What are common problems with Minis?

[M3pwrofm3]

I was thinking about getting a Cooper S and wanted to know common problems they have. I herd that the trannys arn't very good (manual) that 2-5 gear stick.

[JennB]

I've never heard that one. I've had two MINIs.

What year are you interested in?

I'm not sure about the 07's since they are so new but common problems on the 02-06 are windshield cracks and sticky door handles. The CVT Cooopers have tranny problems but I've rarely heard of issues with the S 6-speed.

[M3pwrofm3]

03 because I heard the 02 minis were not so great. i just wana be educated befor I buy a car so I know common problems so they can be avoided. like the 3 seriest with the cooling system and subframe ect.

[M3Eater]

Common in the '02's is a bad windshield seal, causing the windshield to actually slip down. Easily fixed.

[MrBlah]

gen1's have a rep for cracked windshields

not sure if any particular year is worse than another

[aus]

What about the strut tower mushrooming in the R53's?

[enologuy]

I have not had the mushrooming strut tower issues that some have had. However, I do have the Ireland Fixed Camber Plates installed now and they provide added strength.
I have an '05 and they are notorious for a failed (oil filled) motor mounts. Now I have installed a Texas Motor Works Engine Dampener. Not only does this ED keep the motor mount from failing but it also adds stability to the engine in a way that keeps it from 'jogging' when you get on and off the throttle, providing a much smoother acceleration.
I have not had any windshield problems...except when a rock hit it!
I have had no major problems and I now have almost 40,000 miles on Black Scorpion.
I have had some minor issues but they were due to problems associated with the mods I have done and the learning curve associated with them. :D

[kalbone]

I have an '02 cooper S w/ 112k mile with no tranny problems. I recently turboed my R53 and tranny is till in good shape..

[OPP]

Hummers can drive over you and not notice it.

[ACS330Ci]

The new style '05 - '06 hydraulic motor mounts like to leak all over the place.

[StickSeven]

electric steering pumps go bad, also the cooling fan for the electric pump is in a vunerable area where sand and road salt can seize it up, causing your steering to overheat, and on the older models youre engine would overheat, too, because the fuse was the same for both cooling fans.
the shifter cables were freezing up on the cooper S. they released newer cables that were supposed to solve that problem, but i think they were still a bit messed up.

also the front control arm bushings went quickly, and rear tire wear issues, too

[xhealey]

I've got an '03 with the automatic tranny.........I've ha no problems so far. The windshield has a popping sound on occasions but no cracks. Only 30K on the car and the car drives like a dream. The only thing is the rt. electric window switch only works on occasion. Otherwise its fine.

[NCMINIGUY]

check out the link:
http://www.motoringfile.com/mini-r50r53-buyers-guide/

[elle]

06 ones get windshield cracks easily. it's so annoying.

[Shivan000]

I've got an '03, and I've had a power steering pump failure as well as a cracked windshield.

Also, I had a leaky A/C fitting (one of the charge ports) that caused all my R134a to leak out. It was fixed under warranty, and the guy said that some of the fittings were bad and that he sees that sometimes.

[xhealey]

After riding in a new Mini...the sales person told me of a problem with my '03 automatic....it has a surging at low speed....any solution for this?

[Paul K]

Ours has the hesitation problem- major PITA if you're pushing it. I did some research, and it turns out lots of folks had the problem- which thus far has been un-fixable. I've heard yo-yoing and hesitation but am not sure if they're the same. There are a couple of good Mini forums out there...

Good luck!

[ultimated]

I was thinking about getting a Cooper S and wanted to know common problems they have. I herd that the trannys arn't very good (manual) that 2-5 gear stick.
I had some problems getting into gear when cold on my new 05 MCS ; the dealership replaced some cables, problem solved. They also put some insulation between the windshield and the front dash shelf to stop creaking noises when the body flexed.

[ding]

i've had both rear calipers freeze up about 10k apart.

[pbraun]

Only problem I've had in 5 years is not driving fast enough!