I took my 2009 Mini in for a service diagnostic because it was leaking coolant and appeared to be leaking some oil. Besides the very long wait for the car, the tech handed me an estimate for a new thermostat housing and a new oil housing. I was told to replace both of these housings, with the main problem for the coolant leak being the thermostat housing. I was told the oil filter housing required them to basically take apart the car to get at the filter housing. The estimate for the total repair was around $1200. I told them to fix the main leak by replacing the thermostat housing, and I would consider the oil filter housing later on since it wasn't the main source of the coolant leak, and was the more expensive repair.
Fast forward to my drive home. As I was driving, my temperature warning light came on, and I had to pull my car over on an interstate to let it cool down. As trucks were whizzing by me, I was able to get under the hood. My coolant tank was totally drained. Totally. Drained. I added coolant and waited, hoping the short time the warning light was on didn't cause permanent damage to my engine.
I called MINI the next day and told them--and they basically called me an idiot on the phone. The tech was dismissive, unapologetic and said "well, you needed to replace the oil filter housing, too--we told you that", and passed off this mess on me. Not knowing much about cars, and confused how the "main" leak of a thermostat housing was fixed, yet my coolant tank EMPTIED OUT on my drive home, I simply assumed it was something I did. I was confused because even though the coolant was leaking before the "fix", it wasn't draining the tank. After the "fix" the tank drained out on the way home.
I decided to take the car to another shop, one specializing in imports, but not exclusively MINIs and told the guy that I needed the oil filter housing replaced, and that my car was leaking coolant and provided him a copy of the MINI Madison estimate. The coolant was still leaking, and pretty bad.
He called in less than a day and told me that I did NOT need an expensive oil filter housing repair. In fact, he said that I PROBABLY didn't need an expensive thermostat housing repair. The car was NOT leaking oil at all...and that my last oil change wasn't done quite right causing what looked like a minor oil leak. He tidied that up for me, no charge. But the coolant leak was the bombshell. He said that the cause of the coolant leak was actually a HOLE IN THE HOSE. That's right, MINI Madison didn't notice a hole in the hose. He said "they probably forgot to PUT coolant in your car and never noticed the hose, causing the leak that tripped the temperature warning". WOW.
Total cost on this fix ? A little less than $200. It has been running great ever since I took the car to the different shop a few weeks ago.
Never. Ever. Ever. Again will I take my car to MINI Madison. They were rude, and missed the boat completely on my car repair. read more