Re: JDPower ratings for MINI

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Thinking about buying but was shaken by the 2/5 ratings for > mechanical/body/interior qualities reported at Edmund's. Do you MINI > owners testify to the verity of the report? > Thanks >

We had our 2002 MINI only a few weeks before it developed a problem with the throttle electronics that stranded my wife on the interstate on her way to work.

Next, the windshield weatherstripping came off.

Then the car would shut off for no reason when idling.

Our dealer was great at helping us with the repairs - replaced the throttle, wiring harness, and transmission. Since then, it's been driving like I'd always hoped it would. But for awhile, I considered giving it right back to the dealership under the lemon law.

I can only hope the quality of workmanship has improved since 2002. It is a lot of fun to drive and I'm happy to consider it a dependable car.

David

Reply to
David Leoanrd
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I'm thinking about getting one. Your post alarms me considerably.

Reply to
A Hungry Crocodile

A few weeks ago I mentioned several minor faults on my 2003 Mini (CVT). Well, now it is in the shop for replacement of the transmission. It's been there for over a week - first attempted software tweaks and then taking out the transmission, each of which requires a separate call to Mini Central by the dealer.

Mini is cute, fun, and zippy, but I sure wouldn't call it reliable transportation.

Bill

Reply to
Bill T

I have a 2003 Cooper that has done near on 5K miles with no real issues. Had a couple of minor niggles but all have been dealt with quickly by the dealer and nothing has been a show stopper for me. I have had nothing but the sort of service I would expect from BMW. This is my ONLY car and I live in the middle of nowhere so need it to be reliable, which it is.

For a real feel on the car and its issues look at

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This is a meeting place for Mini owners the world over so reading through the forums will give you a feel of what the car is really about. The new cars are getting better all the time, there were issues with the earlier ones but most of those issues are now resolved.

The bottom line is there will be a small number of lemons off the production line for ANY manufacturer, we are talking mass production here.

The nice thing about the Mini is that they are VERY individual for a mass production car. I was on a recent Mini run where 28 Minis took part and NOT ONE was exactly the same, lets see you do that with any car from another manufacturer let alone get enough people together to actually do a run in the first place.

The main thing you would have to worry about after you have driven a Mini is that might want to have the Mini for yourself and let you Wife have your car.

HTH

Warren

Reply to
Warren

Is yours stick or auto? I get the impression that manual is okay, whereas CVT is a disaster.

This site doesn't seem to have any hard-nosed critiques of the car, but perhaps I'm not looking in the right section. Can you point out anything addressing concerns over the CVT version?

Not Honda or Toyota.

That individuality could also reflect a lack of quality control.

I wish Consumer Reports would get off their backsides and do a proper reliability report on the car. In fairness, it may be that not enough of their subscribers have bought one and reported back yet.

No chance. I'm driving a all-wheel-drive Honda CRV, which is fantastic in the snows of PA. I have to drive there a fair amount. In any case, it's stick so she couldn't drive it if she wanted to, which she doesn't.

Reply to
A Hungry Crocodile

Best thing to do is sign up and ask for feedback, or if you want the bad side of life, browse the faults and fixes forum, the most problematic transmission of the three 'flavours' tends to be the 5 speed manual, not the CVT (although the CVT has had it's own troubles).

It seems they, just less of them than other manufacturers.

To be honest, it looks like you want 100% reliability, and if that's your main concern, I personally would NOT recommend the MINI, the chances are still, in my view, too high you will get at least a small niggle, which if you go into it with a slightly pessimistic attitude, might be amplified, and lead to a bad experience for you.

There's very few cars around like the MINI when it comes to driving pleasure, and also (in my view) design style, but there's more 'safe' options to purchase if that's what you're after.

Paul

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Reply to
Paul - MINI2.com

Manual, yep the CVT has had bad reports

Here are a couple on the CVT. There is a lot in the forums.

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I bet they do not have a 100% perfect record for every car they produce.

The build process is automated like most other cars. Its just that the line can cope with each car being different. BWM have built their cars like this for ages. Even the glove box is an optional extra, at least here in the UK it is.

Might be worth the try but I think that in reality the Mini is really designed to be stick shift car as the auto they have selected sounds like its the wrong box for the car if reports are to be believed.

Reply to
Warren

Thanks for these. Very enlightening.

Honda had a lot of problems with the Passport, but it was built by Isuzu and was their rushed attempt to enter the SUV marketplace. They've regretted it ever since.

Sounds like it.

Reply to
A Hungry Crocodile

Another poster put me on a CVT thread, so I have better idea about the problems now.

You're probably right. I hate being stranded and REALLY hate having to go to the dealership for a repair.

Yeah, but they look boring. Oh, well.

Reply to
A Hungry Crocodile

As the original poster and as my Cooper has passed 1,000 milestone, I can testify how much fun it is to drive the Cooper. I haven't had any problem with the Cooper. I'm glad I didn't get a defective one and hope my car will continue to perform this way in the future. I thought the blind spot for a small car would be small but it is actually pretty big. There are more cases where i don't see a car in the mirror but when I turned it's right there beside or behind me. Also sometimes when it starts, I hear swishing sound from under the hood. I assume it's coolant circulation. Did anyone else notice it?

Reply to
d.w.

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