Graeme Bentley

Review of Cooper MINI Norwich

The buying process was average, due to the fact th...

The buying process was average, due to the fact that a car we were interested in was in such a poor cosmetic state. To be fair it was priced well, but just too much damage to be on a main dealer forecourt, plus an unwillingness to repair. The dealer did however source another better car from within the group.
The car we did buy had a knock on start up that I knew was either exhaust or engine mount related. It went in twice, once for warranty repair and then for service. The fault was not repaired. I then took it to a well respected garage, Autotest, Norwich, for MOT and asked if the noise was normal. It was not, but within 10 minutes a lower engine mount was discovered to be faulty.
The car was returned to Coopers, still under warranty. I told them exactly what the issue was. Cue a phone call 2 hours later saying that the tech could not find the fault! Why, when it is an obvious mechanical knock? I get asked again what I thought it was and send photos/video of it. The fault was eventually repaired, but this experience does not fill me with any confidence. Leave the service side of Cooper Mini well alone. Go to a good independent such as Autotest, instead.