While I don't think potential Mini buyers expect their Mini's to be of "Lexus" quality, I do think this initial quality issue should be of serious concern to Mini. If Mini continues to do very poorly (finishing dead last fits here) in these JDP surveys, deservedly so or not, word will get out and a negative perception will be established in the minds of potential buyers. And that is bad and will not be easily undone. Just ask the (former) big three. Or ask VW they once made a bullet proof car and sold them like hotcakes.

Personally my car has had most all of the typical problems that have plagued the 07+ MCS's (e.g. cosmoline, warped hood scoop, cold start chatter etc.) and the dealership has dealt with all of them and it hasn't cost me a dime. If I had a local dealer it would be a piece of cake. And I believe that behind the scenes Mini is trying to address these quality issues. I recently drove an '09 "loaner" MCS and in several small but significant ways it was improved over my '08.

 

One issue that I don't think MINI pays much attention to is the fact that many owners have gone out of their way to buy a MINI. So when it comes time to service warranty issues, the inconvenience that some owners are subjected to is significant.

When the dealer is just 1/2 and hour away the phrase "bring it in and we'll look at it" has a lot different meaning than when you're 1/2 a day away.

I remember when Lexus was introduced into North America there were some basic warranty issues and Lexus actually flew mechanics out to remote customers to deal with the issue. Was it a good marketing tactic for a new company, sure. Did it win over potential new customers, probably. I'm not suggesting MINI would do the same thing, but I've yet to hear them go out of their (MINI USA) way to address a customer concern.

As far as should a MINI have the same quality as a Lexus, I say absolutely. A loaded MCS or JCW is the same price as an IS 250. The should definitely measure up the same with respect to quality?

 

When a company continually pushes their product as a PREMIUM small car, customer expectations are naturally raised. A premium small car should be as reliable as a Honda.

Put me down as somebody who found McDowell's comments as arrogant and dismissive. The cold start chatter, sticking sunroofs and to be polite, quirky radio and AC/heater controls has been keeping me from trading one of our R53s for a Clubman.

 

funny

22k on our Clubman and not a single issue has cropped up. The sunroof works fine, the phone sync's, nav system is easy to use, barn doors open and close when they should.....

 

but the IQS shows that the best cars have a bit less than one issue per car. The worst (our Mini) has just over 1.5 issues per car. While it's the bottom of the barrel, it surely isn't that bad....

And FWIW, it IS a metric about both problems and design. I'm sure the center stack gets a bunch of comments.

All that said, Mini should worry about this. "Worse than a Hummer" is a phrase no one wants to hear about thier car!

Matt

 

That's what I like to hear; that MINI is addressing issues and fixing the problems. Can you elaborate a bit more on improvements you noted if possible?

Marketing attempts to spin the report don't sit well with me (a perspective MINI owner), I'd rather he said that they are working hard to improve the car.

If MINI is going to market and charge "premium" prices for the car they shouldn't be suprised that owners expect premium quality.

I'm holding off till the 2010 "refresh" shows up this fall and then compare with other cars on my short list.

 

I think you've hit on a big issue here if MINI isn't able to shake the poor quality mantle.

 

Count me in this camp. When I initially saw the report what made the most impression was not that the MINI was below average or even at the bottom of the list but that, numerically, the value was almost an outlier. If MINI's corporate response mirrors that of McDowell's statement, it will surely be to their eventual demise. Somehow though, I get the feeling that behind the public face there is some damage control taking place -- and that will benefit us all.

 

i've owned 10 cars in my life... 4 hondas, a nissan, new lexus GS, new yukon denali, new mercedes c class and the mini JCW...

to say the least, the mini has been in the shop for non-service problems more than ALL other 9 cars combined... while I alone am not a valid sample, i do feel the report has credence... there is a reason why lexus, toyotas and hondas are always near the top of the list. i've driven hundreds of thousands of miles on these cars without the slightest problem. i only expected out of the mini what i experienced in all my other cars...

i look at the list, and it really does make sense. i have 2 friends, one with a range rover sport, and one with a range rover supercharged... both have clearly stated that their respective cars would be the last range rover they will EVER own...

 

McDowell was just giving the usual corporate investor relations spin on bad news. Behind the scenes they know they have a problem and some senior executive is not having a good week.

 

Yes. Number one the cold-start issue has been solved and also the lag/hesitation on take off which has plaqued a lot of owners with automatic transmissions. My impression is that the car runs a little smoother and quieter. Also the hood scoop "melt down" on the MCS's has been addressed by forming the scoop out of a little heavier duty material...which will hopefully solve that problem. We will see. I really think some sort bonnet mounted heat shield is needed. Nevertheless, those are significant improvements and frankly but for those problems I wouldn't have had a single service issue with my '08.

My wife owns an '08 BMW 3 Series and it has been absolutely trouble free during its first year. No nothing...just put gas in it and drive. That's the goal for Mini I'm sure. BMW owns Mini and regardless the public posturing, I expect that somewhere in the halls of power there are some folks getting their butts chewed on to solve this initial quality issue. It's too critical to the long term success of the brand.

 

Yeah, I didn't like that interview at all! Did anyone else notice how often McDowell had that big cheshire cat grin on his face? In light of the "charges" his smile, no doubt made to inspire confidence, produced the exact opposite in me. I wasn't buying what he was selling.

Sure, some of the so called problems could be attributed to wrestling w/the "quirky" controls, but there's just no way that that accounts for the whole ranking. MINI has a problem here & they've got to get on it and quickly, otherwise, the sheen's going to begin coming off the car.

Well, I've ordered my car, I live 300 miles away from the dealership...guess I'll just take my chances!

 

My wife just traded in her 05 330ci "pre owned certified" BMW for her new 09 MCS. Her BMW was a complete LEMON!!!!! It was in the shop 15 times in less than a year. "Certified" What a joke that means We had to threaten to sue the dealership to get a fairly good trade-in on it, still took a beating on it. We paid $35k for it and got $21k back. They were a Mini dealer also, so at least we got her car for cost. I wish you well on your BMW, but it will be awhile until I go back. When I am in the market for a "Premium luxury" car, Lexus an Infinity will be my first choices.

 

I know it's a little disconcerting not having a dealer close by, mine is three hard hours away. I think you should be looking forward to your new Mini and not worry too much about this report...you probably won't have any problems.

 

My father's 08 Honda Accord had a faulty sun-roof switch and power seat switch within the first 90 days. Guess that makes it worse than the MINI according to JDP. I think I might add an extra problem to the list because it has to many buttons as well, because according to JDP that is also an IQ problem.

JDP IQ is pretty worthless if you ask me.

 

Yeah, I think I need to "unsubscribe" to this thread!

Good advice & I might as well take it as it's doing me no good to keep reading!

 

This study doesn't say that every new car has 1.65 problems in 90 days.... It says that of the people who responded, they got an average of 1.65 defects per car in 90 days. Some cars are better, some are worse.

And stuff that doesn't make sense counts in this study too. Since the center stack sucks, and is in every car, one could argue that it counts for a significant portion of the quality results.

Whether you like the study or not, it's applied to all cars that they review equally. As such it has some value in comparing one car or marque against another. One just has to understand the "ruler" to know how to understand the measurement...

Matt

 

yah, plus also put in mind the demographics... most folks that buys these cars are probably first time buyers for new cars and they have super high expectations. one little rattle and they're like WTF!!!

and then there are people like me who buys a car every year and tosses those damn surveys when it comes in the mail. dont believe everything JD says. they are only reference data like consumer reports.

 

I bought my Mini on 6/20 and on delivery noted several problems all minor that were corrected but should have been caught pre delivery. Then on 6/21 go out bright and early for a drive and the battery is dead. I thought it cranked slowly on delivery day but assumed it was normal. Charged it up ok and found out the car had been sitting inside in a mall for 6 months without the battery being charged. So on to a new battery. On Tuesday I noticed a high pitched whine increasing with RPM. Seems to be the alternator. Called service and they noted it to fix when I go in to get a dent in the roof repaired that they missed on prep ( I caught it and got a discount for it ). I also noticed the cosmoline dripping and got that cleaned up. And after reading here I admit being nervous over the clutch among other things. Some of the clutch stories on here amaze me. My Z 06 Vette has 110k miles on it and has been beaten on, raced you name it still original clutch. Oh and did I say my left side mirror quit working? At least my dealer is only a mile away.

So in 4 days of ownership and only 227 miles I have had more issues with the Mini than I had with my Vette the first year. The car is pricey for a small car and is marketed as somewhat upscale. That and the fact dealers just dont seem to want to discount and you really have high expectations of the car.

I like my car so far. And I am not stressed over the problems so far. Heck I used to drive an MGB! it will really be how the dealer handles them next week that really tells me how the ownership experience is going to be. But I can see how the initial quality survey would not go well for MINI. They have a great base product and seems they have a loyal following now they just need to step it up a notch in build quality and customer service.

 

Looks like the JD Powers listing is getting metioned already:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...45923560446880.

Yet there are few more-modestly-priced models from less-ostentatious brands. Cars from BMW’s Mini brand, which start at just under $20,000, are selling for close to sticker price, according to Edmunds, despite the brand’s last-place showing in the latest J.D. Power & Associates survey of new-vehicle quality released Monday.

 

This means very little to me. Many owners lie about or simply won't admit problems with their cars. I know that some car mechanics think only Japanese brands are trouble-free and have a tendency to bash anything American-made. I think fans of some brands are slightly exaggerating how good their cars are. One case: my brother had a 2002 Honda Civic and it was just crummy. It was okey for the first four years/50,000 miles. Then, stuff just went wrong, one after another. One night, he was fixing it with a friend and realized, after looking at all the parts the floor, that it was time to call it quits. He sold the car. Also, another survey said that Toyota recalled the MOST cars of any brand last year, not GM, not BMW, not Ford. I ignore surveys like JD Power because how can you know that the Porsche owners won't talk about what kind of problems they're REALLY having?

 

The survey might be meaningless, wrong or outright bogus...it doesn't matter. If Mini continues to be ranked at the bottom, a very negative perception will be established among car buyers and that is not a good thing for future Mini sales. If I were running the show at Mini, this would be one of my number one goals...raise Mini's score on the next JDP Initial Quality Survey into the top percentile and keep it there. I would tie the employees pay to this goal.

 

This is really bad because the JD Power Initial Quality Survey is sent within the first few months of ownership. Since Porsche and MINI are not volume sellers, this means that the MINI owners sending in their surveys are for the most part not happy campers. Don't get me wrong, I love my car, but I was annoyed that the wheel well trim and the lower driver's side trim on my car was not properly installed from the factory. Then every day you hear from a new person about the cold start chatter, barn doors opening on their own and sunroof/window issues. When you are dropping 25k on a premium compact car, you would expect them to tighten the quality control. Finally, you know things are real bad when VW and Land Rover are ahead of MINI.

 

Maybe today's 2010 facelift announcement on www.motoringfile.com might affect the rating in the future.

 

Thats what I found funny. MINI is atthe bottom, yet BMW is the best as far as german luxury cars.