We purchased this Mini pre-owned November 2011. Thousands of dollars have been spent trying to resolve the O2 Monitor not setting. The car runs & drives excellent. The Mini dealer has had the car several times and can find nothing wrong with the O2 system. The dealer told us to keep driving it until the monitor sets. Thousands of miles later, and the problem is still there, I took it to the same Mini dealer and left it with them because the State of California will not allow the car to pass the smog test with a "red-non-setting" monitor, even though there are "no" DTC-check engine lights present.

The service adviser told me that maybe we are not driving it correctly. The service adviser told me that one of his techs could most likely get the monitor to set if we left the car with them for several days and let the tech drive the car. I agreed to letting the tech drive the mini, but "HE" was not able to get the monitor to set either. I picked up the car from them and had to make an appointment with a State Smog Referee in regards to getting the smog check passed. The registration was due and could not get a renewal on the registration.

This was two years ago. The state smog referee said there is something wrong with the car if the monitor will not set. The only thing he was able to do was give me a "one-time" waiver and pass the car as-is. That was no solution, only a band-aide.

Now two years later, the problem is still there -- the car needs to be smog tested and pass to get current registration, and the O2 monitor will still not set. No more waivers from the State of California!!

I am stuck with a good driving car now that can not pass a smog test -- and I can not get current registration renewal.

I have had several independent mini repair shops inspect the mini as well, and they can not get the O2 monitor to set either.

All the O2 sensors have been replaced with OEM replacements, and the DME - the computer for the engine functions was replaced also "ordered new through the mini dealer with Vin#. Numerous re-programing has been done by the dealer & independent mini shops as well. Same problem with no results.

I have never owned a car that cannot be fixed. My wife and I like the car, but we are worn out with this problem. No further help from Mini dealer. The car was there again approximately 2 months ago. They don't have any helpful answers for us. Shame on MINI!!!