Apparently a bum seal in the sunroof caused water to leak down the A-pillar, soak the carpet and destroy the wiring harness. $4000 estimate to fix. Or I could buy a Cherokee w/ 200K miles and in relatively good shape, $2000. Guess what I went with. Minis are a blast when they run, they'll do about 139 with a light headwind and handle like a go-cart. The electrical system is overly complicated and nothing but problems. In the old days (the before times, the long-long-ago) I could fix electrical problems with a good multimeter and wire stripper. Now if anything goes wrong, I have to take it to some asshole dealer. My advice, don't buy anything where the electrical system requires more than 1 ECU or relies on a CANbus. Unless you have a really hot warranty or can afford to drop minimum $1500 on a repair bill, you're screwed.

Our area was hit by a very bad ice storm and the car was covered in ice. All of the windows and the sun roof were closed during this storm. Initially, the windows and sun roof would not operate because they were covered with a thick coating of ice. After the ice was cleared, I drove the car on very wet roads. Upon returning home, I discovered that there was water on the floor in the back seat (on the passanger side). The car dealership was notified and they said to let the car dry out -- they did not think there would be a problem. However, several weeks later the car developed electrical problems. The radio and the power windows would not work. The car was taken to the dealership, and they said the electrical problem was the result of the water in the car. They claim that water leaked into the wiring harness, which is on the floor of the car. The entire system needs to be replaced at a cost of over $4000. They insisted that the doors are properly sealed and the only way the water could have entered the car was if a window was left open. However, it was the dead of winter (no reason for the windows to be down) and there was no indication of water spots on the seats, walls or ceiling of the car. I am positive that the water leaked in from another (unknown) source. I am also stunned that water on the floor could have cause an electrical failure. I consider this a design flaw in the Mini Cooper. The car dealership refuses to cover the damages, even though the car is under warranty. They insist we left a window open; therefore, it was our negligence. I can't disprove their allegation, even though I know they are wrong.

I would like to know if any other Mini Cooper owners have had a similar problem with their cars.

Our area was hit by a very bad ice storm and the car was covered in ice. All of the windows and the sun roof were closed during this storm. Initially, the windows and sun roof would not operate because they were covered with a thick coating of ice. After the ice was cleared, I drove the car on very wet roads. Upon returning home, I discovered that there was water on the floor in the back seat (on the passanger side). The car dealership was notified and they said to let the car dry out -- they did not think there would be a problem. However, several weeks later the car developed electrical problems. The radio and the power windows would not work. The car was taken to the dealership, and they said the electrical problem was the result of the water in the car. They claim that water leaked into the wiring harness, which is on the floor of the car. The entire system needs to be replaced at a cost of over $4000. They insisted that the doors are properly sealed and the only way the water could have entered the car was if a window was left open. However, it was the dead of winter (no reason for the windows to be down) and there was no indication of water spots on the seats, walls or ceiling of the car. I am positive that the water leaked in from another (unknown) source. I am also stunned that water on the floor could have cause an electrical failure. I consider this a design flaw in the Mini Cooper. The car dealership refuses to cover the damages, even though the car is under warranty. They insist we left a window open; therefore, it was our negligence. I can't disprove their allegation, even though I know they are wrong.

I would like to know if any other Mini Cooper owners have had a similar problem with their cars.