I went to pick up my new Mini Cooper yesterday, signed the papers, then discovered something was up with an airbag. Turned out to be an airbag module, needs to be replaced and must be shipped from Germany.

So far, I'm not impressed with Quality Control for new Mini Coopers.

Preserved.

 

It happens, get over it and move on to driving......

 

"and move on to driving" Drive what? Dealer has the car. At the moment I have nothing. Don't know if the dealer will provide a rental or not. Manager is unavailable to authorize the rental.

 

Well, I'd be upset too! However, nothing is perfect and there are always going to be some are with issue. Sorry your was one of them.. I'd be truly bummed as well. Did they give you an estimate on how long? I'd really push for a loaner too - good luck, let us know!

 

Next Friday at the very earliest. Possibly into the following week.

I'm just surprised that this was not noticed. When you sit in the car, the airbag light above your head does not go out. If you watch those videos from Mini about the careful checking, then again at the VDC you would think someone would have checked that. It's not that subtle.

Preserved

 

It will be fixed, then forget it not a big issues, yea sucks to be in a loaner but move on and Motor...

 

Its easy to say "move on" when its happening to someone else. I would be pissed off and also concerned about what else they may have missed. I've had mine for a weekand a half and happily have no problems yet. Loving the car.

 

You are right, quality control is something BMW/MINI need to improve.

 

Maybe your dealer forgot to check the option box for "non-faulty airbag controller". Seriously, sorry about your bad luck on this one.

 

Sorry to hear about your problem. I can't drive mine either. Apparently, my check from pen-fed is not good enough for Prestige Mini since they need ten business days to let it clear... With my luck when I can actually pick it up they'll be a mechanical problem..

 

That completely sucks. I hope they work something out for you.

 

It's quite possible the module checked out at the factory. And blipped out from Southampton to wherever it entered the country.

One of the first things I learned in eight years of working auto parts: electrical items can go bad straight from the box. Sometimes they'll work briefly, and give up the ghost. Doesn't matter who makes them.

 

Update: Dealer comes through with a rental. They don't have loaners, but will pay for a rental. While I'm still unimpressed with initial quality control of Mini's, the dealer did everything they could to help at this point and I'm pleased they offered a rental. For the rental, it was offered before I brought it up. So, good on them! The dealer is Mini of Peabody in MA.

I must also admit that I come into this with a very jaded opinion of car dealers and expect the worst. We've bought many cars of the years (Toyotas & Hondas with zero problems), and each time the process was less than pleasant. Buying the Mini was refreshingly easy and transparent without all the "games" typical of other dealers.

 

See it happenes to all brands I had a 06 Civic, and was nothing but major issues..and the dealer was a jerk, so it s the luck of the draw.... It happens move on.....I did ..

 

glad u got a rental and things happen but it will all go away when u r drivng yr MINI..

 

This will be his first and last problem

 

I was at my local Jacksonville dealer yesterday. The service department was so backed up because they unloaded a bunch of sold MINIs at our port and discovered that many of them were not optioned as they had been ordered. The service manager said that they are having to pull nav systems out of some and stick into others etc. He said it was a huge mess... Scary

 

Then some service guy will smack his head and say "Oh, wait! Nav is option N1!!! I thought it was it was M1!!! OK, everyone.... put everything back the way it came..."

 

my car very nearly showed up with the wrong options. had i not been so bored as to look at everything in the owners lounge i wouldn't have seen the options list was wrong. a call to my MA (who blamed it on the GM) and the list was fixed prior to production. but i was concerned about the astronomical amount of electronic controlled stuff in the MINI because they will give up the ghost and no telling when it might be!

 

What a coincidence! You’re the second Mini of Peabody customer that I’ve encountered in two weeks who was delivered a NEW MINI with significant and quite obvious problems. It seems that all MOP is doing for the $199 dealer prep fee is washing the vehicle. Does anyone see a trend here?

Please keep us advised of your progress and good luck.


.

 

Dealer prep fee?

 

The dealer charges a preparation fee to make the car ready for you to drive it home. They remove plastic coverings that are wrapped around the seats and interiors, go over the car with a fine toothed comb to make sure that everything is as it was on your order sheet, and lastly they wash the car, and thoroughly clean the interior.

I think that dealers should do these things without charging for them, because customers spending 20-30K on a new car deserve to be treated like they are dropping a huge chunk of change on a vehicle, because they are. I do believe that you can waive the fee and do the initial detail yourself if you like.

 

What was the other problem that was missed?

 

Sorry this happened, but glad to see that your Dealer stepped up and paid for a rental.. As they should......things like this happen sometimes, all will be fixed soon and you'll be out motoring the heck out of those twisties...

Donna

 

Tom bUSH said a few came in without mics for the navi units:(