Ok last week my clutch went out at about 52k miles so i took it into Carmax, where i bought the car from about 29 days before that. It is fixed under warranty. Now a week later i don't have my car back and they said the CPU is broken So they have to get a new one. It was fine when i took it in leaving only the option that Carmax broke the CPU. Ok...... it was also in the shop because there is a squeak in the steering column during high amounts of moisture like when it rains. We had it into carmax 3 different times for this problem and they have not been able to fix it replacing parts they think is the problem. So i have officially now had the car in the shop more then I have had it in my possession. Should i just declare the car a lemon and hope they give me my money back to get a new one, or stick with her and trust she gets fixed. They are brining in a "specialist" to put in the CPU and check the car over. So my conclusion Carmax can not fix a MINI to save their life.

 

I'd try to get your money back and get a different MINI. Places like Carmax scare the hell out of me.

 

It sounds like it has some issues a Carmax Tech has no clue on how to fix. I would negotiate a trade......

 

Cut and run and get what you can from Carmax. Was the car inspected by your mechanic before purchase?

 

First, you need to be thankful you purchased from somewhere that actually stands behind the car they sold. Even under warranty on a new MINI, it is often difficult to have a clutch replaced and paid for. It is a wear item and can actually be burnt out in one trip if not used properly.

The dealership did not "break" your CPU. It is a computer item that is sealed and not something a careless tech would destroy. They do occasionally break and who has possession of the vehicle at that time does not necessarily establish blame. Again, be thankful they are going to honor the warranty and it didn't happen after it expired.

Carmax sells used cars of various and numerous kinds. It would not be surprising their techs are not totally familiar with what is a low volume seller like MINI. They may well be working on a Chevrolet one hour and a Mercedes the next. There are idiosyncrasies to each. Obviously they are going to an outside source for expertise on that particular model.

There is no such thing as a "Lemon" with a vehicle over 50,000 miles. It is a used car and subject to need repair at any time, regardless of make. It may well not have any problems going forward for many miles and then again may have a future series of problems. Just like any other used vehicle. You pay a reduced price for used and take your chances in return for saving money.

Again, be thankful Carmax is standing behind it! And no, I don't work for them.

 

I am thankful they are standing behind it and fixing it. I am just annoyed because it has been in the shop more then my hands. Driving my Dads 2001 QX4 with 285k miles on it is somewhat scary, but kind of cool cause it has 285k miles on it. But they did break the CPU they admitted it. When they pinched the wires to put on the clutch they did it wrong. Now they are ordering a new CPU from the factory and having someone form the MINI dealership install it. I won't have it for another week. After all this it needs to go to a body shop to get fixed from a carmax vehicles delivery truck scraping along the front it in the parking lot. LOL, thats my luck. But ya they are spending a lot of money fixing this car which is good. I am also glad i purchased to 75k miles warranty so it will be covered until 125k miles. I just hope i get the car back before i leave back to college after christmas. I bought a tom-tom for it at best buy on black friday. I don't even think they got around the the squeak in the steering column yet though.