My 6 week old Cooper Hardtop decided it didn't want to start a week ago. Completely dead. Had it towed into dealer and it took them 3 days to tell me the battery was bad and it would cost me $540 to replace it and not warranty because the lights were left on for 2.5 hrs. I called Mini NA and a miracle happened, they were waiting for warranty paperwork for the battery and it will be covered. I will say my Mini was towed on a Friday and now it's Wednesday morning.

Told it was a third party battery and not in stock but was ordered and will be in Thursday afternoon and ready on Friday afternoon. Called Friday and told my battery won't be in until Monday or Tuesday. So my Mini has been in the shop for over a week and won't be out until next week. ;(

My question is where in the world do the batteries come from that it takes UPS or FedEx a week to get it here? Also is this a problem, other than the battery, that I should be worried about? Also why would leaving the bottom running lights on for such a short time cause the battery to go "bad".

I will say that i keep my lights on Auto at all times and was suggested that I turned on the lights by mistake. Not happening unless I kicked the dial with my foot and turned it with my shoe while exiting the car. To me it sounds like a load of garbage and there is something else happening that should be looked into farther. I am very angry about them even suggesting I left them on and the dealer had to, as he said, "go to bat for me with Mini". Of course the service guy wasn't happy about Mini waiting on the phone for him when he got to work.

I really need some feedback on what I should do about this dealership. I have been without my baby for 8 days and looking at another 3-4 and want my new car back. I can't believe that it would take this long to change a battery, could have ran to AutoZone and had it done in 45 mins. Thanks.

 

I have a 2014 Countryman, also about six weeks old. I had to fill up my bike tires today and plugged in an air compressor for five minutes into the cigarette lighter. Five minutes later the battery was dead and car wouldn't start. I jumped it, let it run for half an hour and then drove it for an hour and it seems fine.

Not sure why you would need a new battery if it was just run down from leaving lights on?

 

Hi there CCutshaw, what has happened in the end?

 

I got my car on the 12th day and a rental car for 11 of them. When I got the loaner, finally, I had them look at my seatbelt, nav, and USB in the arm rest. They said everything was fine and they adjusted my seatbelt. But I got home and my seatbelt got stuck again as it had before. They didn't touch the drivers seatbelt. It was twisted before and it was still twisted. I looked over at the passenger side and the tech must of had something in his pocket. There was a gouge in the B-column behind the front window. I took it back and the service person looked at the seatbelt, on the drivers side, as I had asked them to do, and pulled on it and said it worked fine. I said that is not when it sticks and showed him how it was twisted. Then I pointed to the passenger side and asked why they were on the passenger side because I now have a gouge in the B-column. I told him I had interior insurance and he said make a claim and if worse comes to worse we will replace it.

That night I was talking with a family member about it and it turned out they knew the GM personally. They texted him at 7pm and he texted immediately back. And I explained to him what had happened. He met me on a Saturday at the dealership and looked at the seatbelt and the gouge and had the Service Manager for the four dealerships (BMW, Jag, RangeRover), including the Mini dealer, he took my car and fixed the seatbelt in 10 mins. He ordered the B-column piece for me and they offered and took care of the rental car that the Mini service people made me get instead of a loaner. The GM gave me his personal cell number and said to call any time I need anything.

I had racked up a $700 rental car bill and almost made to pay $540 for a battery that was 6 weeks old. When I told the Mini service that we had to talk about the rental cost I was told that we already covered the battery they won't pay for the rental. I was out of my car for 12 days and to add salt to an open wound a scratched interior and told to make a claim and if they don't pay I guess we will. But it is all going to be fine now. I am following up tomorrow to see if the rental is taken care of and have to talk with MiniUSA to finish that part.

I am so glad it is done and if it weren't for the GM I wouldn't take it back there. But if I have to it will be with the GM and service manager right there to make sure things are OK with my car.

 

terrible.. and odd about the batteyr. i left my car for several weeks to a month and half at a time over the winter, never once died or any indication of low batt etc