Hi guys, I just bought a 2007 Mini Cooper S a couple of days ago from a dealer. It has been my dream car since I was 8 years old, and I finally got one!
When I test-drove it, both on the freeway and on streets, all seemed perfectly well so I bought it. After having it for a couple days, I've noticed a few things.

First, it's an automatic but it jumps a little sometimes when it switches gears. Sometimes, after sitting at a stop light for a while, it has a little trouble switching into gear when I try to start going.
Second, this only happened one time but it was definitely not normal. I was driving to the store and when I would break and get to a lower speed, it started to rattle. When I was stopped at the red light, it continued to rattle. Once I started driving again and speeding up, it would stop but it kept happening when I would slow down or stop. It only happened that one day and hasn't happened since.
Third, I pressed the button for the sunroof and it isn't opening. I was planning on consulting the manual but I just figured I'd ask about this too while I'm asking about my other problems. I don't know if there's a lock or something that I'm missing to open it. I didn't really look too far into it because I was driving while I was trying to open it and since it wasn't working, I gave up.

Any advice on what I can do about these three things? Thanks!

 

Hello and congratulations on your MCS purchase. I as well purchased my first MCS (2009) back in October 2012. You are investing on a used vehicle so In my case I went through a ton of research. Some of the things I took into consideration:

1- Mileage
2- Previous Owner/Owners
3- Where the vehicle was previously registered (urban/rural areas)
4- Vehicle History (Carfax Reports)
5- Recall notices on the vehicle for the year/years being looked at
6- Overall condition and appearance of the vehicle
7- Average maintenance cost (per year)

I purchased the vehicle from a dealership in which this Cooper S was a trade-in so generally they will conduct some type of maintenance and repairs if necessary and document accordingly, some dealers literally "patch up" a vehicle for quick resale and once you leave their lot you're pretty much on your own. I purchased mine from a highly reputable Audi dealership in VA and their pre-owned inventory goes through the same point inspection than their fleet of Audi's in their showroom. Their reputation is on the line and they will not loose buisiness because they wanted to save a few dollars on a used vehicle. Also to have peace of mind I purchased an 5 year/100000 mile extended warranty on the vehicle and it is applicable at any Mini Authorized repair facility.

Maybe I went too far and have not explained any possible causes of your three issues on your Mini since your purchase. A detailed history on the vehicle may have pointed you in the right direction if these problems previously existed or are these new symptoms for your vehicle.

Good luck with your new purchase and I hope these issues are easy fixes for you.

 

There are just over 64,000 miles on the car.
There was one owner before me who lived in a rural area and mostly used the car for pleasure rather than commute.
The carfax report said that everything was fine and only one small accident was detected, where it was rear ended, but it had been completely fixed.
It had regular records for being serviced.
The car is in flawless condition. Theres a couple minor scratches that could easily be buffed out, but other than that, it really looks awesome, inside and out.

The dealer gave me a 60 day warranty, but it really only covers oil changes, windshield wiper fluid refills, and small things like that.

I also read online that there have been a lot of problems with Minis regarding oil changes, if taken to a quickie oil change place like Jiffy Lube. Is that true? I read some people saying that they will only take theirs to the Mini dealership.
I bought mine from a Honda dealership.

I'll have to look through all my paperwork again and try to see if I can find a single clue. When I first reviewed it all before buying it, it really seemed flawless and it was such a great deal that I jumped on it.

 

It sounds like the tranny might need a "reflash" . They sometimes loose their minds and shiftpoints...

The Rattle I have no idea on ...

I know of nothing to prevent sunroof opening , have you checked fuses ?

 

WOW- checking the fuses and/or the grounds- I used to own a lot of ol's British Leland (English Minis) sports cars, and the Lucais electrics always had dirty grounds. Mini Coopers from BMW should solve most of my Triumph electrics problems, but checking the fuse is a good start- unless there's the ghost of Lucais past LOL.