Mini reliability?

My mom is looking into a Mini roadster or convertible. Are they reliable enough to be a daily driver with a 50-60 mile trip everyday?

Datsun1500 wrote: Be warned you are about to be barraged with a bunch of posts saying they are junk, and a bunch saying they're ok. Happens with every mini, audi, and vw thread.

Yep. It gets kinda tiring after awhile... Clif-notes: You pay your money and take your chances. Just like any other car.

2nd version of cliff notes, they are BMW products. Relatively reliable compared to any car of ten years ago or earlier, but quite expensive when stuff does fail. Transmissions seem to be most reliable in multi-speed autos. CVT equipped cars require hideously expensive fluid changes, and clutch replacement will eat through cash also, almost fulldisassembly of the front clip being required.

The technical sections of motoringalliance.com and northamericanmotoring.com should give you a good idea of issues faced by owners of various generations. They are just as fun to drive as they look like they should be...

My mom just got a new countryman s. They told her not to rev over 4k rpm until after 1200 miles, so she babies it for those first miles. MIL came on at 1100 miles, and was then told by the dealer that thats normal. These cars are fun but they are big piles of E36 M3.

Mini sends you a gift box with a reminder that "quirks" should not be counted against them in the surveys when they call you.

There is a reason they almost always are ranked bottom of the pack on the manufacturers rating. When motortrend had one it had the worst reliability rating ever. If they aren't such horrible cars then were did all the rumors come fro.

...and it starts...

BMW engineers are so good, they engineered the MINI to have the reliability of the original, but with BMW parts prices.

The only half-way decent source of reliability info I have ever found is... wait for it...

Consumer Reports. Obviously you're supposed to hate on CR if you're a car guy, some of their reviews of sporty cars are pretty awful, and their methodology is rife with selection bias. But, it's the only game in town when it comes to reliability information more valid and reliable than a dozen personal anecdotes.

A quick check of the CR website and it looks like '13 Cooper was the first above-average relaibility MINI on the chart. A positive sign for sure, but you didn't mention if your mom is looking for a new MINI or a used one.

Side note: AUDI, and some VW's, are doing better on the reliability charts at CR, I think (and hope) they have turned a corner in Wolfsburg.

it's a Mini.. it can only have small problems?

Here you go:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/mini.html

Nearly 450 complaints about the Mini Cooper.

Love to own one myself, but I've heard too many stories about parts failure and repair bills. If you find a good one, post your results, OK?

ShadowSix wrote: The only half-way decent source of reliability info I have ever found is... wait for it... Consumer Reports. Obviously you're supposed to hate on CR if you're a car guy, some of their reviews of sporty cars are pretty awful, and their methodology is rife with selection bias. But, it's the only game in town when it comes to reliability information more valid and reliable than a dozen personal anecdotes. A quick check of the CR website and it looks like '13 Cooper was the first above-average relaibility MINI on the chart. A positive sign for sure, but you didn't mention if your mom is looking for a new MINI or a used one. Side note: AUDI, and some VW's, are doing better on the reliability charts at CR, I think (and hope) they have turned a corner in Wolfsburg.

^Truth. As a car guy, their opinion of a given car means very little to me, as their rankings seem to be so heavily weighted by MSRP, but their reliability info seems to be, um, very reliable.

Ours was great right up until it wasn't.

I love mine. I am enough of a car guy to put up with a few issues to not drive a Camry. Buy a civic si if you want Honda reliability. But it will feel like a Buick compared to the mini.

Mine has been a veritable tank. 70,000 generally trouble free miles and probably just under a dozen since I drove it off the lot in June 2011. Only issue has been a window regulator under warranty.

My biggest complaint has been just the niggly idiocy of every damn thing about the car. Like lug bolts instead of studs, 50 different sizes of bolts, torx oil plug, an engine bay that looks like a lost game of Tetris.

It is probably the easiest to drive car on street tires I have ever driven. It is just hilariously fun. If it were me, I'd get a 2011+ Cooper (better interior) and mildly prepare it for STF. I have a Cooper S, and there isn't really a good class for it in SCCA anymore. I think it could be go in STX, but I didn't want to tear up my daily driver.

The biggest stuff you'll notice probably has more to do with your own history than anything with the car itself. If you come from a history of German marques, or Saabs, it'll just be more of the same. If you're coming for 80s-90s Japanese cars you'll rue the decision as long it's in your ownership.

MINI = large BMW product Mini = small lovable cult classic

My Mini has been reliable, but I only drive it less than around 4000 miles a year.

MINIs I do not know about.

In reply to Datsun1500:

You need to weigh that against production numbers, there are a lot more Toyotas, Hondas, and Fords out there than MINIs.

One more data point. Naturally aspirated, manual tranny Clubman - bought/ordered new in '08 (first year of the BMW version). Owned it for 5.5 years, about 42k. 30mpg around town, 40 on the highway. Fluid changes and an alignment - nothing else required. Opted to put a set of Kuhmos on it for a bit more stick than the standard run-flats and to solve a cupping problem. As tight/quiet when we sold it as it was when new. A blast to drive. If you get a new one - take it to an independent shop and have the alignment checked. Rear toe/camber problems can cause cupping which makes for noisy tires, and once they're cupped, there's not much you can do about it.

1966stang wrote: I love mine. I am enough of a car guy to put up with a few issues to not drive a Camry. Buy a civic si if you want Honda reliability. But it will feel like a Buick compared to the mini.

Or you could buy a Focus ST? Or a Mazdaspeed 3? Or.....

I mean it's not Mini or nothing there are multiple FWD fun car choices.

Minis are pointless after the 1st gen of the new mini (R53). After that it's like a E36 M3tier GTI. The most amusing thing is they keep getting bigger but they still have a 1.6l engine. If you want a Mini experience get a Fiesta ST or Abarth 500.

I have one. It reminds me of a 100HP Porsche. Unlike others, I have 38k not so easy miles on it and have never had a single issue (ok I had a piece of trim replaced because I'm overly picky) other than complete morons at the dealership. None of my maintenance was done except for oil changes and now I have to fight MINI to get them to do the rest, including brakes which they would have gladly done for about $1200. Then I was in VT and bent a wheel from hitting a log in the road. When I called the nearest dealership asking for a wheel the eye candy service adviser girl kept asking me for my tire size. I hung up and drove home 400mi @ 80MPH on a spare.

In short, I love owning one but can't wait to get rid of it.

I have had an 06 S bought new. Fun car to drive. Have had various small issues but getting totally hosed by the 6 speed Aisin auto trans. It needs replacement at a huge cost.

Engine mount failed 4 times. LCA bushings replaced once at 80k miles at a cost of $800!, 2 thermostat housings and now the ABS sensors seem to require replacement. Unfortunately you need a special dealer tool to diagnose the ABS sensors and do other things like properly fill the auto trans oil. It has been far more reliable than my E36, any VW I've ever owned and my B5 A4 but it's annoyingly expensive when stuff fails.

I'd say get one and enjoy driving the car. When the repairs come in you can decide whether to keep it and how long to keep it.

Regarding the convertible, I really did not like the R53 chassis convertible Mini. Way too much cowl shake and the chassis felt sloppy comparatively. Also, lots of wind inside the car made it rather uncomfortable to drive top down on the highway. Pretty terrible IMO.

But it is cute and women love cute...

I have a 2010 MINI S with 45k miles. only issue was it ran out of oil. No low oil light, just a low oil pressure light. I have become lazy and don't check the oil every gas stop anymore since it has been many years since I ever needed to add oil between changes. No smoke, no drops on the garage floor, no clue where it went. Engine got noisy between the free oil changes. They needed to put a new timing belt in (under warrantee), but there was a service bulletin for those. Kinda feel like I am driving on borrowed time. Love the car, which surprised me as I hate FWD. It does eat tires, but that may be partly my fault.

I have a 2011 MINI Cooper non-s w/6 speed manual. First day it had a check engine light come on, turned out it was for the oil cap having been left loose during the PDI. Since that first day, 3 years later, it's still strong, fun, rattle free and reliable. Just like any car, there are vastly more people that have had good luck with their MINIs than have had bad luck.

"Using your logic, a mini is better than those...."

Exactly ! ! Considering all of the complaints about other cars that are basically error-proof tanks, 450 over the course of the Mini's manufacturing life is nothing at all, I probably make as many complaints to my wife about my Mustang in just four or five months.

I would just LOVE to buy one of these little guys, but the transmission problem does bother me.

Is it the early automatics that cause the problems or the clutch in the mid to late models. It looks as though I could sell the Mustang ('08) and walk right into a nice looking used Mini for the same amount. Just concerned about the transmission/clutch is all, anything else I can work with.

I have a love hate relationship with MINI. They are brilliant to drive. An absolute blast. But from my experience, lots of little things can go wrong. Most of those things can be fixed with aftermarket parts though ie the mushrooming strut tops can be fixed with various strengthening plates, the rubber insert crank pulley can be fixed with a fluid filled one, etc and the online support is great. I wouldn't mind one as long as I had a backup car to drive when it went wrong.

amg_rx7 wrote: I have had an 06 S bought new. Fun car to drive. Have had various small issues but getting totally hosed by the 6 speed Aisin auto trans. It needs replacement at a huge cost. Engine mount failed 4 times. LCA bushings replaced once at 80k miles at a cost of $800!, 2 thermostat housings and now the ABS sensors seem to require replacement. Unfortunately you need a special dealer tool to diagnose the ABS sensors and do other things like properly fill the auto trans oil. It has been far more reliable than my E36, any VW I've ever owned and my B5 A4 but it's annoyingly expensive when stuff fails. I'd say get one and enjoy driving the car. When the repairs come in you can decide whether to keep it and how long to keep it. Regarding the convertible, I really did not like the R53 chassis convertible Mini. Way too much cowl shake and the chassis felt sloppy comparatively. Also, lots of wind inside the car made it rather uncomfortable to drive top down on the highway. Pretty terrible IMO. But it is cute and women love cute...

Do you really need a transmission or just a valve body replacement? You don't need a special tool to replace the fluid. There is a tork nut on the top that you remove and fill from there. The tranny is full when fluid drips from the stand pipe at the drain plug once the car is medium warm 35C-45C. I don't agree with your assessment of the R52, because, I own one. The cowl shake is not an issue, try an NG Saab 900 on for size. The car is tough and solid and short enough that it doesn't twist much. Obviously not as solid as any tin roofed model, but OK for a convertible. Get a wind deflector and there is no wind issue anymore. It is way cute and feminin, but I can live with that.

To OP: The reliability greatly depends on year and model being considered. Best is a 2007+ automatic non-turbo. Also good is a supercharged 2005+ with 6spd manual.
Least is a first gen automatic or CVT. Also avoid 5spd manual and any pre-2005 model. Avoid 2007-2009 Turbo anything.