Hello, I recently joined because I need to get the opinion of others. My 2005 MCS has had many problems. To give you a rundown:

-Cracked windshield (within 3 months of purchase (replaced by dealer))
- Broken right side motor mount (replaced under warranty however, I did not know it was broken for many months )
-Thermostat problem (significant over heating also replaced by warranty)
-Mushroomed strut towers (both sides). Have not hit anything significant but replaced the right side because it was bent and was throwing off my alignment.
-New flywheel because the 'dual stage' one was cracked and sounded like a chopper when the car was in neutral. Could this have happened from the broken motor mount?
-New brake reaction bushings (warranty covered but had to pay for the labor )
-New clutch (only 67,000 miles) and as a result of needing a new flywheel (I wanted to replace myself however, since my extended warranty through the credit union was paying, the mini dealer would not put the old clutch back in)

Now my question is this: my extended warranty that I bought through a credit union expires next year (6 years or 110,000 mi it pays for almost everything on the car accept labor rates above the national ave of $115). Should I sell the car because of the idea that something major might happen in the future when I won't have the warranty? Now I have noticed while doing my own maintenance that parts for this car are somewhat more expensive. I have 2 factory manuals for this car and have the garage space and all of the tools to get the job done. I was wondering if this car is going to nickel and dime me to death for part failures that are happening prematurely. I understand factory recalls but this car should not need this much work with only 67,000 miles.

I love the fact that I get between 28/32 mpg when driving the car, and it's extremely fun while driving. However, the idea that something major like the flywheel cracking again just makes my wallet cringe. Any feedback will be appreciated.

 

How did you get a cracked windsheild covered ?
Most of the normal problems you have listed are known troubles
Motor mounts were problems , thermostat housing is the same, mushroomed struts are common I'd recomend a set of strut defenders mine are perfect
Brake bushing are common I'd have replaced them with the detroit tuned metal ones
Flywheel is new to me , unsure about the clutch depends on your driving ...

That being said you have three options :
get rid of the car
buy a new one
buy another extended warranty with better coverage

 

The windshield was cracked in a 'U' shape right above the rear view mirror. I guess the dealer said that this is a common problem with severe heat of southern California. They replaced it without any questions (clearly the crack occurred at once and it wasn't from a rock chip).

The flywheel was new to me as well. I thought it was the throwout bearing or the 'clutch release bearing' from the bentley manual. I had the dealer replace it since my extended warranty covered it. My service rep told me that this is a known problem with the MCS since it has a 'dual stage flywheel.' Apparently it was cracked in the center. I believe this whole ordeal was started from my busted motor mount. I must have driven around some 5-7k miles with it like that. All it takes is an imbalance in tolerances for things to go wrong.

"Most of the normal problems you have listed are known troubles"- I understand that products have manufacturing defects and that engineers cannot design against all such occurrences (I am a mechanical engineer myself). However, paying $32,000 for a 'BMW' should not come with such troubles. Also for the mushroomed strut towers, they should have been sold with strut braces. It is a critical design flaw in just having the strut spring plate mount into the thin unibody. Most every mini I have seen has this problem from 'normal' driving.

 

We have seen a number of harmonic balancers go bad (crank pulley) and that causes a vibration and noise. Quite often misdiagnosed because you really have to be looking for it. Can cause the belt to let go allowing the tensioner pulley to explode and destroy the super charger pulley. There is an after-market tensioner stop available to prevent that happening. Also the jockey pulley will misalign. I made a stepped bushing to locate the jockey pulley properly.

Yes, the strut doublers are a necessity. I have seen mushroomed strut tops quite frequently.

Also, many power steering pumps and cooling fans, mostly in the pre 05 models. This one is dangerous because the steering goes real hard, not like losing a belt on anything I've ever experienced.

The cooling system expansion tanks leak.

Lastly, I've had a series of oil leaks. Very reminiscent of the classic Mini I also own.

All of these items have occurred on my own 04 Mini S. None were covered under the warranty as they all manifested themselves out of coverage. I do my own work though.

Its still fun to drive but I have to admit it hasn't been trouble or expense free. I won't buy another one but I said that about my 1963 Cooper S in 1965. I now have a 1974 also. At my age you would think I would have learned since also owning a Honda Ridgeline has actually been a totally painless experience.