Welcome to MA!!It would depend on the parts. What do they say is wrong with it. where do you live we may be able to help you find a good independent shop
Actually the advisor just got back to me and told me that the following are the problematic parts: valve cover, vacuum pump, oil filter housing gaskets, oil pan gaskets.
Oil tends to run downhill except for when the air currents blow the oil in strange directions around the engine....
I would start with the valve cover... that is the highest point and was probably damaged by the heat off the turbo and warped the sealing flange....... Ballpark price $350 USD W/O labor
I find it kind of strange that they claim the vacuum pump is bad or related to the oil leak.... But I suppose it could be defective. It's a sealed unit so not sure how it contributes to oil leaks..... Ballpark price... $250 - $300 USD. W/O labor
The oil filter housing gasket sits between the oil filter frame and the engine and the oil cooler..... They are known to start leaking around your mileage. Ballpark price... Ballpark price for both.... $50 USD W/O labor
MINI stopped using a oil pan gasket and have moved over to a Loctite RTV product.... Ballpark $35 USD W/O labor
Most of the price they quoted you is for labor... You can reduce the hurt if you can do it yourself.... Your labor is free... Right? They have to charge for it...
If it was me I would start with the valve cover and see where that gets you. It's the easiest to get to. Everything else is going to be a pain to work on. Probably pass on the vacuum pump replacement (are your brakes acting soft? The vacuum pump assists the brakes).
Sounds similar to a massive leak I had a couple years back on my 2008 S. I paid less than what you've been quoted to my dealer, but not a whole lot less.
On the plus side, I've not had any major issues since.
My 2007 CS has had all of those leaks, and more, so I can believe it. The valve cover leaked twice in two years.
Mine was covered under an extended warranty, so I only paid $100 deductibles for repairs. MINI paid for the second valve cover leak. However, I did see the repair costs, and IIRC, that sounds about right.
I would look for an independent garage to do the work. The dealership is usually the most expensive.
You can also fix leaks one at a time to spread out the cost. Fix the worst ones first. Some of those leaks may just be seepage right now, which buys you some time.
On plus for the MINI dealers is that they will warranty their repairs. Ask any shop you contact if they will do that, and for how long. Many will, others won't.
Just Google, Vancouver BC mini cooper repair, and you'll get a list of MINI specialists with customer reviews.
They all go by the flat rate manual, so the hours it takes to repair things will be the same. What you want to do is ask what their shop rate is, that is what they charge per hour for repairs.
