Mini problems

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
View Threaded
Tue 17 Dec 2002 22:44
Mini problems - jonty
I bought my Mini One in March and I must say that it is the finest small car that I have ever driven, that is as driving pleasure goes. On the subject of reliability, in my opinion it is appalling. The first problem that I had was when water got into a "control unit" and I found the car in the drive with both windows completely wound down and the alarm de-activated. This was eventually rectified after calling out Mini recovery who removed some fuses and a visit to the supplier a few days later to replace the faulty unit.
Six months on the gear linkage broke at 60 mph and I managed to coax the thing onto the grass. Two hours wait for Mini recovery and a trip home on a flat bed wagon. Mini Recovery came out next day and fixed the thing on the drive.
Today my son phones from Yorkshire to tell me the same thing is happening to the windows and alarm. Mini recovery won't come out as the car is driveable so he goes 40 miles to Harrogate to have the car fixed. He is on a thre day walking hol, so day one is up the shoot. A new vacuum packed "control unit" is fitted (they were helpful) so he sets off back up the dale. Windows start going up and down again after a few miles so he pulls into a pub car-park and Mini recovery come out again to remove a handful of fuses.
If this is BMW engineering in my opinion they are better off at the bottom of the North Sea and if anyone wants to offer me a 30% premium over the £11,700 I paid for it I'd bite their hand off and buy a Toyota.
Has anyone else had problems?
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 18 Dec 2002 16:57
Mini problems - oRb
I've had no problems with my One (touch wood), but it's a more recent build than yours. I believe both the gear linkage and control unit problems are not uncommon amongst earlier builds - and the control unit one at least is being taken care of during routine servicing, iirc.

Have a look at the forums on www.mini2.com - you'll find plenty of information there, and other people with the same problems. I feel obliged to point out that there are plenty of people who have had no problems with the car.

Rob
Reply | Report as offensive | Link

We give you the low down on how to save on insurance, little-known tricks and tips, what insurance groups mean and how to use insurance aggregators to beat insurers.

Insurance group finder and how to save on insurance