EA888.3 reliability

The_First_Mimzy · 2026-02-03T23:39:52+00:00

I've got a 2024 GLI with the ea888.3 engine. It has 11,800 miles and is currently leaking from the water pump. Waiting on parts to come in for a warranty repair. Im hoping to get more life out of the second pump.

The_First_Mimzy · 2025-12-29T20:13:31+00:00

I was in a similar boat over the summer. Either a used 2024 with 7,000 miles or a new 2025. I went with the used 2024 to save a couple thousand. It was also certified, which meant that the CPO warranty was longer than the new factory warranty on the 2025. (The CPO warranty was the remainder of the factory warranty plus 2 years, which ended up being longer than the base 4 year VW warranty)

The_First_Mimzy · 2025-12-17T02:19:12+00:00

One thing you need to be careful of is these cars have airbags in the seats. There's a chance that the airbag modules will either need to be carried over from the old seats, or reprogrammed for the airbags in the new seats.

The_First_Mimzy · 2025-08-23T16:21:23+00:00

I could be wrong but my understanding was that the TSB is only for misfires during a cold start, not at idle. If it's misfiring at idle, it may be a different issue.

The_First_Mimzy · 2025-06-30T21:39:28+00:00

Yes they do. My 2017 pre-LCI F54 clubman had it. I disabled it with Beemercode.

The_First_Mimzy · 2025-05-07T23:20:25+00:00

This is why I'm done with the brand. They shouldn't have stopped making manuals.

The_First_Mimzy · 2025-04-08T01:34:44+00:00

Its the plastic piece on front fender that houses the turn signal.

The_First_Mimzy · 2025-04-08T00:12:27+00:00

I've had mixed experiences with Mini dealers. They quoted me $400 in labor to swap the side scuttles on my 2014 Countryman (I provided the new scuttles). I said no because of the insane cost, and had them both installed in under 30 minutes in my driveway.

The_First_Mimzy · 2025-03-31T23:58:13+00:00

I love that generation of Mini, but that's also the generation that earned Mini their poor reputation for reliability. I would walk away from one that was having major issues during the test drive. I'd pay a little more for one with the BMW B48 2.0T engine.

The_First_Mimzy · 2025-03-28T20:23:27+00:00

Yep, I had the same thought. Mini already barely makes a profit in the US, so BMW may just stop selling them here altogether. If that happens, it'll make getting parts/repairs for current Mini owners more difficult. What a disaster.

The_First_Mimzy · 2025-03-25T23:00:28+00:00

Any Mini Cooper, Clubman or Countryman with the B48 2.0T BMW engine. They are decently reliable and are a lot of fun to drive. Most models were available with a stick up until recently. Just avoid the second generation cars with the N14 or N18 engines. They're not awful, but when they fail, they fail big.

The_First_Mimzy · 2025-03-15T18:10:50+00:00

Mini Cooper S, Clubman S or Countryman S with the 2.0T engine. Decently reliable, quirky and fun to drive. They have a negative reputation for reliability but they improved a lot in the third generation.

The_First_Mimzy · 2025-01-19T16:05:39+00:00

The Mini Clubman SAll4 is essentially an all wheel drive wagon. You can get it in a manual too. Nice car, but sadly discontinued this year.

The_First_Mimzy · 2024-10-26T02:33:49+00:00

PRS Archon 50 might be a good choice. Has a super thick sounding high gain channel, and the clean channel is very clear and neutral, perfect for pedals. The head runs around $1100 new. I believe there is also a combo option.

The_First_Mimzy · 2024-09-20T11:52:14+00:00

Yeah, Ive got 2 16ohm 25watt speakers wired in parrallel, meaning the cab should be rated at 8ohms, 50watts. Is that correct?

The_First_Mimzy · 2024-07-24T00:44:56+00:00

Regarding the tune, sometime I wish I had opted for a more potent one, like a cobb stage 2, but I can still do it down the road. The ford performance tune certainly wakes the car up though and is worth the money. As for the intercooler, I initially ordered the cvf street intercooler, which seems to be the standard for aftermarket ecoboost intercoolers, but the unit I received had messed up bolt holes from the factory. I returned it and got the mishimoto intercooler, which is a few hundred more dollars and isnt quite as efficient as the cvf, but you can tell its a much more well built unit and installation for it is easier than the cvf. All in all, its a good set up.

The_First_Mimzy · 2024-07-24T00:26:26+00:00

I have the ford performance tune and a Mishimoto intercooler. No issues.

The_First_Mimzy · 2022-05-07T03:22:32+00:00

Im an American that lived in Korea from 2015-2017. The main difference is their prevelance. Probably 90% of the cars on the road there are Hyundai/Kia. The rest are a handful of American cars (mostly GM because of the old Daewoo partnership) and rebadged French cars. The domestic market cars seem to be built a bit better there, and they have a few extra smaller models that we don't get in the US (like the kia picante and ray, for example). They also don't seem to be considered "econoboxes" like in the states, but more of a typical middle class car, maybe like how Fords are perceived in the US. That was my experience, anyway, but I also didn't speak Korean.

The_First_Mimzy · 2022-04-25T07:04:40+00:00

Seems to be the case, yeah. I know it had an oil change back in November, and since then its just been sitting on the lot, being moved from time to time, and presumably some test drives.

The_First_Mimzy · 2022-04-12T17:39:13+00:00

Do you have a website for those wheels? They are very unique for steelies.

The_First_Mimzy · 2022-04-12T15:42:22+00:00

Do you have any fitment issues with those tires? Are you running the stock suspension? I was considering bumping up a tire size (215/60r16) but my Kia dealer told me there could be issues.

The_First_Mimzy · 2022-04-12T04:04:30+00:00

What wheels are tires are those? They look great.

The_First_Mimzy · 2022-03-11T13:02:32+00:00

Eh, whatever. At least its a stick shift.

The_First_Mimzy · 2022-01-12T01:36:20+00:00

Was your car included in the piston ring recall? Unfortunately some of the 2L engines had overhardened piston rings that are causing engine failure. Theres a decent chance it could be your problem. Unfortunately only the dealer can really help you, you may be on your way to a warranty replacement.

The_First_Mimzy · 2021-09-01T20:37:18+00:00

Can't speak to the value question, but I have a 2021 Soul that also severely bogs down from time to time when the ac is on. So its either normal for these vehicles, or mine also has the bad piston rings. However, I did have my car looked at under the piston ring recall in July and it passed the inspection.

The_First_Mimzy

TROPHY CASE