What is the reliability of Mini Coopers?

[John105]

This is going back a few years now and we were warned against buying a Mini with an AT and to avoid the "S" hot rod variant.

My wife just had to have a little red sports car that she had wanted ever since high school. I bought her a brand new '09 Mini Cooper with a 6 speed manual and she loved it. It wasn't fast but handled great and it was a cool little car.

We sold it in '18 with 85000 miles as we prepared for retirement and I can't complain since it was a really good car for us. I don't know about the reliability of the newer ones but ours never had an issue in 9 years and here are some shots from back in the day.
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I know it’s hard to keep everything, would be nice to hold on to that one since it’s a stick. I googled and the manual is back for 2023. Very good news….

Edit: back in 2023 on the 2024 models…

https://www.motortrend.com/news/2024-mini-cooper-models-manual-transmission-convertible/

 

[blkwtr]

My daughter worked at a Mini Cooper dealership. She also drove a leased Mini Cooper Countryman. She would tell me stories about people bringing in their cars for repairs or maintenance and they would cry when they got their estimates. My guess is the cost to take a car to any dealership for maintenance or repairs would make those same people cry

 

[John105]

My daughter worked at a Mini Cooper dealership. She also drove a leased Mini Cooper Countryman. She would tell me stories about people bringing in their cars for repairs or maintenance and they would cry when they got their estimates. My guess is the cost to take a car to any dealership for maintenance or repairs would make those same people cry

I know with my 2007 BMW I’ve managed to pay no more than $160 for any repair, and that was to a dealer for an alignment (I’ve heard they weight the driver seat dunno if true). ABS failure cost me $500 diy. First 4 years was free maintenance. As it was mentioned by another poster some flavor of diy is needed. After that an indie who installs customer parts…

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

My daughter worked at a Mini Cooper dealership. She also drove a leased Mini Cooper Countryman. She would tell me stories about people bringing in their cars for repairs or maintenance and they would cry when they got their estimates. My guess is the cost to take a car to any dealership for maintenance or repairs would make those same people cry

It’s like anything… There’s more than one grocery store so if one is charging $8 for a gallon of milk, there are other options.

My sister just paid $1000 at the Mini/BMW dealer for an oil change, spark plugs and brake fluid. I told her I could have done it all for $150 in parts or an independent mechanic could have done it for maybe $5-600. But some people will just pay for the convenience or simply because they believe the dealer is better. Truthfully I think a lot of it is ignorance and they just simply don’t know.

 

[supton]

My sister just paid $1000 at the Mini/BMW dealer for an oil change, spark plugs and brake fluid. I told her I could have done it all for $150 in parts or an independent mechanic could have done it for maybe $5-600. But some people will just pay for the convenience or simply because they believe the dealer is better. Truthfully I think a lot of it is ignorance and they just simply don’t know.

To be fair, the dealer is supposed to know how to do it right. And you read all about shady indies... and of work done by family members going sideways, or being no better than the shady indy.

Knowing nothing more of this situation, how I am to know that this work was a trivial cost to your sister, yet valuable (to her) to avoid a) shady indy; and b) any family woes?

Pretty sure we've all seen some hack jobs out there; there are clearly people who shouldn't work on their own cars or drive (myself included). Just how much time and effort does it take to get to where one can work on their own car? and will they actually do it right, or take shortcuts that turn into expensive longcuts?

 

[MCompact]

I know with my 2007 BMW I’ve managed to pay no more than $160 for any repair, and that was to a dealer for an alignment (I’ve heard they weight the driver seat dunno if true). ABS failure cost me $500 diy. First 4 years was free maintenance. As it was mentioned by another poster some flavor of diy is needed. After that an indie who installs customer parts…

I know at one time BMW required the seats to be specifically weighted down when setting alignment.

 

[MCompact]

It’s like anything… There’s more than one grocery store so if one is charging $8 for a gallon of milk, there are other options.

My sister just paid $1000 at the Mini/BMW dealer for an oil change, spark plugs and brake fluid. I told her I could have done it all for $150 in parts or an independent mechanic could have done it for maybe $5-600. But some people will just pay for the convenience or simply because they believe the dealer is better. Truthfully I think a lot of it is ignorance and they just simply don’t know.

That's awfully high; my BMW dealer charges around $300 to change oil and brake fluid, and it cost me $125 to replace all four coils and plugs.
BMW has a deal for older cars where you pay $225 and get oil changes for three years- either annually or as many as the CBS recommends. I bought that package for my wife's E84 X1.

 

[John105]

It’s like anything… There’s more than one grocery store so if one is charging $8 for a gallon of milk, there are other options.

My sister just paid $1000 at the Mini/BMW dealer for an oil change, spark plugs and brake fluid. I told her I could have done it all for $150 in parts or an independent mechanic could have done it for maybe $5-600. But some people will just pay for the convenience or simply because they believe the dealer is better. Truthfully I think a lot of it is ignorance and they just simply don’t know.

Good example those are normal items. I did my bmw plugs only once. Brake flush 4x, one of those was the ABL bleed using the laptop since I removed the ABs pump. Oil change who knows how many times and I used LL01 M1 with rebate at $10/jug (car takes 6.8 or 6.5).

For most, I think it’s convenience, done in a day while at work. They don’t worry about what it would be DIY because they can’t or the money doesn’t matter. Just like I paid for a new hvac mid 5 figures. Doesn’t matter if someone says they can diy for $6000, I can’t….

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

That's awfully high; my BMW dealer charges around $300 to change oil and brake fluid, and it cost me $125 to replace all four coils and plugs.
BMW has a deal for older cars where you pay $225 and get oil changes for three years- either annually or as many as the CBS recommends. I bought that package for my wife's E84 X1.

I know it is. But, expensive market, I’m sure they’re around $220 an hour, charged her $50 a plug, you know. If she’s happy with the work, good enough. Not really my place, she knows I can do it but as stated in the thread, convenience matters too.

 

[350Rocket]

I know at one time BMW required the seats to be specifically weighted down when setting alignment.

This was the case when I worked at an independent.

 

[Randol]

2020 F56 here, no issues so far. I know the early ones were known for issues. Many I see seem neglected which will be expensive in the end.

 

[John105]

This was the case when I worked at an independent.

On that dealer alignment I had just replaced all 4 pads rotors sensors myself, 90 miles prior.

When I got my car back there was a yellow warning. I looked and the rear right sensor was ripped out and dangling.

I thought a simple call to the dealer and they’d handle. Nope. Claimed they didn’t do it.

Before destroying them I called the indie for their opinion. They said when doing the camber the ratchet can slip when the bolt breaks free and make contact with the pad sensor wire.

I got the wire free from FCP, and proceeded with the BBB resulting in their A+ rating dropping to a C-.

Then I got a call what can we do.

I said send me a check for $13, which is what the part cost me. The service director got all giddy certainly we can do more, we can send the check and a free oil change.

Just to stick him I said you can also replace my water pump. He then goes your water pump is bad? I said no. Oh, we can do that .

After the letter and check came, I decided I never want that dealer ever touching my car again, and I never went back.

 

[MCompact]

On that dealer alignment I had just replaced all 4 pads rotors sensors myself, 90 miles prior.

When I got my car back there was a yellow warning. I looked and the rear right sensor was ripped out and dangling.

I thought a simple call to the dealer and they’d handle. Nope. Claimed they didn’t do it.

Before destroying them I called the indie for their opinion. They said when doing the camber the ratchet can slip when the bolt breaks free and make contact with the pad sensor wire.

I got the wire free from FCP, and proceeded with the BBB resulting in their A+ rating dropping to a C-.

Then I got a call what can we do.

I said send me a check for $13, which is what the part cost me. The service director got all giddy certainly we can do more, we can send the check and a free oil change.

Just to stick him I said you can also replace my water pump. He then goes your water pump is bad? I said no. Oh, we can do that .

After the letter and check came, I decided I never want that dealer ever touching my car again, and I never went back.

The chrome trim on my Clubman's hood was cracking and a bit loose. My wife picked the car up after an oil change at the dealer and driving off she noticed that the trim was almost falling off. She went back and asked if it could be secured a little better and the SA told her that he was sure it was damaged during the oil service and he ordered a new trim piece and had it installed at no charge.