Great news on the service contract!  Clutch R&R takes a lot of labor so you saved a bunch!  A new clutch at 73k is not unusual.  Some have to replace at half the mileage while others go double that - so I would say you are about average.

As for the bearings and bushings - it sounds a little early but I believe it has a lot to do with the climate where the car lived...  I'm curious to hear what size wheels & tires are on the Countryman...  I'm wondering if oversized wheels and tires may have contributed to the bearing wear....  I might recommend you get a 4-wheel alignment if you plan to keep the car....

Sooooooooo......a trip to the dealers found the following;  new wheel bearings on all four corners,  new rear sway bar and associated bushings/control arms and tah dah!!!   a new clutch!!     However, while preparing to sell a body organ, the dealer reminded me I had 10 days left on my extended maintenance contract and the clutch was completely covered!  My question to those experienced with the Mini Countryman - is 73k miles low for all this to go bad?  I bought the car with 50k on it and don't know the history, but it seems sort of early for all this!  Thanks all.  John

As others have posted, it sure sounds like the clutch.  Our trusted local MINI shop only replaces the flywheel every other clutch service (provided there is no obvious damage), so you may be able to re-use the flywheel.

As Dan mentioned, clutch wear depends a lot on the driver and the environment (hilly vs flat land).  

Ken

S***.  But thanks for the response - I appreciate it.  Time for the "Go Fund Me" page................

S***.   As I thought.  Thank you for the input.  Now where is the "Go Fund Me" website info................

John ... my '10 Clubman S, purchased new, started the slipping clutch problem at 70,000 miles. That's a bit early, but being a "spirited" driver with that car (several trips to the Dragon), I was not surprised.

You need the clutch and pressure plate replaced. Good luck with that. My mechanic is a friend in the local car club, so I trust him completely, and he found several other issues on his way to replacing the clutch and plate. Long story short, soon after getting the car back, I traded it.

My driving habits may have been complicit in the failures of that car, but BMW puts a ridiculous number of plastic parts in the engine bay.

It sounds like clutch slipping to me. Overall mileage is no indicator of clutch life. It is usually an operator use issue. If the driver has a habit of slipping the clutch to hold the car on a hill, or if the clutch was abused by poor driving technique or downright miss-use, the clutch friction material will wear more quickly. Contamination by oil or coolant may be another cause of slippage. It may be glazed from improper use. Or whatever actuates the clutch (hydraulics, cable or linkage) may be improperly adjusted.

Hello All -  2012 Countryman All4  71,000 miles manual trans - -  of late I have been experiencing some engine "revving" while under load.  I can see/feel/hear RPM's jump while no speed is added.   I've got to believe it's the clutch but am wondering if I can expect clutch replacement at this mileage.  Could it be something else and is there anything I can check?  I've reviewed threads and found compelling evidence it is the clutch but have not seen what I can expect to have to have done to fix.   Any experiences/stories would be helpful.  thanks very much.  John