what are the most common mini problems? have they been solved?

[aris]

Hi everyone

first of all this a very usefull and entertaining site! many thanks to the people who run it.
i have been reading about a few problems concerning the mini S like the yo yo/stall effect, clunk on 1st to 2nd gear, coolant leak problems and i have started to rethink my decision on ordering one.

so my question is,what are the most common problems associated with this car and have they been solved by the factory?

i really love this car and i would like to get one but these things have made me have second thoughts.

i would greatly appreciate your feedback

peace out

[Mugami]

Most common problem i found with the MCS. is not being able to drive it enough. Fixed that by taking time off from work and becoming an insominac. =) As for the yoyo and clunking. the factor has changed the power curves to accomadate most drivers and solve this (so called) problem. as for the leaks Ive had to MCS so far and havent had a problem with either. Except the cold start problem with the 02 MCS. Dropping it 50ft down the side of a mountain fixed that problem.. now it wont start at all. There for the cooling leak i think was mearly a bad batch of bottle sent to the factory

Have fun, Be safe and Keep Motov8n

P.S. buy the car!! BUY THE CAR!!!

[morrisminiminor]

Thought that would have been obvious.
Most common problem is the wait for the car. This site is full of people with exactly that problem. Doesn't look as if it is getting sorted either

morrisminiminor

[MINISquidz]

My anxiety level goes up each time I look at this web site now. My MCS is to be delivered in the next week or so and all these discussions about problems makes me nervous!!! Perhaps we should ask out of all the members how many are driving 'problem free' MINI's to get some perspective!! I still want the car but now I having some doubts! WHAS GOIN ON?

[Zulu]

If I had my time over again I would not purchase one...Far too many unanswered questions from BMW over software fix for hiccup and yoyo. Don't buy ...yet... I thought they would have it right by now but they are far from it.
I may still take it back to the show room and ask for my money back.

[grumpy07470]

Have a Mar 03 build so far everything is ok. That said, do I think that I will have a problem ? The answer is yes. I have never owned a car that was fault free. Some more than others. So go for it, you will love it

[John Adams]

Had my MCS for five months,the only problem has been getting enough money to buy all the goodies I want for it.Buy the MINI S and you WILL be happy.

[cooper4us]

Don't read too much into internet message boards. There is a 50/50 chance you will either get accurate information or a bunch of misleading facts. Truth is that people that have problems complaint the most. People that are happy with their cars almost never post. Internet message boards unfortunately have a tendency to over emphasize on the negative. Look at any enthusiast car board....from Rolls Royce to Toyota and anywhere in between, you'll always see complaints. Perfect cars don't exist.

Have you ever seen a discussion thread where someone posts..."My car worked great today, did not stall and did not rattle"?

Read in between the lines and take some posts with a grain of salt.

[mr.bill]

There are some serious problems and there are minor, annoying ones. Some people are willing to put up with problems because they like the car otherwise, but even some of them have reached a point where the recurring trips to the dealer take the fun away. Many here will tell you they have "lost confidence in the car." The most serious problems are the cracking windshields and electrical failures. Everything is controlled by a computer, so all it takes is a drop of moisture in the wrong place to cause a huge problem. There are other things, such as poor quality seats, squeaks and rattles, paint coming off interior surfaces, etc. Some people had problems from day one, others had a nearly trouble-free car for the first few months, then the other shoe dropped.

If you buy one you will probably enjoy driving it, but just don't expect "Honda or Toyota quality."

[flipper]

I have a MC Nov 02 so most serious problems have been sorted on the assembly line.
However there are some very silly ones that appear to have remained.

There have been problems with the airbag warning light which is due to wiring loom conections - amazing but the fix is better quality loom conections and a day at the dealers
Equally amazing is the silver paint quality - like silver paint is 'new' to automotive manufacturers?

It seems to me that BMW in an attempt to keep the cost of manufacture down have tried to get away with some budget items - I think that this is false economy as it all has to be replaced in the end under warranty

[jester]

mine's an april 2002 MCS and i've had quite a few problems, a new gearbox, header tank, new coolent, new bonnet vent, various rattles, new drivers seat, new power steering motor and pump plus a few other bits and bobs, but the question you want to be asking is would i buy another? and the answer is a big fat YES. i love this car, i trust this car, i did 1500 miles in a weekend when we went to the 'ring in spring and i loved it. if you buy one you wont regreat it, i promise you. It is, IMHO, one of the best drivers cars around today. regardless of cost.

[aris]

Thanks a lot guys for all the replies! this is definatly helpfull. I am glad to hear that most people -dispite the minor or major problems- do love the car! Ok, maybe toyota makes everything with maybe a bit more quality, but who wants to drive a corolla ?

Mini has style! Its a drivers car! Most European magazines and tv shows have voted mini to be one of the best 10 sports cars ever made. Car testers love it and so do the drivers!

Driver magazine had it on the same list with Zondas, Ferraris, Lambos, Maseratis and S Jag's. I did think of getting the Focus RS at one point, but the car has no style..It is a rocket with a Cosworth engine but it aint a mini!


I still have the sweet exhaust "purr" in my ears from my first test drive...

i think this car is addictive...

peace from greece

[cooper4us]

Our 2002 MINI Cooper CVT (Early August 2002 build) has EXCELLENT build quality. We have logged nearly 8K troublefree miles. No rattles, no squeaks, NADA. very pleased with the build quality.

[tomorthway]

it seems that most of these problems are for uk cars???

[Zulu]

The Mini is a nice car but certainly not without problems....like any car. Unfortunately it seems as though there are a few problems that Mini can't fix and that's not good for Mini or the people that bought their cars in good faith that they were buying a quality product that was fit for purpose. My car hiccups and yoyos like a ***** and there is no present fix for it. Definately not worth the $27,000 I paid for it.