Being able to remove the front end makes working on them much easier, they are designed that way. The Peugeot engines are the biggest issue along with owners not following the correct service instructions. You’re spot on about all cars having their issues.
@@philipwelsh1862Yeah, but no one wanted to buy a new car in the 2000s with an engine from the early 50s. The Honda B series was putting out 160-170hp N/A with far better reliability than the post war 75hp A series with a transmission in the sump. The old Mini may have gone 50k without a major mechanical issue due to the lubrication needs of an engine vs a trans while the Honda would go 300k. Combining the two was a terrible idea and one of the major engineering failures of Issigonis when trying to design the car around the A series engine. The new Mini was never going to be like the old one as time had moved on and it was impossible to get a car that small to pass crash testing. Even if it did, like the Smart, it would still impart a lot of force to the occupants due to no crush zone.
@@3rdworldgarage450 Honda goes 300 thousand give me a break your in dream land sure the standard mini was ok for urban driving I had the 1070 cooper with same a type engine with the twin carbs etc Then there was the 1275 cooper S that would really go so don’t think the a type was only in one category get your facts right first my cooper did 87 thousand then I sold it and got a ford injection capri and wished I kept the cooper but that’s cars for you Mr Honda lover
Bought a Mini Cooper S in Newcastle travelling from Belfast with my teen son. Road trip :) Looked great. Took it for a test drive no issues. Timing chain had recently been changed. Managed to get it home no issues. However just 2 days later when in sport mode and I did an overtake the eml came on. Long story short. Said was a MAF error but when I checked the MAF was 2021 so the previous owner knew about this issue when selling it to the dealer. Walnut blasted the engine. Has driven perfect since then. Beautiful car and drives like a go cart.
Yes, that basically brought down rover, back in the day every rover we had in, even the 1.4 had hgf, now with bmw and other makes, wet belts and the like doesn't seem fair that rover went under.
@@roystonvehicles9129I've just spent the guts of £1000 on Rover 1.8 K series engine dropped valve, destroyed piston and ended up my project spiralling out of budget my late Dad's car Connoisseur light Green and chrome galore with full leather interior new exhaust system going on it tomorrow morning when I get out of bed and under it. Uprated H/g, ladder rail, new crankshaft and cyl head, 4 new cylinder liners and all new bearings and piston rings, oil pump and clutch so pretty much a full reconditioned engine skin to zero miles needs running in after MOT 🤔
In terms of the petrol engines, the reputation for timing chain problems and valve coking was earned by the N12 and N14 engines; they'd fixed the majority of the issues with the N18 engines on the later models from 2010 to 2013. Problems with them aren't unheard of but are far rarer, but they tend to get lumped in with the rest. Again, the root cause of many of the issues lies with the unrealistically long manufacturer service intervals. Service these every 6000 miles and make sure the oil level is correct and problems are rare.
@@John_Wood_ For me, the N18 in Cooper S form. I've had two (Convetible and Clubman), both 2012 and both were virtually trouble free (other than water pump pinch wheel perishing which is really a consumable). Tuners prefer the "troublesome" N14 engine, but as most tuners maintain their engines well, trouble occurs far less frequently than with neglected daily drivers.
Worked on close to 100 of them. Yes great cars if you catch common flaws with those n12 and n14 engines but issues were definitely caused by deteriorating plastic in guides pushing timing chain. Has nothing to do with regular oil changes as seen it on well maintained engines. It due to early 2000’s BMW engines has issues with plastics deteriorating and rubber becoming hard over the years. I done more then enough valve stem seals and rubber seals as well as timing on all BMW engines from that era. All has same issues. Yes if you catch it early on they actually were reliable as have gotten over 280k on a 740 and etc. The issue is most regular people don’t know about these issues rely on shops that are not use to working on BMW’s or other foreign cars and only do regular service.
Our 2009 1.6 Convertible - in my late wife's and now my hands for nine years all told, and promoted to this one's daily drive - regularly serviced, has had absolutely no issues except the usual comestables. Sails through her MoT every year. Totally reliable. Never to be sold, I should add!
There’s always a few good cars amongst the bad ones. That’s the way it works. Just because you had a one off good experience doesn’t make them reliable cars. When people talk about unreliability they are talking about the majority. Not the minority.
@thisiszaphodbeeblebr Who buys a Cooper S and doesn't "rag it". I work in a garage and without a shadow of a doubt Mini's are the most troublesome cars out there. If any of my customers show an interest in buying a Mini I show them typical bills for them. They soon change their mind.
I had an R53 back in the day in black eye purple. Got Lohen to mod it to 260bhp, which was good back then for a supercharged engine. Had it for 5 years a genuinely, it never missed a beat. Best car ever.
The R53 was a brilliant wee car, the F-series cars are good too, it’s the R56 in the middle that’s the problem child, I wouldn’t touch one with a barge pole and I’ve had 20years of these cars
Remember having a early 52 plate for years with no issues and thrashed it within a inch of its life! Now have a r56 as a runaround get to work car! Issues ? Enough said but for what it cost ,nothing in that price range would put a smile on your face or look that good
Drove my sparkly new Cooper S out of the showroom in February 2007 and in February 2024, I am still driving it as my daily runabout. A couple of clutches, a new air con pump and one new thermostat housing have been the major outlays (plus all the usual tyres, shocks etc). Sunroof has given up the ghost and the paintwork is looking a bit sun beaten these days, but the old girl still raises a smile when the Sport button is pressed on a winding road.
Fantastic video Janes! For me one of the best. Probably because I had an '03 Cooper with the Midland 'box. Had it 9 years, bought for £2250, shipped it to Finland sold it in 2022 for €1900. Changed clutch and steering rack myself. As you said, everything needed front off, and often subframe dropped. Still, I drove over 100k miles on top of the 125k when i bought it. I fitted a towbar! Cost me €500 a year in parts...driveshafts, wheel bearings, rear wishbones, brake lines, belt tensioners. Hated the constant work but it only broke down proper once. Did all the work myself, even spraying the rear light clusters after rust repair. Hated the "what now?" So many issues, loved it for driving and cabin. ModMini on youtube saved me big time!
Do not ever buy a 4 cylinder engine always 6 cylinder then your driving a proper BMW the 4 are just built for reps = the 6 for drivers who want a bmw not a go kart I got 330i superb motor petrol of course done 180 ooo miles and still gos like hell = so next time get a 6 cylinder and live a bit
These are 4 cylinder engines you must realize that the proper BMW engine were mostly 6 cylinder the fours were poor and for reps cars mostly = a 6 is king
Love your video's...free flowing, concise and very informative...thank you! Its shocking that a cheap plastic tensioner blade and poor tensioner are installed in these cars in the first place. Just from a 'Saving the earth' point of view, its unforgiveable penny pinching. I particularly feel for the high mileage car buyers on a tight budget, who suffer these totally unecessary costly problems...it could send them over the edge.
It is actually the spring going bad on the tensioner that makes the plastic break on the timing chain. Bought a cheap 1.6 cooper as my daughters 1st car as a project as it had death rattle. Really enjoyed working on it - did the chain with the engine still in the car
The 2.0d diesel engine in this car was called the N47. It was modified and superseded in 2015 by the B47 engine . Shouldn't cause any problems provided regular oil changes are done.
I worked with the original mini which had the a type BMC engine was a nice motor and very reliable. Of course they had a few problems like drive shafts and sub frames but still a nice motor
I had one of these. I loved it. New exhaust cost me 15 quid. The fuel economy was just as good as my current vw up.....all these years later. Looking back I suppose im glad I avoided getting hit by anything....not a lot of protection!
Hello James, well, what a horror story the "super mini" was - but to have it sold so quickly to a well known mechanic at the garage where the service / repairs was carried out was a real bonus! Best wishes from Lincolnshire.
@@roystonvehicles9129You're having a laugh aren't you? The Prince engine (the Peugeot/BMW one) was the problem one, Mine went through 2 cam chains in 60K miles and used about 500mL of oil a month (about 600 - 800 miles) which was considered "normal oil usage" I had a plethora of other problems while I had it, including (but not limited to) High pressure fuel pump, Oil feed line to the turbo, Waste gate rattle, thermostat housing, PCV valve requiring new valve/cam cover. The Triton engine in the earlier ones wasn't too bad (they had other problem, but engine OK) and the later BMW ones are also better, but the gen2 (especially early ones, like mine) were a nightmare!
@@ChuckFickens1972 I was talking about the Peugeot diesel unit, in pre 61 plate minis, as in many other cars and vans, not the troublesome petrol engine.
This is why, when choosing a Mini to buy, I skipped straight to a MK 3 & purchased a Cooper SD. So far nearly four years & 60,000 miles of trouble free motoring. You're spot on about the ride though. On smooth motorways, it's actually a wonderful cruiser
Had the 1850 engined one in ‘shit brown’ colour with vinyl roof! Great everyday workhorse but all the door bottoms rotted six inches up!…. Gluten for punishment I’ve ran a Rover Montego TD estate for the last 26 years! Great engine 55mpg, sadly bodywork as per Ital!……..
I have a 2005 Cooper S. It’s been fine, and I love it. I don’t drive it hard. It’s the preferred supercharged version, as I’d heard they’re more reliable than the later turbocharged models. Great video, by the way.👍🏻
You hear this a lot but always wondered how people arrive at such conclusions? Is it simply not just due to age many of these cars haven't hit that limit where they breakdown more easily? So they just haven't had enough time to build up that bad reputation?
@@d.b.cooper1Even the older 1st Generation Minis are more reliable than the 2nd Generation Minis. They are well known within the Mini Owners community to be awful and have terrible engines
@@d.b.cooper1 no because mine is 2016 and not had any problems with it and it wasn’t a case of the 2nd generation getting old and breaking people where having them break down when they would drive them from the showroom on the first day of ownership and would continue to have fault occur within the first year of ownership I know this because family have owned the 2nd generation mini hatch a 2007 model back in the day and I’ve owned the 2nd generation 2011 countryman with same 2nd generation problematic engine was always back and forth to the garage getting something fixed so know it’s not just due to age and the only factor that would make a car keep breaking down due to age would have been poor maintenance I never had any of these issues with my Renault Clio even when that was old it was 13 years old when I swapped only once it let me down alternator needed replaced but apart from services and replaceable items like breaks and stuff that’s all it ever need because I maintained its like I previously said in this comment because most people don’t keep up with maintenance on older cars causes issues but not the mini they was prone to fault from day one either way
Just purchased a 2015 F56 Cooper S Petrol 55,000 miles. Saw your video and immediately opened a savings account. I estimate that I will need to budget for at lease £3,000 for a timing belt and clutch change. Thanks very much for the warning. Very sobering. Wish I had seen this vid before I bought it! Many thanks.
At 2015 your car will be fine supposedly as long as it's a Cooper S , DS3 Dsport Thp Peugeot RZR Thp as long as it's after 2011 problems have been ironed out it's supposedly from 2010 but to be on the safe side from 2011.
I had my moms C4 1.6 VTi Prince engine lightly overhauled last summer. Drove the car to an engine shop and picked it up 12 days later. They pulled the cylinder head and the pistons out with the engine block still in the engine bay. New piston rings, timing chain kit, new valve stem seals, new conrod bearings, water pump and all gaskets. Cylinder head was dismantled and cleaned, valves + seats machined. Cylinders were measured and flexi-honed in situ. Worn Vanos system gears got replaced by better second hand parts. Total cost was £2700. Crazy thing to do for a £4000 car!
Thank you for an interesting video. In the good old days of the original Mini Coopers (John Cooper's garage was about a mile away from me) people bought them to thrash them, not worry about fuel consumption. BTW, the police near us used to drive S-type Jags and Mini Coopers and they used to race each other, now and again.
I think that from 2014 the engines were changed to a BMW engine rather than the engine used in Peugeots and from then on the B48 engines used in cooper S 2.0 ltr cars are pretty bullet proof .?
Yep. The B48 is a phenomenally good engine. Reliable and powerful with no real problems, even after high mileage. They are the bargain cars at the mo, I think partly because of videos like this that don't make that clear.
I bought my 07 1.4 Mini One petrol with 86k on it a few months ago. I knew right away it needed a new chain. Done the chain in my driveway, took roughly 4 hours and was relatively easy. Petrol BMW chain is a DIY job with the right tools and knowledge, diesel a bit more involved.
I cannot understand why so many UK/European manufactured cars have timing chain issues these days. Its rare for the Japanese or South Korean vehicles to have the same problem. Its not that its new technology after all.
I think it’s by design, they need to keep the profits going Hence the use of lots of special tools as well In my day you could change a timing belt in the lunch hour, major operation nowadays
Because they use timing chains that look like they've come from a Raleigh Chopper. VAG cars are the same as are Vauxhall. Ford for some absurd reason run rubber timing belts in oil! What dimwit thought of that idea?
Important point you are missing: the problems you are talking about only affect the R56 Mini's produced from 2007-2013. Prince engines are poorly designed but the F series MINI's from 2014 on wards are much more reliable. I suggest to change the title to mention this only affects R56 Minis and also the thumbnail as well as I believe that is an F56 Mini which is a completely different car to what is shown in the video..
Has enough time passed for us to truly comment on the post 2014 models? Most will only just be approaching that risky zone re millege & being passed onto owners who give up on the services
Be glad mate we've not done finance agreements or admin fees, going to be massive claims on miss sold finance, it'll filter down to the garage as well, they'll have their commission clawed back, also some dealers have been charging big admin fees to make cars seem cheaper, if a customer rejects it as well they're not getting the fees back, very tricky.
They did improve the petrol engine a bit in 2011 onwards (n18 instead of n14) but its still really complex. I have found a good specialist and it seems like things like coil packs, vanos seals and timing chain tensioners are considered consumables you should keep in a box in the boot! If you buy one of these need about 2k in reserve for repairs. Ive already had suspension bushes, 2 coil packs, new thermostat done all between 100 and 200. The most expensive part though was the spark plugs at 300. Modern engines are incredibly complex. Means very good fuel economy and performance but long term reliability is not so hot.
One of my customers bought a 2005 Cooper S 6 months ago. I just laughed. Already £2000 in on repairs and as they go it is a nice one. They actually have a proper supercar in the garage and it actually costs them less...
I used to own a 1986 Toyota Carina. It was older than that and I put 70,000 miles on it with just a couple of front tyres, but whatever you say...@@GrahamTWC
I use to work on those and yes those are the common issues seen over the years. They are pain to a timing job on them and if caught to late engine need to be replaced. Usually if you caught it early when the slapping noise you replace chain and guides and typically pretty reliable motors if it doesn’t jump teeth timing. I had one for many years before going to a BMW 740 then eventually a 750 series and honestly been a reliable car as kept up with servicing it knowing the common issues they develop over the years. It was a common issue with all BMW engines from that era beside rubber seals getting hard and valve stem seals and valley gaskets, main rear seal and trans cooler oil rings and cooling systems plastic deteriorating, but not as hard to remove engine and just overhaul when compared to other car worked on and even the 740 had the same issues with got 5 to 6 years more out of it without any major issues after fixing all the common failure points, before selling it to a friend which he still uses as a daily. Thankfully BMW worked out some of the issues with later models and not as problematic.
The problem with the mini (and many modern engines) is that people don't realise they need absolutely fastidious maintenance by someone who really knows them. People buy them and take them to their local menu service place for a lube and filter every 20,000 miles - and a whole bunch of "Little Things" get skipped.. No judgement, but if that's what you want, get a Corolla. Or a Yaris. The Civic is good, too and you'd really be unlucky to break a Jazz. But if you want 30,000 quids worth of German engineering you need to treat it like that. When it needs servicing it needs doing immediately by a main dealer or independent specialist. Once this has been cheaper out on once, the car never really recovers.
The issue is people just don't service their vehicles. I work in a garage, vehicle comes in, cabin filter, air filter blocked, oil so thin it offers zero protection. No coolant or screen wash, wiper blades hanging off and scoring the screen, tyres with 12psi in and a dead battery. Hell even my sister does it! Bought a Civic 2.5 yrs ago and it's never been serviced.
they are not normal bits of plastic, the failure is the tensioners which run out of tension due to chain stretch and sprocket wear, this puts the wrong kind of forces on the guides and quite often they break......AGAIN...if serviced correctly this will rarely happen, but manufacturers service intervals have been pushed to the limit to make the service costs low and enticing to fleet buyers, dont want to bore you but i have been in the trade 40+ years and still get monthly TSB's from the major manufacturers from when i worked in the break down industry, i dont listen to gossip and red herrings, i deal in facts@@JohnClark-ew8dh
@@andrewlaw sounds about right. Crazy, given that there's a little light to tell you to service it. But the nice yellow spanner lights up and people think "oh, I must ask so-and-so about that next time I see them" and not "I'm going to drive as gently and as little as possible until someone who knows this model can look at this". A stitch in time saves nine. BMW/Mini are not "bad". But you if you want minimal spend then they're not the car for you. Get a Japanese or Korean thing. It'll be boring compared to the Mini, but you pays your money and takes your choice.
We bought a new Cooper in 2003 and were so pleased with it, we traded it in against a brand new Cooper S convertible at launch in 2005, which we kept for five years. Nothing ever went wrong with either car and the trade in values were exceptional at the time. The original Cooper only lost around £1500 in eighteen months, the Cooper S was still worth around 60% after five years. Some of the the best cars we ever owned.
main issues with Mini and BMW's is the long service interval, do oil changes every 8 to 10 thousand miles and generally all will be fine, my Daughter has just got rid of her Mini r56 with the N47 diesel, 172,000 miles with no issues from the timing chain, but was serviced sometimes twice a year as she does a lot of miles, traded in my 1 series last year with 160,000..no issue, my oldest daughter traded in her 1 series just before christmas again just under 160,000 no issue, it's all about service service service, if you dont know the service history DONT BUY !!!
Totally agree. I notice that any BMW car ( or any car for that matter) with a timing chain failure never boasts full service history. If anyone has suffered this problem with proper servicing I’d love to know.
the "plastic" part doesnt fail, the chains and tensioners wear and stretch and put the " plastic " guides under too much pressure where they wear out and fail all down to too long service intervals, these have simplex chains instead of the old duplex set up, but the simplex is fine if the oil and filter is regularly changed at 8 to 10 thousand miles @JohnClark-ew8dh
This the N47 engine? I had the same thing on a BMW 520d. When researching I found out it was really common and some peoples cars had destroyed engine with less than 20k on the clock but they were still in warranty. Luckily I heard mine rattling first so managed to get the chain replaced before it caused any damage.
That’s a phenomenal amount of work for £600 labour. Hard to believe anyone can make money at £40 an hour taking overheads and all other costs into consideration. Can totally see why nobody wants to be a mechanic anymore!
We bought a bright red mini for our daughter and I would say it was in showroom condition. First fault we found it drank oil !! simple google check- very common. Secondly the first downpour we had and the passenger footwell was swimming in water- totally unfixable !! Not only that but every bump you went over you would swear every nut and bolt on that car was loose. Every time I was in it I got a headache because of the slight smell of petrol. DO NOT BUY a used mini !!! Ours was the 1400 petrol
The chain is not kept tight by the chain guides it's by the hydraulic chain tensioner. Firstly upgrade to the new tensioner then secondly CHANGE your oil every 5000 miles! Ignore Mini/Bmw service intervals. The Prince engine is fragile but if you do servicing correctly it's ok.
So spend a fortune getting the engine way it should if been in first place ....orrrrr, but a better make if car that does not need to fix the manufacturers crap
@@ChopsGarage Don't post a reply if you haven't used the correct grammar or comprehension. No, you don't have to spend a fortune on those engines. The tensioner was a recall item in 2007 to 2010 models. Most owners couldn't be arsed so lots of dodgy 1.4 and 1.6 out there.
@@robaustin245 don't post a reply? On what planet do you think I take instructions from you 🤣🤣 I'll do what the hell I like. How idiotic do you need to be to claim I'm wrong whilst simultaneously saying that the engine is fragile and needs upgrades to be reliable 🤣🤣
Very truthful video. I see these all the time at work with varying degrees of these issues, many electrical faults and owners seem very fond of driving them into water thats far too deep as I do more flood reports on these than any other car! The R53 models were cool as they were pretty simple and small. The current ones are nothing more than a 1-series in a frock. Definitely not one to recommend
I had a cooper d. It was awesome and gripped beyond my wildest expectations . Needed injectors at one point but other than brakes and tyres it didn't cost me a penny in 5 years.
Well done you, James -once again, totally transparent - JCW (and Diesel) man,u deserve waaaaaaaayyyyy more then then (wow, already 50k) subs vs the views Keep em comin’ JCHK
Had one in loved it so much traded it in and bought a new one love it. Would defo buy another. Thing is it's and easy car to sell I would imagine as they are everwhere
Me too mate. A cardboard box in the boot with a spare set of points, plugs, leads, dizzy cap, rotor arm, fuel pump, fuel pipe, spare hoses and basic tools and you’re good to go-any breakdowns an easy fix.
⚠️The last epic engine BMW made was in 2000 era. M47 as fitted to 3 series and Rover 75 and LR Freelander. That engine was good for 500k miles on original timing chain. Still have my 2001 Rover 75 with 210k miles on. Any subsequent engine BMW made had way too much built in obsolescence in them.
Funny thing is the B48 petrol that debuted for BMW in the post-2014 Mini F56 is superb. Reliable and powerful and are seeing high mileage. The current version in the M135 and new JCW Mini is pushing 300hp.
Rover 75 tourer m47 got to 222,000 miles on it , MG ZTT M47 again now on 120,000......engine oil and filter every 6 months....it really is cheap maintenance !
IMO they're awesome cars, if you love working on your cars and learning mechanics they are a fun project to own, once you know how to take them apart they're easy to work on.
My wife’s had a 2012 Mini Cooper roadster SD for 4 years now. The only problem she’s had is the active spoiler, a wire had broken in the loom. And I’ve replaced the glow plugs as it wasn’t carrying out Regens. Pulls really well, great fun with the roof down. It’s only got 52k at the moment so looking forward to this hefty bill😩
We sold our 2015 cooper D a couple of months ago that we had owned from new. We loved driving the car, and it seemed to be really reliable for about the first 7 years....and then it just turned into an absolute nail! It had almost 100k on the clock, but a modern car should be able to handle that easily.
On the petrol (R56) - the dip stick tube is built into the plastic timing chain guide. I am just about to do a timing chain where the guides are starting to break up and as an added complication you can't get the dip stick out !!!
All chain engines use plastic guides, it's not really the guide problem, at 90k the chains stretches on these engines, anything over that's on borrowed time, it's the chain basically flapping around that breaks the guide. Modern engines on chains are getting troublesome these days, you get loads with chain stretch that affects crank to cam timing, tbh I prefer the old cam belt, not wet belts, you'd have a good chance that a car with 90k on would have had a belt on by now.
@@Chris-mh3vf I've had a one owner seat ibiza fail at 47k,but as a general rule with regular servicing you get 90k out of that mini engine, my mate bought one at 121k but chain went shortly after, obviously it depends on oil changes and driving styles.
I had a 2014 diesel I foolishly bought new having made a profit on the previous model Clubman Mini diesel I traded in (2 years old). The new shape 3 cylinder Diesel was junk. Appalling fuel consumption despite a firmware update. The later car I owned for 6 months and around 15,000 miles before I got fed up with driving loan cars! The worst breakdown was a 'call BMW' message -non start issue. It started and drove so I drove it a mile home. Unfortunately the fault was steering -the car needed a stering rack under warranty -no parts available for 2 weeks. Oh and BMW damaged the bodywork when recovering it (wheel arch moulding). Eventually BMW repaired the damage, but the Customer Care from BMW made me swear never to buy another BMW product
All the work put into it can make it the most reliable second-hand Mini on the market. It's puzzling how some Mini owners hesitate with maintenance despite affording the purchase. They might not anticipate the maintenance challenges when buying. However, prioritizing upkeep is crucial for longevity and performance.
As an ex BMW mini service manager i say avoid at all costs, they are nothing but trouble. The warranty claims we had on new and used was ridiculous, i believe the latest generation are somewhat better, but not without faults
Got a Citroen 2012 1.6 VTi second generation with 145000 miles who works really good. After that great emgine they started to use 3 cylinder turbo and noon turbo engines who most of the time was crap if its the same engine in those Minis.Regards from Scandinavia.
Keeping a modern swift and an old BL product outdoors is not the same thing but i am pleased you're using it. I meant are you going to restore/clean it up?@@ChopsGarage
Buy one that is 2011+ with the N14 or N18 engine. The issues you're talking about are addressed, especially the intake valve carbon. Also, rubber timing belts have to be changed around 65-90K miles. The biggest issue is the EPA mandated 10K mile oil changes. Change the oil at 5K miles and those problems with the timing chain guides are minimized. Chainging the timing chain and guides is not that hard. Removing the front to access the engine is nothing new, the same goes for all 2000s Audi and VWs. What I'm not looking forward to is replacing the clutch, because you have to drop the subframe.
5:36 Truth be told the early models from 2002 to 2009 ( some early 2010 ) were pretty good, and the 1.6d were virtually bulletproof, but from 2010 onwards the classifieds are full of broken ones, but as I say, early 1.6d's I couldn't get enough of them and they did phenomenal mileages, but once the rubbish N47 BMW engine went in they were awful.
@@debbiepeter112The First Gens from 2002 used the Chrysler Neon engine, with some basic imput from BMW, next came the Gen 1 facelift from 2006 to late 2009, although some did bleed over to early 2010, but what I call the 2nd Generation were 2010 onwards with the truly dreadful BMW N14 engines, just look at the classified ads to see a plethora of broken ones, whereas the 2006 to 2009 were a different engine altogether, particularly the 1.6d which was capable of space ship mileages compared to what came later, we sold them in vast numbers and I can remember very very few giving us problems ...... ( The Once Great ) Essex Mini Centre.
i bought my wife a Mini cooper S Countryman at 1yr old with 7 K on clock. It`s now done 28 K and has been perfect. Will change it when reached 35 K ,hopefully before problems.I know they are high risk when older, but that applies to almost any car.
Love the channel missed this one I had a countryman serviced by bmw every year then every 20 thousand miles and chain issue slight noise booked it in there like it’s under warranty we’re fix it for free they had a recall on them
Another issue - the suspension was too hard if I think the chilli pack was specked - most were - as it gave you sport suspension. You could get even a JCW without and it made such a difference - you also got lovely cloth seats - you then had to add cruise etc separately. But none sports suspension cars are rare I believe.
Problem is, the majority of engine designs etc are governed by accountants nowadays, so it’s always the cheapest option A known issue like those plastic tensioners should be a recall
it is governed by push for efficiency and emissions, not accountants, the single simplex chains now used in most cars produce less drag and are lighter so less fuel = less emissions and are just a small part of the pressure put on makers to meet the never ending new rules by Governments
@@brucefraser4778 that doesn’t excuse using plastic guides etc though There are numerous examples of recalls where the original design was obviously cheap and nasty
i used to get a lift by a woman who had a very early 2000's Mini and it had an odd problem of the glove box keep opening. It was a fairly new car at the time and she said she had it back to the dealers on numerous occasions but they couldn't fix it.
My friend has a 2010 mini S for 2 years now. He bought it from a dealer with 85k miles on it. Within the first month he had to replace the valve seals and head gasket. Since it was only one month after purchase the dealer did a “good will” repair and he only paid $100 out of pocket. Only one month after that he had to rebuild the transmission. The dealer would not pay so that cost $3000 out of pocket. A few months later after that he hit a pothole and needed a suspension repair forget what exactly but another $1000…few months later the MAF sensor and thermostat both went bad at the same time. Fast forward until now he needs a new alternator. In just 2 years he’s had a multitude of repairs and that’s not even including the normal maintenance like battery, brakes, tires and oil changes (which this car burns a SHIT TON of oil. He adds maybe 1 quart every 2 weeks or so.) Please do yourself and your wallet a favor…don’t buy this shitty piece of British engineering unless you want your car to live in the repair shop.
Saab always recommended a full radiator, fan etc change at anything over 70,000 miles. I bought a 4 year old 93 20 years ago with 99,000 miles on as an approved Saab used car, so full factory 12 month warranty. It got that because radiator discs timing chin etc had all been swapped at 70,000 miles. As for Mini, driving instructors liked them when they came out then, they discovered full clutch required very early and at best 50,000 miles.
Our 2008 mini clubman cooper D bought for 13k from BMW at 3 years old, well maintained and regularly serviced didn’t make it past 100k with a catastrophic engine failure. Got £1800 for the car. Looked the part but will certainly not be buying another. I do recall replacing the likes of the fuel filter myself and finding the majority of components that previously would have been made of semi durable materials, were made of cheap plastic that looked like they belonged in a printer, not a car.
I bought my '13 R57 S manual with the N18 3 years ago... Over $17,000 in unscheduled repairs have happened. Electronic issues, leaks, accessory failures, window regulator failures, door handle failures... Everything. Everything has gone wrong with it. Unfortunately for me, I love Benny and I just can't bring myself to part with him. I've never had so much fun in a car.
I had a 74 mini back in the day and loved it. bought a BMW mini after 3 days I had enough. Drove like it was a crab. It must have been badly damaged. The suspension was like it had track suspension. Engine would idle at different tevs. The interior looks like I designed it when I was at high school. Uncomfortable seats. It had problems but the overall car design is flawed and not refined enough for the asking price. Lots of small cars under the BMW mini prices are better. IMO. I like proper cars not gimmicks
I bought a 2005 Volvo S60d with 208'000 miles(,had a leaking power steering)rack for £700 'thought it would be a quick replacement and on the road for £500, the final bill was £1400, they repaired the leak but it needed a new power steering pump so we all get caught out .😎
I have a 2016 Mini Countryman cooper S petrol. I bought it from a car dealer in 2019. With 19,300 miles on it. I change oil and filter my self every 5-6000 miles.A few weeks ago I changed the water pump pulley as it was making a noise. Cost me just over £20 to replace it. Took me under an hour to change it. The mileage is now 48748 miles. So far all ok. I agree ride is very hard it helped a bit by changing from run flat tyres to normal tyres.
Just got a Cooper Convertible 2010 (N12 - R57). Great fun to drive but steering wheel goes all over the places over bumps and the biting point is pretty far out (needs a fair rev to get her moving). By what you've said this sounds closer to normal than I thought, but do you reckon she needs a new clutch and bushings? If so would I expect to pay £2k to get that done? Considering doing it all myself... Great video thanks so much
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Being able to remove the front end makes working on them much easier, they are designed that way. The Peugeot engines are the biggest issue along with owners not following the correct service instructions. You’re spot on about all cars having their issues.
The Peugeot engine with BMW bits added on top of it
Imagine if Rover back in the late 90’s had developed this Mini with a 1600 Honda VTec? Be an absolute winner.
The BMC A TYPE ENGINE TUNED WAS SUPERB = the mini cooper went like a bomb I had one
Yes, but this "bomb" has a fuse which can destroy your wallet when it reaches the end
imagines...
@@philipwelsh1862Yeah, but no one wanted to buy a new car in the 2000s with an engine from the early 50s. The Honda B series was putting out 160-170hp N/A with far better reliability than the post war 75hp A series with a transmission in the sump. The old Mini may have gone 50k without a major mechanical issue due to the lubrication needs of an engine vs a trans while the Honda would go 300k. Combining the two was a terrible idea and one of the major engineering failures of Issigonis when trying to design the car around the A series engine. The new Mini was never going to be like the old one as time had moved on and it was impossible to get a car that small to pass crash testing. Even if it did, like the Smart, it would still impart a lot of force to the occupants due to no crush zone.
@@3rdworldgarage450 Honda goes 300 thousand give me a break your in dream land sure the standard mini was ok for urban driving I had the 1070 cooper with same a type engine with the twin carbs etc Then there was the 1275 cooper S that would really go so don’t think the a type was only in one category get your facts right first my cooper did 87 thousand then I sold it and got a ford injection capri and wished I kept the cooper but that’s cars for you Mr Honda lover
Had my 1.6 one for twelve years never let me down.
I had the 1.4 First for twelve years as well, same, no problems at all.
You guys were very ,very lucky and I suspect you both drive about as hard as my great Aunt Thelma did at 87
your aunt thelma was a right goer too.@@EdmundSampson-pd7vi
Nope, I suspect they're driving the R50s which tend to be pretty robust (at least the 1.6 W10 engines)
Bought a Mini Cooper S in Newcastle travelling from Belfast with my teen son. Road trip :) Looked great. Took it for a test drive no issues. Timing chain had recently been changed.
Managed to get it home no issues. However just 2 days later when in sport mode and I did an overtake the eml came on. Long story short. Said was a MAF error but when I checked the MAF was 2021 so the previous owner knew about this issue when selling it to the dealer.
Walnut blasted the engine. Has driven perfect since then. Beautiful car and drives like a go cart.
That’s because it is a go kart
What is walnut blasting the Mini engine?
Makes the old Rover K series head gasket issue look trivial
Yes, that basically brought down rover, back in the day every rover we had in, even the 1.4 had hgf, now with bmw and other makes, wet belts and the like doesn't seem fair that rover went under.
@@roystonvehicles9129I've just spent the guts of £1000 on Rover 1.8 K series engine dropped valve, destroyed piston and ended up my project spiralling out of budget my late Dad's car Connoisseur light Green and chrome galore with full leather interior new exhaust system going on it tomorrow morning when I get out of bed and under it.
Uprated H/g, ladder rail, new crankshaft and cyl head, 4 new cylinder liners and all new bearings and piston rings, oil pump and clutch so pretty much a full reconditioned engine skin to zero miles needs running in after MOT 🤔
@@RevGary great bud, should be brilliant when you get it done.
Not sure who were bigger arses with Rover .., BM or Aerospace .., other than the Phenix twats ...
In terms of the petrol engines, the reputation for timing chain problems and valve coking was earned by the N12 and N14 engines; they'd fixed the majority of the issues with the N18 engines on the later models from 2010 to 2013. Problems with them aren't unheard of but are far rarer, but they tend to get lumped in with the rest. Again, the root cause of many of the issues lies with the unrealistically long manufacturer service intervals. Service these every 6000 miles and make sure the oil level is correct and problems are rare.
Thanks for this...I d love to buy a mini...but defiantly dont want problems
interesting, what is the best engine and year in your opinion?
@@John_Wood_ For me, the N18 in Cooper S form. I've had two (Convetible and Clubman), both 2012 and both were virtually trouble free (other than water pump pinch wheel perishing which is really a consumable). Tuners prefer the "troublesome" N14 engine, but as most tuners maintain their engines well, trouble occurs far less frequently than with neglected daily drivers.
Worked on close to 100 of them. Yes great cars if you catch common flaws with those n12 and n14 engines but issues were definitely caused by deteriorating plastic in guides pushing timing chain. Has nothing to do with regular oil changes as seen it on well maintained engines. It due to early 2000’s BMW engines has issues with plastics deteriorating and rubber becoming hard over the years. I done more then enough valve stem seals and rubber seals as well as timing on all BMW engines from that era. All has same issues. Yes if you catch it early on they actually were reliable as have gotten over 280k on a 740 and etc.
The issue is most regular people don’t know about these issues rely on shops that are not use to working on BMW’s or other foreign cars and only do regular service.
Well said exactly that got the n18 engine in my pug 208 gti i service mine 3 times a year with stage 1 map but your spot on.
Our 2009 1.6 Convertible - in my late wife's and now my hands for nine years all told, and promoted to this one's daily drive - regularly serviced, has had absolutely no issues except the usual comestables. Sails through her MoT every year. Totally reliable. Never to be sold, I should add!
Of course!
There’s always a few good cars amongst the bad ones. That’s the way it works. Just because you had a one off good experience doesn’t make them reliable cars. When people talk about unreliability they are talking about the majority. Not the minority.
@@marcuswoodgate4026 - much to be said, then, of the contribution of looking after and not ragging a vehicle, then ?
@thisiszaphodbeeblebr Who buys a Cooper S and doesn't "rag it". I work in a garage and without a shadow of a doubt Mini's are the most troublesome cars out there. If any of my customers show an interest in buying a Mini I show them typical bills for them. They soon change their mind.
& how many miles has this car got on the clock?
I had an R53 back in the day in black eye purple. Got Lohen to mod it to 260bhp, which was good back then for a supercharged engine. Had it for 5 years a genuinely, it never missed a beat. Best car ever.
The R53 was a brilliant wee car, the F-series cars are good too, it’s the R56 in the middle that’s the problem child, I wouldn’t touch one with a barge pole and I’ve had 20years of these cars
Remember having a early 52 plate for years with no issues and thrashed it within a inch of its life!
Now have a r56 as a runaround get to work car!
Issues ? Enough said but for what it cost ,nothing in that price range would put a smile on your face or look that good
@@GrahamTWC nothing wrong with the r56. Had two. Like everything else, you gotta look after them.
Drove my sparkly new Cooper S out of the showroom in February 2007 and in February 2024, I am still driving it as my daily runabout. A couple of clutches, a new air con pump and one new thermostat housing have been the major outlays (plus all the usual tyres, shocks etc). Sunroof has given up the ghost and the paintwork is looking a bit sun beaten these days, but the old girl still raises a smile when the Sport button is pressed on a winding road.
Its all about proper ownership. Keep up with the maintenance schedule and these cars aren’t that bad
Fantastic video Janes! For me one of the best. Probably because I had an '03 Cooper with the Midland 'box. Had it 9 years, bought for £2250, shipped it to Finland sold it in 2022 for €1900. Changed clutch and steering rack myself. As you said, everything needed front off, and often subframe dropped.
Still, I drove over 100k miles on top of the 125k when i bought it. I fitted a towbar! Cost me €500 a year in parts...driveshafts, wheel bearings, rear wishbones, brake lines, belt tensioners. Hated the constant work but it only broke down proper once. Did all the work myself, even spraying the rear light clusters after rust repair. Hated the "what now?" So many issues, loved it for driving and cabin.
ModMini on youtube saved me big time!
The dreaded N47 or was it N46 engine, had the same in my 520D, has put me off BMW’s for life!!
Do not ever buy a 4 cylinder engine always 6 cylinder then your driving a proper BMW the 4 are just built for reps = the 6 for drivers who want a bmw not a go kart I got 330i superb motor petrol of course done 180 ooo miles and still gos like hell = so next time get a 6 cylinder and live a bit
These are 4 cylinder engines you must realize that the proper BMW engine were mostly 6 cylinder the fours were poor and for reps cars mostly = a 6 is king
@@philipwelsh1862I bought the 520d for fuel economy. Spent more on maintenance than the car was worth
you're referring to the gen 2 model which has the Peugeot engines which we all know to avoid. The 1st and 3rd gen are good though.
Had an r57 for 4 years. Had no issues at all. They are great cars. Look after it and it'll look after you.
Love your video's...free flowing, concise and very informative...thank you! Its shocking that a cheap plastic tensioner blade and poor tensioner are installed in these cars in the first place. Just from a 'Saving the earth' point of view, its unforgiveable penny pinching. I particularly feel for the high mileage car buyers on a tight budget, who suffer these totally unecessary costly problems...it could send them over the edge.
It is actually the spring going bad on the tensioner that makes the plastic break on the timing chain. Bought a cheap 1.6 cooper as my daughters 1st car as a project as it had death rattle. Really enjoyed working on it - did the chain with the engine still in the car
The 2.0d diesel engine in this car was called the N47. It was modified and superseded in 2015 by the B47 engine . Shouldn't cause any problems provided regular oil changes are done.
correct but some are now complaining about the chain in the B47, regular servicing is all they need
I worked with the original mini which had the a type BMC engine was a nice motor and very reliable. Of course they had a few problems like drive shafts and sub frames but still a nice motor
Original ,1959. I had one from the late 70s.
I had one of these. I loved it. New exhaust cost me 15 quid. The fuel economy was just as good as my current vw up.....all these years later. Looking back I suppose im glad I avoided getting hit by anything....not a lot of protection!
Hello James, well, what a horror story the "super mini" was - but to have it sold so quickly to a well known mechanic at the garage where the service / repairs was carried out was a real bonus! Best wishes from Lincolnshire.
Wasn't this an engine built by Peugeot and not BMW, but saying that we have a 2021 Mini Cooper JCW with a proper BMW ICE and it's an absolute joy.
Pre 61 plates are the 1.6 Peugeot unit, a better engine, after that it's this BMW unit that has a very bad rep.
@@roystonvehicles9129You're having a laugh aren't you?
The Prince engine (the Peugeot/BMW one) was the problem one, Mine went through 2 cam chains in 60K miles and used about 500mL of oil a month (about 600 - 800 miles) which was considered "normal oil usage"
I had a plethora of other problems while I had it, including (but not limited to) High pressure fuel pump, Oil feed line to the turbo, Waste gate rattle, thermostat housing, PCV valve requiring new valve/cam cover.
The Triton engine in the earlier ones wasn't too bad (they had other problem, but engine OK) and the later BMW ones are also better, but the gen2 (especially early ones, like mine) were a nightmare!
@@ChuckFickens1972 I was talking about the Peugeot diesel unit, in pre 61 plate minis, as in many other cars and vans, not the troublesome petrol engine.
Developed by Peugeot in collaboration with BMW, so they're both on the hook for this.
Based on the old peugeot block, with the BMW variable valve timing system. Both to blame. Shite engine.😊
This is why, when choosing a Mini to buy, I skipped straight to a MK 3 & purchased a Cooper SD. So far nearly four years & 60,000 miles of trouble free motoring. You're spot on about the ride though. On smooth motorways, it's actually a wonderful cruiser
Loving the Ital in the background.
Yes spotted too.😊 Orig paint and wheels .. good work runner always started just boring to look at
Be a shame if a piano fell on it
Had the 1850 engined one in ‘shit brown’ colour with vinyl roof! Great everyday workhorse but all the door bottoms rotted six inches up!….
Gluten for punishment I’ve ran a Rover Montego TD estate for the last 26 years! Great engine 55mpg, sadly bodywork as per Ital!……..
I ran a second gen cooper for 9 years with no mechanical issues at all. One small electric issue with a window but it was a very easy fix.
I have a 2005 Cooper S. It’s been fine, and I love it. I don’t drive it hard. It’s the preferred supercharged version, as I’d heard they’re more reliable than the later turbocharged models. Great video, by the way.👍🏻
Good to hear. Im looking to purchase an R53 cooper s 👍
Pre 94 Saab 900 - still my favourite car ever. Had 3 of them. Such a unique experience..
Still got one! Engine is at 300,000 though and have another B202 to go in.
Mini 3rd generation diesel from 2014 onwards are reliable it’s the 2nd generation ones that are not
You hear this a lot but always wondered how people arrive at such conclusions? Is it simply not just due to age many of these cars haven't hit that limit where they breakdown more easily? So they just haven't had enough time to build up that bad reputation?
@@d.b.cooper1Even the older 1st Generation Minis are more reliable than the 2nd Generation Minis. They are well known within the Mini Owners community to be awful and have terrible engines
@@d.b.cooper1 no because mine is 2016 and not had any problems with it and it wasn’t a case of the 2nd generation getting old and breaking people where having them break down when they would drive them from the showroom on the first day of ownership and would continue to have fault occur within the first year of ownership I know this because family have owned the 2nd generation mini hatch a 2007 model back in the day and I’ve owned the 2nd generation 2011 countryman with same 2nd generation problematic engine was always back and forth to the garage getting something fixed so know it’s not just due to age and the only factor that would make a car keep breaking down due to age would have been poor maintenance I never had any of these issues with my Renault Clio even when that was old it was 13 years old when I swapped only once it let me down alternator needed replaced but apart from services and replaceable items like breaks and stuff that’s all it ever need because I maintained its like I previously said in this comment because most people don’t keep up with maintenance on older cars causes issues but not the mini they was prone to fault from day one either way
@@debbiepeter112 totally agree 👍🏻
Just purchased a 2015 F56 Cooper S Petrol 55,000 miles. Saw your video and immediately opened a savings account. I estimate that I will need to budget for at lease £3,000 for a timing belt and clutch change. Thanks very much for the warning. Very sobering. Wish I had seen this vid before I bought it! Many thanks.
At 2015 your car will be fine supposedly as long as it's a Cooper S , DS3 Dsport Thp Peugeot RZR Thp as long as it's after 2011 problems have been ironed out it's supposedly from 2010 but to be on the safe side from 2011.
Actually the 2015 are supposed to be ok as long as you maintain it and don't abuse it mechanically speaking.
I got rid of my last mini that I'd had in stock 2 years, loads of work, luckily more or less got my money back.
I had my moms C4 1.6 VTi Prince engine lightly overhauled last summer. Drove the car to an engine shop and picked it up 12 days later. They pulled the cylinder head and the pistons out with the engine block still in the engine bay. New piston rings, timing chain kit, new valve stem seals, new conrod bearings, water pump and all gaskets. Cylinder head was dismantled and cleaned, valves + seats machined. Cylinders were measured and flexi-honed in situ. Worn Vanos system gears got replaced by better second hand parts. Total cost was £2700. Crazy thing to do for a £4000 car!
Agreed, if your Mum loves the car though the recent work should keep it on the road. Consider getting the underside coated in light oil…
Is that what they told you.
Thank you for an interesting video. In the good old days of the original Mini Coopers (John Cooper's garage was about a mile away from me) people bought them to thrash them, not worry about fuel consumption. BTW, the police near us used to drive S-type Jags and Mini Coopers and they used to race each other, now and again.
I think that from 2014 the engines were changed to a BMW engine rather than the engine used in Peugeots and from then on the B48 engines used in cooper S 2.0 ltr cars are pretty bullet proof .?
Correct, B48 engine is much better
Yep. The B48 is a phenomenally good engine. Reliable and powerful with no real problems, even after high mileage. They are the bargain cars at the mo, I think partly because of videos like this that don't make that clear.
The guy that made this video doesn’t appear to have a clue about MINIs, he probably thinks the current cars are still running Peugeot engines…
The F56 and R56 are very different cars, shame he doesn’t know this
@@timleech He’s still arguing the toss about it, I genuinely hope it’s just clickbait because the alternative is frightening…
I bought my 07 1.4 Mini One petrol with 86k on it a few months ago. I knew right away it needed a new chain.
Done the chain in my driveway, took roughly 4 hours and was relatively easy.
Petrol BMW chain is a DIY job with the right tools and knowledge, diesel a bit more involved.
I cannot understand why so many UK/European manufactured cars have timing chain issues these days. Its rare for the Japanese or South Korean vehicles to have the same problem. Its not that its new technology after all.
I think it’s by design, they need to keep the profits going
Hence the use of lots of special tools as well
In my day you could change a timing belt in the lunch hour, major operation nowadays
Because they use timing chains that look like they've come from a Raleigh Chopper. VAG cars are the same as are Vauxhall. Ford for some absurd reason run rubber timing belts in oil! What dimwit thought of that idea?
@@andrewhamilton8954 designed on the cheap, that’s why. Cut corners all over the car, not just engine
Important point you are missing: the problems you are talking about only affect the R56 Mini's produced from 2007-2013. Prince engines are poorly designed but the F series MINI's from 2014 on wards are much more reliable.
I suggest to change the title to mention this only affects R56 Minis and also the thumbnail as well as I believe that is an F56 Mini which is a completely different car to what is shown in the video..
For clicks, I used to like watching his videos but this is wildly inaccurate and rather poorly researched
Has enough time passed for us to truly comment on the post 2014 models? Most will only just be approaching that risky zone re millege & being passed onto owners who give up on the services
Timing chain rattle after a diesel MOT probably the only time it hits the rev limiter 😀
Yes, probably hard revs on the smoke test, good point.
Be glad mate we've not done finance agreements or admin fees, going to be massive claims on miss sold finance, it'll filter down to the garage as well, they'll have their commission clawed back, also some dealers have been charging big admin fees to make cars seem cheaper, if a customer rejects it as well they're not getting the fees back, very tricky.
Oh but they are just so loveable and great fun to drive ...thanks for the heads up! 😊👍🏻
I bought my used Mini 5 years ago. It's a Cooper 1.5 petrol and, touch wood, never had any issues whatsoever. 122k on the clock.
They did improve the petrol engine a bit in 2011 onwards (n18 instead of n14) but its still really complex. I have found a good specialist and it seems like things like coil packs, vanos seals and timing chain tensioners are considered consumables you should keep in a box in the boot! If you buy one of these need about 2k in reserve for repairs. Ive already had suspension bushes, 2 coil packs, new thermostat done all between 100 and 200. The most expensive part though was the spark plugs at 300. Modern engines are incredibly complex. Means very good fuel economy and performance but long term reliability is not so hot.
Another Excellent episode off.. " chops will buy anything" 😅
One of my customers bought a 2005 Cooper S 6 months ago. I just laughed. Already £2000 in on repairs and as they go it is a nice one. They actually have a proper supercar in the garage and it actually costs them less...
the 2005 Mini has a totally different engine plus at 19 years old you’d be naive not expect to have to replace some things.
Imagine having to repair things on a 19 year old car 😳
I used to own a 1986 Toyota Carina. It was older than that and I put 70,000 miles on it with just a couple of front tyres, but whatever you say...@@GrahamTWC
I own a Mini R56 1.6 had it 8 years done 153,000 miles and the only thing i've had to replace is the gear selector.
Gear selector went on mine also, couldn’t get the car into reverse at all
I use to work on those and yes those are the common issues seen over the years. They are pain to a timing job on them and if caught to late engine need to be replaced. Usually if you caught it early when the slapping noise you replace chain and guides and typically pretty reliable motors if it doesn’t jump teeth timing.
I had one for many years before going to a BMW 740 then eventually a 750 series and honestly been a reliable car as kept up with servicing it knowing the common issues they develop over the years. It was a common issue with all BMW engines from that era beside rubber seals getting hard and valve stem seals and valley gaskets, main rear seal and trans cooler oil rings and cooling systems plastic deteriorating, but not as hard to remove engine and just overhaul when compared to other car worked on and even the 740 had the same issues with got 5 to 6 years more out of it without any major issues after fixing all the common failure points, before selling it to a friend which he still uses as a daily. Thankfully BMW worked out some of the issues with later models and not as problematic.
The problem with the mini (and many modern engines) is that people don't realise they need absolutely fastidious maintenance by someone who really knows them. People buy them and take them to their local menu service place for a lube and filter every 20,000 miles - and a whole bunch of "Little Things" get skipped.. No judgement, but if that's what you want, get a Corolla. Or a Yaris. The Civic is good, too and you'd really be unlucky to break a Jazz. But if you want 30,000 quids worth of German engineering you need to treat it like that. When it needs servicing it needs doing immediately by a main dealer or independent specialist. Once this has been cheaper out on once, the car never really recovers.
the 20,000 miles is the issue, it should be max 10,000 miles
The issue is people just don't service their vehicles. I work in a garage, vehicle comes in, cabin filter, air filter blocked, oil so thin it offers zero protection. No coolant or screen wash, wiper blades hanging off and scoring the screen, tyres with 12psi in and a dead battery. Hell even my sister does it! Bought a Civic 2.5 yrs ago and it's never been serviced.
Any amount of servicing wont rectify a ridiculous piece of engineering in putting plastic guides on a moving chain.
they are not normal bits of plastic, the failure is the tensioners which run out of tension due to chain stretch and sprocket wear, this puts the wrong kind of forces on the guides and quite often they break......AGAIN...if serviced correctly this will rarely happen, but manufacturers service intervals have been pushed to the limit to make the service costs low and enticing to fleet buyers, dont want to bore you but i have been in the trade 40+ years and still get monthly TSB's from the major manufacturers from when i worked in the break down industry, i dont listen to gossip and red herrings, i deal in facts@@JohnClark-ew8dh
@@andrewlaw sounds about right. Crazy, given that there's a little light to tell you to service it. But the nice yellow spanner lights up and people think "oh, I must ask so-and-so about that next time I see them" and not "I'm going to drive as gently and as little as possible until someone who knows this model can look at this". A stitch in time saves nine.
BMW/Mini are not "bad". But you if you want minimal spend then they're not the car for you. Get a Japanese or Korean thing. It'll be boring compared to the Mini, but you pays your money and takes your choice.
Are there not any aftermarket improved chain guides available? 🤔
If the timing chain guide breaks , would it be noticeable by the chain slapping about and making a racket ?
Yes depending on where, it'd just tip will be less noticeable
We bought a new Cooper in 2003 and were so pleased with it, we traded it in against a brand new Cooper S convertible at launch in 2005, which we kept for five years. Nothing ever went wrong with either car and the trade in values were exceptional at the time. The original Cooper only lost around £1500 in eighteen months, the Cooper S was still worth around 60% after five years. Some of the the best cars we ever owned.
It's the replacement model that came after the R56 with the problems 2007-13.
So are the plastic chain guides replaced with new plastic chain guides?
Yes replaceable
No Sherlock, they put the broken plastic back after all that work they did to it 😂
main issues with Mini and BMW's is the long service interval, do oil changes every 8 to 10 thousand miles and generally all will be fine, my Daughter has just got rid of her Mini r56 with the N47 diesel, 172,000 miles with no issues from the timing chain, but was serviced sometimes twice a year as she does a lot of miles, traded in my 1 series last year with 160,000..no issue, my oldest daughter traded in her 1 series just before christmas again just under 160,000 no issue, it's all about service service service, if you dont know the service history DONT BUY !!!
think biggest issue is with the petrols is they over a liter of oil a year between oil changes and people don't check oil level nowadays
Totally agree. I notice that any BMW car ( or any car for that matter) with a timing chain failure never boasts full service history. If anyone has suffered this problem with proper servicing I’d love to know.
i think it's safe to say the amount of cars with no issues totally outway the ones that do@@lanehogger1532
How do you service a plastic part that fails though?? You just have to bite the bullet and replace it, like James said, regardless of the servicing
the "plastic" part doesnt fail, the chains and tensioners wear and stretch and put the " plastic " guides under too much pressure where they wear out and fail all down to too long service intervals, these have simplex chains instead of the old duplex set up, but the simplex is fine if the oil and filter is regularly changed at 8 to 10 thousand miles @JohnClark-ew8dh
This the N47 engine? I had the same thing on a BMW 520d. When researching I found out it was really common and some peoples cars had destroyed engine with less than 20k on the clock but they were still in warranty. Luckily I heard mine rattling first so managed to get the chain replaced before it caused any damage.
That’s a phenomenal amount of work for £600 labour. Hard to believe anyone can make money at £40 an hour taking overheads and all other costs into consideration. Can totally see why nobody wants to be a mechanic anymore!
Devon Prices NOT London !
Probably lower rate for regular trade custom
Mates rates
We bought a bright red mini for our daughter and I would say it was in showroom condition. First fault we found it drank oil !! simple google check- very common. Secondly the first downpour we had and the passenger footwell was swimming in water- totally unfixable !! Not only that but every bump you went over you would swear every nut and bolt on that car was loose. Every time I was in it I got a headache because of the slight smell of petrol. DO NOT BUY a used mini !!! Ours was the 1400 petrol
The chain is not kept tight by the chain guides it's by the hydraulic chain tensioner. Firstly upgrade to the new tensioner then secondly CHANGE your oil every 5000 miles! Ignore Mini/Bmw service intervals. The Prince engine is fragile but if you do servicing correctly it's ok.
So spend a fortune getting the engine way it should if been in first place ....orrrrr, but a better make if car that does not need to fix the manufacturers crap
@@ChopsGarage Don't post a reply if you haven't used the correct grammar or comprehension. No, you don't have to spend a fortune on those engines. The tensioner was a recall item in 2007 to 2010 models. Most owners couldn't be arsed so lots of dodgy 1.4 and 1.6 out there.
@@robaustin245 don't post a reply? On what planet do you think I take instructions from you 🤣🤣 I'll do what the hell I like. How idiotic do you need to be to claim I'm wrong whilst simultaneously saying that the engine is fragile and needs upgrades to be reliable 🤣🤣
Very truthful video. I see these all the time at work with varying degrees of these issues, many electrical faults and owners seem very fond of driving them into water thats far too deep as I do more flood reports on these than any other car! The R53 models were cool as they were pretty simple and small. The current ones are nothing more than a 1-series in a frock. Definitely not one to recommend
I had a cooper d. It was awesome and gripped beyond my wildest expectations . Needed injectors at one point but other than brakes and tyres it didn't cost me a penny in 5 years.
If these are not the ones to buy, then what is? perhaps a list of cars that are worth looking at might be an idea going forward.
How much did those turds at BMW save using plastic instead of metal on the guide chains???
Totally agree with your summary of used minis the electro hydraulic steering also failes and the electrics are unreliable but they are great to drive
Well done you, James -once again, totally transparent - JCW (and Diesel) man,u deserve waaaaaaaayyyyy more then then (wow, already 50k) subs vs the views
Keep em comin’
JCHK
Much appreciated
Thank you. I have absolutly no problems.
(Mini Cooper, Diesel engine N47 from 2012, first owner).
Good to hear
@@ChopsGarage
The Mini is driven in Germany.
Many greatings
Had one in loved it so much traded it in and bought a new one love it. Would defo buy another. Thing is it's and easy car to sell I would imagine as they are everwhere
Thanks.
I was just about to buy one.
noticed the ital in the background. would be interested in an update.thanks, philip
No update really, I just use it as is.
Is that a Morris Ital in the background? Must be the last one. I had a 1.7 back in the day and it was dire.
I advice to check and fill up the Turbo oil as well
Is it not fed from the same oil supply as engine
What happened with the mini you sold last summer James? Any comeback on that one?
If I was to embark on a journey around the world with one of your cars... I'd take the Ital lol !!
Me too mate. A cardboard box in the boot with a spare set of points, plugs, leads, dizzy cap, rotor arm, fuel pump, fuel pipe, spare hoses and basic tools and you’re good to go-any breakdowns an easy fix.
@@chriswarren2599 100%... Throw in some tyre-weld and ready for the Paris-Dakar lol :D
@@zaneclone 🤣🤣
⚠️The last epic engine BMW made was in 2000 era.
M47 as fitted to 3 series and Rover 75 and LR Freelander.
That engine was good for 500k miles on original timing chain.
Still have my 2001 Rover 75 with 210k miles on.
Any subsequent engine BMW made had way too much built in obsolescence in them.
The b58 is excellent 🙄
Funny thing is the B48 petrol that debuted for BMW in the post-2014 Mini F56 is superb. Reliable and powerful and are seeing high mileage. The current version in the M135 and new JCW Mini is pushing 300hp.
Rover 75 tourer m47 got to 222,000 miles on it , MG ZTT M47 again now on 120,000......engine oil and filter every 6 months....it really is cheap maintenance !
IMO they're awesome cars, if you love working on your cars and learning mechanics they are a fun project to own, once you know how to take them apart they're easy to work on.
My wife’s had a 2012 Mini Cooper roadster SD for 4 years now. The only problem she’s had is the active spoiler, a wire had broken in the loom. And I’ve replaced the glow plugs as it wasn’t carrying out Regens. Pulls really well, great fun with the roof down. It’s only got 52k at the moment so looking forward to this hefty bill😩
We sold our 2015 cooper D a couple of months ago that we had owned from new. We loved driving the car, and it seemed to be really reliable for about the first 7 years....and then it just turned into an absolute nail! It had almost 100k on the clock, but a modern car should be able to handle that easily.
Exactly
On the petrol (R56) - the dip stick tube is built into the plastic timing chain guide.
I am just about to do a timing chain where the guides are starting to break up and as an added complication you can't get the dip stick out !!!
BMW Mini, "Legendary German build quality"😂
It's a French engine!
The German 🇩🇪 Tiger Tank in WWII was rather good, but a bit unreliable
Their built in Oxford.
@@trevorphillips3055My mini is very reliable as it doesn’t have an engine
@@trevorphillips3055This is the later model. It has the BMW 2 ltr diesel. (= lots of plastic parts..)
All chain engines use plastic guides, it's not really the guide problem, at 90k the chains stretches on these engines, anything over that's on borrowed time, it's the chain basically flapping around that breaks the guide. Modern engines on chains are getting troublesome these days, you get loads with chain stretch that affects crank to cam timing, tbh I prefer the old cam belt, not wet belts, you'd have a good chance that a car with 90k on would have had a belt on by now.
Why do they fail at 50k then?
@@Chris-mh3vf I've had a one owner seat ibiza fail at 47k,but as a general rule with regular servicing you get 90k out of that mini engine, my mate bought one at 121k but chain went shortly after, obviously it depends on oil changes and driving styles.
How many issues have you had with that lovely Ital that is STILL leaning against the perimeter fence I wonder?
I had a 2014 diesel I foolishly bought new having made a profit on the previous model Clubman Mini diesel I traded in (2 years old). The new shape 3 cylinder Diesel was junk. Appalling fuel consumption despite a firmware update. The later car I owned for 6 months and around 15,000 miles before I got fed up with driving loan cars! The worst breakdown was a 'call BMW' message -non start issue. It started and drove so I drove it a mile home. Unfortunately the fault was steering -the car needed a stering rack under warranty -no parts available for 2 weeks. Oh and BMW damaged the bodywork when recovering it (wheel arch moulding). Eventually BMW repaired the damage, but the Customer Care from BMW made me swear never to buy another BMW product
All the work put into it can make it the most reliable second-hand Mini on the market.
It's puzzling how some Mini owners hesitate with maintenance despite affording the purchase. They might not anticipate the maintenance challenges when buying. However, prioritizing upkeep is crucial for longevity and performance.
As an ex BMW mini service manager i say avoid at all costs, they are nothing but trouble. The warranty claims we had on new and used was ridiculous, i believe the latest generation are somewhat better, but not without faults
Still people in comments telling me I'm talking rubbish so appreciate the professional back up
The general opinion in the trade from my experience, are they are junk. Good news for those who earn a living repairing them though.😊
Got a Citroen 2012 1.6 VTi second generation with 145000 miles who works really good. After that great emgine they started to use 3 cylinder turbo and noon turbo engines who most of the time was crap if its the same engine in those Minis.Regards from Scandinavia.
The R56 is one of the worst due to the prince engine which is a PSA group product. The f56 are a much more reliable platform being BMW engined
Are you going to do anything with the ital/Marina or are you just happy to watch it turn into dust? Quite sad to see it decomposing!
Why do you say that, I use it quite a bit. It's just not garaged neither are my swift or rangie
Keeping a modern swift and an old BL product outdoors is not the same thing but i am pleased you're using it. I meant are you going to restore/clean it up?@@ChopsGarage
It will dissolve if you just leave it outside.
Buy one that is 2011+ with the N14 or N18 engine. The issues you're talking about are addressed, especially the intake valve carbon. Also, rubber timing belts have to be changed around 65-90K miles. The biggest issue is the EPA mandated 10K mile oil changes. Change the oil at 5K miles and those problems with the timing chain guides are minimized. Chainging the timing chain and guides is not that hard. Removing the front to access the engine is nothing new, the same goes for all 2000s Audi and VWs. What I'm not looking forward to is replacing the clutch, because you have to drop the subframe.
5:36 Truth be told the early models from 2002 to 2009 ( some early 2010 ) were pretty good, and the 1.6d were virtually bulletproof, but from 2010 onwards the classifieds are full of broken ones, but as I say, early 1.6d's I couldn't get enough of them and they did phenomenal mileages, but once the rubbish N47 BMW engine went in they were awful.
2nd Gens were awful full stop wo from 2007 I believe. 1st Gens from 2001 are quite good , not great but better than 2nd Gens
@@debbiepeter112The First Gens from 2002 used the Chrysler Neon engine, with some basic imput from BMW, next came the Gen 1 facelift from 2006 to late 2009, although some did bleed over to early 2010, but what I call the 2nd Generation were 2010 onwards with the truly dreadful BMW N14 engines, just look at the classified ads to see a plethora of broken ones, whereas the 2006 to 2009 were a different engine altogether, particularly the 1.6d which was capable of space ship mileages compared to what came later, we sold them in vast numbers and I can remember very very few giving us problems ...... ( The Once Great ) Essex Mini Centre.
Have the replacement guides been upgraded to reduce this problem in the future.
i bought my wife a Mini cooper S Countryman at 1yr old with 7 K on clock. It`s now done 28 K and has been perfect. Will change it when reached 35 K ,hopefully before problems.I know they are high risk when older, but that applies to almost any car.
Love the channel missed this one I had a countryman serviced by bmw every year then every 20 thousand miles and chain issue slight noise booked it in there like it’s under warranty we’re fix it for free they had a recall on them
Another issue - the suspension was too hard if I think the chilli pack was specked - most were - as it gave you sport suspension. You could get even a JCW without and it made such a difference - you also got lovely cloth seats - you then had to add cruise etc separately. But none sports suspension cars are rare I believe.
Problem is, the majority of engine designs etc are governed by accountants nowadays, so it’s always the cheapest option
A known issue like those plastic tensioners should be a recall
it is governed by push for efficiency and emissions, not accountants, the single simplex chains now used in most cars produce less drag and are lighter so less fuel = less emissions and are just a small part of the pressure put on makers to meet the never ending new rules by Governments
@@brucefraser4778 that doesn’t excuse using plastic guides etc though
There are numerous examples of recalls where the original design was obviously cheap and nasty
Is suspension an optional extra?
i used to get a lift by a woman who had a very early 2000's Mini and it had an odd problem of the glove box keep opening. It was a fairly new car at the time and she said she had it back to the dealers on numerous occasions but they couldn't fix it.
Yeah, i had a 2002 cooper, fitted a cheap door magnet to the glovebox.
My friend has a 2010 mini S for 2 years now. He bought it from a dealer with 85k miles on it. Within the first month he had to replace the valve seals and head gasket. Since it was only one month after purchase the dealer did a “good will” repair and he only paid $100 out of pocket. Only one month after that he had to rebuild the transmission. The dealer would not pay so that cost $3000 out of pocket. A few months later after that he hit a pothole and needed a suspension repair forget what exactly but another $1000…few months later the MAF sensor and thermostat both went bad at the same time. Fast forward until now he needs a new alternator.
In just 2 years he’s had a multitude of repairs and that’s not even including the normal maintenance like battery, brakes, tires and oil changes (which this car burns a SHIT TON of oil. He adds maybe 1 quart every 2 weeks or so.)
Please do yourself and your wallet a favor…don’t buy this shitty piece of British engineering unless you want your car to live in the repair shop.
I wouldn't touch one full stop. No more Chops.
Saab always recommended a full radiator, fan etc change at anything over 70,000 miles.
I bought a 4 year old 93 20 years ago with 99,000 miles on as an approved Saab used car, so full factory 12 month warranty.
It got that because radiator discs timing chin etc had all been swapped at 70,000 miles.
As for Mini, driving instructors liked them when they came out then, they discovered full clutch required very early and at best 50,000 miles.
We bought a 2015 JCW, numerous problems from the start, sold it 1 year later. Never again 😒
Our 2008 mini clubman cooper D bought for 13k from BMW at 3 years old, well maintained and regularly serviced didn’t make it past 100k with a catastrophic engine failure. Got £1800 for the car. Looked the part but will certainly not be buying another. I do recall replacing the likes of the fuel filter myself and finding the majority of components that previously would have been made of semi durable materials, were made of cheap plastic that looked like they belonged in a printer, not a car.
I bought my '13 R57 S manual with the N18 3 years ago... Over $17,000 in unscheduled repairs have happened. Electronic issues, leaks, accessory failures, window regulator failures, door handle failures... Everything. Everything has gone wrong with it.
Unfortunately for me, I love Benny and I just can't bring myself to part with him. I've never had so much fun in a car.
I had a 74 mini back in the day and loved it. bought a BMW mini after 3 days I had enough. Drove like it was a crab. It must have been badly damaged. The suspension was like it had track suspension. Engine would idle at different tevs. The interior looks like I designed it when I was at high school. Uncomfortable seats. It had problems but the overall car design is flawed and not refined enough for the asking price. Lots of small cars under the BMW mini prices are better. IMO. I like proper cars not gimmicks
I bought a 2005 Volvo S60d with 208'000 miles(,had a leaking power steering)rack for £700 'thought it would be a quick replacement and on the road for £500, the final bill was £1400, they repaired the leak but it needed a new power steering pump so we all get caught out .😎
I have a 2016 Mini Countryman cooper S petrol. I bought it from a car dealer in 2019. With 19,300 miles on it. I change oil and filter my self every 5-6000 miles.A few weeks ago I changed the water pump pulley as it was making a noise. Cost me just over £20 to replace it. Took me under an hour to change it. The mileage is now 48748 miles. So far all ok. I agree ride is very hard it helped a bit by changing from run flat tyres to normal tyres.
Just got a Cooper Convertible 2010 (N12 - R57). Great fun to drive but steering wheel goes all over the places over bumps and the biting point is pretty far out (needs a fair rev to get her moving). By what you've said this sounds closer to normal than I thought, but do you reckon she needs a new clutch and bushings? If so would I expect to pay £2k to get that done?
Considering doing it all myself...
Great video thanks so much
21:26 Why no buy tickets in Australian dollars option?
You serious?