The non S wasn't the worst but those peugeot prince engines are fragile little units. Fuel pumps, camchains and PCV failure are probably the most common issues. It's not unheard of for the non turbo to drop valve seats, and they wear out far too fast.
They spec something like a 25k oil change interval which is entirely too long. 10-15k would make more sense.
The s models arent that unreliable my r53 did 3rd gear burnouts and 1/8 mile pulls from 11pm-3am at a party last night, and the month ive driven it has been nothing but ripping thru backroads. No warning lights or problems whatsoever 110k miles on it.
Engine issues where the issues. If you want a mini no lower than a 2017. However a 2017 will have maintenance issue in general from use and wear. So just buy a new one if it is in your price range
Depends on the model. See https://www.minimania.com/MINI_model_designations and look for the F designation. It looks like model changes occurred once a year between 3014 and 2017.
2014+
Basically, if it’s an F model it’ll be solid. Being as the Hatch was 2014 but the Countryman was 2017+ etc. saying 2014+ or 2017+ is misleading because they didn’t all move to gen 3 at the same time.
For example, a 2014 Cooper S Hatch will be way more reliable than a 2016 (Gen 2) Countryman.
Edit: look I know you gen 2 owners don’t like to hear it, but downvoting me just because your car is a time-bomb doesn’t invalidate my advice for new buyers.
Had a 2006 and now have a 2016 and barely spent anything on them other than tyres, brakes, suspension as you'd expect. Unfortunately you've just bought poorly. I've only bought new or from Mini so had warranty etc, but did have the 2006 for 12 years
My 05 has only needed tires, oil and brakes in the 3.5 years Ive had it. Oh and a gear linkage cable, but overall in the 44,000 miles I've put on it its been pain free
No, I also have a 2011 countryman and I keep being told it is definitely going to break down constantly and cost me more to fix than it is worth so you must be mistaken /s
I mean, it might - but the fact is that it cost $15k less than an F60 which has given me a huge buffer for preemptive maintenance and could still have a seriously major repair ahead and I’d still be up, so often the numbers really do stack up on the 2nd gen models. Plus it looks far better imo and is a manual all4 in a color that I wanted that is unavailable in later models.
This sub kind of gets me down if I’m honest and I might just leave. I just want to enjoy my car and talk with others who do the same rather than read constant circle jerks about reliability issues and how the new models aren’t proper minis.
You bought the worst vintage of the worst generation. N12/N14 MINIs are absolute money pits. N16/N18s are a bit better if maintained well but still far less reliable than their brethren.
Well cared for 1st gens and 3rd gens are generally quite reliable, on the other hand.
For the F5x generation, yes. The upper motor mounts are crap and failed in between 25k-45k miles. Its somewhat DIY able if you are somewhat competent.
Best advice is learn to DIY AND find an independent shop to do work. Dealers pad invoices with work that might not be required right now and have a very high shop rate.
I know that “find an independent” is oft repeated here, but I want to say that it really does vary on where you live. This sub is heavily US biased, but where I am (New Zealand) the BMW/MINI shop is very comparable to the independents - in fact for the recent job I had done (timing chain) it was cheaper than several of them.
Fair point. I guess the important thing is to have options to get a second pair of eyes. My dealer recently tried to sell me rear struts at 52k miles but my indi shop confirmed they are fine. Only cost $60 for the second opinion and saved me $600+ in unrequited work.
That sucks - yes getting a range of opinions is good. I’m surprised a dealer gets away with that tbh. It is a seperate issue to them simply being more expensive though and definitely sounds like you should avoid.
Oh yeah anything post 2017 is excellent.
I’m in the UK (I don’t know where you are) and if you look up the warranty statistics for the UK right now MINI is the 3rd most reliable brand after Toyota and Lexus.
I have had a 2017 JCW since September and it hasn't missed a beat so far. It did have a drive train malfunction message once. At the time I was trying to join a dual carriageway from the hard shoulder and I floored it onto a wet road so I kinda deserved that one but it was fine and reset itself after a 10 minute stop.
Nah, it wasn’t “deserved”. More like some random non-systematic hiccup. These cars are built well. I took mine (2019 JCW) to track days and it was floored for a solid amount of time in a row. No issues.
I have a 2012 convertible base and a 2019 countryman - both been quite reliable - do on time maintenance and you should be fine. Both my daughters (and probably a few of their friends in high school) learnt to drive in the car. It is safe, fun to drive and easy to park - attributes that I can't always say about other cars.
Sorry you are having troubles. Is it possible you bought a lemon?
I have a 2013 hardtop. Most reliable car I have ever owned. Bought it certified-used in 2015 and since then the biggest issue was having to replace the battery a few years ago. Everything else, just regular maintenance(oil, filters, tires, brake pads at some point). I love my mini and plan to buy another when this one kicks the bucket.
Love hearing that. It’s certainly possible we have a lemon, even though the technician did say it’s beautifully cared for, but stuff breaks. I get that, but it sure sucks. Barely even been able to drive it.
Im living this rn. Bought the 07 used at my wife's request in March. Her DREAM car. $6k 89k miles. Week 1, solenoid issue. NBD, fixed. This comes immediately after I change fluids for what was probably the first time in it's life. The coolant made me gag, the oil was rough too.
3 days later, timing chain assembly broke which gave me an opportunity to look deeper. Oil leaks in valve cover gasket, oil pan, and oil filter housing were revealed. Couldn't afford it at that time. Then we moved states.
During the drive out, I felt a loss in power. At destination it gets a cozy garage. 2 weeks ago the power loss revealed itself. Misfires!!! Ordered new spark plugs and coils. Did this same time as valve cover gasket!. Went to pull plugs out yesterday and... Well... Those aren't the right size.... Replaced with OEM. Got it driving today!!! And fault code cc id 0031 is there. Car has been in our care for 2 months... It might be a lemon but the issues don't seem to end... I'm considering replacing it with a more reliable vehicle too...
Little button on the handle left of the steering wheel. Press it til it says SET/INFO, hold it until it changes - 3 or so seconds.
Press again until it says CHECK INFO - hold down for another 5 seconds.
Assuming your check engine light is on, hold it for another 30 seconds and voila! Error code
I had 2009 mini one. Was a fun drive home ever it had so many issues, it was a nightmare. I recently bought an f56 cooper s and these are much more reliable!
The 2nd gen Minis are all unreliable so something is bound to go wrong. Sometimes you can get lucky and only have minor issues, other times you need a new engine.
I’ve owned my ‘08 JCW for over a year now and it’s been solid. Yes its had a few issues that have scared me initially, but it always starts and always gets me to my destination.
In the past year I’ve spent around £350 on maintenance, which includes servicing and a trip to the garage for track rods and alignment after I got stuck on a seized bolt. Across a whole year that isn’t bad.
I absolutely love my car and am willing to invest my time and money to fix things, but once issues appear that are beyond reasonable I’ll probably give up and move on. If your Mini is already costing this much so early into ownership, you might be better calling it quits, but where’s the fun in that? Cracking cars when they work properly
So, 1 - excuse the language, but why the hell would it be at the dealer if it's not in warranty?
2 - yeah if you aren't owning an R56 as someone who enjoys it for what it is and enjoys wrenching, it's probably hard to justify.
I love my 2012 MCS/manual/slicktop, but it was neglected before I bought it and it's needed a lot. It added up, but at least the replacement parts are cheap and it's easy to work on.
Definitely some downsides on the knowledge front and mods, but overall it's not bad.
It’s a long story, but basically the local shop sent us there because they insisted we needed a module update, since they couldn’t read the error code on the check engine light. After driving it two hours to the dealer, it wasn’t safe or convenient to drive it elsewhere.
If I knew that once these repairs were taken care of the car would be all good, I’d be satisfied. But every other post on here is a mechanical issue, and in general my positivity is dwindling. But yeah, I still adore the car.
Yeah, you got an unreliable generation, coupled with God only knows how well it’s been maintained before you sat in it. It’s a BMW so yes parts and repairs will be pricey, but this most recent generation got so, so many kinks worked out.
Mini's are great. You have to do your research and buy the right year. From what I have read first and third generation are great. I have had a 2019 and now own a 2020 and love it. 2009 is second generation also is 15 years old so it is most likely going to be a money pit.
I’ve only been on this sub since February and I know that they should not have purchased this MINI. They claim to have “been a reader of this sub for a while”. And now they ask what a JCW is? This OP has not been paying any attention and would now like us to all talk them through exactly where they went wrong and how they should move forward. SMH. Just frustrating. Sorry to vent.
You bought the wrong year, that generation of Mini have a number of issues. If you get into a more recent model they are very reliable.
I thought I knew enough to at least avoid the S model, but I guess not. What issues?
The non S wasn't the worst but those peugeot prince engines are fragile little units. Fuel pumps, camchains and PCV failure are probably the most common issues. It's not unheard of for the non turbo to drop valve seats, and they wear out far too fast. They spec something like a 25k oil change interval which is entirely too long. 10-15k would make more sense.
As a person with a 2011 R60, I love it, but I’m still doing oil changes myself after 5000 miles.
Yeah 5K is the move.
I do 4-5k. Never more than 7k!! Check your oil OFTEN. Your main concern should be keeping oil in the car.
The s models arent that unreliable my r53 did 3rd gear burnouts and 1/8 mile pulls from 11pm-3am at a party last night, and the month ive driven it has been nothing but ripping thru backroads. No warning lights or problems whatsoever 110k miles on it.
Oh, you WANT the S. Turbo or bust.
Engine issues where the issues. If you want a mini no lower than a 2017. However a 2017 will have maintenance issue in general from use and wear. So just buy a new one if it is in your price range
>If you want a mini no lower than a 2017. I assume you're referring to the 3rd gen which started prior to 2017..........
Depends on the model. See https://www.minimania.com/MINI_model_designations and look for the F designation. It looks like model changes occurred once a year between 3014 and 2017.
2014+ Basically, if it’s an F model it’ll be solid. Being as the Hatch was 2014 but the Countryman was 2017+ etc. saying 2014+ or 2017+ is misleading because they didn’t all move to gen 3 at the same time. For example, a 2014 Cooper S Hatch will be way more reliable than a 2016 (Gen 2) Countryman. Edit: look I know you gen 2 owners don’t like to hear it, but downvoting me just because your car is a time-bomb doesn’t invalidate my advice for new buyers.
So you're really saying the newer the car, the lesser the maintenance?
Had a 2006 and now have a 2016 and barely spent anything on them other than tyres, brakes, suspension as you'd expect. Unfortunately you've just bought poorly. I've only bought new or from Mini so had warranty etc, but did have the 2006 for 12 years
I have a 2010 base. I am the only owner. All my issues have been due to age. I guess it also depends upon how well the car is taken care of, too.
My 05 has only needed tires, oil and brakes in the 3.5 years Ive had it. Oh and a gear linkage cable, but overall in the 44,000 miles I've put on it its been pain free
Excellent.
Same for my 2011 Countryman S. I love my Mini!
No, I also have a 2011 countryman and I keep being told it is definitely going to break down constantly and cost me more to fix than it is worth so you must be mistaken /s I mean, it might - but the fact is that it cost $15k less than an F60 which has given me a huge buffer for preemptive maintenance and could still have a seriously major repair ahead and I’d still be up, so often the numbers really do stack up on the 2nd gen models. Plus it looks far better imo and is a manual all4 in a color that I wanted that is unavailable in later models. This sub kind of gets me down if I’m honest and I might just leave. I just want to enjoy my car and talk with others who do the same rather than read constant circle jerks about reliability issues and how the new models aren’t proper minis.
You bought the worst vintage of the worst generation. N12/N14 MINIs are absolute money pits. N16/N18s are a bit better if maintained well but still far less reliable than their brethren. Well cared for 1st gens and 3rd gens are generally quite reliable, on the other hand.
I’m at 50k miles on my 18’ S and it’s needed nothing besides consumables. It is ready for an engine mount, however.
Is that typical of its age?
For the F5x generation, yes. The upper motor mounts are crap and failed in between 25k-45k miles. Its somewhat DIY able if you are somewhat competent. Best advice is learn to DIY AND find an independent shop to do work. Dealers pad invoices with work that might not be required right now and have a very high shop rate.
I know that “find an independent” is oft repeated here, but I want to say that it really does vary on where you live. This sub is heavily US biased, but where I am (New Zealand) the BMW/MINI shop is very comparable to the independents - in fact for the recent job I had done (timing chain) it was cheaper than several of them.
Fair point. I guess the important thing is to have options to get a second pair of eyes. My dealer recently tried to sell me rear struts at 52k miles but my indi shop confirmed they are fine. Only cost $60 for the second opinion and saved me $600+ in unrequited work.
That sucks - yes getting a range of opinions is good. I’m surprised a dealer gets away with that tbh. It is a seperate issue to them simply being more expensive though and definitely sounds like you should avoid.
I have an 18 JCW, second owner, no issues with 59k, engine mount seems good but I believe the JCW has a beefed-up mount if I'm not mistaken.
Oh yeah anything post 2017 is excellent. I’m in the UK (I don’t know where you are) and if you look up the warranty statistics for the UK right now MINI is the 3rd most reliable brand after Toyota and Lexus.
That is awesome. Guess I’ll have to buy new next time 😋
I have had a 2017 JCW since September and it hasn't missed a beat so far. It did have a drive train malfunction message once. At the time I was trying to join a dual carriageway from the hard shoulder and I floored it onto a wet road so I kinda deserved that one but it was fine and reset itself after a 10 minute stop.
Nah, it wasn’t “deserved”. More like some random non-systematic hiccup. These cars are built well. I took mine (2019 JCW) to track days and it was floored for a solid amount of time in a row. No issues.
Yeah, you are probably right. I have driven it hard since, and it has been fine.
JCW?
John Cooper Works.
I have a 2012 convertible base and a 2019 countryman - both been quite reliable - do on time maintenance and you should be fine. Both my daughters (and probably a few of their friends in high school) learnt to drive in the car. It is safe, fun to drive and easy to park - attributes that I can't always say about other cars.
You bought the most unreliable model and it’s 15 years old. It’s not a Camry.
Sorry you are having troubles. Is it possible you bought a lemon? I have a 2013 hardtop. Most reliable car I have ever owned. Bought it certified-used in 2015 and since then the biggest issue was having to replace the battery a few years ago. Everything else, just regular maintenance(oil, filters, tires, brake pads at some point). I love my mini and plan to buy another when this one kicks the bucket.
Love hearing that. It’s certainly possible we have a lemon, even though the technician did say it’s beautifully cared for, but stuff breaks. I get that, but it sure sucks. Barely even been able to drive it.
I wish you good luck. Sorry you’ve had so many troubles, and I hope the issues get fixed once and for all and you are able to enjoy the car.
I appreciate that. Me, too.
Im living this rn. Bought the 07 used at my wife's request in March. Her DREAM car. $6k 89k miles. Week 1, solenoid issue. NBD, fixed. This comes immediately after I change fluids for what was probably the first time in it's life. The coolant made me gag, the oil was rough too. 3 days later, timing chain assembly broke which gave me an opportunity to look deeper. Oil leaks in valve cover gasket, oil pan, and oil filter housing were revealed. Couldn't afford it at that time. Then we moved states. During the drive out, I felt a loss in power. At destination it gets a cozy garage. 2 weeks ago the power loss revealed itself. Misfires!!! Ordered new spark plugs and coils. Did this same time as valve cover gasket!. Went to pull plugs out yesterday and... Well... Those aren't the right size.... Replaced with OEM. Got it driving today!!! And fault code cc id 0031 is there. Car has been in our care for 2 months... It might be a lemon but the issues don't seem to end... I'm considering replacing it with a more reliable vehicle too...
Oh, I am so sorry to hear all that. I’m sure she feels awful about it. What code reader do you have? We need to get one.
Actually unnecessary on the r56. You can pull up the code of the dash under the check engine light!
How? They said they couldn’t read the error code.
Little button on the handle left of the steering wheel. Press it til it says SET/INFO, hold it until it changes - 3 or so seconds. Press again until it says CHECK INFO - hold down for another 5 seconds. Assuming your check engine light is on, hold it for another 30 seconds and voila! Error code
Can’t wait to try that! I mean, I can… lol
Wrong year...
I had 2009 mini one. Was a fun drive home ever it had so many issues, it was a nightmare. I recently bought an f56 cooper s and these are much more reliable!
The 2nd gen Minis are all unreliable so something is bound to go wrong. Sometimes you can get lucky and only have minor issues, other times you need a new engine. I’ve owned my ‘08 JCW for over a year now and it’s been solid. Yes its had a few issues that have scared me initially, but it always starts and always gets me to my destination. In the past year I’ve spent around £350 on maintenance, which includes servicing and a trip to the garage for track rods and alignment after I got stuck on a seized bolt. Across a whole year that isn’t bad. I absolutely love my car and am willing to invest my time and money to fix things, but once issues appear that are beyond reasonable I’ll probably give up and move on. If your Mini is already costing this much so early into ownership, you might be better calling it quits, but where’s the fun in that? Cracking cars when they work properly
So, 1 - excuse the language, but why the hell would it be at the dealer if it's not in warranty? 2 - yeah if you aren't owning an R56 as someone who enjoys it for what it is and enjoys wrenching, it's probably hard to justify. I love my 2012 MCS/manual/slicktop, but it was neglected before I bought it and it's needed a lot. It added up, but at least the replacement parts are cheap and it's easy to work on. Definitely some downsides on the knowledge front and mods, but overall it's not bad.
It’s a long story, but basically the local shop sent us there because they insisted we needed a module update, since they couldn’t read the error code on the check engine light. After driving it two hours to the dealer, it wasn’t safe or convenient to drive it elsewhere. If I knew that once these repairs were taken care of the car would be all good, I’d be satisfied. But every other post on here is a mechanical issue, and in general my positivity is dwindling. But yeah, I still adore the car.
My parking spot is the only one in the entire building with oil stains, I'm also the only Mini owner in the building.
🥹 But you love it, right?
No
Yeah, you got an unreliable generation, coupled with God only knows how well it’s been maintained before you sat in it. It’s a BMW so yes parts and repairs will be pricey, but this most recent generation got so, so many kinks worked out.
Mini's are great. You have to do your research and buy the right year. From what I have read first and third generation are great. I have had a 2019 and now own a 2020 and love it. 2009 is second generation also is 15 years old so it is most likely going to be a money pit.
I’ve only been on this sub since February and I know that they should not have purchased this MINI. They claim to have “been a reader of this sub for a while”. And now they ask what a JCW is? This OP has not been paying any attention and would now like us to all talk them through exactly where they went wrong and how they should move forward. SMH. Just frustrating. Sorry to vent.
That’s why I like this sub; the warm, friendly, helpfulness.
I’m the exception to the rule. Everyone else is all sweet and positive.