good options for a car repair

[PhillyB]

i drive a MINI cooper and i've shelled out a good $3k over the past year and a half for repairs on this goddamn thing. i've put a ton of miles on it over that period so it's fine, but i've been going to a dealer to do it and the amount they mark up parts and labor is absolutely ridiculous. i once paid $60 to get a fuggin lightbulb changed.

now both of my oxygen sensors are down. they're quoting me $400 apiece to replace, but i'm finding the parts for under $200 at auto zone. TLDR i think i can get the replacements done much, much cheaper... i just need a good recommendation for a place that can repair this thing for a lot less than the dealership's ridiculous markups. i can do without the free car wash.

anyone have thoughts? any mechanics on here wanna do the job?

[Kevin Greene]

Dump that money pit. Mini's are good about 60k, then run!

[PhillyB]

1 hour ago, Kevin Greene said:

Dump that money pit. Mini's are good about 60k, then run!

yeah i'm finding that out. i'm gonna trade it in for something else when i graduate in may.

[Doyle]

I have an Altima with about 68000 miles on it.  I've never had a single problem out of it but I'm thinking about trading it in anyway.  I know the problems will come soon that's just inevitable.  

[Kramerica]

If you're willing to take it out to Kernersville, I can recommend a great imports mechanic for you. 

[Towelboy]

9 hours ago, PhillyB said:

yeah i'm finding that out. i'm gonna trade it in for something else when i graduate in may.

Good luck. Every dealership I went offered me significantly less than it was worth. My 2011 Mini Cooper S with cold weather package and the JCW edition body kit/wheels with 50K miles fetched me about $16k (only 2 years after paying $28k). Never again! Oil changes - $89, front brakes - $600. It was a fun car but maintenance was INSANE. Get a Honda - you'll be glad you did.

[Towelboy]

11 hours ago, Kevin Greene said:

Dump that money pit. Mini's are good about 60k, then run!

at 58K my '08 cooper s timing chain needed to be replaced. this was 6 months after they replaced the timing chain tensioner. absolute money pit.

[OneBadCat]

O2 sensors are pretty easy to replace. Have you tried eBay for cheaper prices? 

If you go to autozone they will read the computer codes for you for free. Then you can figure out which one you need to replace if its before or after the cat, driver or passenger side. Do you have a jack? 

If its just those sensors you should be able to find a shop fairly easily. Any mechanic worth a damn will do it and not be scared off by the Mini emblem.

[OneBadCat]

3 hours ago, Towelboy said:

Good luck. Every dealership I went offered me significantly less than it was worth. My 2011 Mini Cooper S with cold weather package and the JCW edition body kit/wheels with 50K miles fetched me about $16k (only 2 years after paying $28k). Never again! Oil changes - $89, front brakes - $600. It was a fun car but maintenance was INSANE. Get a Honda - you'll be glad you did.

$89? For an oil change? What the fug man. It can't be that special. Did you have to run a special oil? I can't imagine so.

[Towelboy]

3 minutes ago, OneBadCat said:

$89? For an oil change? What the fug man. It can't be that special. Did you have to run a special oil? I can't imagine so.

That's what they charge for a synthetic oil change. Just keep in mind that MINI is BMW, so they can charge whatever their heart desires. My full synthetic oil changes on my Accord cost $35 with coupon at the Honda dealership. Never going back to owning a MINI.

[OneBadCat]

1 minute ago, Towelboy said:

That's what they charge for a synthetic oil change. Just keep in mind that MINI is BMW, so they can charge whatever their heart desires. My full synthetic oil changes on my Accord cost $35 with coupon at the Honda dealership. Never going back to owning a MINI.

I've been doing my own oil changes for years so I'm always astonished to see bogus prices like that.  I've had a land rover Discovery for years that I did all my own repairs on. It was totalled in November in an accident. Finally bought a car last week. 2008 Acura TSX. Absolutely love it.

[thefuzz]

You paid someone to change a light bulb?

[PhillyB]

7 hours ago, Lomez said:

If you're willing to take it out to Kernersville, I can recommend a great imports mechanic for you. 

i live 10 miles from kville, where i grew up. who you got?

[PhillyB]

47 minutes ago, thefuzz said:

You paid someone to change a light bulb?

i had bunch of stuff crap out on it all at the same time last year and when they presented me with the repair list i somehow missed it. then i looked at the itemized receipt afterwards and realized they charged like $20 for the bulb and $30 for the labor. so lame.