MINI’s CPO Warranty

Under BMW’s ownership, MINI has grown up to become a more refined and sophisticated brand while still retaining that sporty spirit. If that sounds good to you, let us explain the MINI Certified Pre-Owned limited warranty so you can save some cash on a vehicle with great coverage.

Uproar.car will cover your car for less, protecting you against expensive repairs from bumper to bumper. With a focus on customer care and no middleman to complicate repairs and claims, you’ll get easy coverage you can actually use. The plan even pays for itself — Uproar.car’s warranty coverage gives you exclusive access to discounts, auto concierge service, and a 100 percent online claims process. And with clear, upfront price quotes, you’ll know exactly what to expect when it comes to the cost. It should also be noted, however, that this coverage does not extend to some luxury vehicles, cars over 120,000 miles, and cars more than 10 years old.

MINI’s warranty plan works differently than most other car manufacturer’s Certified Pre-Owned car warranties. MINI CPO vehicles are offered two tiers of coverage: the standard plan and MINI’s NEXT 575 warranty coverage. The standard warranty applies to vehicles that are less than 5 years old and that have fewer than 50,000 miles on the odometer. The NEXT 575 warranty applies to newer vehicles with fewer than 36,000 miles. The warranty terms are different, but we’ll try to make sense of it here.

MINI’s standard Certified Pre-Owned limited warranty is a six-year, 100,000-mile warranty for vehicles with more than 36,000 miles. It will add two years with a mileage cap of 100,000 miles, after the expiration of the four-year manufacturer warranty. These vehicles must go through a 197-point checklist before being certified.

MINI’s standard warranty covers nearly all powertrain components while the vehicle is under warranty. The initial inspection will verify that the engine, transmission, transfer case, and other powertrain components are running as they should be. Once certified, any issues you have relating to the powertrain will be covered and repaired by well-trained MINI technicians using genuine MINI parts.

Bumper-to-bumper coverage is quite similar to the powertrain warranty. Once the vehicle goes through its inspection and is certified, any issues that you have with the braking, electrical, steering, air conditioning, or infotainment systems will be covered and repaired for the cost of your deductible.

The NEXT 575 Warranty can be considered the outlier when compared to other companies’ Certified Pre-Owned warranties. If your vehicle is a NEXT 575-certified MINI, you’ll only receive one additional year of coverage while the mileage is capped at 75,000 total. The NEXT 575 vehicles go through the same inspection process as the standard vehicles before becoming a MINI-approved Certified Pre-Owned vehicle.

Powertrain warranty coverages for NEXT 575 MINIs are the same as the standard warranty. Engine, transmission, transfer case, and other powertrain issues will be covered up until the vehicle’s five-year sale anniversary or 75,000 miles. You’ll be covered for a smaller period of time, but your actual coverage won’t change.

Bumper-to-bumper coverage does not change either. You’ll be afforded the same coverage for a NEXT 575 Certified Pre-Owned vehicle as the standard plan. You’ll be covered for steering, air conditioning, braking, or infotainment systems issues to the same degree that you would be under the standard MINI Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle warranty. 

If you’ve ever been stranded on the side of the road because your vehicle broke down or you were unfortunate enough to receive a tire puncture, you’ll appreciate MINI’s 24/7 roadside assistance plan.

If you contact MINI for assistance due to a mechanical breakdown, MINI will send a service vehicle to your location to provide assistance. Your vehicle will be towed to the closest MINI dealer to be repaired. Other than your deductible, fees incurred will be covered by your warranty.

You’ll also be able to call roadside assistance if you run out of gas, get locked out, or for a tire puncture. A service vehicle will respond to your location to provide lock-out assistance, add fuel to your tank, or change your tire for you. Again, all this is covered under your warranty.

Both of MINI’s warranties are transferable to future owners. This adds value to your car when you decide to sell it. If you sell your car through the MINI dealer network, you’ll have no issue transferring both the standard and NEXT 575 warranties. However, a private consumer transaction does require a transfer application and a fee and it’s only applicable to the NEXT 575 warranty. 

We also like the 24/7 roadside assistance that comes with your Certified Pre-Owned Mini Cooper, Clubman, or Countryman. You’ll have peace of mind knowing that regardless of the situation, MINI is there to help. The cost of the deductible is far less than you’d have to pay a tow company for the same service, and you don’t have to pay a monthly subscription to a motor club.

We also like that MINI leaves little gray area to their coverage terms. Although we broke coverages down by bumper-to-bumper and powertrain, MINI doesn’t make a distinction between the two. If your MINI is covered under warranty, both of these types of coverage are rolled into one policy. This erases guesswork from your mind if you have an issue with your MINI and need to figure out how to get it fixed

While MINI’s mandatory deductible under these two CPO warranties is not completely unreasonable, we’d prefer they didn’t require any payment at all. When you compare $50 to the cost of an engine replacement or other major services, the cost seems minimal, but other small issues can add up. For instance, if you’re dealing with an issue that’s particularly difficult to diagnose, you may find yourself taking your MINI back to the dealer several times before it’s actually nailed-down. That can accumulate to a pretty hefty sum of deductible payments. Another problem ( if you are not near an approved dealer) could be the fact that you can just use their approved shops, unlike third-party providers such as CarShield, where you have the right to take your car to the shop of your choice.

The Certified Pre-Owned MINI warranty terms are a little misleading as well. Your six-year, 100,000-mile warranty will not cover your MINI for six additional years. It’s a two-year extension of the original 4-year new car warranty. It will only add an additional two years and the vehicle’s mileage is capped at 100,000 miles. The same goes for the NEXT 575 warranty: It only provides an additional one year and the vehicle’s mileage is capped at 75,000 miles. It’s worth noting that MINI isn’t the only company that has confusing coverage terms. 

We’re not sure why MINI breaks its warranty coverage up into two tiers. The standard coverage seems reasonable and close to the industry standard. However, the NEXT 575 coverage provides less warranty time and mileage than most other companies would provide for similar vehicles.

Some of the most common issues and repair costs with MINI vehicles:

A. Yes, at this time these warranties are transferable through the MINI Dealer Network. For private consumer transactions, you’ll have to submit a limited warranty transfer application and pay a fee.

A. The company became popular for being cheap and simple to fix. However, since BMW’s influence over the past 20 years, they’ve become more complex and expensive to repair.

A. Possibly. Damage caused by a modification will not be covered, regardless of whether it’s a bumper-to-bumper or a powertrain part. This does not, however, void your entire warranty.

If you’d like to save some money on a MINI but still benefit from comprehensive coverage, the warranty that comes with Certified Pre-Owned MINIs is worth it. You’ll have coverage against the most expensive repairs for the cost of your deductible. Also, the 197-point inspection that the vehicles have to go through should provide peace of mind that you’re purchasing a solid vehicle. You just have to be aware that your coverage only adds a year or two to the four-year, 50,000-mile MINI new passenger car limited warranty.

Here are a few more resources you can use:

Uproar.car will cover your car for less, protecting you against expensive repairs from bumper to bumper. With a focus on customer care and no middleman to complicate repairs and claims, you’ll get easy coverage you can actually use. The plan even pays for itself — Uproar.car’s warranty coverage gives you exclusive access to discounts, auto concierge service, and a 100 percent online claims process. And with clear, upfront price quotes, you’ll know exactly what to expect when it comes to the cost. It should also be noted, however, that this coverage does not extend to some luxury vehicles, cars over 120,000 miles, and cars more than 10 years old.