MINI2

nickw · Oct 5th, 2007, 08:42 PM

Hi, In 2 days I am about to take ownership of my 03 MCS which has taken me 5 months to find the right one. I use to own a 54 MCS convertible which I had only from new 2 months and had to sell due to circumstances out of my control. Now 3 years on I am back and in a position to buy another one, unfortunately not a new one this time. With my first one I had piece of mind with manufacturers warranty and TLC, with this one I dont. I said to myself not to read up on any known problems and just go for it, drive it and worry about the problems as and when they happen. However I couldnt help myself and now I have read a lot of threads where owners have experience problems with the clutch, steering, well basically everything. I know there are alot of Minis that dont experience any problems and I have been assured that to be the case with the one I am buying (by the way it has 44k miles). So basically I need help on where is the best place to seek an extended warranty (not BMW too expensive) for the Mini and is there any warranty that will cover the clutch, as I have read many threads that this is a common problem on the 03 MCS. Also can I extend the TLC, if so is it easy to do and how much.

I am seeing the car for the first time on Sunday, before I hand over the money what are the obvious and easy checks I can do to ensure there is nothing immediately wrong with the Mini before I drive it away.

Apologies for the long email, starting to panic, where instead I should be excited.

Thanks
Nick

Scrogg · Oct 5th, 2007, 10:10 PM

Are you buying from a MINI dealer?

As long as the car has full MINI service history you can extend the TLC with TLC XL at any time between the TLC expiring and the next service being carried out. It'll cost you £300 and can be bought from any MINI dealer.

nickw · Oct 5th, 2007, 10:30 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Scrogg (original)

Are you buying from a MINI dealer?

As long as the car has full MINI service history you can extend the TLC with TLC XL at any time between the TLC expiring and the next service being carried out. It'll cost you £300 and can be bought from any MINI dealer.

Hi Scrogg,
Thanks for replying. It has full service history and it is a private sale, hence question regarding the warranty.
Any inital checks I need to do before I drive away.

Thanks
Nick

Nebdingo · Oct 6th, 2007, 07:58 AM

Has it had the TLC? is there any remaining?? this ALWAYS helps obviously.
As its a private sale and MINIs have quite low depreciation, Get an RAC/AA check done. or at least an HPI check to try and confirm its history.

Quote: Originally Posted by nickw (original)

I have read a lot of threads where owners have experience problems with the clutch, steering, well basically everything.

Mate, what you have to remember is... There have been over 1 million minis role off the production line, and you have read a few posts on these problems. so in retrospect the problem may actually be quite small.if you were reading post about cars with NO problems you would be trailing through thousands of threads everyday!! but who wants to read... "My clutch and steering are still fine" lol!

and remember, theres LOTS of minis to choose from, is something doesnt "seem" right... walk away and spend your cash elsewhere!!

McMuffin · Oct 6th, 2007, 09:05 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Nebdingo (original)

There have been over 1 million minis role off the production line, and you have read a few posts on these problems. so in retrospect the problem may actually be quite small.if you were reading post about cars with NO problems you would be trailing through thousands of threads everyday!! but who wants to read... "My clutch and steering are still fine" lol!

and remember, theres LOTS of minis to choose from, is something doesnt "seem" right... walk away and spend your cash elsewhere!!

Nebdingo is spot on.

And if you are not confident checking a car for yourself the AA/RAC check is a good idea as well.
Another tip is take a mate and listen to his opinion, he won't have the same rose tinted spec's as you

Don't forget the HIP and compare it to the numbers on the car, the RAC own HIP and if you go to the RAC website they do the same checks through HIP but a lot cheaper.

iain cooper · Oct 6th, 2007, 11:07 AM

Nick, would it be possible for you to take someone with you, family member or friend who has some knowledge/experience ?

When looking at private sale such as this you need to look at the big picture as it were, ie the condition of the car, tyres,interior,carpets,steering wheel,pedals,paintwork,service history,etc,etc

You also need to look at the seller, gender,age,how many drivers/owners,reason for selling,where was car kept,do they look as if they would scrimp on servicing costs, other cars in household,etc.etc You can tell a lot from the seller about the car !!

ie does everything you see and everything they say tie up and make sense ?

also when taking a test drive, let the owner drive first and look at the way they drive/treat the car, then you take a drive, testing brakes,steering,gearbox,engine,electrics, etc,etc

remember once you have handed over the cash you have no comeback so if you are not 100% happy, walk away.

you can always ask for another viewing if you run out of time or want to think about it.

good luck

nickw · Oct 6th, 2007, 07:51 PM

Thanks everyone for your opinions and advice. I have carried out a HPI check and everything matches to the V5. The car had TLC and has Full BMW service history. Remember I have been looking for 5 months and I have walked away from 1 or 2 minis as they never felt right. This one is different, the guy selling is a car enthusiast and looks after his cars and I got a good vibe from him, it has been very well looked after. Hes the third owner and bought it for his wife. I am taking my brother with me for a second opinion, as I love Minis and my judgement might be clouded. The only thing is we are not mechanical experts, so only know the basics, I am afraid I might miss something. Is there anything I should check or easy to check and know if its wrong. I have a feeling this car will sell fast, so no time to arrange a AA or RAC inspection.
I am still considering the extended warranty, any advice where to go and covers the clutch.

Thanks
Nick

NicPlusOne · Oct 7th, 2007, 09:57 AM

AA Warranty - Car Products - Mechanical Breakdown Insurance -

Have a gander at that mate and i hope its of some use

nickw · Oct 7th, 2007, 06:57 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by niccc (original)

AA Warranty - Car Products - Mechanical Breakdown Insurance -

Have a gander at that mate and i hope its of some use

Thanks niccc, very useful.

Cheers
Nick

Scrogg · Oct 7th, 2007, 07:39 PM

Nick,

There's a thread here about warranties that may be useful...

nickw · Oct 7th, 2007, 08:03 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Scrogg (original)

Nick,

There's a thread here about warranties that may be useful...

Thanks Scrogg, very good reading. I will contact warranty direct tomorrow. Whats your opinion on extended warranties, worth doing or waste of money ?
I posted on another thread tonight, saying I purchased my MCS today, so now keen to make a decission on the extended warranty and exteneded TLC. Also on my thread I mentioned a couple of problems with the Mini, one being the paasenger side exhaust bracket corroded and broke off and the passenger electric window not working. Are these expensive jobs ? also the guy said he contact BMW MINI regarding the window and they would fix on the next and last TLC service due next week. I cant see them fixing the window on a service or will they, will it be FOC ?

Cheers
Nick

Scrogg · Oct 7th, 2007, 08:10 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by nickw (original)

Thanks Scrogg, very good reading

No worries. I'm glad it helped.

Quote: Originally Posted by nickw (original)

Whats your opinion on extended warranties, worth doing or waste of money ?

Extended warranties are, by their very nature, only good value if you ever need to make a claim; but my view is it's better to spend a few hundred pounds on something you never need than have to spend maybe thousands later because you did.

Quote: Originally Posted by nickw (original)

I posted on another thread tonight, saying I purchased my MCS today

Congratulations

Oct 5th, 2007, 08:42 PM	#1
nickw MINI2 Regular My Classifieds Join Date: Feb 2005 Local Time: 08:44 PM Posts: 201 Offline	Help and reassurance needed Hi, In 2 days I am about to take ownership of my 03 MCS which has taken me 5 months to find the right one. I use to own a 54 MCS convertible which I had only from new 2 months and had to sell due to circumstances out of my control. Now 3 years on I am back and in a position to buy another one, unfortunately not a new one this time. With my first one I had piece of mind with manufacturers warranty and TLC, with this one I dont. I said to myself not to read up on any known problems and just go for it, drive it and worry about the problems as and when they happen. However I couldnt help myself and now I have read a lot of threads where owners have experience problems with the clutch, steering, well basically everything. I know there are alot of Minis that dont experience any problems and I have been assured that to be the case with the one I am buying (by the way it has 44k miles). So basically I need help on where is the best place to seek an extended warranty (not BMW too expensive) for the Mini and is there any warranty that will cover the clutch, as I have read many threads that this is a common problem on the 03 MCS. Also can I extend the TLC, if so is it easy to do and how much. I am seeing the car for the first time on Sunday, before I hand over the money what are the obvious and easy checks I can do to ensure there is nothing immediately wrong with the Mini before I drive it away. Apologies for the long email, starting to panic, where instead I should be excited. Thanks Nick

Oct 6th, 2007, 09:05 AM	#5 (permalink)
McMuffin Fighting the Dark side Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Luton Local Time: 09:44 PM Posts: 116 Offline	Quote: Originally Posted by Nebdingo (original) There have been over 1 million minis role off the production line, and you have read a few posts on these problems. so in retrospect the problem may actually be quite small.if you were reading post about cars with NO problems you would be trailing through thousands of threads everyday!! but who wants to read... "My clutch and steering are still fine" lol! and remember, theres LOTS of minis to choose from, is something doesnt "seem" right... walk away and spend your cash elsewhere!! Nebdingo is spot on. And if you are not confident checking a car for yourself the AA/RAC check is a good idea as well. Another tip is take a mate and listen to his opinion, he won't have the same rose tinted spec's as you Don't forget the HIP and compare it to the numbers on the car, the RAC own HIP and if you go to the RAC website they do the same checks through HIP but a lot cheaper. Last edited by McMuffin : Oct 6th, 2007 at 09:06 AM. Reason: spell check changed RAC to RCA

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
help needed	miniwurks	Wheels, Tyres & Brakes	7	Jun 12th, 2007 09:37 PM
In need of reassurance...	Ianh	Exterior	7	Mar 30th, 2006 02:57 PM
Help Needed	frankthetank8415	Interior & Ice	3	Mar 5th, 2006 02:52 PM
Reassurance Re Wind Delflector	Cadfael_Tex	MINI Convertible	15	Aug 4th, 2005 01:50 AM
I need reassurance!!	dbmb	MINI Cooper S	16	Dec 23rd, 2002 12:31 PM

MINI2

Fuel for your MINI obsession

Use this forum to discuss MINI topics which are not related to other forums

Today
Sponsors	Sponsored Links Registered members do not see Google Ads posts, they can also post messages, pictures, and classified adverts. Register your free account today and become a member of MINI2 - MINI Forum

Oct 5th, 2007, 10:10 PM	#2 (permalink)
Scrogg What's Next? Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Gloucester Local Time: 09:44 PM Posts: 15,087 Offline	Are you buying from a MINI dealer? As long as the car has full MINI service history you can extend the TLC with TLC XL at any time between the TLC expiring and the next service being carried out. It'll cost you £300 and can be bought from any MINI dealer.

Oct 5th, 2007, 10:30 PM	#3 (permalink)
nickw MINI2 Regular My Classifieds Join Date: Feb 2005 Local Time: 08:44 PM Posts: 201 Offline	Quote: Originally Posted by Scrogg (original) Are you buying from a MINI dealer? As long as the car has full MINI service history you can extend the TLC with TLC XL at any time between the TLC expiring and the next service being carried out. It'll cost you £300 and can be bought from any MINI dealer. Hi Scrogg, Thanks for replying. It has full service history and it is a private sale, hence question regarding the warranty. Any inital checks I need to do before I drive away. Thanks Nick

Oct 6th, 2007, 07:58 AM	#4 (permalink)
Nebdingo ProNet:3 Gaming Community Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Leicester UK Local Time: 09:44 PM Posts: 272 Offline	Has it had the TLC? is there any remaining?? this ALWAYS helps obviously. As its a private sale and MINIs have quite low depreciation, Get an RAC/AA check done. or at least an HPI check to try and confirm its history. Quote: Originally Posted by nickw (original) I have read a lot of threads where owners have experience problems with the clutch, steering, well basically everything. Mate, what you have to remember is... There have been over 1 million minis role off the production line, and you have read a few posts on these problems. so in retrospect the problem may actually be quite small.if you were reading post about cars with NO problems you would be trailing through thousands of threads everyday!! but who wants to read... "My clutch and steering are still fine" lol! and remember, theres LOTS of minis to choose from, is something doesnt "seem" right... walk away and spend your cash elsewhere!!

Oct 6th, 2007, 11:07 AM	#6 (permalink)
iain cooper MINI2 Regular Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: near Glasgow Local Time: 09:44 PM Posts: 288 Offline	Nick, would it be possible for you to take someone with you, family member or friend who has some knowledge/experience ? When looking at private sale such as this you need to look at the big picture as it were, ie the condition of the car, tyres,interior,carpets,steering wheel,pedals,paintwork,service history,etc,etc You also need to look at the seller, gender,age,how many drivers/owners,reason for selling,where was car kept,do they look as if they would scrimp on servicing costs, other cars in household,etc.etc You can tell a lot from the seller about the car !! ie does everything you see and everything they say tie up and make sense ? also when taking a test drive, let the owner drive first and look at the way they drive/treat the car, then you take a drive, testing brakes,steering,gearbox,engine,electrics, etc,etc remember once you have handed over the cash you have no comeback so if you are not 100% happy, walk away. you can always ask for another viewing if you run out of time or want to think about it. good luck

Oct 6th, 2007, 07:51 PM	#7 (permalink)
nickw MINI2 Regular My Classifieds Join Date: Feb 2005 Local Time: 08:44 PM Posts: 201 Offline	Thanks everyone for your opinions and advice. I have carried out a HPI check and everything matches to the V5. The car had TLC and has Full BMW service history. Remember I have been looking for 5 months and I have walked away from 1 or 2 minis as they never felt right. This one is different, the guy selling is a car enthusiast and looks after his cars and I got a good vibe from him, it has been very well looked after. Hes the third owner and bought it for his wife. I am taking my brother with me for a second opinion, as I love Minis and my judgement might be clouded. The only thing is we are not mechanical experts, so only know the basics, I am afraid I might miss something. Is there anything I should check or easy to check and know if its wrong. I have a feeling this car will sell fast, so no time to arrange a AA or RAC inspection. I am still considering the extended warranty, any advice where to go and covers the clutch. Thanks Nick

Oct 7th, 2007, 09:57 AM	#8 (permalink)
NicPlusOne MINI2 Senior Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: M60..grr Local Time: 09:44 PM Posts: 416 Offline	AA Warranty - Car Products - Mechanical Breakdown Insurance - Have a gander at that mate and i hope its of some use

Oct 7th, 2007, 06:57 PM	#9 (permalink)
nickw MINI2 Regular My Classifieds Join Date: Feb 2005 Local Time: 08:44 PM Posts: 201 Offline	Quote: Originally Posted by niccc (original) AA Warranty - Car Products - Mechanical Breakdown Insurance - Have a gander at that mate and i hope its of some use Thanks niccc, very useful. Cheers Nick

Oct 7th, 2007, 07:39 PM	#10 (permalink)
Scrogg What's Next? Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Gloucester Local Time: 09:44 PM Posts: 15,087 Offline	Nick, There's a thread here about warranties that may be useful...

Oct 7th, 2007, 08:03 PM	#11 (permalink)
nickw MINI2 Regular My Classifieds Join Date: Feb 2005 Local Time: 08:44 PM Posts: 201 Offline	Quote: Originally Posted by Scrogg (original) Nick, There's a thread here about warranties that may be useful... Thanks Scrogg, very good reading. I will contact warranty direct tomorrow. Whats your opinion on extended warranties, worth doing or waste of money ? I posted on another thread tonight, saying I purchased my MCS today, so now keen to make a decission on the extended warranty and exteneded TLC. Also on my thread I mentioned a couple of problems with the Mini, one being the paasenger side exhaust bracket corroded and broke off and the passenger electric window not working. Are these expensive jobs ? also the guy said he contact BMW MINI regarding the window and they would fix on the next and last TLC service due next week. I cant see them fixing the window on a service or will they, will it be FOC ? Cheers Nick

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

Oct 7th, 2007, 08:10 PM	#12 (permalink)
Scrogg What's Next? Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Gloucester Local Time: 09:44 PM Posts: 15,087 Offline	Quote: Originally Posted by nickw (original) Thanks Scrogg, very good reading No worries. I'm glad it helped. Quote: Originally Posted by nickw (original) Whats your opinion on extended warranties, worth doing or waste of money ? Extended warranties are, by their very nature, only good value if you ever need to make a claim; but my view is it's better to spend a few hundred pounds on something you never need than have to spend maybe thousands later because you did. Quote: Originally Posted by nickw (original) I posted on another thread tonight, saying I purchased my MCS today Congratulations