Well it has been a week is my new baby and I love everything about it especially the gas mileage since I am use to traveling up and down the interstates in my gas hungry V8's.

The only thing that is disappointing from a car that cost more than the competitors is the fit and finish. I may have just got a bad one but it appears they just threw the car together. The rubber moldings in the sun roof glass are sticking up in some areas that can't just be pushed in. I don't think one piece of the chrome trim around the bottom of the glass matches up all the way around the car. There are quite a bit of rattles for a new car already. Front hood doesn't line up with the bumper on the passenger side. That is just what I have noticed in a week. My dealer probably won't like me when I bring it in, but the things should have been noticed.

 

I had the chrome trims around the car problem too. Some don't line up, around he A-Frame panels. They fixed by crimping the two clips within the chromes.

 

We should make some kinda database that people can
browse or at least get a summary.

I have had not one problem. None.
Maybe I'm the lucky one. Not even a rattle.

Even my honda had this door clunk thing fairly early on,
when you go over a big bump. Of course, if I remember
correctly their 'warrenty' was for 12k miles.

 

This could be an interesting thread. I ordered mine last week. I've heard that they've revved up assembly to 24/7 to keep up with demand. Wondering if that'll have an effect on fit and finish on the last of the '08s, especially if they're rushing to get them built. Anybody else, with a recently acquired MC having problems?

 

Ya a database would be cool I just wonder how many out there had issues or some people may just over look it and not be as critical, lol

 

Build week 12, delivered April 28, 2008 and I am another 'lucky' one.

I carefully compared 'fit & finish' with her nearly new Camry and found my MINI to be superior and all the trim mouldings and joints were perfect.
Paint finish was far better than Toyota's. I see no need for 'Clay Bar' on mine.

The Single 'fit & finish' Fault on mine was a small overlap at end of Sunroof Gasket, easy to adjust with no 'cutting' needed.
(I have twice been able to duplicate that "Sunroof won't open after heat soak" but would never have seen it, if I had not read the thread in here.)

Now, builds from that era (March & April '08) do show an intermintant fault in the Automatic Transmission "Lock in Park" and I may have this fixed at annual service, next year.

If Government Auto Safety requirements were to really protect us, they would instead require that 'key' or key fob would not remove until after Auto Transmission had been put in Park.

I can understand a 'clutch' starter block on Manual's, but not 'brake' on an Automatic.

Now it does allow starting in neutral as well as 'park'.

 

not surprising, build quality on American-built toyotas has been falling off rapidly over the last few years.

 

Well I have had no mechanical problems and the sunroof hasn't stuck on me yet in the heat. So maybe I got the pieced together one and I will have no mechanical problems, lol. But now that I said that I am screwed, hahaha

 

At only 2300 miles and 2 months of ownership, I'm hardly a longtimer yet, but I am highly impressed so far with the build quality and fit/finish of my '08 MCS especially compared to my previous '06 model. I've had one weird glitch where the glove box latch apparently electronically "locked" itself with the door down, had to take it to the dealer to have it reset. Some of the plastic trim is a bit "hard" but actually pretty good considering the car's pricepoint. So far no rattles, squeaks, or other unwanted noises. I think the MINI truly is a premium small car.

 

I picked mine up in March, have a little over 6,000 miles on it. One annoying intermittent rattle from rear sunroof frame. No other complaints, the more I drive it , the better I like it. Fit and finish is great. Handles great on the interstate 70+ mph, no wind shear when meeting or passing 18 wheelers.
I am happy !

 

Mine 2 weeks old and 450 miles seems very tight and everything fits well

 

I have a Cabrio, but I noticed the mismatch of the molding. When I brought it up with the SA, they found the door not properly aligned instead of the trim being out of place. They had to take two shots to get it right, but now the trim is nearly perfect (in the rear view mirror) and the door closes easily.
I wonder now about the passenger door, since the window raises and lowers slower than the driver side window. I will have them check when I'm over there next. Something to think about. hth

 

The lady of the house has a Yaris hatchback, and one of my friends with a vintage Mini and 3 count em THREE Ferraris has a Yaris hatchback...both of these cars were under $14k out the door, and both have mid thirtys to forty thousand miles on them with nothing but oil/filter/air filter/tire changes, and pull down well over 40mpg on the freeway. For half the price of my 07 MCS, they are super reliable daily drivers, so who cares about fit and finish? I wouldn't/don't...not at that price. And if you think they can't be turned into The Little Old Lady From Pasadena's "sleeper", go look at the turbo kits and brake/suspension kits at the yarisworld.com forum. Geez, I gotta stick up for Toyotas?

 

As for the hood not lining up correctly on the passenger side, I had this problem too. Very easy to fix. Open the hood and you will notice a round rubber stop that the underside of the hood rests on. Move this rubber stop up or down depending on if it sits too high or low (caution a very small movement makes a big difference). Close hood and compare the gap on the left to the right side. It should be even. It may take a few tries.

I don't have a sunroof so I did not run into a problem with the molding. Although the molding on the top of my rear window came loose, about a foot long section drooped down. Another easy fix. Glued it back in place. It hasn't moved in over a year.

As for the chrome trim, I have never noticed a Mini with this problem, seems odd. I would think it just slides down behind the body panel but not sure. I would guess if it did not reach all the way to the end of the body panel perhaps it was not installed tightly. I might try to fix it myself but probably is best to bring back to the dealer.

As far as rattles go, good luck getting any dealer to even identify where a rattle is coming from. My guess is if you brought it into the dealer and they tore apart the dash you would have more rattles than you started with.

 

Me'lo has had absolutely NO fit or finish issues... not degrading your issues but simply can not relate... so far I can not find one issue and I am one of those focused Type A types...I do not know what to say...
Michael

 

Just read where someone took top off dash and stuffed it full of diapers.

Mine is standard suspension w/15" tires, havn't heard the first rattle...yet..

My greatest fear would be a drippy oil leak, from reading here, they seem rare

 

LOL its not the dash that rattles thank goodness its in the passenger door maybe it will go away before I get to the dealer or atleast it might as well since they won't be able to replicate. I might be to critical about the chrome trim but I have taken pictures and not one matches up on the whole car the passenger door is the worst.
Drivers Door


Boot

Passenger Door



Front Fend this one is really high



Bumper


Hood

 

Incredible!

Could the build of this car been around the time of that un-scheduled factory shutdown from the truck strike in Spain.

Workers could have been distracted by the thoughts of losing a few days work (and pay) for a situation that was not their fault.

Hope that MINI provides suitable adjustment for these anomalies and gets your car parts 'fitting' like they should.

 

Interesting you mention that clay bar.

My ex bro in law tells me I have to use the clay bar,
first thing, because there is 'all kinds of imperfections
from the factory. maybe you can't see them, but they
ARE there'.

He used the clay on his new T-bird that was what (?) $40k+
(not sure). He insisted to use this thing that it makes
a HUGE difference.

I used it and reported back "could not tell a difference".

Maybe it was his black vs. my silver. (unsure)

I used it on my wife's VW (2000, bought used) and it did
make a HUGE difference. So I know I used it correctly.

 

Um, I said "American" built toyotas (like the Tundra and Camry and Corolla) are declining. Yr Yaris, like the Rav4, 4-runner, and a couple other models, are still made in Japan and imported to the US.