My 2006 Cooper runs out of warranty on Dec. 22. As I had mentioned in other threads, I have a very intermittent issue shifting into 1st from neutral. It is fine and smooth 99% of the time, but now and then it will feel stuck and need a few tries or a little extra pressure to pop into gear. After that it will generally be fine for another few weeks.

I wanted to get this sorted out under warranty so I made an appointment with MINI Victoria. This was my second visit to them, they fixed my thermostat under warranty and that was also a positive experience. Anyway, they were unable to "replicate the issue" after having my car all day. I was worried this might happen!

My MA, Joanne for any locals, offered to keep it overnight and try again today. I had a loaner to hang onto in that case. I told her I wasn't sure that would help, and also expressed that I hated the auto loaner which we both had a laugh about.

I asked if they would be able to help me fix it if something went horribly wrong after warranty, since the issue had been documented. She said they would perform a good will repair if something did go wrong, and that since she handled all the warranty stuff it wouldn't be a problem. Although it is a little frustrating they couldn't see the problem, it's nice that she offered to handle it in the future out of warranty if it became a real problem in the future.

 

Yeah, getting a dealer to do anything out of warranty is a rare feat indeed, so you must feel pretty well cared for. Where is MINI of Victoria? I'd like to make a mental note of where the better dealers are.

 

Yeah, I feel pretty good about this dealership and consequently the brand in general. I was eyeballing an RX-8 on clearance the other day but I felt like a traitor! MINI Victoria is in Victoria, British Columbia.. just a quick ferry ride away from Vancouver.

 

I don't live in Victoria nor did I buy my car from there. But I'm quite impressed with MINI of Victoria. I bought my MINI when they were in such high demand, that nobody was getting an discount on MINIs anyways.

When I told them I was from Vancouver, they recommended I buy my car from Vancouver simply for the better overall support the Vancouver dealers would be able to provide (don't need to take a ferry to the island or call long distance for anything). However, if I really wanted to buy my car in Victoria, they would be more than happy to sell it to me. Not once did they try to turn me away. They always had my overall ownership experience in mind more than just selling me a car.

So for those of you on Vancouver Island, I would recommend MINI of Victoria.