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5th visit to the dealer in 3 1/2 months: should I just sell my car?
Here's my dilemma.
I love my car. It's everything I need. It's fun. It's cute. It's good looking. It's fast.
But its unreliability borders on the grotesque.
1st dealer visit: they forgot to add the hood stripes (well, OK).
2'd dealer visit: water pump and pulley issue
3'd dealer visit: loose speedometer
4th dealer visit: loose parts underneath the car
5th dealer visit (pending): cold start chatter
I called my dealer, told him about my issue, they told me they needed "proof", I told them the car doesn't do it everytime, so they need to keep it. I'm thinking about videotaping the cold start chatter and offering it as a proof.
But, quite honestly, nobody deserves to be treated this way. A person buying a $10,000 Hyndai does not deserve to have to take his car back to the dealership like this, much less someone who saved a lot of money to buy a premium car.
My question is - if I fix the "usual" issues (cold start chatter, water pump and pulley, melted hood scoop, fuel pump), will I end up (someday) with a reliable car? If this is the case I may just live with my car until that day. After all, I just need the fuel pump to fail, and I'll have repaired the major weak spots of my car already (at 1,500 kms!).
Or, is this the way MINIs behave? Because I just called my Mazda dealership and asked them about trading my MINI in for a new 2010 MS3. They think I'm crazy, but I don't care. I know I may end up losing 4,000 USD, but I'd rather have the peace of mind about knowing that I own a reliable car.
What an expensive lesson I may be about to learn. :(
__________________
2010 Laser Blue manual MCS ("Guido"), Chili Package, stock!
For me, it is about confidence in the car, that it will take you from point to point w/o trouble. If you lose that, it is time to get rid of rid. Otherwise, you will start looking for all sorts of small/large issues that will drive you crazy.
I come from a Honda, and I love my MINI. I love its interior, I love the way it accelerates, I love the exterior, I love the paint, I love... everything. It's a car I fell in love with. My Civic Si was reliable, but I didn't love it. It took me from point A to B, and that was all.
I want to keep on loving my Mini, but I honestly don't know if I'll be able to stand taking my car to the dealer every two weeks. That's why I'm asking - once I fix the usual things, will the car be reliable enough to keep?
__________________
2010 Laser Blue manual MCS ("Guido"), Chili Package, stock!
There's just no way to tell how reliable the car will be in the future. Some people have all sorts of problems early on and some have none. It's a gamble and you'll have to decide whether it's worth it or not. I'd say keep it for now, keep fixing the problems and when the warranty runs out, get rid of it.
Oh, what loose parts did you have under your car?
__________________ Mini Me - 2008 Laser Blue/Black MCS - 6 sp Auto, Multi-Function Steering Wheel, Piano Blk/Anthracite, Black JCW R105 Double-Spoke 18-inch Wheels on Pirelli PZero RF
Before you trade it in on a Mazda, you might want to go to the Mazda forum and see that they are not trouble free either. Besides taking your Mini back to the dealer gives you another reason to drive it.
Go to any forum and they all have some issue to complain about, they're machines, they're not perfect... Though some may be closer to perfection than others ...
__________________ Mini Me - 2008 Laser Blue/Black MCS - 6 sp Auto, Multi-Function Steering Wheel, Piano Blk/Anthracite, Black JCW R105 Double-Spoke 18-inch Wheels on Pirelli PZero RF
when I sold new cars I learned a cold hard fact: a problem car will make itself obvious in the first 25-30K miles. these are the kind of cars to NOT hang onto, kinda like my first MINI. If a car gives you no or minimal trouble in that period, it's a keeper.
__________________ I say, boy, you dont seem to be apprehendin' the general gist of what I'm tryin' to convey here. Maybe you oughta take a second, let your head catch up to your tongue before it gets all sunburnt. That was a joke, son, I say - a joke! Nice boy, but he's about as sharp as a sack o' wet mice.
With a brand spanking new car with the total maint warranty I'd get it to the 15-20K mark. At that point you'll know if it is adjustment types of issues or it is a problematic car. From there you have options.
Be sure you document everything
__________________ Tim Shackelford & 'Augie'
07' MCS Chili Red with lotsa mods and more on the way......
when I sold new cars I learned a cold hard fact: a problem car will make itself obvious in the first 25-30K miles. these are the kind of cars to NOT hang onto, kinda like my first MINI. If a car gives you no or minimal trouble in that period, it's a keeper.
I agree, my first 07 Mini spent over a month in the shop within the first 5,000 miles. They finally fixed it but decided to get get rid of it and get my current 08. 9,000 miles so far on this one with only an oil change visit to the shop.
__________________ Mini Me - 2008 Laser Blue/Black MCS - 6 sp Auto, Multi-Function Steering Wheel, Piano Blk/Anthracite, Black JCW R105 Double-Spoke 18-inch Wheels on Pirelli PZero RF
Mini Me - 2008 Laser Blue/Black MCS - 6 sp Auto, Multi-Function Steering Wheel, Piano Blk/Anthracite, Black JCW R105 Double-Spoke 18-inch Wheels on Pirelli PZero RF
...
I say, boy, you dont seem to be apprehendin' the general gist of what I'm tryin' to convey here. Maybe you oughta take a second, let your head catch up to your tongue before it gets all sunburnt. That was a joke, son, I say - a joke! Nice boy, but he's about as sharp as a sack o' wet mice.
