I haven't taken the plunge yet and ordered my MINI, partly because I'm concerned about the lack of customer service thus far from the dealers. Many of you have said that they really don't care if you order from them or not, and I'm inclined to believe that based on some of the things sales people have said to me. I'm worried that I'll buy the car and then the dealer will give me problems with service. Have any of you experienced real problems with service, dishonesty, etc.? Or do the dealers take care of you after you buy your MINIs? Thank you.

 

I would imagine that since MINIs are still relatively high demand and low supply that the dealers are not really needing to "deal." That being said, the service department is separate and will not "give you problems." You should expect the same level of service you would at any dealer; I had my 05 MCS serviced recently and had 2 followup phone calls to check on my satisfaction and 2 online surveys. I gave them the highest marks possible, since I was satisfied and you catch more flies with sugar than vinegar. So I wouldn't avoid buying a MINI because of service concerns.

 

I have had nothing but stellar service with my 2005 S at MINI of Hawaii!

 

I don't think the service is terrible. What's bad is the lack of dealerships so many must drive an extremely long way for warranty work or maintenance (for me it's over 300 miles round trip) so it really sucks when I drive all that way for them to tell me they will order the part then I get to do a second long drive for the actual repair. They don't seem to stock many parts at the dealerships & that wouldn't be such a big deal if the service center was only 15 miles away.

If you live near a dealership you will be in good shape. If you don't live near a dealership, get a MINI anyway, owning a MINI is worth the drive

 

I've had very good service from all dealers I have dealt with except for Global Imports in Atlanta. I wouldn't trust them to fix my lawnmower after the several ordeals I have had getting them to honor the warranty.

 

Where are you located exactly? Maybe if you have a few dealers in your area people can post what dealers they have had good sales experiences with.

 

Service IN WARRANTY was always great. But put a non-OEM item on your car, and they will find a way to screw with you and not perform service under warranty. I put a pulley on early, and luckily, never had engine trouble. I put a cat-back system on, and when I took the car in much later for a "thumping" noise in the rear, they told me that the problem was the "after-market exhaust," saying "after-market" as though it almost was making them gag. Frustrated, when I got home, I got under the car myself, and found in the space of about two minutes that the thump was NOT the exhaust, but one rear anti-sway bar bushing mount had come loose on one end -- something VERY easy to see if they had just looked. From that point on, I lost all confidence in the stealer from which I bought the car. I am NEVER going back again.

The other thing I noticed is that they are not too interested in selling cars because they don't have to be. IMO, that is why their attitudes are so snotty on the sales floor.

I will never go back to my stealer again, now that I am out of warranty. They want outrageous fees for parts and service. It's obscene. I can't believe anyone pays the exorbitant prices they charge. They must get plenty of warranty business, and, therefore, must really have no need to attract out-of-warranty repairs. Else, how could they stay in the service business.

I feel very lucky to live in an area where they have plenty of competition from independents who really seem to know the cars MUCH better than any of the "professional" stealer techs that I have encountered.

 

I've had great service from my dealer. I ordered a Mini - great service - and then had to order a second Mini after an accident in the first one - great service again. Of course, I haven't had it long enough to need to go to the service department for maintenance and repairs. I'm about 3 hours away from my dealer (and it's the closest dealer) but they've offered to let me have a loaner for the day when I do need service. I also know that Mini's roadside assistance will tow your car to the nearest dealer for free (they even did it for the 3 hour trip to my dealer).

Before I ordered my first Mini, I called several dealerships (there isn't a dealership in my state so I had the option of several in other states). All but one dealerships I talked to were really helpful. Of course, about half of the dealerships refused to give me any sort of a deal but, as mentioned, that is more due to the high demand, low supply of Mini Coopers. And I did find a few dealerships willing to deal on the price. The only dealership I didn't like was the one that refused to deal on price and then lectured me to asking, saying that even asking "lessened the value of a Mini Cooper."

Let everyone know where you are and maybe someone can give you some advice on where to find a good dealer.

 

I wouldn't worry about where you buy the car. I bought my 04 from a Chevy dealer. I brought it in to Mini for a minor issue and the Mini service center was great. They gave me a little tour of the place, explained how the service and maintenance program worked, gave me a free loaner, and sent me on my way. I got a call the next day that my car was ready. I brought loaner back, signed the receipt and hopped in my car where a cold bottle of water was waiting for me in the cupholder. Perfect.

 

Mini of Pittsburgh rocks. Excellent in sales and service in my experience. Talk to Graham there, he'll take care of you.

 

My dealer, Cincinnati Mini, is the best, they always provide me with a loaner, today my Mini is in getting service and I have a brand new BMW 3 series, you can't beat that. The people are great and it is just an all around great experience so much so that we bought our second Mini from them as well. Before you make a decision go visit your dealership and see how you feel. Good luck!

 

My biggest problem is my SA saying "no one's ever had this problem before." It was worse when I got my week 3 '07, of course, but I still hear it. And I know it's a stock answer because some '07-owning friends have come up to me with the same story--on the same issues.

IF I can get them to see/hear/document the problem, I've not had any problems with repairs.

 

Here's the deal:

Your mileage may vary. Some dealers are great to work with, they understand that happy customers mean repeat business and referrals. They will go the extra mile to make sure you are happy, and treat you with respect and dignity.

Unfortunately, at Desert BMW of Las Vegas, that is not the case. They are the only BMW dealership in Vegas, and they know it. They don't have to be nice to compete for your business, with them it is the other way around. YOU have to be nice to THEM to compete for their good service and attention.

After spending nearly $100k at their dealership I have been called names, physically threatened, and even charged for warranty repair (I refused to pay and that's when they called me names and threatened me physically.)

I am a good customer, and I treat people with respect and dignity regardless of which side of the counter I'm on. I didn't do anything to warrant the behavior of the people at my dealership. Fact is, I was treated horribly by the service department.

I followed up with BMW of NA and they basically blew me off. They just don't really care. My experience with the Mini at the same service department (my wife takes it in) has fortunately not been quite as bad, but the Service Writer there is rather ignorant. It took 3 or 4 trips before they stopped telling us we just weren't filling the tires up right, and they realized there was a defective part in the TPMS. The car pings and they say its the gas we use (I use Chevron premium...)

I have not been happy and although I love the cars to death, I will never buy another BMW product.

What this boils down to is that the attitude you sense is real. They don't wheel and deal very much if at all in some cases because the cars are so great, everyone wants them, and they may not have any local competition. If you get a bad vibe from them stay far, far away.

However, like I said before, some dealers will still treat you like gold because there IS actually competition. I will be replacing the BMW with a similar Japanese product here shortly. There are other small car options as well, that are more affordable, gas thrifty, and well, downright dependable.

We all make purchases based on different criteria, consider why you want this car before you do it. Research opinions of people in your area when it comes to the service you will receive. I wish I had done that. I now know that this particular dealer has a nasty reputation for being lame. Had I known I may still have tried, as I had always wanted a bimmer.

Lesson learned. I hear the Honda dealer near me has an EXCELLENT reputation. No, they aren't as cute or quite as fun, but overall I will save money and stress, probably live longer for having traded into Honda.

Go with your conscience on this one, it will rarely steer you awry.

 

My dealer in Portland was awesome and I still keep in touch with my MA from there even though he isnt with MINI any more and I dont live in Oregon any more. I have had nothing but top notch service and respect from them. Now that I am in San Antonio they have had their issues at the MINI Center but I must say that they are doing their best to regain a great reputation and earn each customers respect and loyalty. We have our 2nd MINI on order with them and they have been more than helpful and courteous.