I thought you'd all get a little chuckle out of the recent problem with my 2011 Countryman All4:

Tuesday November 29, 2011 I bring my CM in for it's first regular service (13k miles). While filling out the paperwork, I mentioned to the service advisor that my car has hesitated a couple of times at ~5k RPM on the highway. A few hours later, he calls to report that the hesitation is a known problem requiring a firmware update to correct. He said the update would take 4 to 8 hours and they might need keep the car over night.

I called late in the day and learned that the update had failed and they would need to keep the car until Wednesday morning.

Wednesday AM I call the dealer to get status. The SA reports that the tech has been working on my car for the last 2 hours and that it should be ready by noon. He tells me that he will call when it's ready.

10:00 AM -- I get a call that the car is almost ready. The update is almost done, they need to test drive and I should be all set. I head into the dealership.

11:00 AM -- my phone rings and the SA reports that the update failed again and they will pay for a rental car if I need one.

11:30 AM -- The SA tells me that if the firmware update doesn't take, they might have to replace the radio. Really, the radio -- because the car hesitates. I pick up my Chevy Impala rental.

Thursday AM I call and learn that my is car is kicking their @sses and the update keeps failing. They report that they are remodeling the garage area and my car is actually being worked on in their Honda garage next door. They hypothesize that they're having problems with the internet connection.

2:30 -- Sa tells me that they've opened a "Puma Case" to get help from BMW engineers. I ask if the engineers are in Germany, who would would be drinking beer and watching TV at that hour, or in the US. The SA has no idea. (No, I didn't make the beer comment out loud.)

Friday AM Checkin. The dealer still hasn't heard back from the mother-ship.

Noon -- Still nothing. I tell the SA that I need to trade in my Impala for a car that's the same quality as my CM. To lighten things up a little I mention the Bentley they have parked near the service entrance. He doesn't even chuckle.

5:00 -- checkin. No my car isn't ready but I can have any car on the Enterprise Rent-a-Car lot. I'm giddy with excitement at the prospects.

5:45 -- note to self. The Boston University Enterprise only has junk cars. I leave in a huff.

5:50 -- my phone rings. The dealer reports that they just got an X3 back. I can have it if I don't mind that they don't have time to clean it. I jump -- definitely better than the Impala.

6:00 -- I'm waiting for them to bring around my X3 and the SA tells me that they ordered the radio for over night delivery but they may not have gotten the order in early enough for Saturday morning delivery. He tells me that the hesitation problem is resolved but my NAV doesn't work.

Saturday I don't bother calling for status.

Sunday X3 gets ticked for parking in a resident only zone. I am a resident! The fun is wearing off.

Monday 4PM I call in. "The car is still upstairs. The oil has been changed. Is this the best number for your SA to call back with a more detailed status?" Heh, yes.

 

5:00 -- SA called. The radio didn't come in. "I'm 98% sure it will be here tomorrow."

 

Oh boy... Sorry to hear about this, but hopefully you'll have your CM back before you know it!

 

How does a firmware update for the engine problem frak up your nav?
At least you have a sweet ride to play with.

 

i ordered my car from HC too. i got the base since i was apprehensive about the turbo's reliability. hope your issue gets resolved soon. how is everything else with your CM?

 

Sorry about the hassles, it sounds like a nightmare.

That being said, how is the X3? It was on my shopping list but I went for the CM as it was less expensive, and had a stick shift available.

 

When things get out of hand (if they haven't already) call Gary King at MINI of Peabody. He is truly a miracle worker. Tell him Theo sent you.

 

or before that, try ian miller who you probably know of, he is the sales manager of HC mini and has treated me exceptionally well and sounds like he goes to bat for many a mini customer.

 

To be fair, the service advisors at HC seem to be trying very hard to make this right.

 

While waiting for my X3 to show up, I had some time to talk with one of the advisors, Mark. He explained that when a control unit needs to be updated, a PC queries all controllers in the car checking their firmware version and updates those that aren't up to the latest level. Off the top of his head, he didn't know how many controllers there are in the CM, but guessed that there are 25+.

I got the impression that there was a newer firmware version for the NAV and while installing that update, the system crashed -- bricking the NAV controller.

My concern is that given how difficult this process has been, the chances of my car coming back to me with something messed up seems very good.

WRT, the X3. It's a nice car, but not as good as I had hoped. There are many, many fussy controls, buttons, ***** and dials everywhere. It feels like the designers were striving for the F15 cockpit feel. It would all be very confusing if the CM and X3 didn't obviously share a lot of the same software. The automatic transmission is a little sluggish but better than any that I've driven in many years. (I've never owned an automatic.) Certainly more power than my All4.

There are a lot of electronics that don't behave intuitively. The shifter is shaped like an automatic transmission shifter but it's obviously just a bunch of buttons and LEDs. The parking brake is similarly just a button.

 

Similar thing happened to me - HK stereo died, they had to order a new one and install it. The firmware wouldn't update (can't remember if that was before or after the replacement.) I was 2 weeks without my CMS. The loaner was a cute little 2011 Mini Cooper, but I was very glad to have my Countryman back...with a working stereo!

 

Lol. I don't mean to laugh. But that is kind of a funny story. Suck. But funny. Sounds like they are doing everything they can to make things right. And all for a little hesitation. Haha. Best of luck. I'm sure it'll all be fine very soon.

 

i dont find any humor in the story. i have found in life that you when you laugh or find humorous other people's issues/problems/etc, life has a way of coming back right at you. remember, you have ordered an "s" and may encounter a story similar to this one.

 

It isn't hilarious or humorous, rather ironic. I do believe this is what Johnwes12 meant.

To cut him down for buying an S ins't really necessary either is it? I could say buying a CM without an S is a mistake as I could not imagine how slow it could be. A base hardtop is slow enough, I would be afraid to pull out into traffic in a CM without more than the base 121 hp.

 

Hmmm I am now wishing I hadn't read this tale. I am going to call about my serious stumble today and the dealer is 90 mins away with a reputation of being CRAP! I need AWD and good snow tires where I live so loaners can give me the hee bee gee bees, I also car pool a lot and the four doors are not optional for me. Please don't give me Mini cooper loaner!!!

See now I am panicking. Gulp.

 

My biggest complaint is that this is such an inconvenience. I've been to the dealer 3 times so far. Costing several hours of my time. Last night I got my second $40 parking ticket.

Last night, the SA told me that he would call at 9 AM this morning to tell me if the parts are in. 10 AM I still haven't gotten my call so I call them leave a message asking for a call back. 11:30 still nothing...

 

I'm with you Spell. Poor customer service at a standard retailer, restaurant, mobile phone store is all irritating, but a new car and the MA can't even keep a promise to call at or before a certain time? After repeated broken promises it becomes loud and clear that you are not a priority. Sad. Good luck!

 

11:50 I get my call back.

The radio is in!

They just have to install it and... re-run the update process.

I hope it works this time.

 

good luck and let us know how you make out.

 

GoOd LuCk!

 

you didnt get a response from me so you edited your comment with more bluster so now you will get the response you deserve. you dont even know what irony is first of all. second of all, you seem to know exactly what johnwes12 meant but then you claim to know what i meant. you are wrong in both situations. the turbo has been problematic ...read the freakin posts...and that is the only reason why i did not get one...i wish i had more confidence in this engine, but i get my information from this forum and no one has complained about "reduced power" and "hesitation issues" with the base engine. so what i am saying is based in fact, what you are spewing is venom because you have taken this so personally. the guy who originally started this thread went on to add that he has been inconvenienced...how is that funny, humorous or ironic? so for someone to make light of another situation with a turbo and that same person has a turbo on order is the only irony here. best to you. (oh and this little icon is not laughing he is just "ironic.")

 

I certainly wasn't laughing AT spell, or actually laughing at all. Yes if it were to happen to me or anybody else, the situation would absolutely suck. It's anyone's fear that a trip to the shop turns into a nightmare. But spell's story and his manner of telling it has a bit of lightheartedness that I appreciate. I'm sure he is frustrated, but I'm more of a glass half full kind of guy. Good luck spell. It sounds like it'll all get worked out today. Happy motoring. :-)

 

Bostonterroir, by this comment you make the assumption that YOU know what I meant. You do not. By the level of negative energy you put into your posts, at least on this thread, it's clear that for whatever reason you are letting your personal emotions control your posts. I can't speak for spell, but I doubt he took offense to my original post, if he did I apologize to him, but not to you. My choice of an S is a personal one, as is yours for your non S. but I judge no one for their choices, I believe both options are great cars and a hoot to drive. That's my $.02.

 

Thanks for clarifying. I understood what you meant. Feelings are often misinterpreted or misjudged on the internet.

 

While time would be wasted doing a point by point reply I will feed you this troll food. I reply with a few key facts and civil reply.

I edited a comment for a spelling error, not to provoke any emotions from you. I don't care.

Facts, with any time on here, yes we know the possible problems with the turbo engines, not so much the turbo in particular. I have both, a justa hard top and a R56S.

I have driven a CM with and w/o an S and for me and my life it was too slow, dangerously slow for me. People know the countryman is slow the moment the test drive it and still buy it, not really something they would complain about since they know that they were buying.

Ok that's enough to at least explain, I won't waste anyone else's time on here by me beginning to argue. I just hope you don't take a reply so personal and berate others for merely commenting on a situation that stinks but not so much-so where you are making fun of them (clearly observed by myself and clarified by Johnwes12).

OP, sorry for this thread-jack. spell, let us know if the car took the coding and update after the new radio was installed and make this a useful thread in the end. Sorry for the bother.