Ok I guess I will start at the beginning. I have always known a Mini is a car for me, i love to drive, I am the the kind of personality that the Mini attracts. Anyways, So i knew i wanted a mini, and after test driving it was set it in stone. So i found one at a Carmax in Colorado and decided to have it shipped to me in Ohio.

Keep in mind i am not really complaining just telling a story.


Ok So it came here and they would not ship it to the one near me only to the one 30 mins away from me so i had to drive out there a few times to test drive it and what not. After a few weeks we finally bought the car, it took a while because the windshield was broken so they had to replace it. Anyways once i got it we noticed a Squeak in the steering column. So they said they would fix it, it was not a big fix. So we finally got the car.

When the part came in to fix the squeak i took it in. It took a few days but they said they fixed it. Cool. They didn't though so they ordered a new part. This next part also didn't fix it, so they were going to order another one. At this point i was getting fed up with driving in traffic 30 mins every time to Carmax. So I asked to have the one nearer to me fix it. They said the couldn't do that because their computers do not communicate like that. (I mean could they just email the one near me saying hey here is the situation with this car). Anyways, we decided to pull it from that carmax and start all over at the one near me. So the one near me had to diagnose the car all over and order parts. This took a while forcing them to keep my car there.

So this is what they did.

Ordered a part for the squeak
Gave it back to me said it was fixed, (it wasn't).
Clutch went out the day i got it back.
Took it back, saying the squeak isn't fixed and the clutch went out.
So they ordered a new clutch and part for the squeak.
Got it back, squeak still not fixed, steering is very heavy and a clunk is in the engine bay.
Took it back they gave me a loaner this time for a week. They had to get a new part for the steering and squeak.

So a week later i got it back, steering fixed, the clucking around in the engine bay was a loose heat shield. ALSO THE SQUEAK IS FINALLY FIXED!!!

So Carmax had my car longer then i had it I bought the car on October 15th i believe, just now got everything fixed today on December 20th,2011.

On a plus side i didn't pay for any repairs, which was probably a lot if i add them all up.


Also on a side note, when my father went to drop off the car for me while i was at work one day a semi-truck backed across the front end scrapping it and peeling the front license plate off. I do not have time to get that repaired because i am moving to Orlando, Florida the day after Christmas. So if anyone knows of an body specialist in that area who is fast and good on Minis let me know. It isn't too much damage, but who am i to judge it might need a new bumper idk.


So that is my experience. I still love my car and enjoy driving it. Damn i will get tickets in that car i really need a Valentine 1. It is the only car i have very driven that gives that sensation of driving that is hard to come by.



Edit: Oh ya i forgot about like the biggest thing that happened.

When putting in the clutch, they broke a CPU in the car so had to order a new one from the factory, So that had to be programs for my car at the factory and shipped and they had the local mini dealership install it. Funny thing is when the mini dealership was installing it they broke the starter so they had to order a new part for that lol.

In retrospect, it was quite an experience i like how carmax paid for everything, but then again they had to because it was under the full warrant because it happened within the 30 days. I am glad i have the carmax warranty though because if anything else goes array i have that to protect me.

 

Yikes! Sounds like you had quite the experience with your MINI purchase. I'm very glad mine was much less troubling but either way, a MINI is still a blast to drive and worth it! I definitely suggest a radar detector and there is a great how to guide for mouting & powering your detector in the electrical section and putting it near your mirror. Personally I think that is the best spot in the MINI!

 

I live in Orlando, but haven't had to get anything fixed yet (Only been an owner for 5 months). Let me know who you use when you get here, just in case something happens to my MINI in the future.

 

I live up in Jacksonville. Make sure you get on to Sunshine MINIs to introduce yourself and there is a lot of people that can send you a good shop to fix the car. I know its not a complaint but only a story but, I would be praising CarMax for fxing your MINI. It might have taken several trips to get it fixed but it was fixed and they did it on their dime. Anyway looking forward to meeting you when you get to Florida. There is a lot of stuff we do in the state and out of state.

 

Wow....quite the ordeal. It'll all be worth it. I belong to Sunshine Mini Panhandle and it's a great club with great folks. This is also a great site, lots of information and help if needed.
Enjoy Florida and just think no more COLD winters.
I'm in LA (lower Alabama) by Gulf Shores and I love it here.

 

I got someone here to do it so i won't be doing it down there which is a load off my mind.

 

I added this because it needs to be in there oops: oh ya i forgot about like the biggest thing that happened.

When putting in the clutch, they broke a CPU in the car so had to order a new one from the factory, So that had to be programs for my car at the factory and shipped and they had the local mini dealership install it. Funny thing is when the mini dealership was installing it they broke the starter so they had to order a new part for that lol.

In retrospect, it was quite an experience i like how carmax paid for everything, but then again they had to because it was under the full warrant because it happened within the 30 days. I am glad i have the carmax warranty though because if anything else goes array i have that to protect me.