I hate to be such a downer, but I have little to no other input to provide. (Not that anyone asked. But hey, it's the internet).

Just wanted to know if anyone could top my 31 service records in 3 years.

Any takers?

 

Model? Year? Miles? Bought new or used? What exactly does that pile of paper represent?

 

Thanks for asking
2011 Clubman S leased new with 90 miles on the clock, and 2012 Hardtop S leased new with 9 miles on the clock, currently 23,4xx.

The pile represents, in short, a staggering level of thickness and incompetence.

I'll expound and link some videos when I find a keyboard.

 

Man, that's a lot of service. What sort of problems.

 

I have found a keyboard.

OK. So here are the “concerns” with my more recent MINI, who I have affectionately dubbed “Carbon the Second,” as they are a bit fresher in my memory (I’ll get to some of Carbon the First’s issues later, perhaps). **But I should preface this list by saying that, by a gargantuan margin, the struggle has been against MINI’s factory-certified technicians and the folks at BMW North America Customer Relations.

A crackling emitted intermittently from the tweeters, ranging from barely audible to insufferably loud, that reacts to the road’s roughness and invariably stops when the car is still.
Taken in for seven times. Not able to be verified.
Here’s a video sample: http://goo.gl/MfUJl

A high-pitched whine emitted by the front-right channel speakers that follows the engine’s revs in pitch. (This sort of thing is common in aftermarket sound systems. I’ve never heard of it happening in stock systems.)
Taken in for seven times. Able to be verified on the last visit.
Here’s a video sample wherein the same clip is played twice: first unedited with a pic of how I recorded it displayed, and the second edited to highlight the sound with a visual representation of the sound displayed. http://goo.gl/Je37W

A screeching sound produced when letting the clutch into first and second gears, especially uphill. (I have recently found this known to some MINI owners as a “hooting” noise.)
Taken in for seven times. Unable to be verified at any of the service visits, but was recognized as something that “happens in my car all the time” by a west coast MINI representative at a fruitless arbitration hosted by the BBB.
Here’s a video sample, same deal as the last one: http://goo.gl/MQmWZ

--Note: I didn’t take THIS car in for it (cuz I kinda had my hands full...), but the clutch creaks like an old door when I let it in and out; Carbon the First was bought back by MINI for this after it couldn’t be repaired (several replaced throw-out bearings, replaced clutch assembly). When that MINI representative heard it, he called it “normal.” ... ... ... ... ... I can’t type enough ellipses to adequately express how dumbfounded I am by this.

A handful of “concerns” with the driver’s window:
The window rolls down sometimes after I’ve pressed to roll it up. ... ...
The window used to screech like Medusa in heat.
The window rolls up and down markedly more slowly than the other. <-- the only of these “concerns” that was able to be verified.

The non-adjustable lumbar of my seat has cracked and buckled under my massive 165-pound frame, leaving literally no support between my shoulders and my hips.
They have *no idea* when they’ll get the part.

A wheel bearing felt like jumping ship on the highway. <-- The only problem that they construe as a “manufacturer defect.”
I was towed in for that.

Picking my car up after a service visit, I found they left some silicone (that had come from the stack of numbers they use to label the cars in-service) melted to my dash under the August Sun.
I got it off with some patience and some goo gone.
I still have the silicone. Pic attached.

I’m leaving out a few.

 

Here's a goodie: the video wherein I take one minute to describe a teency problem with my seat's adjustability. http://goo.gl/fvHU7

Edit: And the video wherein my pal finds the clutch's screech, that MINI couldn't find after seven tries, in about four seconds.
And then, on the phone, expresses to me that he can hear it from his car. Fun. http://goo.gl/L8BFS

 

Im sorry your going thru this but it sounds like you need to find a different service department. If the lumbar support isn't available and sometimes that happens then it is what it is. But as too your other concerns they seem to be very reproducible and honestly aren't uncommon issues. There are related service bulletins for each of your concerns. Loud screeching or popping from radio. Known issue and easy fix. Clutch noises- known issue and again easy fix. So like I said seems the dealership is letting you down and id find another if possible.

 

Thank you very much for your response.
My main gripe is that the dealerships (I have been to two) refuse to fix what they cannot reproduce. And, when they finally find something, they more often than not say it's supposed to be that way.
Again, thanks.

Edit: Would you mind linking me to those bulletins?

 

If that is the issue your running into and you know how to reproduce the concerns you are having then I would suggest scheduling a test drive with the dealerships "shop forman". That way there cant be any confusion as to what you want done and then they can pass the info to the respective technician that will be working on the vehicle. Then they wont be able to fall back on the "could not reproduce"

 

Welp, unfortunately, I've done that. With several shop foreman.
I've watched the guy say he couldn't hear something that was right in his ear.

After I sent the videos and requested the foreman watch them, the guy gets in my car and I ask if he watched them.
"What videos?"

... and not all the problems are too easy to reproduce.

 

that does suck. I would just drive the hell out of it until the lease is up and dump it on them and move on.
Not sure what else you can do at this point if they refuse to fix problems you have video of.

 

After these 13 service visits, in 15 months, dealing with bureaucracy and a downpour of non-answers from BMW NA Customer relations, and dealing with bureaucracy and a downpour of non-answers from the BBB, I have no choice but to ride with soaked rice-crispy tweeters, a clutch that sounds like it's in pain, a seat that supports only my shoulders and hips, and a window that just likes to do the opposite of what I ask of it.

Cool.

 

All I cant tell ya is weve replaced countless clutches for the concern you are having under warranty due to insufficient clamping force in the pressure plate. And radios! haha they are the bain of my existence. There are so many tsb's for speaker noise it isn't funny. Wish ya the best but it seems like an easy fix.

 

Oh and by the way the window concern is also a know isse and corrected with a vehicle reprogramming for the first concern and there is a tsb for the noise in the 2nd concern

 

Thanks thanks!

 

The reversal of the window upon reaching to top is a programming issue. The noise your hearing is a know issue from the window regulator and it requires an updated clip installed. The noise will usually be worse in high ambient temps.

 

Thanks!

 

So I've browsed all the TSBs hosted I found on this forum, and I didn't see any pertaining to the clutch or tweeter problems.
Though that was really helpful!
Anyone know where those other ones are?