Motorwerks MINI — Local services in Golden Valley

UPDATED 3/15/2019

Me and my wife purchase a used Mini Cooper S from a private party last fall. They had bought it new from Motorwerks, and had a maintenance contract and service contract that was fully transferable. Our first visit for service came up, and we scheduled a appointment. brought it in to find that the car had little to no oil in the car, and had stretched the time chain to the point it needed to be replaced. had the warranty transferred into our name, and after 2 weeks the car was fixed and they said we were good to go until our next scheduled service visit. after about 3,000 miles, we had the oil light come on, checked the oil and was about 2-3 quarts low. lined up another time to bring it in and have them look at it. They told me that it is completely normal to consume 1 quart of oil every 750-1000 miles. I asked them why we are supposed to go 15000 miles per oil change then? They had no answer for that, other than I am supposed to check my oil every time I put gas in it. Asked them if there was any damage done from the two times the oil had been low. They said there was no way to know. Asked them why the car was loosing oil, they said again that it was normal. I asked them to look at pcv valve or oil return lines, as it is a common issue for the car, which they answered, "this car doesn't have that, you don't know what you are talking about" which I then referred them to mini forums and the pages upon pages of people complaining about it online and what the fix was. they checked it, and did find a oil return line for the turbo leaking, and replaced. At this point I am starting to lose faith in the car being a good car, which is not there fault at all, but I do not feel like they can diagnose and find issue proactively. took them 3 tries to find the oil return leak, and that was after they had the timing chain replaced.

Honestly, I work at a dealership, and understand things get missed and that happens. The reason I am writing this, and why I will never go there again unless I absolutely have to and have no choice, is there sales department. I have been low-balled before, but never for half of what they will sell the car for. If my wife didn't love her Mini, I wouldn't have even considered talking to them. With all the trouble we had, I figured I would talk to them about a certified pre-owned one. gave them the details of mine, with the fact they have been the only shop to ever touch it, and the car is immaculate.

They were thousands cheaper (lowball) than other dealerships would buy it for outright. like 2500-3000 dollars. They said if it was in person they would be a little bit higher on trade, but to offer 4500, for a car that retails for 9000, and you would be the cheapest one out there, I just don't have time to listen to that, or show up in person so they can give me another 500 bucks. It was a absolute joke.

We will be buying a newer, Certified Mini, but I wouldn't set foot in there, and I sell cars for a living. If I did that with customers, we wouldn't sell a thing lol. I hate driving a long distance to do business with a niche product, but it looks like I will be going out of state. At least they are in the ballpark.

Updated 3/15/2019.

Had a very great experience with Jake Ylitalo in there service department. We had some small issues with our 2013 Mini and he sent me videos and detailed descriptions of what need to be fixed and why. answered all my questions. HUGE DIFFERENCE IN ATTITUDE AND HELPFULNESS COMPARED TO 3 YEARS AGO. MOVING FROM A 1 STAR...

Ryan Nordstrom had been keeping an eye out for me as I was in dire need of a new work van for my plumbing business. He called one day and told me I needed to come in immediately, and that he had the perfect van for me. I said I would stop by maybe in the evening or the following day, and he replied that if I didn't drop what I was doing and come now, it would be gone. Boy was I glad I listened to him! I flew right over on a lunch break and couldn't believe my eyes! The exact van I needed, the exact price I wanted to pay, but with only 24,000 miles. I paid 7,000 out the door for my ford cargo van with Ryan Nordstrom, and I can say it was in showroom, and I repeat, showroom condition! Other places selling vans like these at the 7,000 price point, all had dings, dents, wear, and all well over 100,000 miles! I could have knelt down and kissed the mans feet I was so happy! Ryan told me he watches inventory like a hawk and that I was the first to look at the van. In the 30 minutes it took me to get to the dealership, there were already 2 other people waiting behind me with other sales associates waiting to buy the van. I felt like I had marched all the way to the front of the line at a Black Friday sale, receiving first dibs, all thanks to Ryan's diligence! Lessons learned from working with Ryan: He's highly intelligent and isn't going to misunderstand your wants and needs. He's not going to demand that you come in immediately and pull some slippery salesman move on you. If he says come in now, it's because he's telling the truth and really has what you've requested. He's very careful with what he says, and his evaluation of vehicles is impeccably precise. He and does not over talk. His memory is excellent, he's courteous, respectful, and knows how to make the experience a memorable one. Ryan is my favorite sales person I have ever worked with! My recommendation is to tell him what your needing in a car, let him go to work for you, and be ready when you get the call. It took him 3 months to find a van for me, but boy did he get it right! All my contractor friends say they have never seen a work van in such perfect condition at that price. All thanks to Ryan! What can I say other than, if your looking for a new car, Ryan...

I walked into Motorwerks MINI for the first time a few weeks ago. I was greeted at the door by Chris Buria. Before asking what brought me in, he asked to see if I wanted a beverage or anything, which surprised me a bit, no pressure from the start! First impression, the dealership is beautiful and well kept, the ownership and staff clearly have pride in their work environment. I proceeded to let Chris know that I might be interested in a MINI, mainly because they still have buttons and switches and because I own a classic Mini and enjoy the driving experience. I am coming out of a vehicle which I have owned 2 of, so trading into a different brand, a smaller vehicle, with the closest dealer being 65 miles from home was going to be a challenge. If I was to trade, I had it narrowed down to a Countryman JCW. Given it is 2021, I didn’t expect one to be on the lot. Chris arranged for me to drive a Countryman S so that I could get a feel for the size and let me drive a Clubman JCW, which allowed me to feel the performance difference. That day I left with no sales pressure. Chris answered several questions through phone and email and offered me an extended test drive to could get a better feel for the space of a Countryman and also see how things fit. I picked it up and returned it with zero sales pressure whatsoever. Long story short, Chris gave me all the time I needed to feel confident to either purchase or walk away. Today I signed the papers with Chris to order a Countryman JCW. I have no doubt that he will keep me posted with updates and when it arrives, I am certain that my questions will be answered at delivery. I purchase at least one car a year and this has honestly been the most comfortable purchase experience I have had so far. Time will tell if I end up purchasing another MINI or not, if I don’t, it sure will not be the dealerships fault. If you are even considering a MINI, or something they may have used on their lot, stop in, and see Chris. Honestly, all the staff seem as if they would be great to work with. I truly look forward to building a relationship with...