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

I bought a Mini Cooper and it has 90,000 on it and didnt do my home work on them. Bad mistake. The cost for parts is very costly and labor is outrageous. It took all I had to get it out of the shop... I had to replace the alternator, 1800 to tell me that I need a transmission and that would be another 8000 thousand dollars. And then may have more things could be wrong. I would think that the manufacturer would want to know what made it go bad with low mileage so they could work out the bugs. You pay so much for a car that everything goes out on it with low mileage. I believe that you would have so much maintenance and high cost to buy one of these cars... and now I noticed that they dont have a warranty of 10 years or 100 thousand. If you cant afford to pay to drive then you need to stay away from buying a Mini Cooper. You better have a great big wallet $$$. Hope this helps someone else... thanks for reading.

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

2005 Mini Cooper - My first problem with my Mini was the power steering pump. The original went with less than 10,000 km. Replaced with used - it broke down very soon after. I bought one from Mini for warranty - last summer. Since then, my tranny failed. The mechanic said it had a hole in the lower left section. I bought one from a salvage company from Quebec. I replaced that one in Feb. and due to bad weather, only drove it short distances 3 or 4 times. April 23rd (90-day warranty), it broke down when I had my disabled son with me - good thing we had just gotten into London, ON. 2 weeks left on warranty, the salvager wont honor. I will go to small claims court. We managed to get to the Mini dealer. They were only going to get rid of my airbag error light. They did and told me after their scans that this automobile has numerous problems. Not once did they indicate all the problems associated with these cars. They tried to tell me that it was old. It has been OFF the road more than on in the 7 years Ive had it!! Less than 98,000 km! The horn wouldnt work so we put an aftermarket one on. My son did it and works great. One side of the hood wont catch, 3 power steering motors and pumps, and now 2 trannies!! Mister transmission will tell me tomorrow whether or not they can fix it, and if so, will give me a warranty of 100,000 kms or 5 years! I will get it fixed if not too much and then sell it or trade it if the warranty goes with the car. Gas mileage was always great, BUT it is DANGEROUS and I will NEVER RISK DRIVING WITH MY FAMILY AGAIN!! Mini would NEVER admit any of these problems and KNEW it all along!

We bought our daughter a used 2008 Mini Cooper S in 2014 and the transmission went out the first week of 2016. Mileage is currently at 134K. We have had 2 quotes for the repair, including the Mini dealer, both are $8,000 with no guarantee the transmission wont have another untimely fail. This repair cost is the book value of the Mini. It is very unfortunate as the car is in otherwise great condition and was fun while it lasted. Its now sitting in our driveway while we figure out how to dispose of it... at a total loss. This was our first and last Mini. I would run... not walk away... from buying one of these again. The cost to maintain too great. Do your research.

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

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

I was in love with my Mini until it hit 70,000 miles. The first time I was stranded for an engine malfunction was a disappointment as well as a safety risk. If that would have been an isolated incident, I would not have thought much about it. Unfortunately, I keep having issues and getting stranded in the middle of nowhere. The Motor-On slogan should have a disclaimer that tells you to motor-on to the nearest dealership. I contacted Mini and there is nothing they are willing to do besides sell me another one. Why would I buy another least-reliable-vehicle-I-have-ever-owned? That would just be irresponsible. Do not buy this vehicle! Unless of course you have unlimited money to burn.

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.

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

I just bought a 08 Mini Cooper S Automatic with 77,000 miles. The person I bought it from showed me an inspection done at Mini in Pleasanton, and showed walnut blasting done to fix check engine light. I was told that was the only issue. After buying it, the check engine light came on 2 days later. I took it back to Mini in Pleasanton, they told me actually there was a big list of problems the seller never disclosed to me. Upon questioning him, he (Sean) who works at Nohrs RV center, said he felt the other items were not important so never showed me the paperwork.The other work that he had written paperwork needing consisted of water pump leaking needs replacement, vacuum pump replacement, fuel feed line, air intake boot cracked. So, I left car at the Mini dealer for 2 days to check everything. I found out on top of those issues it also needs the timing chain replaced, which Mini customer service refused to help pay anything towards, well known Mini defect. Also valve cover gasket needs replacement, and catalytic converter. I was tricked by the salesperson at Nohrs RV center in Pleasanton in the beginning, and now found out these cars have so many issues, as the manufacturer does not stand behind their product at all.

Had my 2013 Mini Cooper base convertible serviced at Mini of Pittsburgh, and was to be charged $855 to replace 4 spark plugs and 4 coils. My Mini only has 53,000 miles on it. Mechanic was supposed to call me before they made any repairs, and I had to call them to find out what was going on. The mechanic led me to believe the repairs were already done or in progress, then quoted me the cost. He then also tried to talk me in to having a new belt put on. I Asked if all 4 coils and plugs were bad and the mechanic said no, but they had to replace them all per Mini. I told the mechanic that I was in shock at the cost and finally agreed to take the cost down to $759. $400 in parts over $300 in labor plus cost of diagnosis! You should be ashamed for screwing people like this. I will never recommend or purchase another Mini, and in fact will be getting rid of it asap. Spark plugs arent supposed to be changed until 60,000 miles, and the coils failing at 53,000? Im posting my experience and complaints with Mini and Mini of Pittsburgh with the BBB and online sites.

I bought a 2004 Mini Cooper used from Tony Harrington at Gates in South Bend, IN in Oct. 2009. This was my first Mini experience. I drove Mini with the sales guy and complained about some noises. He told me, Its a Mini. Thats what they do and assured me the Mini was completely inspected inside and out and that Gates would never sell a car with known problems. Well five weeks later, that noise I complained about was the power steering pump dying and went out. I called Gates Mini and got no resolution at all. I started googling and saw that tons of people had similar problems, yet there were no recalls. I was very upset and disappointed. These little cars arent cheap at all. The pump + labor through BMW was $1400+ but I found a local mechanic who did it for $983. That was a lot of money for this repair and it seems to me Mini should have issued a recall.

We have had our 2007 Mini-Cooper for less than three years. We bought it, used, and spent a small fortune just to get it running right first thing after we got it. Now the timing chain has caused our car to be completely unusable. It is going to cost upwards of $8000.00 to fix. We have read everything we can about this happening to our mini and like the thousands of other owners, are extremely upset that Mini has not taken any responsibility for this built-in failure. We love our Mini and are greatly disappointed that our Mini will have to be abandoned and we will no longer drive another Mini, EVER. They are way too expensive to fix… if you can find anyone in your area to fix them. Short love affair with a high maintenance gold-digging lover!

I have a 2009 Mini Cooper Clubman still in warranty with 45,000 miles on it and I have owned the car purchased new for less than 3 years. First, the airbag light came on. I took it to the dealership in Memphis, Tennessee. I was told that the sensor got wet and it was not covered under warranty. I am not sure how an important sensor such as an airbag sensor would even be in a place that water could touch it. Even better, how about making a part that is water-resistant? It is the air bag sensor for Gods sake! Even though I provided recall announcements on the sensor, the dealership would not cover it. At 42,000 miles, my car began hesitating almost to the point of losing power when increasing speed rapidly to move from an interstate ramp to the interstate. I brought the car in and I was told that the oil needed to be changed (out of general maintenance so I declined the dealerships oil change due to elevated cost), brakes were now dangerous (now not under warranty but 4 weeks ago, they were in good working order and I drive 10 miles/day). They checked the hesitation issue and stated that the car was showing electrical voltage changes and they tightened the battery cables. As I was driving from the dealership, the car immediately began to hesitate. It continued to worsen. I called the dealership and I was told to check the gas cap for a tight fit, then take it to other service stations because the gas had water in it. Blah, blah, blah. The emission light came on and then the engine light. I had it towed to Roadshow BMW in Memphis, TN where I bought the vehicle. For 2 days they tried to find a diagnosis. The shop foreman was called in, the service manager was looking at it, and even a regional technician was contacted. Finally, I was called by a service rep. She stated that the turbos needed to be replaced at a tune of $3,000.00. Yes, this problem was covered under warranty, but because they did not do the oil change when they were to fix the problem in the last visit, the turbo replacement would not be covered under warranty. The dealership, in my opinion, is anything but honest. I am hiring an attorney and beginning my correspondence with Mr. McDowell, president in NJ at Mini USA. Fun car but if the dealership is slippery as a snake, it is not worth the money and headache.

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

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

My experience is in the email I sent to Victor **, the General Manager of Mini of El Paso: “Very disappointed” is actually an understatement. I have a 2011 Mini Cooper S that I paid a pretty penny for thinking I was paying for a quality vehicle with a company that stands behind their product and warranty; however, I am beginning to wonder. Your dealership states: Our commitment to customer service is second to none. We offer one of the most comprehensive parts and service departments in the automotive industry.” Correct? Well on August 11, 2012, I was driving to work, about 35 miles south of Ft. Stockton, Texas, on Hwy 285 in the middle of nowhere when suddenly my car will not shift into gears. I turned the vehicle off and went to restart the vehicle and nothing. It’s 108 degrees outside, and I am stranded in the middle of nowhere. I am just lucky my cell phone worked. I called Roadside Assistance and they were very apologetic and nice and said they would send someone to come get me and water if I needed. The only problem was they were coming from EL Paso. I assured the nice lady I would be dead if I waited with the vehicle that long. Lucky a nice old rancher just happened to be driving by and stopped to help and gave me a lift to town. All this on Saturday, August 11, 2012. The nice people from Roadside Assistance let me know they had picked up my vehicle and they would be towing it to Mini of El Paso. I called Monday (August 13, 2012) morning and spoke with Micheal and let him know what happened, etc. and that I needed to resolve this problem quickly since I am stuck in Ft. Stockton with no vehicle. I called on Wednesday, August 15, and he assured me he would call and let me know what the problem was. Well, he never called back. On Thursday, August 16, I called back and left message; no return call. On Friday, August 17, I called again; and the service clerk let me know they thought it was the clutch and flywheel, but she didn’t think it would be covered. I would have to wait and talk with Micheal. Well after sever more phone calls, I finally spoke with Micheal; and of course, first thing out of his mouth was, due to the low mile on the vehicle, it was apparent the damages were due to inexperience driving a standard, or abuse, or negligence to the vehicle. I have driven standards all my life, the last 24 years of it anyway, and I have never had a clutch issue with any of my vehicles until 75,000 mile range. I work very hard for my money and I am a 40 year old female. I can assure you that I don’t drag race in my car or abuse it in anyway. Thanks, to the many hours patiently waiting on Micheal to return my calls. I did some research on this problem; and to my amazement, there seems to be a large number of poorly qualified standard drivers who are mini owners. When I finally did talk to Micheal again, I questioned him on this; and he claims he has never heard of their being such a problem. I asked him if he had access to the internet and if so, to google “mini clutch problem” because if he truly wasn’t aware (which is doubtful), he needed to be. This was all on Friday the 17th. He said that they would have to open up the clutch to determine what caused the damage. But if they deemed it neglect and abuse, I would be responsible for the damages. I told him to go ahead and diagnose it and let me know ASAP. I am going on a week without a vehicle out of town working (which reminds me I only have 1 stop sign on my daily commute to work, so not in town hot rodding as he suggested). He assured me he would let me know something on Saturday the 18th. Saturday came and went as well as Monday. Here is Tuesday the 21st; and not only do I not have an answer, he also tells me they just realized the starter is out as well. I explained to Micheal last Friday that I need my vehicle no later than Tuesday, today. I am stuck out here in Ft. Stockton, bumming rides to work; and my Son is scheduled to have surgery for a broken jaw and eye socket in Houston at Ben Taubs Hospital on Thursday morning. Houston is an 8-hour drive, and I have no vehicle or any real answers. I have tried to be patient, but this has been a horrible experience all the way around. I guess I should have researched before buying a $35,000.00 vehicle. But I felt like I was paying for quality and that BMW would stand behind their product and honor their warranty, not to mention a better communication policy with the service dept. to the customer. I hope there is some way we can get this resolved quickly as far as how I am going to get to Houston by Thursday at 8 am when it’s an 8-hour drive. I have no idea. I guess I will try to find some shuttle system to Odessa, 80 miles away to the closet car-rental place, and then turn around and drive to Houston. I guess I would have been better off having my car towed to Mini of Houston? I am just so very upset with the service dept. right now, I am in tears.

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

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

09 Mini Cooper Clubman S - At 50k took car for service and was told the sealed transmission needs to be replaced and some tensioner needs to be replaced at a cost of $2800.00. Checked online, saw these were ongoing problems and contacted Mini corporate. Got the services covered but it was a hassle. Now 5k miles later they inform me the turbo oil line needs replacing at $1300.00 same deal but Mini wouldnt budge on the service although its a known manufacturer defect.My question is why is Mini allowed to get away with charging for obvious defects that should be RECALLS? The car is fun to drive, however I will never buy another Mini or BMW based on service costs for their defects! Dont get me started on the hood scoop that was replaced 4, yes 4 times due to warpage from the turbo heat! Grrrrrrr.....

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

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

Bought a used 2006 Mini Cooper s. Shady lowlife salesman. Transmission is junk. Paid $6000 for the car. $8800 for a transmission!!! Have they lost their freaking minds? BBB wont do a thing. Attorneys general for California doesnt care. Big old ** you to me! Thanks for building such a ** ridiculous uneconomically fixable car. Good luck to any and all who buy these junks.

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.

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?

Bought my 2008 Mini. Second day engine light came on. Brought it to pep boys - there for a few days. Got the car back. Fix a few minor issues. They did tell me I needed to replace the catalytic converter. Couple days later engine light came on again. Brought it to the dealership. They resettle the engine light - told me if it happens again to bring it back. Next day driving to work car starts shaking losing power - had to call triple A. They towed it to an auto repair shop which cost $165 to fix some other issues. This car is already too much - only had it for 17 days. Out of those days 2 weeks it was in the shop. Lost for words how these dealerships can sell the consumer crazy cars and get away with it. There has to be some kind of protection for us. Pissed as hell.

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

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

BMW Corporation were rude and wanted no responsibility once you bought the car, if things went wrong. Now experiencing a steering and fan pump issue and was never informed of their extended warranty offered and Im very disappointed once again in the company. The company has put my life in danger by not informing me of this imperative and vital information!

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

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

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

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?

An engine light came on in my 2012 MINI. I live 100 mi away from my dealer so MINI Roadside contracted a tow company come pick her up and take her to the dealer. As per policy of MINI USA and MINI Roadside, she was put on a flat-bed tow truck. On the return trip, 14 May 2014, however, things did not happen per policy. She was towed behind a tow truck with back wheels on the road and the front wheels 3 ft up in the air traveling down Interstate 75 from Atlanta to Warner Robins. The entire front of the car has suffered from gravel impact damage. Everything on the front end needs to be either replaced or re-painted (hood, hood trim, head lights, fog lights, bumper, roof, side mirror caps, front air dam, and wind-shield). MINI USA and MINI Roadside will not cover the damage and the tow company (who was under contract by MINI USA and MINI Roadside), of course indicates they did not damage the car. Both parties did agree, through a posted letter and an email, that the tow policy was not followed but there was no possible way my vehicle could have been damaged. When a vehicle goes to any MINI dealer for service, it is inspected for body damage (so the dealer is not held liable for damage they did not do, MINI USA policy). The service report from the dealer indicates no damage at all. $5k worth of damage and no one is to blame and no one knows how it happened in the course of 100 mi from the dealer to my house. MINI USA and MINI Roadside will not repair your vehicle if damage, but they will offer to pay YOUR insurance deductible (I kid you not).

I bought my Mini used with 39,000 miles on it, the dealership I bought the car from offered a 90 day 3000 mile warranty on everything and thank god because 75 day and 2500 miles in the timing chain and tensioner had to be replaced at cost of $2300 .Since then I have had a recall on the cooler for the turbocharge, just recently I had my thermostat housing and sensor replaced. Now Ive been dealing with major power lost as if the turbocharger isnt working at all....I bought the car to save money and it has been nickel and diming me more than my 15 year old Ford F150... And the car uses more oil than any car that I have ever owed and Im pushing 50...BMW/MINI needs to fess up and fix these design flops because its a reflection on both companies....

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

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

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.

Mini Cooper convertible S car is a very sturdy, fun ride. Mini has since updated their options which now includes a much more comfortable ride with a lot more options. Love the ease of the convertible top. The ride was a bit stiff for long distance motoring but has since been fixed to accommodate more comfort, electric seats, backup cameras, just to name a few. Such a sporty fun ride that I feel very safe in.

I bought a 2008 Mini Cooper couple years ago. Since the first day we have owned it, we have had nothing but problems with it. First week of owning it, a sensor went out on it, lucky still under warranty, cost 200 bucks to replace. We have had the body control module act upon it and have to unplug the battery to reboot the car regularly. The sunroof switch quit working right. The driver door window switch automatic quit working. The radio screen doesnt show up all the way sometimes. When its cold it sounds really loud and the exhaust is Really loud when its cold. Tires go flat in cold weather a lot. Just had to replace the coil wires due to misfiring on all cylinders. Seems like we havent went over a month without the check engine like coming on. For what you pay for a Mini you should get a quality car and Quality they are not... Nothing but junk. Will never own another nor a BMW see tons of post about same problems with them. Mini doesnt back their product. I am going back to American made once I get where I own less than the car is worth. DO NOT BUY A MINI COOPER unless you like to be broke fixing it. Now I know why they kept pushing the extended warranty and maintenance package. You have to use the the whole time you have the car because its constantly in the shop.

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?

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

I 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 have a Mini Hardtop. I loved this car. I have it all decked out. Now I just hate it and rather have a honda. I have taken care of all common maintenance. My car only has 34000 miles, and here go my problems. Car doesnt want to idle, driving rough, does not feel like it wants to shift (I have manual). I took it to repair and all the fuses needed replaced and the car surprisingly was eating oil. 1 month after repair, I am back at it again, getting it towed to find out what the issue is now. I already had the computer reset 2x at dealer. Now it wont start although the lights and radio will not work. I am so disappointed.

Mini CVT transmissions - Another family member wrote on this forum about the Mini repairs that have been done on our 2004 Mini Cooper. Well, to top that off, the transmission died at 77,000 miles and they wanted $7K to fix. Great fun car, but reliability is the pits. Our other cars? A Saab 9-5 with over 154K and a Jag with 51K. All with less problems than this BMW Mini. I would not recommend anyone buy a 2004 used Mini at all. In fact, we traded our Mini in for a Honda. Yes, I know, its boring!

My wifes car is a 2007 Mini Cooper S with about 98,000 miles. We bought it used at approximately 14,000 miles. It is on its third engine! There has been so much maintenance on the car. I can only begin to list the problems. The entire panoramic roof cassette had to be replaced. Currently, it is burning about 2 to 3 quarts of oil every 600 miles. The exhaust is making a noise which approaches the threshold of pain. The radio behaves erratically such that you only get one am station. When the battery inside the key fob died, we had to replace the entire key fob! The car devours tires and brakes. While I have mechanical breakdown insurance, we still had to pay costly deductible payments. Mine is for sale - cheap!

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

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

I have owned a 2008 MINI Cooper S since 2009. I have had some fun driving it around but like others I regret buying it. The cost of ownership for this car is very high. If you take it in to the dealer expect to pay at least a $1,000 every time. I needed a new clutch after 50,000 miles at a cost of $1500 or so. I have driven stick shifts since I was 17 years old in the UK and I am now 65 years old. I never needed a new clutch under 100,000 miles on any car except the MINI. The clutch burns in traffic and if you reverse up a small hill for even a short distance it burns also. Its defective in my opinion. Of course its easy for dealers to blame owners for poor driving habits, they will not admit that there is a clutch issue. After Flow MINI of Raleigh NC changed the clutch I came to pick up the car and immediately noticed a noise in the engine that didnt belong. I complained about it but the salesman was clueless (or pretended to be) and the service people had left. I was forced to nurse the car home and bring it back because they had failed to tighten something up. I had to travel 50 miles backwards and forwards. The service rep said they had given me some gas to compensate me for the inconvenience. They did not top me up, the cheap rep added a gallon or so, that was it. I was disgusted.After the clutch replacement one of the AC hoses developed a leak because it was rubbing. I suspect it was not put back properly after the clutch change. Flow MINI in Raleigh NC want another $1500 to replace the hose. Apparently the engine has to be taken apart to change the hose. I declined the service, Ill do without AC. They changed a leaking oil seal and drive belt at a cost of $466.51 (what a deal). $138.55 was the total for the drive belt. The axle seal I was able to get down to $330.96. They never mentioned these issues when they called me about the AC repair but I noticed them on the worksheet so I had to get a ride home again and come back the same 50 miles to get the car. No gas this time. This is an expensive car to begin with and I mistakenly thought that the BMW name would mean a quality build - not so. It needs a lot more money to maintain than it should, also a lot earlier than other cars. It has got to go, never to be replaced. For the money spent on this car for repairs I could have bought a reasonable used car. Toyota, Mazda, Honda are the way to go. I never had any issues with them for over 100,000 miles apart from maintenance items like tires and brakes. Usually I sell a Toyota with over 120,000 miles with no issues and a great price. We have owned Camrys and a Honda Civic - never any problems.What a shame that such a fun car has such a terrible build with a poor warranty, poor components, and a terrible service department (in Raleigh NC anyway). Think about all the costs before you buy a MINI Cooper. It will drain your wallet.

I took my 2007 Mini S to a dealer for a free recall repair last year and was told I needed new brakes. The car had only 27,000 miles and I paid over $1000 to have the work done I was told needed to be done. That was last year. This year, the warning lights for the ABS and traction control started coming on at random times although I dont see any difference in the handling when the warning lights are on or off. I went to a dealer which is 135 miles from where I live to have it checked and was told the black box that controls these functions has failed and would need replacement to the tune of $1350 plus 3 to 4 hours labor plus tax. Im still under 40,000 miles, and over $2,500 for repairs in 2 years on a car with this low mileage seems excessive. I was going to have them set up an appointment to do the work, but since there have been issues with reliability of this model for this year, Ive decided to hold off and see if I can get feedback to help me decide in what direction to move. I love driving this car. It has all the options I could want and then some. It cost $31,000 new in 07 but if repairs are going to start being a major issue, I may need to rethink keeping this car or trading it on a vehicle on which I can get service locally.

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.

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

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.

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.

My first Mini Cooper was in 2004. It was the worst car I ever had. The battery died in the first three months and it only got worse from there. Like an idiot, I was talked into getting another one in 2011, as the dealer told me how all the earlier problems had been addressed and now they are even recommended by consumer reports. Well, this car is not even four years old and my check engine light has gone off five times already and each time is some new problem I have to pay for. I cant wait to be done with this company forever.

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

I 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.

Do not buy a Mini Cooper! I have a 2006 Mini Cooper with 47,000 miles and the automatic transmission has gone out! I was told that you cannot buy parts; you have to replace the transmission at the cost of $7500! Shame on Mini Cooper for being aware of transmission problems and not standing behind their product!

As mentioned by thousands of other unsatisfied owners of Mini Cooper, I am also a victim of the dreaded CVT transmission. Had I known about the unreliability and short term of CVT transmission in ’06 (apparently BMW did), I would not have wasted my money on a Mini. Dont buy a Mini. My transmission just gave out without any warning. And now, I am left with nothing due to the expensive cost of the repair and not being able to afford it. I hope you burn in hell BMW. BMW has a class action lawsuit against them regarding the CVT issues but will not acknowledge or help. I am going to park the car in a parking lot until the suit is settled. Hope it will be soon.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I purchased my 2008 Mini Cooper S hatchback with 32K miles on it and still owe $11K. I quizzed the salesperson on maintenance requirements and different aspects of the vehicle; so far nothing he said has been true and I have spent $11K so far in repairs. This car, with payment, gas, repairs and insurance is costing me $880/Mo; a house payment for heavens sake!Right now it is in the shop after: 1 month ago replacing the valve cover ($800). 2 weeks later the timing chain ($4K). Not even 2 weeks went by and now waiting for the call to find out what the current issue is but know its going to be big $$ because the engine light went on again. I purchased this vehicle for the gas mileage as I have a 56 mi commute to work and its a BLAST to drive but the most UNRELIABLE & DANGEROUS car I have ever owned! Im probably going to sell it to the dealer and take a huge loss with nothing to show for it. Minis are like boats; the 2 happiest days of ownership are when you buy it and sell it! Youve been given fair warning: Dont buy a Mini!

My 2017 Mini Cooper Coupe is amazing, she is so fast & compact, I can fit her in any parking space! I like the British racing green color & white accents, sunroof, futuristic look, and dealer personnel.

We purchased a 2019 Mini Countryman 3 weeks ago. A overheating issue came up and coolant was leaking. Dealer says rocks punctured the radiator so it was not covered under warranty and we are trying to go through our insurance or we have to pay for it. My concern is that the makeup of the vehicle is such that a rock or rocks while driving on regular roads can cause this damage. This has to be extremely uncommon for any vehicle and curious if anyone has had this experience.

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

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

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.

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

By now, every Mini owner should know of failures of the power steering fan, pump and guard and that Mini has pledged to repair or reimburse owners for breakdowns. I applied for reimbursement in May 2013 and have yet to receive it. Mini-USA told me it may be 2014 before I receive my check. My automobile shifter linkage failed within a month of purchase; it spent ten days in service five or more times the first year alone for this one problem that freezes the transmission in 5th gear. Repairs made to this automobile: At 90k miles, I have replaced 4 or 5 clutches, a transmission, power steering pump, throttle body, ac compressor and condenser, fan, alternator, both power window regulators, motor mounts and rear strut. Electrical harnesses connected to the warning system are prone to fail from rainwater leaks and/or require cleaning service. Dealer estimated charges for each of the above repairs average 1000.00 USD. Responsiveness of dealer and manufacturer is almost non-existent. I estimate I have paid 6000.00 for repairs in the last 30,000 miles.

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

I was in 2 accidents a month apart (Its not my fault.) in my 2007 Mini Cooper. So, I sent it to my local Mini dealer, thinking they knew what they were doing. When I had a warranty, I got excellent service, but not after my warranty was up! They broke things on the car, lost pieces, put things in backwards - it was a nightmare. I was told that all those things were wear and tear. It happened in the accidents; it was fine before. They would not fix the things they broke, and they were just so rude, saying I was making it up! Im not! So, they told my insurance company that its like that before the accidents. So now, they closed the claim and would not fix the problems. Problem is, they broke the parts or did not fix it right. They would not say they did it and made it right. They were very sobbing, and they think they are some great fancy place, not just another car repair shop. And in my accident, I broke my nose on the steering wheel. The air bag did not go off and the seat belt did not hold me back! I was slammed hard from behind. The problem is the dealership.

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

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 had a Cooper S 2008 which had few issues only. Oil leaks. AC compressor failed. Gear box will not go after 3. Talking fair. NEVER buy this crappy product. I will not pay a penny for 2015 brand new with 10 years warrant. THANKING you and hope readers will know its good if you have 2 cars and you work for the agent.

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

I 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!

Purchased 2009 Mini Cooper S for **s 1st car in 2014, 42K miles for $14K. Its 5/8/15 now; Mini is sitting in shop in Cypress, TX. Repairs are now at $5K. Timing chain broken/plastic in the bottom of oil pan. We will drain our savings to repair the car then go straight to dealership where we will LOSE $9K that was supposed to be for **s college. Contacted Mini dealership in Houston: did 90% of original maintenance, confirmed there is a Class A lawsuit against Mini for this reason.

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

Ive had my 2009 Mini Cooper since, well, 2009. It was the car that I test drove on the lot, and I fell in love with it at first sight. All was great, until it wasnt. Started having problems at around the 2 year mark. Since it was still under warranty, some stuff was covered. But once the warranty was out, I had to pay out of pocket which was REALLY pricey. Finally after 5 years, I was able to find a good, honest, Mini-expert mechanic who told me my Mini would need a refill of oil every three gas fill ups! He said my model Mini burns oil every couple hundred miles. Ive also noticed that my coolant needs refilling every few weeks as well. And just today when I turned it on my window said it needed service, when yesterday the counter told me in 600 miles. I think its come to the end of the road for me and my Mini. But it will be in tears because I just love that damn car.

In the end, I was contacted by an Executive Customer Care rep about my BBB complaint. She was professional and courteous and did everything she said she would do when she said she would do it. This was especially impressive given that her responses relied on many people around Thanksgiving vacation time. She said she did not know why the Regional Management Team would have turned down my request for a tow, and a week later, their decision was overturned. A day later, the new dealership contacted me to arrange EVERYTHING for just two days later. They said my MINI would be finished by Friday, but on Thursday morning, they contacted me to say I was moved to the front of the line and would have my MINI towed back to me, fixed up as good as new, a day early. MINI USA paid for EVERYTHING, and the new dealership took care of arranging the tow and the repair. When you find the right people in the company, I think they really DO care about their customers! One star off for having to work so hard to find the right people, but they have re-earned my business!

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

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

I bought a Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works 12000 miles, paid £16500. Last year I was driving and the screen kept telling me boot open. Sometimes I could open other times it was impossible to open. Took into my local garage and he shook the boot door only to find it full of water!!! If I did not have it fixed the water would eventually mess electronics up. I looked on internet and it is quite common. I called Spire Mini and they wanted £120 just to tell me what was wrong with the boot (like they did not know). Took it to be fixed at a BMW garage. Now again I cannot open my boot, went to garage. Everything is soaked and the boot door again is full of water. I am so angry. It is obviously a fault. It is disgusting to pay that amount of money for a Mini and all they are interested in is more money on a faulty car. I want to go to a solicitor and demand they replace the boot door and pay for all my damaged goods. Does anyone know the details of the managing director of Mini who I can contact?

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

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.

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

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

Minis new 4 door hardtop is beautiful but BMW/MINI cannot repair it. I have had my NEW car in the shop since August 20th. The part needed has been unattainable. (Its backordered. We dont have a manufacturer.) & I havent been given loaner.

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

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