I had been fasting for a liver ultrasound so when that was done on Saturday morning my wife and I decided to go have a delicious lunch at a local diner. I just parked in the closest spot (even though there were a ton open) to the front door. I remember parking next to an old beat up '94 or so Lumina. Rusted out and all.

After lunch we were walking out to the car and the sun was just shining perfectly on it. It's about a 1.5"-2" crease/dent with white paint all over it. I got the paint off, but the dent is pretty bad. Ugh, my heart just sunk to my stomach. I know it's not the end of the world. I'll call "dent pro" tomorrow to see if they can fix. But the scratch will still be there won't it? Or is that a "buff out" type of thing.

It's my first ding on this car and it came 2 years after purchasing it. I won't be forgetting this one anytime soon. I know it could have been a LOT worse, but still. Thanks for listening to my rant.

 

ahhhh i feel your pain!! i got mine like 1 year ago ( mines a 05 ) well anyway when i got it, i couldent sleep and i would constatly think about it and how poeple would look at me n the freeway eventhough u cant even see it. it still bugs me to date! ima fix it soon though

 

After about the 5th or 6th dent/scratch, they don't effect you as much.

 

i feel your pain also, i am dreding that day when my 1st door ding comes
1 yr 25000 Miles door ding free(knocks on some fake wood)

 

My wife makes fun of me for parking out in Siberia. As a general rule, I park far, far away from anyone or shopping carts. Besides, the extra walking is good for you.

 

I never thought I would be a "walker" of parking lots. But my new toy has converted me

 

when I sold my '03 with 88K it was still without its first door ding. My wife always makes fun of me when I park.

 

I've been doing that for at least 10 years now. My friends know to wear their hiking boots when I drive.

 

I generally call the Courtesy Shuttle when I park in lots! :-)

 

I feel your pain.

 

I hate dings too...just call it as badge of honor.

 

I have yet to get a door ding. But I have hit enough things w/ the front of my car (rabbits, ducks, and other small rodents) that I have had to get a new bumper cover, and a dent removed from the hood.

Nik

 

Could be worse, could have been a reverse dent. You know, the kind you get from closing the bonnet on a tool or something like that. Ask me how I know about those... Probably the second dumbest thing I have done with my MINI (after locking me keys in it at an AX with over 100 people).

 

3 years here, 40K miles no "first" door dings, dents or scratches on my '05. I too park out in the boondocks and/or end corner spots. I annoy the heck out of my wife. But I politely reminder...a) It is my car I park as far as I want, b) Any ding is at least $100 to fix, c) She does not want to put up with me if the car gets a ding.

She is becoming much better about watching where she parks the Clubman. She used to be the type of parking the closest to the door, etc.

 

I had a really close call a few weeks ago.

I stopped by a Pepboys to pick something up. Their lot is kinda small but I managed to park at a section of the lot that was empty. Then just as I was about to enter my car, I see this Caddy Escalade EXT pulling up real close next to my car . The driver and passenger of the Caddy looked like a couple of meat heads. Real knuckle-draggers.

So I jumped into my car real fast, didn't even bothered to buckle up and got outta there real fast before the meat heat opened his door.

 

The first MINI my family got ('04 MCS) had a self-inflicted dent. My dad was really new to the car, and was doing something inside the bonnet. We've had classic Porsches for a while, and to close the hood, you latch it, then use 5 fingers and press it down to latch it fully. Well, my dad did this, on the fender, and promptly put a dent in it! This was the car's first dent, and it didn't last long. He had it fixed the next day, but needless to say, we still talk about it today. We also learned really quickly to drop the lid, or at least not press on the fenders to close it.

 

Ugh... that sucks. Sorry to hear about it. Hope your liver tests came out fine.

Not sure if that's a PDR candidate since it sounds like you have some paint damage. You're going to need some conventional repair work, I believe.

 

my first ding came from the dealer while being checked for something very minor.

needless to say, no visit to the dealers EVER from now on.

 

Surely the dealership fixed that ding free, right ?? RIGHT ?

22 months into ownership x 3 MINIs, not a ding yet. Of course, we're both very lucky to have jobs with car-friendly parking. That helps a lot.

 

funny thing is, MINI USA called me about a week later and asked me to give ratings for the dealer.

Then the dealer called me after a week asking me why I was such an *** on ratings, which then I replied "you door dinged my car". Then they offered to fix it for free, but they said I have to come in by 8 in the morning and I happen to live 75 miles away from the dealer. Be there by 8 in the morning? in LA traffic? for the problem that YOU did? I don't think so.

not to mention the $4 dollar gas.

 

You already know now, but I stay at least a full row away from cars like that. With good reason...

Sorry to hear about the ding though, they suck no matter what the circumstances.

 

Its been 5 years and 1 week to the date and I have had 3 MCS's and just got my first door ding I guess it was going to happen sometime..........I think I know who did it but cant prove it.......c'est la vie.