timing chain and Vano sensors went while we were in Winnipeg. It went to BMW/Mini Cooper Winnipeg, the timing chain and Vano sensors were replaced under warranty. February 13/2015 the car died again. It was found that the timing chain went again and Vano sensors. BMW/Mini Cooper Winnipeg did that work again. Told me the reason that the timing chain went again was that a bolt was loose. I asked why had not that bolt been torqued? I got no answer. They did that work under warranty however they charged me for some seals and a hook seal cap. They also told me I needed a new alternator which is odd since my alternator was replaced June 26th 2014. The car still did not work properly so I had to have it towed from BMW/Mini Cooper Winnipeg to the shop where I work. My technician found that my new Wilson alternator had been trashed and there was 6.0 liters of dirty oil in my car. My car only takes 4.0 liters. When it got towed from Morden to Winnipeg it had 3.5 liters of clean synthetic oil in it because it just had a service job and the alternator was working fine. We sent the Wilson alternator into Wilson to be repaired. They did not repair it. So I ended up ordering a BMW alternator over $900.00 and a new battery. My technician was very upset with BMW/Mini Cooper. Tried to get answers from them about the alternator and dirty oil, he never got any answers. My technician got the car going however it still did not sound well. It got towed back to BMW/Mini Cooper Winnipeg. They did a diagnostic. It was still related to the whole timing chain situation. They said it was fixed.Both my husband and I took an afternoon off from work, drove into Winnipeg to pick up the car. I didnt even get the car off their lot when the engine light came on. They pulled the car back in. Did a diagnostic, said a hook seal needed to be replaced. This hook seal comes in a unit that costs $4000.00. So that is $4,000.00 plus $150.00 per hour labor. Now the car is still at BMW/Mini Cooper Winnipeg, not running. I am still paying $357.00 per month car payment on a car that is not running. BMW/Mini Cooper said the used car department would buy the car from me for $3500.00 but I would still have to pay $2840.00. Or they repossess the car and screw my credit. My question is there such a thing as a hook seal worth $4000.00? We cannot afford the so-called hook seal and the labor. What is going on here?

Have a real doozy! Had a 2006 Cooper with 70000 miles with no problems until early May, 2014 when steering became tight. Went to import mechanic friend who put in new power steering pump and then rack and pinion but didnt solve the problem. He recommended I go to dealer, which I did. They told me I needed a new steering column which was binding. They told me there were no steering columns in the U.S. And would have to order it from Germany which would take two months to arrive (7/15). Left the car at the dealer and service advisor would keep me up-to-date but never called me. Went to dealer on 7/15 and was told that the order had been cancelled by someone in Germany but they didnt know who and could be another 2 months before part might get in.Needless to say, I was quite frustrated and asked how much I could get selling the car back to them. Their appraisers offered $2,500(median blue book is $7,500) which I thought was unfair so went to sales manager(who did not know the history) who then offered $4,000 which I accepted. Had to get this off my chest.

I purchased a 2005 automatic Mini Cooper last year which had 70,000 miles on it. From the word go there where problems starting with tyres needing fixed and reverse parking sensors not working. Then I discovered a much bigger problem whenever I turned my engine on my mini was either revving far too high or far too low. My mechanic didnt know what was wrong and tried a number of things to fix this including replacing the oil (£300!). The problem kept coming back however and so I went to another mechanic who told me my solenoid valve was broken and it turns if you cannot buy solenoid valves separately for minis you have to buy a whole new gear box, roughly £5,000! Essentially deeming the car unfixable. Has anyone ever had this problem/ did anyone find a solution?

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.

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

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

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.

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.

My Mini just died - will not move. Was told trans is bad and will cost me about $7,000 to fix. The repair shop told me a very common problem and Mini wont stand behind the problem. There should be a recall. It seems they dont care about the consumer. Its really sad that all they are worried about is fattening their pockets and not helping the customer. SAD!!!! REALLY SAD!!!!! I will never buy another Cooper and I will pass this info to everyone.

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.

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

My cars power steering will intermittently fail while Im driving. When I turn the car back on, its fine again. I already had one pump since owning the car, number 2 will be next. When will Mini recall for this problem?

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

One star for the Mini dealership, four stars for the car. I own a 2007 Mini Cooper S that I have owned for three years with just over 100,000 miles. I absolutely love it. The car did have a major oil leak, but my boyfriend (who is a trained mechanic but doesnt work for a garage) and I bought a kit from Detroit Tuned and rebuilt the turbo ourselves based. Using Mini forums for people who had a similar leak was a huge help. We repaired it for a tiny fraction of the cost it would have been at the mini dealership. Its not perfect, but the leak is fixed. Oil leak aside, this car does consume a lot of oil and you need to keep an eye on it. There have been a couple of other minor issues, but paying close attention to the car made it easy to nip those in the bud.I dont trust the dealership at all since I went in for a quote on the oil leak and they quoted me five grand for that repair and a bunch of other repairs I didnt need. For example, I had a faulty brake sensor and they quoted me all new brakes despite the fact that they were brand new and Id just replaced them. If you get a Mini, I highly recommend NOT getting your repairs done at the dealership unless its totally under warranty. Youre paying for the brand with them, not the repairs. Despite all of this, I love the car. Not a day goes by that I regret buying this car. It fits me, its fun to drive, I enjoy how compact it is but I can still haul tons of stuff. Im looking right now to trade mine in for a newer one, simply because its getting older and I might as well upgrade to some newer features while there is still a strong trade-in value.Moral of the story, this isnt a car you can just drive and ignore between oil changes, but a car that you need to pay close attention to otherwise it can become high maintenance. And find an independent shop or friend who knows auto mechanics, and know what the common issues are with these cars before you buy so you can anticipate them. That may sound like a lot of unnecessary work, but this is more of a little novelty sports car than your run of the mill family car. It needs a little extra love.

I took my cooper in for a tire noise. I paid diagnostic fee of $120 to figure out that it was an almost flat tire. They refused to apply the diagnostic fee towards the installation of the new tire. Also, I was charged $70 to put in two light bulbs. Has anyone had this experience? I feel very ripped off.

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

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.

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.

I’m not sure exactly how to write this experience up, but here goes. We recently visited a dealership with an intent to purchase a Demo as part of #Performance Auto Group’s sales flyer posted on Auto Trader. We went to the dealership we had visited about a year ago and had the opportunity to test drive a Mini. We weren’t ready to purchase at that that time based on our budget, but the service was great and staff supper friendly and helpful, so we returned to this location. First visit we tried a car but for some reason found it really rough, we felt like an egg that had been scrambled after driving it. When we got back we advised the two young men at the dealership and were told that was the Mini experience. At this time they snickered. We advised them of our previous experience and they said it’s the tires. They’re new. After a few more exchanges, I said, I guess that means we aren’t Mini people, and the young man said yup. I want to point out that we weren’t offered to try another car to see if we thought the same thing.We left and ended up at a used car place where we tried a 2017 and we actually enjoyed the ride. The first visit was on a Monday, and on Thursday my partner and I returned to that original dealership because they had four Demo’s at great prices and low kilometres. I asked about the last Demo that appeared on Auto Trader that same day (the same young man from the other day), he advised it was out. I had to ask clarifying questions, Is it on test drive? No, Can you find out? He comes back and advises it’s on loan to a client. What does that mean? It’s on loan, When will it be back? I don’t know. So we took our phone out and looked up for another car to try, and apparently that was off site as well. He hadn’t seen it in a couple of days. Is it sold? No, Can you find out? He disappears. I’m about to blow, you have to understand he’s just standing there and the body language is saying go away. It’s very clear he doesn’t want us there. He’s not checking the computer and when we ask him to check, he ask us what the vin# is. We didn’t know it and he said, You should know what car you want, it’s like this the whole time. I asked him about the last car and he said, I don’t know anything about it, but he did offer a new car. Interesting to note the first car we test drove was at the back of the shop in amongst other cars. I’m pretty sure there was something wrong with it.So after we left on the first visit on our way to Burlington we were divided. I thought they were laughing at us because we were old and old people shouldn’t drive Mini’s (we are in our 50s), but my partner thought it was because we were a gay couple. My partner didn’t want to go back but we had such great service once before, I really felt it was worth a second chance.I have to say we fumed all weekend, because we’ve been shopping for about a year looking at various places, from Toronto to St. Catherine’s at this point and we had tried Volvo’s, a Jaguar, a Cadillac, even a couple of pick-up trucks (he wants one thing and I want the other and it’s for me), not all places are the same but it has been some time since we’ve walked away with this feeling. Most places are Here’s the key. Let’s go, or See you in a bit. Most places are welcoming and the agent usually ask questions and if you don’t like the first vehicle it’s, Let me show you another, and the end we exchange information.I was so frustrated that night, I didn’t even realize how much. When we left that place we tried a BMW X4 that I spotted in a John Bear lot. The drive was excellent and the sales rep was in the back seat and at one point I started to laugh as I realized some of tension was beginning to dissipate, the difference between sales agents. That weekend we visited the Kitchener location and had an okay experience. We even stopped in Paris ON, and tried a AlfaRomeo Stelvio, again super great staff.I had emailed the dealership and #Mini Canada about our experience, the Corporate office advised that they are independent of dealerships. The manager had investigated and found out that the first car was loaned out as the clients car was in the shop and the second car was getting cleaned, but this doesn’t address that we were shunned from buying a Mini at that location. I emailed again, more in detail like this explaining our experience of homophobia over the last fifteen years so they would know we were genuine about our experience not being right. Head Office #Kelsey ** again advised it wasn’t Mini Canada’s issue and to deal with the dealership. Finally I received an email from a manager for BMW/Mini in that area and finally he replies with an email that says they will review training with the reps in question as well as they are looking into sensitivity training as I had suggested.So all good right?, No! I now need to know that Mini Canada head office are concerned that the people representing their brand and their products aren’t discriminating against older people and gay people and any other discriminatory combinations out there. I find it hard to believe that BMW/Mini wouldn’t ensure these retailers are representing fairly, but according to the replies I got IT’s NOT THEIR CONCERN. To me, it’s one in the same, different people may own the brand versus the product but they both represent the same thing. I’m hoping no one else has a similar story.

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

In the summer of 2016 I bought a used 2013 Mini Countryman S from a Mercedes Dealer at 75,000 KM (just under 50,000 mi) thinking it is German and therefore, quality. I also bought a 3 year extended warranty through a 3rd party carrier and thank god I did. The car is now at 105,000 km and we have had the vehicle into Mini BMW 4 times. The thermostat, solenoids, spark plugs, water pump, hoses, pipes, chains, belt and the headlights have all gone in that time. Every time I go in I have to pay the ridiculous diagnostic fee and the $300 deductible. Some of those repairs are routine maintenance, sure, but I also own a 2013 Kia Soul at 160,000 km which I’ve only had to replace a couple lights and the brakes and tires on. I’m going to sell the Mini as soon as I get a reasonable offer for it. It’s an absolute piece of garbage. I would never buy a Mini product again, and by proxy would never buy BMW. I’ve heard they’re just as bad.

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.

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.

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

2005 Automatic Mini Cooper. I had always kept up on the service and oil changes but suddenly when I was driving there was a strange noise. I brought it to a mechanic; he said I need a new transmission. It will cost up to $9000 when the blue book value of the car is from $4000 to $7000.

I no longer own my 2008 Mini Clubman. Happily traded it in for a new Prius on July 18. 2013. Mini Cooper never responded to my correspondence outlining the many problems I had experienced with the vehicle and my request for a response by July 19, 2013. Minis failure to respond sent a clear message to me that consumer confidence and satisfaction is not a priority. While I will always love the Mini for its cute design, I will be the first to advise anyone looking to own one to steer clear, unless you have a lot of time and money to waste.

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

Very enjoyable to drive - it is an adult go-cart. We particularly enjoy the convertible here in Florida. It is nice to have the wind blowing through your hair.

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

I 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I bought my Mini 2 years ago this month. A year ago, my car was stalling so I brought it to the dealer to see what was wrong. They told me it was the quality of the gas that was causing the problem. I had asked if it could be the transmission and I was told no, the Mini has a sealed transmission and thats not the case. Needless to say, a couple of weeks ago, I took it to the dealer once again with the same problem. $1,500 later, I was told it’s the ball joints and spark plugs that were ruined. I pick up my car and it’s far worse than what it was in the beginning. At this point, it was not drivable, so I returned the car to the dealer. I was then told it was my transmission and that I need to replace it and it would cost me $8,900. How ridiculous. I bought the car for $11,500, so how can a transmission cost more than half of my car? Im so disappointed at Mini. I thought when I bought the car that was doing a great investment but obviously not!

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

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.

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

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

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

My car has 110,000 klics on it and the transmission is gone. To fix it they want $8500 for the parts and another $1500 for the labor. They have to put the same transmission in and the same thing could happen again. The sales manager said it would be just better to sell it as I wouldnt get much as a trade in. They have these problems with the transmissions from 2002 to 2007 then they changed it. I do not think its is acceptable for a company to know this and not do a recall or at least fix it. These are $40,000 dollar cars and I think you should get a lot more mileage than this. I LOVE my car and it has cost a lot in repairs, but am so disillusioned with the reaction of the company.

My car has had 2 HP fuel pumps, aux water pump, a new bat replaced at 8k, oil pipe, gaskets valve cover and 2 timing chain tens replaced prior to 50k. The warranty has now expired. BMW wants me to sign a release as they are offering to pay 50%? Help.

I would like to join a class action lawsuit if someone could please advise. I bought my 2007 Mini Cooper S Turbo in 2008 with just 14,000 miles on the odometer. I was told that the original owner was not satisfied with the noise that the engine made and that he returned the car to the manufacturer. At first I thought that I found a gem of a car at a local used car dealership because this Mini had every option available with very low miles on it. Little did I know just how much of a mistake I had made in buying this piece of junk.In six years I went through 2 timing chains and sprocket repairs after hearing the death rattle. Not once did a warning light tell me when I was low on oil. I actually had to top off the oil every 1,000 - 1,500 miles. This car consistently sputtered, hesitated, blew black smoke out the tailpipe and broke down so often I finally took the car to a local mechanic after my extended maintenance and parts warranties with Mini expired - which incidentally I paid an extra $5,000 for. After replacing the timing chain twice and being told by two local mechanics that my engine was ruined - Mini customer service representatives insisted that the engine was fine. I finally let my local mechanic work on the car and he found that the valves were gunked-up with carbon and one of them had a large chunk missing from it. After that repair - lo and behold my car finally stopped burning oil and I never had to top it off again between oil changes!In six years I had replaced: 2 timing chains, starter, thermostat, head gasket, water pump, rust in the gear box, rusty bolts in the hatch that were showing through the paint, knock sensor, faulty computer messages, leaking air conditioner, antenna shorting out the rear defrost and radio, service light not coming on, split o-rings, valve cover, engine vacuum, oil line, fuel inlet, leaking coolant, sensors, etc... Not to mention the multiple pieces of trim that blew off the car while driving down the highway and the multiple towing fees at $750 each.I did get some goodwill or NCs on my invoices after fighting for them and had to remind customer service every-single-time that I did indeed have a 2nd party warranty agreement that I purchased from the Mini dealership. I actually had to produce my contract each time that I was there for repairs because they couldnt find it in my records. After paying $5,000 in extra warranties, huge towing fees, $100 deductibles with every repair, lost time at work, thousands of dollars in repairs after the warranties expired, and the unnecessary grief and exhaustion of owning this piece of junk, I would never recommend that anyone buy a Mini Cooper. The customer service representatives were friendly.

I bought my 2007 Mini S brand new. At 40,000 miles I was hearing a loud rattling noise. Ended up being the timing chain and the tensioner. Then: Valve cover assembly, thermostat housing, cleaned intake solenoid, cleaned valves and ports, replaced turbo coolant pump, second valve cleaning, spark plugs, catalytic converter, oil pan gasket, valve cover, ignition coil, second timing chain, intake valve cleaning, wiring harness. A total in excess of $7,000.00!! None of this was preventive maintenance. This was all done because its the biggest piece of Crap Ive ever owned. Thank the Lord, I just sold mine. Finally I am stress free!

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!

I purchased a brand new Mini Countryman in May. It has now been in the shop four times for problems that have escalated in degree. Now it has brake issues. They have now had my car for six days this time.

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

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

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

I had to replace the crankshaft pulley assembly and serpentine belt at 51,909 miles. The age of the car at this time was roughly 5 years and 8 1/2 months.The headliner has started falling. This started at around 53,000 miles in January of 2011. The age of the car at this time was roughly 5 years and 10 months. This car has been garaged for most of its life. I have had cars for much longer than this and these type of problems do not seem normal for the mileage or age of the car.

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

I privately purchased a 2006 MINI John Cooper Works with very low miles of 11,000 and was still under warranty at the time. Within a period of owning this car, the gear box has locked up three times a year. The third time it happened, I took the car in to get the value of the retail price. I felt that I needed to sell the car because it was undependable. While they were test driving the car, it happened again. The clutch went to the floor and was stuck. They told me that the repair would be costly now that its out of warranty. I would not leave owning this car so they made me an offer way below retail. I accepted the offer because I could not sell this car with integrity to a person without them knowing the problem. The bottom line is that Im disappointed in the MINI Cooper. I take care of my cars and drive them for many years. This car was not dependable for a long time.

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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.

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

I purchased my 2006 Mini Cooper S brand new in January 2006. The car currently has 108,000 miles, which are mostly highway miles as I commute to a job out of state a few days a week. Since purchasing the car, I have had a myriad of serious and unsafe issues starting with the replacement of run flat tires within the first 2 years of owning the car. Those tires run $350 a pop and if you run over a nail, you have to replace the whole tire. They didnt warranty them back then, though I think they do now. For the first 65,000 miles, I did all my maintenance at the dealership, but switched to a National Auto Care chain as the dealer costs were 40% higher for the same work. I changed tire to regular tires with a warranty to stem the bleeding.The latest issue began two weeks ago when I noticed the car was slipping between second and third gear when running for a while in stop and go traffic. The car shifted fine when cold. I brought the car in for a check up where I was referred to a National chain transmission repair shop where I was informed that my CVT would need to be re-manufactured at a cost of $6,000. I was also informed that my power-steering pump is leaking and the power-steering cooling fan is not working, so both need to be replaced. As much as I love this car, and even with these problems, I still do love the car, but I cannot recommend it because the premium price I paid for BMW engineering does not translate to reliability. These issues should not be occurring at this point in the cars life.I will be without a car for another week, at least, because the valve joint they need to re-manufacture the transmission is on back order as they re-engineered a new valve joint, for the originals were prone to premature failure. One would think BMW would address this or work with their customers on a reasonable repair cost for this. Unfortunately, when I called the dealer I purchased the car from for assistance, they quoted me over $10,000 for the same repair. Needless to say, I will never buy a Mini or BMW ever again. I am aware of class action suits in NJ and CA regarding this issue, but I cannot find anything in MA. If there is, or if there is an attorney looking to start one, please contact me.

I cannot agree more with previous poster. I have a 2003 Cooper S with 97k miles. I have not touched clutch or transmission. I have only machined front rotors, no work on rear, change brake pads every 30k, change oil, rotate and align regularly. Over the life of the car, I have replaced the power steering pump, heater core, front and rear bushings, and a computer issue with ABS/traction control system. That was it in over 8 years total.Your Cooper is a fantastic car, if you drive it properly and maintain it regularly. It is a foreign sports car and as such, its going to cost you a premium to get maintenance done. Parts are generally more expensive than youll find in a GM or Toyota. You should know that going in. Learn to drive properly and dont beat on it, maintain it regularly and most importantly, find a mechanic who works on minis because most local guys will not understand the car as well.

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

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

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

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.

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

My 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.

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

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!!!!!

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

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

I have 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.

In 5 years and less than 70,000 miles I had countless problems with my 2008 Mini Cooper. I had problems with the automatic drop on the windows 4 times at less than 5,000 miles. Around 20,000 miles I was at the airport and couldnt get my suitcase out of the trunk. Trunk had somehow locked itself and would not unlock. Had a really awesome time prying the back seat down and trying to get my luggage out! Car was at Mini for 3 days for that repair. At 36,000 miles I had radiator problems and the car was in the shop for 3 weeks. At 60,000 miles the water pump had to be replaced. It also chewed through brake pads and tires like nothing I have ever seen before.

The 2005 Mini Cooper Convertible, with 64,000 km that I purchased in October 2009, had a transmission failure! They wanted $9,000 to replace it (just past all warranties). They then did something to it for $900.00. I babied it until February 2012. At 112,000 km, it failed again! This is not something you would expect for $40,000!

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

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

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

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

All good until warranty expired, Then... 2016 model bought new. No problems at all. Love the car religious with maintenance. Hit 53k miles and developed unusual noise and driving characteristics. Transfer Case is shot (part of the drivetrain on the all-4 models) and repair is $4,000ish. SERIOUSLY?! Vehicle driven exclusively by middle age highly conservative driver...very disappointing!

This is definitely worst car in history. I honestly believe the Germans are trying to pay us back for kicking their ** during World War II. I bought this car for my daughter two years ago. It only had 57000 miles. I bought it from a salesperson in offer up. Vehicle drove nice during the testing drive. I just wished I would’ve done some homework before saying yes to my lovely daughter. Instead of going with my heart I should’ve gone with my gut feeling of never buying European cars. Oh well. Vehicle ran good for about 5000 miles. First thing I noticed was an oil leak. Oil housing gasket needed to be replaced. Turbo oil line needed to also be changed.Luckily, I did these changes myself which saved me about 2000 dollars. Ran good for about a month then the light engine turned on. Misfire on Cylinder 1. I replaced all spark plugs and coils. After a few weeks, light went on again. This time it was the valve cover. Replaced it myself. Light goes on again. This time I replaced several sensors. Again, oil leak. Oil housing gaskets changed again. Rattling noise began coming from engine. Open valve cover and noticed chain retention rail broken. This is common on all Turbo minis. Replaced top rail retainer and cleaned out the oil pan gasket. During cleaning parts of the rail were obstructing oil pump mesh. Mini recommended to chain whole chain costing me 2100 plus 600 for cleaning oil pan. No Ty. I will do it myself. Mini ran good for about a week when light light up again. This time it was the vacuum pump. Replaced it myself. Vehicle ran good for a week until one day I get lots of white smoke coming off the exhaust pipe. No engine light though and no sign of over heating. What gives?? I’m afraid this time the head gaskets could be the issue. I’m done with this car. Two years of unbelievable headaches. Like I said worst car ever. Btw, Im selling it to CarMax. I just don’t have the heart to give someone else this piece of junk... never again am I buying a Mini... I have noticed I don’t see them on the road as much as before.

I have a 2003 Mini Cooper. It has only approximately 55,000 miles on the engine. Its been very well taken care of and maintained and never driven hard. It has a CVT transmission which failed winter 2014. It was a catastrophic failure; there is no other way this type of transmission fails. It cannot be easily repaired if youre lucky enough to be able to repair it.I understand the warranty has expired but a transmission shouldnt fail at this mileage. The cost to repair? $8000.00+ with only a 1 year/100k mileage warranty. Thats the value of the car! Mini couldnt offer any resolution. They could care less!! Instead of trying to resolve, they just leave a comment to the Engineer Department who basically have designed a faulty system. The warranty offered infers that!! Dont buy a Mini Cooper!!! Its obvious Mini is only concerned about initial sales. Ratings show that!!