If you have not seen my tale of woe and intrigue at
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...r-new-top.html,
I have had some problems with premature wear on my mini convertible roof.
To get a better understanding of the problems with 1st generation mini convertibles roofs, I am conducting a poll on roof problems. Please take the time to fill out this short poll. Thanks in advance

1 - Have you had a problem with your mini convertible roof?

2 - What year is your car and how many miles on it?

3 - If you had a problem, how old was your car and how many miles on it when first appeared?

4 - What was the nature of the problem

- Premature canvas wear?

- Mechanical failure (cable, structure, etc.)?

- Electrical (motor or controller)?

- Other (please state)?

5 - Has it been repaired?

6 - If so, did MiniUSA cover the repair under warranty?

7 - How was your experience dealing with Mini on this issue (Ie. excellent, no hassles, mixed, required some discussion with management, poor, Mini did not agree to fix problem or only agreed to partially pay for the problem)

8 - If Mini did not pay for the repair, how much did you have to pay for the repair and what was repaired or replaced?

9 - If you paid for the repair, did you have it done with the dealer or an independent shop?

 

1 - Have you had a problem with your mini convertible roof? Yes

2 - What year is your car and how many miles on it? 2007, 31000

3 - If you had a problem, how old was your car and how many miles on it when first appeared? two years and 20,000

4 - What was the nature of the problem

- Premature canvas wear? x

- Mechanical failure (cable, structure, etc.)?

- Electrical (motor or controller)?

- Other (please state)?

5 - Has it been repaired? not yet

6 - If so, did MiniUSA cover the repair under warranty? They will

7 - How was your experience dealing with Mini on this issue (Ie. excellent, no hassles, mixed, required some discussion with management, poor, Mini did not agree to fix problem or only agreed to partially pay for the problem)
Mixed

8 - If Mini did not pay for the repair, how much did you have to pay for the repair and what was repaired or replaced?

9 - If you paid for the repair, did you have it done with the dealer or an independent shop?

 

1 - Have you had a problem with your mini convertible roof? Yes

2 - What year is your car and how many miles on it? 07 24000

3 - If you had a problem, how old was your car and how many miles on it when first appeared? 1st time 07 4500, 2nd time 11000, 3rd time 16000

4 - What was the nature of the problem

- Premature canvas wear? yes

- Mechanical failure (cable, structure, etc.)? yes structure was replaced the 3rd time and there are no wear issues any longer. I was close to have Mini take the car back under the lemon law in NJ. The final fix makes me glad that I was always on the service adviser about the top and the wear marks and holes by the rear windows.

- Electrical (motor or controller)?

- Other (please state)?

5 - Has it been repaired? yes

6 - If so, did MiniUSA cover the repair under warranty? Under warranty

7 - How was your experience dealing with Mini on this issue (Ie. excellent, no hassles, mixed, required some discussion with management, poor, Mini did not agree to fix problem or only agreed to partially pay for the problem)
No Hassles the first 2 times, the third time had to ask the service manager to contact Mini

8 - If Mini did not pay for the repair, how much did you have to pay for the repair and what was repaired or replaced? Mini paid

9 - If you paid for the repair, did you have it done with the dealer or an independent shop?

Hope this information helps
Mike

 

1 - Have you had a problem with your mini convertible roof? Yes

2 - What year is your car and how many miles on it? 05 60K now

3 - If you had a problem, how old was your car and how many miles on it when first appeared? 30K miles

4 - What was the nature of the problem Premature canvas wear? Yep

5 - Has it been repaired? Yep. Replaced top

6 - If so, did MiniUSA cover the repair under warranty? Yes. Took it in at 49K miles for one quick look over before comes off warranty.

7 - How was your experience dealing with Mini on this issue (Ie. excellent, no hassles, mixed, required some discussion with management, poor, Mini did not agree to fix problem or only agreed to partially pay for the problem)
Excellent. They didn't even blink when i showed them the shiny areas on the roof. They offered to replace the top for free under warranty that day. Couldn't have been easier. Mini of North Scottsdale. Year and half later and top still looks new.

8 - If Mini did not pay for the repair, how much did you have to pay for the repair and what was repaired or replaced? All on Mini

9 - If you paid for the repair, did you have it done with the dealer or an independent shop?

 

1 - Have you had a problem with your mini convertible roof? Not yet...

2 - What year is your car and how many miles on it? 2005 MCSc 25,000 miles

3 - If you had a problem, how old was your car and how many miles on it when first appeared? N/A

4 - What was the nature of the problem N/A

- Premature canvas wear?

- Mechanical failure (cable, structure, etc.)?

- Electrical (motor or controller)?

- Other (please state)?

5 - Has it been repaired? N/A

6 - If so, did MiniUSA cover the repair under warranty? N/A

7 - How was your experience dealing with Mini on this issue (Ie. excellent, no hassles, mixed, required some discussion with management, poor, Mini did not agree to fix problem or only agreed to partially pay for the problem) N/A

8 - If Mini did not pay for the repair, how much did you have to pay for the repair and what was repaired or replaced? N/A

9 - If you paid for the repair, did you have it done with the dealer or an independent shop? N/A

I'm not sure whether I'm just lucky or if I got a good car, but so far no problems - unless I consider the extremely difficult DIY oil change yesterday...

I've had the car for about a year, and decided it was oil change time. Apparently the last person to change the oil decided to crank the drain plug as tight as they could get it and it took half a day to get it out - it took a trip to Home Depot for a set of Irwin "bolt-grips" and a 30" breaker bar to break it loose! Thank goodness I ordered a replacement drain plug with the new oil filter.

 

1 - Have you had a problem with your mini convertible roof? yes

2 - What year is your car and how many miles on it? 2005 (SEPT '04 build) 53,000 now

3 - If you had a problem, how old was your car and how many miles on it when first appeared? roof wear 1st reported to dealer - SEPT 07 (29,000 miles). Roof Cable failure - SEPT 09 (50,000 miles)

4 - What was the nature of the problem Commonly reported roof wear for early model Cabrios and roof cable failure.

5 - Has it been repaired? Yes in both cases.

6 - If so, did MiniUSA cover the repair under warranty? Roof replaced under warranty. Cable - no.

7 - How was your experience dealing with Mini on this issue (Ie. excellent, no hassles, mixed, required some discussion with management, poor, Mini did not agree to fix problem or only agreed to partially pay for the problem) Roof wear was first reported SEPT 07. Roof was replaced under warranty JAN 09. No hassles at all (other than 3 month delay in getting replacement roof), no out-of-pocket. Cable replaced by independent shop.

8 - If Mini did not pay for the repair, how much did you have to pay for the repair and what was repaired or replaced? Cable replacement - $900

9 - If you paid for the repair, did you have it done with the dealer or an independent shop? Independent shop.

 

1 - Have you had a problem with your mini convertible roof?
Roof was already replaced for 1st owner a year ago...new roof is starting to show wear spots

2 - What year is your car and how many miles on it?
2005 - 8,500 miles (yes 8,500 )

3 - If you had a problem, how old was your car and how many miles on it when first appeared?
About 6 months ago, (about a month after I bought it) 8,000 miles when it started

4 - What was the nature of the problem
Wear spots over side rear window

- Premature canvas wear?
Yes as stated above

5 - Has it been repaired?
Once for 1st owner.....same problem again

6 - If so, did MiniUSA cover the repair under warranty?
MINICanada covered repair for 1st owner

7 - How was your experience dealing with Mini on this issue (Ie. excellent, no hassles, mixed, required some discussion with management, poor, Mini did not agree to fix problem or only agreed to partially pay for the problem)
Have not talked to Mini yet...will be doing so this month (car is stored in garage for winter, so they can't see it yet anyways

8 - If Mini did not pay for the repair, how much did you have to pay for the repair and what was repaired or replaced?
N/A

9 - If you paid for the repair, did you have it done with the dealer or an independent shop?
N/A

 

1 - Have you had a problem with your mini convertible roof? YES

2 - What year is your car and how many miles on it? 2005 MC ~87,000

3 - If you had a problem, how old was your car and how many miles on it when first appeared? 80,000

4 - What was the nature of the problem

- Premature canvas wear?

- Mechanical failure (cable, structure, etc.)? Passenger Roof Cable snapped

- Electrical (motor or controller)?

- Other (please state)?

5 - Has it been repaired? YES

6 - If so, did MiniUSA cover the repair under warranty? NO (OUT OF WARRANTY)

7 - How was your experience dealing with Mini on this issue (Ie. excellent, no hassles, mixed, required some discussion with management, poor, Mini did not agree to fix problem or only agreed to partially pay for the problem)
Excellent, Dryer & Reinbolt examined the roof/cable, sealed the roof & ordered the part. No charge for inspection.

8 - If Mini did not pay for the repair, how much did you have to pay for the repair and what was repaired or replaced? ~$200 DIY OEM part replaced by me. MINI wanted over $1,000 for repairs.

9 - If you paid for the repair, did you have it done with the dealer or an independent shop? DIY @ home

 

For certain items, I've included my observation of my '04 Audi TT convertible for comparison.

1 - Have you had a problem with your mini convertible roof? Yes / My Audi '04 Audi TT convertible top has none of the wear/tear like Mini's.

2 - What year is your car and how many miles on it? '06 / 33,000 mi... and running out of Warranty.

3 - If you had a problem, how old was your car and how many miles on it when first appeared? 3yrs / 28000 mi but wear spots appear gradually.

4 - What was the nature of the problem...

- Premature canvas wear? Yes, around the rear window corners.

- Mechanical failure (cable, structure, etc.)? none yet

- Electrical (motor or controller)? Very noisy & whiny but okay so far. Audi TT mechanical parts are silent.

- Other (please state)?

5 - Has it been repaired? No, the dealers I've been to says it's normal wear or caused by "outside influence"... just like the dent on the Mini logo (of the horn/airbag cover) when you hit the horn.

6 - If so, did MiniUSA cover the repair under warranty? MiniUSA said the dealers have priority in decision making because they're the "eyes and ears" for MiniUSA. They cannot override the dealers' decision. What a crock of Scheiße!!!

7 - How was your experience dealing with Mini on this issue (Ie. excellent, no hassles, mixed, required some discussion with management, poor, Mini did not agree to fix problem or only agreed to partially pay for the problem). Poor. Total denial. Not impressed with Mini dealers or MiniUSA.

8 - If Mini did not pay for the repair, how much did you have to pay for the repair and what was repaired or replaced? Not repaired yet. Waiting for the holes to eventually occur while I lower the top less and less.

9 - If you paid for the repair, did you have it done with the dealer or an independent shop? Not yet... due to the negative experience I've had in dealing with Mini dealers and MiniUSA, my car will only see the dealer for warranty items. Mini dealerships will not see my money. If the top eventually needs replacement, I will have an independent Mini garage do the work.

 

The Mini dealer replaced my horn button for the bent wings, they change the airbag along with the horn button. Talk to the dealer again, this is a covered repair. I was told by the dealer that I should use the side of the horn button so that I don't bend the wings again.

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cadenza

5 - Has it been repaired? No, the dealers I've been to says it's normal wear or caused by "outside influence"... just like the dent on the Mini logo (of the horn/airbag cover) when you hit the horn.

I tried. SA at multiple dealerships told me they've seen this issue but that Mini has had a change of policy and will longer replace it under warranty. I called and spoke with a customer service manager at MiniUsa, who told me that there's nothing they can do once the dealer's SA decided it was caused by "outside influence"... and bounced the decision back the the dealers.

Sorry for going off-topic.

 

it will be with dealer

 

1 - Have you had a problem with your mini convertible roof? Yes, once when the passenger side clip wouldn't release and now again where the roof won't open or close. (Sunroof works fine, though.)

2 - What year is your car and how many miles on it? 2005 MCC, 48k

3 - If you had a problem, how old was your car and how many miles on it when first appeared? 32k with first problem and of course now the current one 48k

4 - What was the nature of the problem

- Premature canvas wear?

- Mechanical failure (cable, structure, etc.)?

- Electrical (motor or controller)?

- Other (please state)?

5 - Has it been repaired? No, I am still trying to figure out how to diagnose without being raped by BMW.

6 - If so, did MiniUSA cover the repair under warranty? MiniUSA refuses to do much about anything. When my power steering pump went out while I was driving uphill in the dark around a curve at 55 mph they refused to do a goodwill replacement. Also - no recall. Not pleased.

7 - How was your experience dealing with Mini on this issue (Ie. excellent, no hassles, mixed, required some discussion with management, poor, Mini did not agree to fix problem or only agreed to partially pay for the problem)

8 - If Mini did not pay for the repair, how much did you have to pay for the repair and what was repaired or replaced?

9 - If you paid for the repair, did you have it done with the dealer or an independent shop?[/quote]

I only just found this post since I was Googling looking for resolutions to top problems so I'll update after I call Mini tomorrow and see what the dealer says.

 

jenjen,
have you checked the parcel shelf and top latches in the boot to make sure they are in place. If the top goes into sunroof mode and the light blinks it usually is one of the listed items.

 

Yep, tried all of that several times. :(

 

All in all a great experience so far.

 

Interesting to note is that the guy that I talked wtih at Mini says the second generation Minis have a latching mechanism that helps keep the top from bouncing around and therefore minimize the rubbing that occurs. He said that for extended drives with the top down, a small soft cloth stuck between the spots that wear is a good idea. Ideally, one shouldn't have to do that, but since the top doesn't latch in the down position, I think I may do that for my longer drives. 'Just one of the joys of owning a Mini, I suppose.

 

The area rep suggested the towel approach but then could not tell me how to put the towel down since it would have to be when you are opening the roof. Did your rep give you instructions on how to insert the cloth?

 

No, but I figure that I'd simply stop the top lowering a bit short of a full lower, and then place the cloth in the proper locations and then finish the lowering.

 

Since I did not actually see the rep but worked through the dealership folks, I was not given instructions on where to place the towel (or possibly towels). I have two areas of major wear above the rear windows as well as a whole series of wear lines in the rear vertical portion of the roof as well as on top. Did he/she show you where to install the cloth/towel?

 

I wasn't shown where to place the towel, but essentially, you want to have the towel on the spots that are getting worn. The easies thing to do is to lower the top but not all the way. Then go around the car and locate those spots and see how they're folding up. You may have to adjust the top up or down just a bit to see in there as it folds. This is easily done by standing outside the car and just operating the buttons. Once you can see how it folds, just slip a soft piece of fabric in there and you're done. I was thinking of using something that has a slippery surface on one side, sort of silk like, and then the other side is soft and furry. Or something like that. In black, of course. A visit to a fabric store would likely be in order. Then you can simply buy the material and cut it to size. Keep some extras with you as well.

 

1 - Have you had a problem with your mini convertible roof? No

2 - What year is your car and how many miles on it? 2007 / 13,000

 

1 - Have you had a problem with your mini convertible roof? Yes

2 - What year is your car and how many miles on it? 2005 MC ~ 80k

3 - If you had a problem, how old was your car and how many miles on it when first appeared? 5 years ~ 78k

4 - What was the nature of the problem

- Premature canvas wear?

- Mechanical failure (cable, structure, etc.)? Driver's side cable separated from cassette

- Electrical (motor or controller)?

- Other (please state)?

5 - Has it been repaired? Yes

6 - If so, did MiniUSA cover the repair under warranty? No, out of warranty

7 - How was your experience dealing with Mini on this issue (Ie. excellent, no hassles, mixed, required some discussion with management, poor, Mini did not agree to fix problem or only agreed to partially pay for the problem) I did not take it to the dealership. I knew what the problem was and asked them for a quote to fix it and was told that they wouldn't tell me unless I brought it in and paid $179 for them to diagnose it first.

8 - If Mini did not pay for the repair, how much did you have to pay for the repair and what was repaired or replaced? Paid $359 for replacement cables/cassettes (both left and right sides)

9 - If you paid for the repair, did you have it done with the dealer or an independent shop? In the driveway @ 97º

 

Everyone who lives in SoCal take note: the best Mini dealer around that is NOT a total crook is Southbay Mini. Call and ask for Clint and he will take care of you and not rip you off.

 

2007 and no problem " yet" 18K on the clock