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Chart based on 30 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2009 Mini Hardtop 2dr Hatch
turbocharged 208hp 1.6L I4 6-speed manual FWD
46000 mi
US $400
Dead battery
36000 mi
US $55
Rear hatch actuator replaced
94000 mi
US $800
Replaced HID aftermarket lights that had a dead ballast with LED conversion generation 8 JDMASTAR. No where near as bright as HID but this is the only one adjustable for focus and is nearly identical to stock halogen brightness and the pattern with sharp cutoff (better for oncoming drivers? probably need to use fogs full time however).
97000 mi
US $1200
replaced HID harness
26000 mi
Passenger air bag failed. Dealer had to order a replacement part.
One of the tones to the horn went out. Dealer fixed.
51000 mi
Rear wiper motor failure
54200 mi
US $200
The LCD screen of radio was broken.
62000 mi
US $1000
Navigation DVD drive failed
23000 mi
Driver side lock actuator was faulty. Could not lock doors. When exiting car, windows would roll down, sunroof would vent and could lock car.
44000 mi
Airbag sensor in drivers seat malfunction. Indicator light on dash stayed lit and chime tone inadvertantly rang. Sensor needed to be replaced.
54000 mi
US $1921
Clutch failed. Total price for replacement of clutch-pack, which is mandatory as per BMW's rules, was almost $4000.
The dealership allowed me to buy the extended maintenance warranty instead for a total of $1920.
Rear door unlocks on it's own. I read about simular problems in forumn . ( after rain aggravates it) Car's lighter socket is also not working. Seems like the ghost of high mileage is making an appearence. Fuse replaced on lighter and all is fine. Liftgate has been locked and seems to do job, no repair done yet.
The stupid Thermostat stopped working. No heat at all. The part is and all in one piece worth 250$+ Poorly manufactured.
57000 mi
US $50
Passenger airbag occupancy sensor works intermittently; most shops will not fix since it requires upholstery, Mini dealer wants $1500. We were able to find a new seat bottom on ebay to replace it with that matched the car.
24000 mi
Fan speed display LEDs out. Part ordered. Dealer will call when part comes in.
24800 mi
heater / ac control panel replaced
100000 mi
US $1600
Condenser was leaking refrigerant.
13000 mi
window closing position erratic
19000 mi
one-touch window function not working...software problem
6200 mi
TRUNK HATCH OPENED UNEXPECTANTLY & FEREQUENTLY-ON ROAD OR PARKED. ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS HAD TO BE ENGAGED AS SOON AS YOU ENTERED THE CAR OR THE TRUNK POPPED OPEN. MOISTURE PROBLEM IN HANDLE-PARTS ORDERED TRUNK HATCH & ELECTRONICS HARNESS REPLACED- NO FUTHER PROBLEMS TO DATE
64480 mi
C $1200
Internal fan failed-Replaced along with relay Cost = $600
17980 mi
Drivers window would not stop at top. It would bump off the top and go back down
17436 mi
TPM and battery CELs were coming on intermittently. No faults were found to explain them. Driver window would not roll all the way up and would return to half open position. Replaced car software to remind the computer it's OK for the window to roll all the way up and it should not bounce back down.
20945 mi
Car alarm interior ultrasonic sensor is defective causing random alarms, even while driving. Ordered replacement sensor because none in stock.
49200 mi
US $134
Keyless entry unlocked doors but door would not open--handle did not mechanically work. Yet another electrical problem they "could not replicate" even though I had video evidence. Cruise buttons on steering wheel started incrementing and decrementing speed by 2mph intervals instead of one. More computer glitches strike again! Asked them to double-check why the door would not open even though the keyless entry worked to unlock the door last month.
Nothing done, problem not replicated (of course).
50000 mi
Replaced the right rear TPMS transmitter in the fender.
50000 mi
Computer lost date and time but battery was never disconnected to account for it. More electrical gremlins. Also, alarm started sounding for no reason, which was repaired two years ago. But the false alarms returned.
See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how
frequently 2009 Mini Hardtop problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.