1st Gen R53 Cooper S Why is everyone's Minis Broke or breaking?

My MINI has had a few niggling issues. But I also had a Toyota Corolla quite a few years back and though considered "reliable", it also had its share of issues. However, the Toyota's issues, my wife and I just assumed it minor and didn't bother getting most of them fixed. The MINI, we have the same issues and it gets fixed and maybe we complain a bit more about it. The MINI is much more refined and everything works together to give a great driving experience. As soon as something is not quite right, it is rather noticeable.

An example would be bushings. I have never replaced bushings on any car I've ever owned that was not over 10 years old. However, even though my MINI is only 6 years old and runs and handles fine, it no longer has the razor sharp response as when it was new and I've noticed a lot of people replacing their suspension bushings. Even my dealer recommended it to me because a lot of their other owners were doing it.

As far as my car is concerned, the only issue I have is the leaking engine mounts. Though the design appears to be a wear and tear item that needs replacing every 5 to 7 years. It is fairly inexpensive so not a real big problem.

Where I am still enjoying my MINI as much as the day I bought it, most of my Honda friends have traded in their cars already. I found out that even my financial planner bought a MINI recently. He enjoys it more than his BMW.

 

No issues today, except for those that linger in the fast lane

Mark

 

Man don't ya just hate the member's of the anti-destination league. ut:

 

I have nothing bad to say about Hondas - I drove my 82 Accord to 296,000 miles and then sold it to someone who said it was so quiet he couldn't tell the engine was running. My wife has had many Hondas, great cars.

But, like everyone else has said, if you want to have some fun, the MINI is great. I've only had mine 4 months, but I love it. More fun to drive than any car I have ever owned.

No problems either. Just a lot of fun so far.

 

So the moral to this thread seems to be;
If you want transportation, and are not concerned about much else about the car, a Honda may be for you.

If you want to have fun while you go get groceries, get a MINI

Mark

 

Honda the Maytag of cars. That is both good & bad....

 

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm........ Cheese......

 

My MINI seems to constantly have a check engine light for something failing... its a way of life with it... at least for me. I have modded my MINI quite a bit not as much as others but its what we do. Every car I have owned I have modded it seems to be expected that something will fail when you mod. Don't let issues stray you away though test drive one you'll get the itch I know I did. The key is to know what to look for when shopping. Cars aren't meant to last forever if they did the manufacturers would go out of business know what to expect at x amount of miles definitely helps. Some people go to 100k plus with no issues others not so much its just how things go. that's the same with any car.

Perfect example A guy I work with had own Toyota Corrola's since the 80's he recently bought an 04 (I think) and discovered it needs a clutch and some other parts. Parts just break down over time.

 

How many mines on your MINI jeffster?

I'm happy to report that my MINI remains relatively trouble free. If it was boring Honduh or Tojoeta I would not be happy. Since the MINI is sooo rewarding to drive I can overlook the odd issue here or there.

My MINI is modded a bit too, but not too much. Pulley, intake, exhaust, RSB & camber plates. For me it is perfect.

 

Want reliability????

Keep it stock and forget about the Modifications.

Don't get me wrong, Doing Engine Mods is fine if you don't mind Check engine lights Etc.

If you are not into sport driving and just want a car that will be totally reliable and get excellent gas mileage you need to just maintain and not modify your Mini.

I think most people already know that and they are the ones that really enjoy tinkering and getting every bit of horsepower they can out of the car. If you don't like tinkering just leave it alone and enjoy the ride.

Most of the complaints on the J.D. survey were tire noise (Runflats) wind noise and thats about it.

My next car that will replace my Mini will be another Mini, Probably a countryman with an automatic transmission. I have a very bad hip and I'm starting to have trouble shifting my six speed. I'll have to get an automatic someday. Not that I want to but it is something I'll have to do.

 

None of the mods to my car has caused one single problem on my MINI. None, but that is just my experience. Ronnie have you had experience with mods causing problems on your MINI? If so what happened?

 

Mods have not caused any problems on mine either. Any problems I have had, have been the usual OEM failures: thermostat housing, upper engine mount, etc..

 

The minor mods on Poco make him more to my liking, and none have been an issue. Regular maintenance is just part of owning any car.

Mark

 

I'm about to roll over to 92k. It seems if there's a common problem/issue my car has had it. I believe I got a car built on a Friday before a holiday :beer

 

Mods are not a bad thing "But"

As Jeffster 06 states:

There are many more owners that have glitches when they add a mod or two. They like to mess with their cars and get them the way they like them.

The point I'm making is if you do not like to tinker with your car you should either not mod it or spend the $$$$ with a reputable tuner and get it done correct. Then forget about dealer repairs or warranty issues. Just take it to your Tuning specialist when you have a problem.

At one time I always loved putting speed equipment Etc on my cars. Of course I had problems but I liked tinkering until I got my mod's right. Those days are over for me.

I promised myself I would not mod this JCW and except for Michelin Exalta PE2 non-runflat tires I don't do anything except maintain it.

For a lot of Mini owners, Modding is the fun of owning the car. There is enough speed parts out there to satisfy almost every owner with the "MOD BUG"

Not a bad thing if you got bit.

 

I was lucky my local dealer did not have a problem with my mods. Others have not been as lucky with their dealers. At 97,000 miles warranty coverage is a distant memory.

As far as mod problems go as long as you don't squeeze too much power out they seem to be fine with a bit of hot roddin... From what I've been able to gather it seems R56 MINIs are harder to mod for what that is worth.

If I had a JCW putting out over 200 pony's I wouldn't bother modding either.:wink:

 

So the OP asks, "Why is everyone's Mini's Broke or breaking?" Umm....the same reason why our bodies are broke or breaking, age :lol: Kind of a goofy question.....would you expect a "used" car to get newer?

 

Looks great!

 

Jim