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@shebalba avatar
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Molto Verboso
2009 GTS250, Ducati Monster M900, KTM 390 Adventure, Honda CR125
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Molto Verboso
@shebalba avatar
2009 GTS250, Ducati Monster M900, KTM 390 Adventure, Honda CR125
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UTC quote
Hi MV. If you have a moment, take a look at my story. I'd be interested in your thoughts.

Yesterday I took our 2014 MINI Cooper S Hardtop in for a few recalls. This is the second time I've taken it in for service, both times being for recall or recall checks.

This round of recalls will involve pulling apart the entire back part of the car's interior panels in order to fortify side impact and comply with NTS safety requirements. They will also be replacing a defective passenger side airbag.

While I was being checked in I was informed that they will also be addressing a crankshaft guide recall, which will require them to remove the lower half of the engine for inspection. If the guides are defective it will require a completely new motor be installed.

This car has 16K miles on it and 18 mo. left on the warranty. While I realize recall work is covered outside of warranty an engine swap seems like an increased chance for problems down the road. I'm of the opinion that cars in significant accidents and that undergo major repairs/replacement (engine, transmission) are never the same car again.

If the car had 75k on it, I'd be ecstatic about a new motor. Instead I'm unsettled and a bit bummed that a car that is still 'new' to me will have already been torn apart and reassembled before it's two years old.

My knee jerk reaction is to trade it in with hope that the dealer will at the very least make me whole. Is a motor replacement reason enough to feel this way? Am I worried for nothing and just overreacting?

Thanks.
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Hooked
2006 GTS 250ie
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Hooked
2006 GTS 250ie
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UTC quote
A new motor? Is someone pulling your leg? I do not own a mini, but that seems drastic. Have you seen these posts on totalmini.com?

http://www.totalmini.com/forum/120-2014-current-3rd-generation/13318-f56-cooper-s-crankshaft-recall.html

"During quality analysis the manufacturing plant at MINI have found that the upper crankshaft guide bearing shell may wear out prematurely even after low mileage. Therefore we will be replacing the upper guide bearing shell and replacing the lower standard guide bearing shell by retrofitting a collared guide bearing shell."

"Personally I think its better that your MINI Centre are making you aware of this issue. What a quality enhancement means, say they have 10,000 engines. they have found that a small percentage of these cars are having an issue. They design a fix and put that straight into the production system and then contact their customers to get the issue sorted on their cars that are out on the road.

I wouldn't be overly concerned, its a very straightforward job."
@madison_sully avatar
UTC

Veni, Vidi, Posti
MP3 500, GTS 250 (both 2008 MY), 2013 Piaggio BV 350, 2014 Can Am Spyder RT
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@madison_sully avatar
MP3 500, GTS 250 (both 2008 MY), 2013 Piaggio BV 350, 2014 Can Am Spyder RT
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UTC quote
In my opinion, no you are not over reacting. It's a personal thing, car ownership, and a big investment. So when things go bad, it is only natural to take the issue to heart. As for the crankshaft bearing replacement, to me this would be a big deal, but if they plan on replacing the engine if they find a problem, I am not so concerned. Except....

I had my transmission replaced on a relatively new car back in ~1997, then a few months later the engine had to be replaced. Unfortunately these repairs also caused damage to an air conditioning line (things are a bit tight under the hood of a 1995 Ford Contour), so that also had to be fixed. I was in the fortunate position of having purchased an extended warranty, so did not have to pay for any of it. There I was, not a care in the world....

Which you may want to do, as well. Invest in an extended warranty, that is. Because yes, a MINI's front end is probably even more tight than a Ford Contour, so replacing an engine could, possibly, result in some unrelated parts being bumped.

I am frankly surprised to hear about all these recalls. I guess I had thought the MINI was pretty decent. But that might be just my impression based on The Italian Job. Laughing emoticon
@larrytsg avatar
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Ossessionato
1979 P200e
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@larrytsg avatar
1979 P200e
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UTC quote
Take the car in and have them do the work. It's better that they acknowledge the issue and deal with it than hide behind excuses.

As for never being the same.... I doubt that. But it's your option to do what you want with your car. After they fix it, it's up to you to decide if you want to trade it in for something else.

It sounds to me like they might do a bit of work on the engine, and worst case replace the engine.

It's a MINI, a small, fun, mass produced car. I doubt that you were buying it for investment purposes, and a newer replacement engine won't affect the value of the car in a negative way. It's not a rare or concours kind of item, it's a small car.

Me? I drive my cars until they no longer drive. I just had a recall on my Honda Element (no snickering, please... it's my wife's car). It's 9 years old, 105k miles, and I got a new airbag and something done on the brakes. I got a loaner for the day, and my car is as good as it was before, if not better.
OP
@shebalba avatar
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Molto Verboso
2009 GTS250, Ducati Monster M900, KTM 390 Adventure, Honda CR125
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Molto Verboso
@shebalba avatar
2009 GTS250, Ducati Monster M900, KTM 390 Adventure, Honda CR125
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UTC quote
Thanks for the feedback thus far. I do appreciate it.

I just received a call from MINI. They will be in fact replacing the entire engine. I asked if they would be extending the warranty in any way, and they indicated that it will still have the same four year 50K warranty.

The new engine will also appear on vehicle history reports such as CarFax, which I can't decide will help or hurt in the event of resale or trade.

Larry, the purpose of this car was one last hoo-rah before purchasing a 'family car.' My wife and i thought it would be fun to have a small car in the stable to contrast the eventual soccer mobile

It is or was my intention to drive it until the wheel fall off, but at the rate we're going with this car, that could be very soon.
@jkj-fz6 avatar
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BV400, Primavera 150, Yamaha Zuma 125
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@jkj-fz6 avatar
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We had to have the engine rebuilt in my son's 2010 Mini, and that wasn't covered under warranty even though it was caused by a defect known to Mini. You're lucky the motor work is done with the recall.
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@jkj-fz6 avatar
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UTC quote
Now a flat tire as I typed this! I hate that car!
@froggieposition avatar
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Thunder Thief
2010 GTS 300 Super & 2015 Kawasaki Concours 1400 ABS
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Location: in the blue ridge mountains of Virginia... on the trail of the lonesome pine..."
 
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UTC quote
Given it is a mini, and covered under warrantee, get the work done, get a loaner, and be glad its being done under coverage. If the dealer is doing the work, any mess ups are on them.
@larrytsg avatar
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1979 P200e
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1979 P200e
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UTC quote
If you're in it for the long haul with the MINI, then don't worry about the new engine. I doubt that when it's a dozen years old that anyone will care that the engine was replaced as a warranty item. Just keep the info on the engine replacement and you can use it as a selling point later, "Look, it has a replacement MINI engine without the problems of the original".

Enjoy your MINI... you'll miss it when you drive a minivan (or SUV). I had a minivan, both the best and worst thing I ever had. It was the best driving vehicle I ever had, it floated down the highway and was nice around town, but it was constantly breaking something expensive. You could fill it with stuff or people, but replacing an engine or two gets bothersome. I wasn't sad to see it go.
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Triumph Bonneville 2022, Triumph Street Scrambler 2018 (sold), Suzuki VanVan200 (sold), 2015 Sprint 125 (sold)
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@rrider avatar
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UTC quote
Let them change the engine and then try and get rid of the car.
This particular brand has many virtues, but reliability does not seem to be one. I personally know two previous owners, one had the engine change like yours (then sold it quickly, with the new engine and all...) and the other suffered several minor issues before selling it away.

Could be a coinsidence, 2 cars is a too small number to draw conlusions etc., but just passing recent experience for reference. That said, I do know one owner of a 4X4 version (don't recall the exact MINI model name), bought new and had only minor electrical issues.
@nightwing avatar
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Contributor
2007 LX 150 (memories)
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@nightwing avatar
2007 LX 150 (memories)
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UTC quote
Is the replacement engine going to be new or re-manufactured? Complete engine or short block? That might make a difference.
@judy avatar
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World Traveler
2007 LX150 Daring Plum Leonardo Da Vespa
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@judy avatar
2007 LX150 Daring Plum Leonardo Da Vespa
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UTC quote
Be thankful it's not a '05 model. My friend/roommate has that model and IMHO it's a piece of shit. Parts are expensive it rides horrible. I have better shocks on my Vespa. He's going to fix a bunch of stuff on it and get rid of it. The '05 was a bad year and our neighbor he bought it from did no maintenance to it while he owned it. I was off island when said neighbor left, otherwise i would of tried to convince my friend not to buy it. Probably wouldn't of worked, since that car was on his "bucket list". I would be glad that your not having to pay and as others have said, get rid of it after the recall work is done, if your still worried. I think the Fiat Abarth is a cool little car. Good luck
@silver_streak avatar
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Veni, Vidi, Posti
2007 Vespa LX 190, 2011 LXV150ie
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@silver_streak avatar
2007 Vespa LX 190, 2011 LXV150ie
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UTC quote
I regret being inclined to continue the Mini-bashing, but it's got to be said. The reliability issues and the expense of repairing the car -- along with the car's extreme lack of comfort and ergonomics -- are why I traded my Mini Cooper S in on a Fiat Abarth 3-1/2 years ago and haven't looked back. To me, the Abarth is a vastly superior car in every respect.

GERMAN ENGINEERING IS A MYTH. It's not good engineering; it's over-engineering, poorly done. And that results in poor reliability and great expense of upkeep.

I've owned two German cars in my lifetime, and they've been by far the worst I've owned.
@gloria avatar
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Bea 2007 LX150.
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@gloria avatar
Bea 2007 LX150.
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UTC quote
have you checked out North American Motoring? Good forum for Mini's'. My clubman was a piece of work too but now I love her. a 2008 S. prone to oil leaks. none of which were caught before the warranty run out. I got her pre-owned. But my mechanic finally get her all fixed and I hope she will last another 5 yrs cause I really do love her. I think it is a problem with mini S models.
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@shebalba avatar
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Molto Verboso
2009 GTS250, Ducati Monster M900, KTM 390 Adventure, Honda CR125
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Molto Verboso
@shebalba avatar
2009 GTS250, Ducati Monster M900, KTM 390 Adventure, Honda CR125
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Posts: 1638
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UTC quote
Again, thanks for all of the feedback. I heard back from MINI. The car does in fact need an entirely new engine to satisfy the recall. This will be OEM shipped directly in from MINI.

The last time I took the car in for it's 10K maintenance they forgot to connect a sensor properly, and the car cut out on me while I was exiting a freeway.

Needless to say I do not have the highest confidence with the same group of mechanics doing an engine swap.

All of the recalls will be listed on the CarFax when I go to trade it in... and I WILL be trading it in as soon as I get it back. I'm very curious as to how the dealer will handle the trade in value with all of these issues.
@madison_sully avatar
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Veni, Vidi, Posti
MP3 500, GTS 250 (both 2008 MY), 2013 Piaggio BV 350, 2014 Can Am Spyder RT
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@madison_sully avatar
MP3 500, GTS 250 (both 2008 MY), 2013 Piaggio BV 350, 2014 Can Am Spyder RT
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Posts: 7632
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
UTC quote
Shebalba wrote:
Again, thanks for all of the feedback. I heard back from MINI. The car does in fact need an entirely new engine to satisfy the recall. This will be OEM shipped directly in from MINI.

The last time I took the car in for it's 10K maintenance they forgot to connect a sensor properly, and the car cut out on me while I was exiting a freeway.

Needless to say I do not have the highest confidence with the same group of mechanics doing an engine swap.

All of the recalls will be listed on the CarFax when I go to trade it in... and I WILL be trading it in as soon as I get it back. I'm very curious as to how the dealer will handle the trade in value with all of these issues.
Well when you go to trade it in, go ahead and ask, "what issues?"
Nothing wrong with this car, heck, it has a brand new engine!
That's how they'll sell it, right?
@rajron avatar
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GTS 300
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@rajron avatar
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UTC quote
Maybe with the new motor you might change your mind:
As for me I can't say the Mini is a very strong car either; have an 04 S, super charged not turbo that needed all the ball joints in the front plus the control arm bushings replaced as well as the shocks - did that myself to save money but I also needed a new clutch which I had an independent do that. I have go fast parts and took it to the track so wear repairs are expected, still if I were to do it all over again considering size, comfort, and dependability I would have gotten another car.
Some of the negatives that keep bugging me are: the oil filter, the R53's had a filter in a housing - terrible, never trusted anyone but myself to change the filter. Size, too small for more than two people; and finally how rough the ride is, is outrageous - I have driven the new S's and found them to be a little more comfortable but compared to my car they seem low on power, wish I could afford several cars to satisfy my needs - lucky I have a Vespa!
UTC

Hooked
Vespa 300 GTS SS
Joined: UTC
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Location: Myrtle Point, OR
 
Hooked
Vespa 300 GTS SS
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Location: Myrtle Point, OR
UTC quote
My Mini
I am my second Mini. The first was a '10 non S. Drove it for over 60,000 miles and did nothing to it except for scheduled maintenance. Ran flawlessly. I got interested in an '15 since it was a major upgrade. After driving both the 3 cylinder and 4, I chose the 3. Amazing torque. Most fun, comfortable car I have ever driven and then there is the FUN factor. In 15 months, I put 25,000 miles on it. I did the recall when I had the first scheduled, free service. They did a excellent job on the interior recall. The technology is excellent. I look forward to driving as much as I can. I have to make myself refrain on really stormy days only because I like to keep as clean as possible.
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