MINI Countryman (2010 – 2016) Review

22-6-2011: Solution to turbo dump valve problems. Gloucestershire-based Forge motorsport has launched a pair of dump valves for the R60 Mini Countryman: a vent-to-atmosphere ‘Blow Off’ valve and a recirculation valve. Both have been designed and precision CNC machined to offer a direct replacement for the OEM parts. Each unit is entirely hand-fabricated and uses motorsport-quality materials and fabrication methods to create a unit which is both hugely effective and aesthetically pleasing. These valves take into account the car’s electronically controlled bypass valves, where fitted, and are recommended where the car’s boost pressure has been increased by an ECU software upgrade or simply for those wanting an improved Blow off sound, a more efficient operation, or simply as a solution to the many failures that have occurred.

The most common complaint on the OEM solenoid valve is a split diaphragm preventing the valve from opening fully, or not at all. This doesn’t always result in a check engine light, as the valve can still be blown open by the boost pressure. Forge’s engineers have seen many valves with this problem during testing. The other common problem is that the diaphragm retaining ring is made from very thin plastic that goes brittle with heat cycles, and eventually fails. This may prevents the diaphragm from sealing correctly, causing the same problems as mentioned above. This particular failure has also been known to result in the valve falling apart upon removal from the turbo, though in extreme cases, bits of plastic can enter the turbo and destroy it. Forge’s alternative is a fully engineered solution offering both significantly improved reliability. The new vales are piston based, with no internal diaphragm to fail. Being of all aluminium construction, it replaces the original unit with a pressure/vacuum operated piston valve that still also retains the desirable OEM ECU control over valve actuation. This design of valve has been proved on VAG engines for many years. The spring is interchangeable for different levels of boost, and the solenoid is ‘plug and play’ with the wiring harness which is included. Priced from just £189.79 including VAT. For more information or to buy this part online, link to www.forgemotorsport.co.uk

11-3-2012: Now thought that low pressure in the fuel pump of the 1.6 petrol leads to low pressure in the oil pump, starving the timing chain of oil on start-up and leading to stretching of the chain. That could also be why they rattle on start-up.

1-4-2013: Short runs from cold and the ridiculous long-life service regime seem to lead to condensdation in the sump and rocker cover that emulsifies engine oil and leads to blockages of oilways in the turbo petrol engines. See above about Forge Motorsport modification.

28-5-2014: Extraordinary story of leaking MINI Countryman, purchased 27-7-2011 that leaked from new, with leaks identified as: 1,600 miles faulty windscreen seals; then 1,650 miles perished a/c pipe; 6,984 miles (12-9-2012) faulty door seals; 7,878 miles (26-10-2012) faulty door seals again. Car replaced with new Countryman All4 December 2012. That also suffered ingress of water, thought to be through rear door seals. Car returned to Stratstone MINI at 7,000 miles on 24-4-2014. Now seeking to reject 2nd car.

15-3-2015: Problem with oil solenoid seal of 55k mile 2011 MINI Countryman Cooper S. Solenoid seal leaked and via the harness contaminated the main control unit. BMW dealer quoted £2,250 to fix. BME MINI contributed 50% of parts cost, leaving a bill of £1,500.

19-1-2016: Significant oil leaks from 2010 MINI Countryman ALL4 at 44,000 miles and ABS wheel sensor dropped off.

28-4-2016: Clutch and DMF of 'approved used' MINI Countryman failed after 6 months at 30,000 miles.

11-10-2016: Report of clutch of 2014 MINI Countryman All4 John Cooper Works failing at 11,500 miles.

31-10-2016: Complaint of clutch failing on NINI Cooper S Countryman All4 at 37,000 miles requiring replacement of clutch and Dual Mass Flywheel at a cost of £2,000. Warranty claim turned down.

30-1-2017: Report of strong fuel smell both outside and in the cabin of a 2014 petrol MINI Countryman Cooper S. Local Mini dealership has looked at the car and said there is nothing wrong, and that Cooper S Minis on their forecourt were 'a bit fuelly'. Fuel economy is not quite what it used to be either. See 11-3-2012 and 1-4-2013.

30-1-2017: Problems with 2013 MINI Countryman 2.0d ALL4 bought used at 14,780 miles and now at 22,500 miles have included: a jolting feeling when reversing or going forward with full (or near) lock at slow speed. Dealer spent a lot of money under warranty trying to rectify the problem. They now feel what is left is “acceptable” to MINI and normal. The day it was due to go in to have this work done it broke down after the EGR valve failed also see bills below. It is a low mileage car having done only 22,500 miles to date but only 14,780 when bought it. Owner assued EGR failure was due to previous lots of short journeys and therefore coked up. Also a vibration noise coming from the engine bay when initially setting off and it sounds louder outside.

19-10-2017: Report of clutch and DMF failure on 2012 MINI Countryman ALL4 at 22,500 miles. Quoted £2,000 to replace. Might get a Goodwill reduction, but £2k is the standard price.

11-1-2018: Report of failure of transfer box of 2013 MINI Cooper D ALL4 Countryman at 28,000 miles. Owner not warned that a disparity of more then 3mm between the tyres can cause this. Quoted £2,114 to repair.

12-3-2018: Report of centre clutch of 2014 MINI Countryman 1.6TD ALL4 failing at 26k miles. MINI wants £2,467 to replace because car had been serviced independently and centre clutch fluid and filter had not been changed.

23-5-2018: Report of sudden failure of N47 diesel engine of MINI Countryman SD ALL4 at 85,000 miles. BMW dealer ran up a bill of £1,000, then quoted £13,500 for a replacement engine in a car worth £7,500.

11-6-2018: Report of 2014 MINI Countryman Cooper S needing new waterpump, housing and pulley at 26k miles because the parts had developed surface cracks.

5-7-2018: Report of N47 engine of 2012 MINI Countryman 2.0SD "blowing up" at 48,000 miles. At first, dealer quoted £10,000 to replace it. But after a contribution from BMW cost reduced to £1,400.

23-8-2018: Report of engine failure of 2012 MINI Countryman at 71k miles, all servicing ahving been done on time by the MINI dealer. Had started to use more oil two months previously. Local garage could not work out why. Amber warning light lit up whern driving on M25. Nowhere to stop. Then engine cut out on slip road to M11. Dealer first thought head gasket had failed. Has now condemned engine as irrepairable.

19-3-2019: Report of failure of transfer box of 2014/64 MINI Countryman Cooper S All4 at 20,850 miles. We queried whether it could have been caused by a tread depth disparity of more than 3mm between the tyres.

16-6-2019: Report of engine problem with 2014/64 MINI Countryman (didn't say which engine) at 55k miles. Auto electrician reported that the timing chain was not turning the camshaft. Possibly due to a stretched timing chain.

8-11-2019: Report of stop/start stopping working on MINI Countryman diesel. Suspect battery.

20-11-2019: Report of timing chain of N47 2.0 diesel engine of MINI Countryman failing at 54,000 miles, at slow speed and without any warning. Car had been serviced at the (BMW) 'correct' intervals. (See: 23-5-2018.)

17-1-2012: More on the MINI Fires Issue. In perhaps the largest recall ever announced, MINI USA is recalling every Cooper S and JCW model sold from 2007 to 2011. The recall effects almost all 2007 – 2011 R55, R56, R57 and R60 models with the turbocharged Cooper S engine. The issue involves the electric auxiliary water pump on models that are equipped with the N14 turbo engine. The auxiliary pump is controlled electronically by an engine control unit. After switching off the engine, the electric auxiliary water pump conducts heat away from the turbocharger. Under certain conditions, the pump’s electronic circuit board can malfunction. The malfunction can occur as a result of certain design features in combination with high operating temperatures. If the water pump can fails, there’s a slight chance that the circuit board can overheat. And in an extreme case, overheating of the circuit board can lead to smoldering of the water pump. If smoldering occurs, this may also lead to an engine compartment or vehicle fire.

Models Affected:

2007-11 / Cooper S (Dec 2006 – Oct 2010)

2008-11 / Cooper S Clubman (Dec 2007 – Oct 2010)

2009-11 / Cooper S Convertible (Dec 2008 – Oct 2010)

2009-11 / John Cooper Works (JCW) (Jun 2008 – Oct 2010)

2009-11 / John Cooper Works (JCW) Clubman (Jun 2008 – Oct 2010)

2009-11 / John Cooper Works (JCW) Convertible (Apr 2009 – Oct 2010)

2011 / Cooper S Countryman (Nov 2010 – Jan 2011)

How can you tell if this is happening to your MINI? The first tip-off will be a plastic burning smell, or burning and/or smoke from the front of the vehicle may be noticed. You can continue to drive your car. However MINI recommends parking your vehicle outdoors until repairs have been performed. Those who own affected cars will receive a letter asking them to have this service performed by their authorized MINI dealer, do so as soon as possible. At this point MINI in the USA is fixing all cars in its inventory and will be announcing a formal recall shortly. Any new or pre-owned MINI in dealers inventory will be held until the recall can be completed, but customer cars are not yet being held and the recall repair will not be happening until the service bulletin is released. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into the cars after 12 engine fires had been reported including five that destroyed the cars entirely. In eight of the 12 cases, the fires occurred when the cars were parked and turned off.

1-9-2012: Some 2010-11 models may have oil leaking from the timing chain tensioner. In T.S.B. M110512 issued on Sept. 1, BMW said the problem in the Hardtop, Convertible, Clubman and Countryman models resulted from a timing chain tensioner seal ring that is too soft. Replacing the seal ring should do the trick.

1-10-2012: In T.S.B. M110612 issued on Oct. 1, Mini's parent company, BMW, said that technicians might find an O-ring in the oil filter housing when changing the oil. The O-ring is from the oil filter nonreturn valve inside the engine, and it dislodges because it is too small. BMW said that no further engine damage was caused by the O-ring, and that replacing the oil filter housing should clear up the issue. The problem can occur in 2007-12 Hardtops, 2009-12 Convertibles and all years through 2012 of the Coupe, Roadster and Countryman.