This issue occurred two years ago, but my anger has been reignited since I discovered that my 2011 Countryman ALL4 needed another $3200+ in repairs. In 2015, my MINI needed both the clutch and flywheel replaced at 49K miles. For the type of driving that I do (I am very gentle with my car), I feel this is too soon for a clutch to die. However, I didn't really think there was anything I could do about it, so I forked out the money to Keeler MINI. After paying $2700 for my clutch/flywheel, I come to find out that the clutch on the 2011 and 2012 Countryman had a design flaw, which was causing them to die early. Just Google "countryman clutch failure" and you will find countless stories of the clutch dying early, even as low as 9K miles. However, since it is a wear item, it was not covered under warranty or recalled, and MINI was dealing with it on a case-by-case basis. I originally learned of this information because an acquaintance told me how he had the same exact issue and complained to MINI corporate and they agreed to replace his clutch for free. At the time, I had already paid the money and really wanted to forget about it and not go through the hassle of making an official complaint. However, now that I have another $3200+ in repairs needed two years later, I feel the time is right. The amount of money this car has cost to maintain is ridiculous. I first brought up the issue to my local MINI dealer (MINI of Dutchess County), and they basically said they were aware of the clutch issue, that Keeler MINI did a poor job with customer service, and that they should have offered me the $1900 extended warranty, which would have covered the clutch and all maintenance and repairs for the next 2 years. Seeing that I spent $4600 over the next two years for maintenance and repairs, it would have saved me $2700. Alternatively, they could have partially or fully covered the repair out of their good will fund. With this information in hand, I emailed Keeler MINI to lodge my complaint. I got a call from the sales person I dealt with in 2015. At first he said this was really a MINI issue and not a Keeler issue. When I asked why I they didn't offer me the extended warranty option, he basically said that it was the finance guys' job. Then he proceeded to deny that there was any type of known issue with the clutch. He said that clutches are wear items and it varies when they wear out. I understand this is true, however I do not drive like a crazy person and there are many reports of the clutch dying ridiculously early. I tried to explain that the sales manager from MINI of Dutchess County already fessed up to the issue, but still this sales person from Keeler would not admit that the clutch on my year/model had any known issue and was unwilling to admit fault for not offering me the extended warranty. At the end of the phone call, he hung up on me before I finished my last sentence. I think it's interesting that this person claimed to have no knowledge of this issue, since my acquaintance that got the clutch replace for free, got it replaced at Keeler MINI prior to me. So they did in fact know about this issue. Even if this particular sales person did not know about it, the manager definitely did and that is whom I negotiated the price with. Furthermore, my acquaintance was offered the extended warranty option, whereas I was not. He was likely only offered this option because he raised serious hell. I wish I had known this was a recurring issue with this car beforehand so I could have made a complaint to MINI corporate and/or find a dealership that was actually willing to work with me. In conclusion, I don't really think Keeler MINI is interested in maintaining good customer relationships. They are more interested in making a quick buck. I strongly suggest that you do not go to Keeler MINI. On a brighter note, MINI of Dutchess County did help me out on the repairs that I needed recently. They covered the most critical item at cost to make up for Keeler MINI's poor service. Although it doesn't completely make up for the injustice and extra cost incurred due to Keeler MINI's poor customer service, it is good to know that there are still some good people out there. read more