What about the infamous Mini rattles and creaks?

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Pierre Racine

New Member
I’m surprised no one complains about rattles in their Mini. Many journalists testers in Canada and US noticed the Mini SE had rattles, even with low mileage.
In fact, that’s the one thing that stops me from buying one after reading many reports saying so.
What about yours?
 
This is the first I've ever read of any complaints re. squeaks and rattles in the SE. Can you point to some of these reports? I tried searching Google with "Mini Cooper SE rattles", but nothing shows up in the first 10 pages of results (and the only reference to rattles of an ICE Mini is >5 y old).

I currently drive a decade-plus year old Mazda 3 w/ >130,000 miles on it, and except for the occasional groan from the suspension (despite new shocks, antisway bar links, etc.), it's just as quiet - or, actually, just as loud, since the car is known for admitting a lot of road/tire noise - as when it was new. I would like (require?) the same of any replacement, hence the reason your comment caught my attention.
 
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I've had (5) Mini's since 2003 (currently a 2022 SE), and the only rattle I've experienced is the shade on the sunroof. That was easily solved by not opening it all the way. And a lot of the roads in my area are pretty rough.
 
Mine has occasional creaks when the weather changes dramatically. It would bother me if they were persistent since there is nothing to mask the sound.

I'm also nearing the one year mark (though just 5,000 pretty hard city miles). Everything is exactly the same as day one. It's a very well-built vehicle.
 
The Mini SE is, well, a Mini. And Mini in general are notorious for rattles from what I have read from different sources, especially the convertible.https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a...cooper-s-loves-to-shake-rattle-and-um-rattle/

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a...cooper-s-loves-to-shake-rattle-and-um-rattle/

from the French La Presse SE testing in this year. Look for « et quelques craquements », in English: and some creaks…

https://www.lapresse.ca/auto/guide-...er-se-il-faut-bien-commencer-quelque-part.php
 
Pierre Racine said:
The Mini SE is, well, a Mini. And Mini in general are notorious for rattles from what I have read from different sources, especially the convertible.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a...cooper-s-loves-to-shake-rattle-and-um-rattle/

from the French La Presse SE testing in this year. Look for « et quelques craquements », in English: and some creaks…

https://www.lapresse.ca/auto/guide-...er-se-il-faut-bien-commencer-quelque-part.php
Click to expand...

I believe you, but all I can say is I don't have rattles. I am overly sensitive to noise and would definitely be complaining.
It's common for automakers to approach NVH mitigation differently with electric cars. They have a whole new set of problems to overcome, including interior noises which become more noticeable.

I have to take issue with the french article that laments the lack of a range-extender gasoline generator in the two-door hardtop SE. That would add an additional 265 lbs, for a grand total of 566 lbs over a Cooper S. Makes no sense!
 
First, thanks!

Second, is there something in the video about "et quelques craquements"? Google Translate of the text doesn't mention any creaks (in fact, it isn't entirely clear from the article that they even drove the car).
 
3,600 miles here - and my SE is tight. The only noise I experience is a squeak when the driver's side window lowers/raises slightly with the door opening/closing. The rubber trim in the top right corner gives a squeak. It goes away for a few weeks when I 'lubricate' it with some Rain X window cleaner. I'm sure I could use something better, but it's what I have on hand.
 
I was going to suggest that perhaps annoying noises was an "old" Mini thing, but then found this long-term review of an S from 2020 (although they didn't indicate just how long long-term was):

https://www.drive.com.au/reviews/mini-cooper-s-long-term-review-farewell/

("while I didn’t encounter any major mechanical or technical issues in my time with the car, it did develop two separate and distinct rattles")

Next naive question: where are Minis sold in Australia made?
 
CuriousGeorge said:
First, thanks!

Second, is there something in the video about "et quelques craquements"? Google Translate of the text doesn't mention any creaks (in fact, it isn't entirely clear from the article that they even drove the car).
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WHAT!? I don’t need Google, I’m French and it is abundantly CLEAR the guy tested the Cooper SE. He is the most respected car tester and analyst in Quebec and has been for many years. You obviously don’t understand French. « et quelques craquements » means « and some rattles ». Or creaks… if you wish. If you want me to translate part of the test, just ask…

Second, it’s not a video. IT’s a written text review…

Pierre Racine, Laval, Québec.
 
Pierre Racine said:
I’m surprised no one complains about rattles in their Mini. Many journalists testers in Canada and US noticed the Mini SE had rattles, even with low mileage.
In fact, that’s the one thing that stops me from buying one after reading many reports saying so.
What about yours?
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Despite the terrible condition of Ann Arbor's roads, there isn't a single rattle in my year-old (in 5 days) MINI Cooper SE (~6,000 miles). In contrast, my Japan-built Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid with 12,000 miles on the odo has many small, but irritating, rattles.
 
So from what I can gather here and online, 3 REVIEWERS reported rattles with their Mini.
And one is the Canadian 2021 SE, ALMOST NEW, as reported in the French La Presse recently, the biggest French newspaper in Canada.
Another, a 2020 Cooper S.
A third, a 2015 S from Car and Driver.
…and let’s not talk about the convertible which amount to a creaking hell box from many forum posts, YouTube, etc.
Does not mean yours will but it certainly puts the brakes on an eventual buy as far as I am concerned.
 
Pierre Racine said:
So from what I can gather here and online, 3 REVIEWERS reported rattles with their Mini.
And one is the Canadian 2021 SE, ALMOST NEW, as reported in the French La Presse recently, the biggest French newspaper in Canada.
Another, a 2020 Cooper S.
A third, a 2015 S from Car and Driver.
…and let’s not talk about the convertible which amount to a creaking hell box from many forum posts, YouTube, etc.
Does not mean yours will but it certainly puts the brakes on an eventual buy as far as I am concerned.
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I expect others will back me up on the quality of their MINIs' construction. I'm not surprised you don't see many complaints on this admittedly pro-MINI forum. However, people aren't loathe to complain on this forum if they believe they have a valid gripe.

Reviewers often get early-production cars that may be more prone to quality problems. Also, reviewers are notoriously abusive so if a car has been through a few reviews, it's older than its years.

If you choose not to get a MINI Cooper SE, you'll be missing out on the most fun you can have in an EV. This level of fun is worth a rattle or two. You're probably holding out for Tesla quality, eh?
 
As I said, I had to rely on Google Translate, which didn't seem to pick up anything in the text about any noises (although perhaps I missed it).

Similarly, I didn't see anything in the translated text clearly indicating that the writer had actually driven the car for any appreciable period of time.

As for my mention of a video, I mistook the > symbol on the picture at the top for a play button. That, plus the above, made me think that perhaps I'd missed something.

ETA: Reverting to French, searching the text for the term you mentioned, and translating back to English, here's what I read:

"Relatively silent, it only suggests in town the rubberized footsteps of its tires and, on the highway, only aerodynamic rustling. And some crackles too."

Is that wind noise? Tire noise? Electrical static? Not clear to me, but of course, I'm relying on a translation, whereas you're French Canadian.
 
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insightman said:
I expect others will back me up on the quality of their MINIs' construction. I'm not surprised you don't see many complaints on this admittedly pro-MINI forum. However, people aren't loathe to complain on this forum if they believe they have a valid gripe.

Reviewers often get early-production cars that may be more prone to quality problems. Also, reviewers are notoriously abusive so if a car has been through a few reviews, it's older than its years.

If you choose not to get a MINI Cooper SE, you'll be missing out on the most fun you can have in an EV. This level of fun is worth a rattle or two. You're probably holding out for Tesla quality, eh?
Click to expand...

No, I’m holding out for a 2022 VW Golf GTI…
 
CuriousGeorge said:
As I said, I had to rely on Google Translate, which didn't seem to pick up anything in the text about any noises (although perhaps I missed it).

Similarly, I didn't see anything in the translated text clearly indicating that the writer had actually driven the car for any appreciable period of time.

As for my mention of a video, I mistook the > symbol on the picture at the top for a play button. That, plus the above, made me think that perhaps I'd missed something.

ETA: Reverting to French, searching the text for the term you mentioned, and translating back to English, here's what I read:

"Relatively silent, it only suggests in town the rubberized footsteps of its tires and, on the highway, only aerodynamic rustling. And some crackles too."

Is that wind noise? Tire noise? Electrical static? Not clear to me, but of course, I'm relying on a translation, whereas you're French Canadian.
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ahahah… « crackles »! Google from French is terrible! Craquements is French for rattles. Believe me, not only am I French but a French writer to boot…
 
I translated using Safari's translation on macOS, which is really quite readable. Pretty much the same quote (I believe cracks/crackles should be "creaks"):

Relatively silent, it only suggests in the city the rubberized steps of its tires and, on the highway, only aerodynamic rustles. And some cracks too.​

But the overall article was quite favorable to the SE, and basically that's the only sentence about noise. The piece pointed out the tried-and-true i3 heritage, the MINI-ness of the car, while pointing out the size and shorter range (but notes the lighter weight compared to other EVs). My favorite translated bit is this:

Vivid, practically free of sensations of inertia, and its engine delivers vigorous and immediate accelerations. Magic of the electricity fairy!​
 
Pierre Racine said:
No, I’m holding out for a 2022 VW Golf GTI…
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Longer range, 115 more horsepower, 100 kph higher top speed, almost a second quicker to 100 kph. That GTI may be as much fun as a MINI Cooper SE, but it's a lot noisier (some consider that a plus). More expensive, too (no one considers that a plus).
 
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