Bill Jacobs MINI - Naperville, Illinois

Jonathan Dolen

My car pic is only for attention:) I recently took my 09 Mini S in to rectify a recall issue with a foot well module. Although there were no charges I was responsible for paying, it ended up costing me $50 in oil. I had to change it myself after one of their mechanics filled my vehicle with the wrong oil. I run a performance tune on my car and it requires a different oil than the manufacturer's recommendation. This is why I declined any oil changes or leak repairs during service. Not only did they add oil when I did not request it or approve them doing so, they overfilled it to the point where it was a good 3 to 4 inches above the bulb at the end of the dipstick. That equates to about 1-2 quarts over the maximum allowed. To make matters worse, they had actually noted in my Multi-Point inspection that the dipstick was dry and quoted me for an oil change. I know this not to be true since I check the oil with every gas fill up. When I inquired about the notation that the dipstick was dry, the shop foreman told me the dipsticks are hard to read. Same excuse used when I requested he check the dipstick himself after discovering how overfilled it was. I actually modified one side of my dipstick so it was easy to read. Poor excuse for a certified mechanic. Regardless of his excuse, I'm glad it was noted that the dipstick was dry and that I brought oil with me to fill, otherwise I would never have found out before leaving that it was massively overfilled by a technician, which could have damaged my engine. Had I not known or checked myself before leaving the lot, I am positive that much oil would have done significant damage. I had them drain some oil before leaving.
Furthermore, they said they were going to wash my car but that never happened. It's not that they didn't wash it that bugs me, but the fact that they offered it and then it was never completed. I was very comfortable with it not being washed in the first place, but I do ask if people are going to offer something, they follow through with what was stated. The service agent that I worked with was fantastic, however, I cannot say the same about the work done to my vehicle or the treatment of my vehicle.
My last issue is the repair quotes they offered. Most of them were pretty standard pricing but I did request a quote for the valve guide seals. They quoted $5016.97. I asked what labor was per hour. $249/hr Expensive labor rate, but not unheard of for BMW. I broke down the quote with some quick math and somehow they quoted 17.25 hours of labor and $655 in parts. I do a lot of Mini work myself and know the head does not need to be removed for the valve guide seal replacement so it's a 4-6 hour job, 8 at best, and a valve cover gasket along with the valve seals is less than $100, call it $150 for OEM. That means they're quoting me a $500 markup on the material if it's only the seals. I wouldn't be able to tell if this is completely correct because they did not provide me a full breakdown or material list, but my personal experience as a mechanic tells me $655 is very excessive for the parts. 17.25 hours of labor is also pretty ridiculous. It seems to me they were quoting to completely rebuild the cylinder head, which is not what I had requested.
If you read down this far, I'm sure you have concerns. My advice would be to find another dealership. This is not the first time I've had issues with Bill Jacobs. This is actually the forth time. My first and second experience were in 2016. My first experience I felt discriminated against due to my ripped up attire. Sales team acted like I couldn't afford one. Second time, the sales team ignored my family entirely like we weren't entitled to purchase from them. I bought a Mini same day from another dealer. Third time was my wife's leased Clubman, they wanted to charge me $1800 for brakes and rotors when I had already prepaid for the maintenance package. They said I didn't have the maintenance package. Took it back to the dealer we leased it from and they took care of it, under my maintenance package.

Gianni Barchiesi

I recently leased a 25 Mini Countryman S at Bill Jacobs Mini. I was assisted by both Jed and Ali, and they have been a pleasure to work with: they gave clear information, they were ready to answer my questions, and they have, for lack of a better term... totally chill. They were of course interested in closing a deal with me, but they were not too pushy or aggressive, and they let me the time to think carefully and serenely about my choice. Overall, a great dealership experience (both here and at Bill Jacobs VW), so if you're looking for a nice Mini, or anything else they might have, I recommend you seriously give them a chance!

Alex Kowalczyk

Happy with my experience. Ordered a new JCW Countryman through Jennifer in the spring; was kept up to date with the status and even given the ability to check it myself which was a neat experience watching it go through the build process. Purchasing experience was simple, and the financing specials were very competitive. First time owning a MINI but could definitely see myself getting another in the future.

Leo Doyle

As a career salesperson, I wanted to share the exceptional buying experience we just had at Bill Jacobs Mini.

My wife was in an accident just over a week ago and as suspected the car was written off by the insurance company, so we were unexpectedly in the car market on short notice.

We looked at four other brands but the new Mini Countryman was our top choice. Ali Daraiseh did an exceptional job going over the upgrades with the all new model and was very passionate about how Mini has dramatically improved their reliability over the years.

Overall it was a very pleasant experience, and I would highly recommend giving Ali a call if you’re in the market for a new car.

Walter Dexter

I visited Bill Jacobs MINI yesterday morning to look at a couple used Minis. I wound up buying from another dealer later in the day - a completely different car - but it was still a great experience.

I'd even call it the best car shopping experience I've had in 35 years of buying cars. Jed Kuefler, the salesperson I worked with, was friendly, helpful, and really knew the products. I could not ask for anything more.

Christian Ritchie

The service people are kind, but they didn't seem to know I was coming after making an appointment from 4 hours away. What I expected to be one trip was two trips with a loaner in between. I was grateful for the loaner, but glad I didn't get a 2025. My 2023 is a better product.

Kelsey D

Jed and his team were top notch! I flew in from out of state just before Labor Day weekend to pick up my dream Clubman, a low-mileage CPO vehicle of a very unique build, in pristine condition.

I couldn’t have asked for a better experience! They accommodated me for an extended hold period with a reasonable deposit so I could arrange travel plans, even got me an Uber to the dealership, and I was done and out the door in just a couple hours with my new (to me) car! Logistically, it was unusual circumstances, but they just got it done. It was an incredibly smooth experience and it feels like they rolled out the red carpet.

And these guys stand behind their sale, too; they’re even taking care of a minor (but expensive!) cosmetic problem that was noticed after I was on the road. 10/10 would recommend. Jed, when I’m looking for my next Mini, I’m looking there first! Thank you! You and your team are AWESOME, Chicago is beautiful, and I love LOVE the car!

ripp2373

Had an awful experience with Volvo of Lisle and came here with my father who was purchasing a car. He had purchased from Jennifer Zaragoza which was a delightful experience so I decided I would ask her to go through inventory to see if something fit my price range. She was extremely helpful and patient with helping me out and putting me in a new car I loved. The finance process was by far the easiest of any car purchase.