The wife and I are looking at a used Mini, probably 07, possibly 08 but the more research I do the more I'm scared to move forward.
We had one of the local BMW mechanics (indy) tell us to avoid the Mini all together due to the many and frequent repairs they require and at best get one with under 50K miles. He says once they hit 50-60K miles that there (generally) can be a lot of costly maint. and repair items needed.
I looked at the forum topic here regarding extended maint. contracts and those seem to exclude so much stuff that their value is questionable. I've never seen so much excluded stuff in an extended pkg.
I realize that the majority of people on this forum love (or strongly like) their Mini but when you honestly consider the maintenance, is it a good purchase.
We drove a Mini for about 4-5 days a few months back and without a doubt it was a fun car to motor around town in... heck about 20 years ago I owned a Renault LeCar... love it. In fact when I 1st saw the Mini (whenever the came to the US, I thought they had brought back the LeCar... I followed it for several blocks trying to figure out what it was).
I'm torn about this Mini thing though. Some of it is luck of the draw... you get one that only requires "normal" maintenance but I'm seeing lots of issues and expensive repairs.
thanks
Ken

 

Remember, no one comes on the forum to let everyone know that they're not having issues. Forums are always skewed towards issues because that is where people come for advice.

If you're worried then I'd suggest buying new and having the warranty there for you. Plus, you'll know it was treated well - which is very important for a MINI. Also, the newer the car the more issues that have been fixed. '07 was the first year for the 2nd gen so it is more likely for it to have more issues than say the 2010. If you find out the particular one you bought is 'issue prone' then sell it - they hold their value very well.

Another thing to consider, the 'justa' or non-S MINI seems to be a little more reliable. Who will be the primary drive for the car? You or your wife? Do you need the turbo? I'm very happy with my justa, it does everything I need and still feels peppy and sporty. There's no reason for me to go 0-60 a couple seconds quicker or go above 126 in normal highway driving. I choose the justa because I could get it loaded with options and knew it would be more reliable in the long run. (There's a guy floating around on the forum with ~420,000 miles on his 1st gen justa.)

 

You really have to think about how many people are on this fourm and how many mini's there are an the street. Like Amberback said, on a fourm you will so most of the bad stuff. I have an 09 S and i drive it like a 21 year old guy and it holds up fine. The only issue i have is a sensor in my seat, that went out. The other thing i had was one of the bearing in a strut go bad, but i have after market coilovers on it.

 

When we got out '06 S cabrio one of the first things I did was get on the web and found this place and started reading. Scared me to death about what I had just gotten myself into and every time I drove I expected something to fall off or quit working at any minute. I've since learned exactly what the previous two posters have said.( )

All I've dealt with is the normal service and a broken windshield and miles of good times. Every car made has a few off the line that pitch a fit. You know how much fun you had for a few days and forget what the BMW guy was saying, he was hoping to re-direct you.

Another thing that will be of help is to join up with your local MINI club, regardless of where I guarantee you they are a great bunch to get to know. There are always some very knowledgable motor heads that can help you with anything that comes up.

Start Motoring

 

Oh, and one more thing: When you get it and come on site to tell us about it, include pictures so as to avoid all the 'post pictures' comments.

 

If you find a used one that isn't purchased from a MINI dealer, then I'd take it to have it looked at by the dealer before buying it. That way they can find any issues you might not have been informed about up front.

Also, you might want to look into MINI Next. It's a certified pre-owned program through MINI and they come with a warranty. http://www.miniusa.com/mini-next.html

 

In three years and 75k miles I've spent just over $2,000 on regular maintenance on my MCS. The overwhelming majority of that cost has been for two sets of tires and one brake job (pads + rotors). I did have some repairs done, all under warranty.

 

It will be three years in April since I picked up my MINI and it now has 64K+ on it with only tires, brake pads and rotors, two sets of wiper blades and some oil changes. Spent less than $2500 so far and see no issues in the future.

To break that $2500 down

Winter rims and tires: $1200
Pad & Rotors: $450 (front and back)
Summer tires: $440
wiper blades: $40.00
Oil chagnes: ? but lets say $60 each for 4 times or $240

As many others have said in this thread and many others. People really only come to forums to complain or get advise. For every person here there is probably 100+ (maybe even 1000+) that never come here and never have a problem.

And go look at a Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chevy, or any other car forum and you find exactly the same thing you find here. Lots of complaints.

 

I understand your concern; it's the same one I had last year when my wife first brought an '06 MC home. As indicated above, forums such as NAM reflect a somewhat biased sample of complaints. That's true at other car enthusiasts' forums as well (based on that, I'd shy away from BMWs and Porsches too, if I didn't already own some).

You might check sources such as Consumer Reports for reliability ratings, including specific trouble spots. The April 2010 CR showed the MC to be at average reliability then, while the MCS was still below average. The April 2011 issue should be out soon.

I wouldn't go so far as to completely rule out the MINI as your mechanic did, but there may be some sloppy generalities such as: (1) newer/fewer miles will probably be more reliable than older/more miles; (2) more well cared for will probably be more reliable than less well cared for; and (3) the MC will probably be more reliable than the MCS.

Such generalities are poor substitutes for doing one's homework carefully on specific cars, however; how good a job one does selecting what will be a reliable MINI for the future. Yeah, luck plays a part in that too.

 

Well... my 07 MCS just hit 38k - so far I have replaced 1 set of tires and an oil change. I had 3 oil changes and a brake job done by the Mini dealer.

Runs great so far... and I do not baby it. I also autocross it so - if I ever wear something out - I am OK with that!

 

Oh i did go burn through the run flats in about 2 monts, what can i say car is fun to drive

 

I dont know how 'biased' the number of complaints are. Whatever the ratio is here, it is probably the same out in the real world. Most of the cars are good, but there are a bunch that wind up back at the dealer for things that shouldnt go wrong. But thats why theres a warranty.

Otoh, what bugs me about MINI, and car companies in general is when they dont acknowedge and fix problems that are due to design flaws. Stress cracked windshields? Mushrooming strut towers? POS thermostats, for example? Look how long it took Toyota to acknowledge the uncontrolled acceleration problems on their cars, and then only after public and legal pressure. So until a MINI, no, a bunch of MINIs, run themselves off the road and hurt or kill their occupants, there will be no addressing the origin of the problem by the company.

 

Funnest Car I have ever owned. Anything that needs fixed or replaced will be more expensive than domestic or Asian auto's.

With that said, I bought my 06 MCS with 77,000 miles. I have had no real problems in the year that I've owned "Flash". Brake Pads, Rotors, Tires, Oil Changes, Thermostat Housing.

Thing is. I probably spend more on Mods. I am constantly thinking of things that will make flash run even better.

Bottom Line. For total reliability buy a Honda. For reasonable reliability and a unique driving experience buy a MINI.

P.S. An independent BMW/MINI mechanic/Garage will save you major $"s....

 

Listen to your local BMW mechanics . Or buy my 07 .

 

Since '07 was the first year for the Prince engine in the MINI, it went through some birthing pains. This type of phenomena can be expected on any car. I'd try and get as late of a model R56 S as possible. The 2011's are the most refined yet. I have an '09 that had issues with the timing chain tensioner, but they've been totally fixed. Other than that, it's been a wonderful ride for 40,000 miles!

 

Or my 08 As much as I love the car, it hasn't been particularly reliable at all. I'm not saying don't buy one, and I'm not saying that everyone has issues, but from personal experience, it's been at the dealer a lot more than I'd like. I'm slightly dreading my warranty ending at the end of this month.

 

Had my used 05 for 4 months now... Spent $300 to find out A-town Mini isn't quite all with it yet.

My "wheel bearing" issue was actually noisy run-flat tires. I will replace them as soon as I can afford.

My '05 MCS JCW had 45k on it when I purchased, has 55k now, and already replaced the Power Steering pump.

Brake pads are next.

I don't think it is fair to include tires/pads even rotors into the equation of expense for these.

The Power Steering pump is a disaster, but Honestly the rebuild service wasn't bad, and replacing it wasn't really either (just a lot of time)...

So far I chock it up to normal maintenance.

PS: Have 2 dodges that have corroded bolts at the 80+k mark that exhaust manifold bolts broke off into the head (dissimlar metals)... each running 15+ hours in repairs... First I paid someone to do, next one I am doing. So the MINI is MORE reliable than a dodge!

 

Ken, I have read and reread this thread since I went through something similar last year. I found a really clean 2007 MINI at a local dealer (Hyundai) and agonized over whether to buy it. I finally decided to spend the difference and bought a new 2010 MC.
If money is an issue, consider the MC over the MCS which is approx $3000 more. And limit yourself to a car that is not "loaded". It's going to be just as much fun to drive. If "fun to drive" is not an issue, forget about a MINI and buy an inexpensive Toyota or Honda.
I remember the LeCar. Someone had the vanity plate on theirs - "LeTags".
Others have urged you to buy a MINI. We don't know you or your situation, but if you thought the LeCar was fun, you're in for a treat as a MINI owner.

 

I put 85000 miles on a 07 Cooper. No problems. I now have 15000 on a Clubman S. Still no problems. Mainly highway miles with long commute. Loved the Cooper, love the Clubbie more. If you want sensible, buy a Civic. IF you want love, buy a Mini.

 

grgramps,
Thanks for your reply, good to see there's someone around who remembers Le Car.
Money is an issue, just bought another car about a month ago but wanted to address my wife's desire to have a Mini (will be selling/trading in a 2002 BMW 5-Series). Ideally we would wait about a year or so to get this 2nd car but thought if we found the right deal we might make a move. We were looking at a Non-S, 2007 Mini (prices seem to be in our range). I guess if we waited maybe even 2 years we could just get a new one. I was leaning toward a 2007 Mini with lots of extras, I hate getting a car then later figuring out I should have got certain options because they are too expensive or not available to add later. But, since she will be driving it most of the time, she might not worry about missing options like I would.
If we do move on a used one, maybe I'll try to find a 3rd party warranty since the one from Mini is soooo limited.

 

72000 on a justa only problem so far i used the horn and
the airbag light went off. The dealer said i needed a new
airbag but I bought the tool, wiggled the wires, and reset the
light, no problems. Total cost me ~$600 (250 for diagnosis
at the dealer (NOTE GET THE TOOL WHEN YOU GET THE CAR),
300 for the tool, 30 wasted on the mini repair info site that didn't work).

Other than that no problems.

Its the Bav Tech tool you can find on this site or search.

DONT BUY ONE OF THESE THINGS WITHOUT GETTING THE TOOL.

Gonna save you. Even if all you do is loan it to your local mechanic.

 

ken, i assume you're here in indianapolis? i'd be happy go over stuff with you on the mini, show you how mine's doing, my issues, experience etc.

i'd suggest take a look at d&r at a cpo. i could be jaded but at least then you have some assurance they've got it sorted out to some extent. faith lloyd was my sales lady and she was and still is a very nice person to work with.

 

This is a good topic. In my case, I was aware of the reliability ratings for the MINIs before I bought my 2010 MCS. It wasn't a huge issue for me, because I just wanted a MINI, and figured I'd cross any reliability hurdles when I came to them. I tend to take good care of cars anyway.

I was very fortunate, in that my MINI's service has been exemplary and I'm nuts about it.

On a related note, I also own a '78 MG Midget. Reliability for a British Classic is the stuff of jokes, but I still love the car and take great pleasure in driving and showing it. Granted, I do my own work on it and save major $$$ in the process, but still... the extra hassle is worth it, just to own a car with such character and a distinct identity. The MINI does the same thing for me. (And no, I don't intend to do all my own spanner work on the MINI...)

Had another thought - Nobody goes to the doctor just to tell him/her "I'm feeling great! No problems at all!" They go because they're sick, and I suppose a completely blinkered observer hanging around in a doctor's office could conclude that the human race as a whole is a sickly lot, when that's definitely not the case. Likewise with a forum such as this one; folks show up asking about their sick MINIs, while the majority of us (I suspect) are motoring gleefully about with few to no issues. It really is easy to misconstrue all the trouble reports here and apply them to MINIs in general, when that's not necessarily the case. And naturally, just as with human health, the way you drive and maintain the car can contribute to its condition.

Spridget

 

Lucas electronics - why do the British drink warm beer? Lucas refrigerators!

I had a 65 and 69 MGB and a 68 TR4... loved them all! I still intend to buy an old Jaguar E or maybe a 150 oneday for a project...

The current Mini is nothing like the old British cars IMO...

 

Thanks for the offer, I may take you up on it.
Our realistic time frame may be a year away but as I casually look used MCs, you never know when a great deal comes up. We have a 2002 BMW 530i that will either be a trade or sold out right. Haven't had a chance to get it cleaned up and get some estimates.
Ken