I nailed a pothole in the highway this morning and my right side scuttle pops off and starts flapping against the side of my car hanging on the wires.

Busy highway with narrow shoulders. No place to safely pull off.

Eventually the wires broke and it fell off completely, but the damage to the paint was already done.

Parts shouldn't fall off a car when you hit a bump.

 

Hopefully you can buff out the scratches with Prima Swirl

 

Depending on mileage, I'd try to have the dealership cover it under warranty, cause you are absolutely right, parts should NOT just fall off of your car in that situation.

 

Happened to me too, but on a flat road - because I suspect some low-life had tried to slip it out while I was parked up as he fancied my Union Jacks but couldn't get it past the joint and I didn't notice.

 

Provisional thumbs up to Prestige Mini for agreeing to fix the damage under warranty (after a little persuasion on my part).

The paint will have to wait for another day due to scheduling, but I've got a new side scuttle installed. Although I just noticed that the lens pattern is different from the original on the other side.

 

I've heard this is a warranty thing. I know of a few people whose scuttle fell off.

 

I had a JCW side scuttle fall off a while ago. It was replaced under warranty.

 

Took a while to work the schedule out, but finally a full thumbs up to Prestige Mini for stepping up and doing the right thing to repaint my quarter panel and door to fix the damage from the side scuttle when it fell off.

 

Im about to apply a replacement scuttle to one that was liberated in the parking lot during a century ride. I thought about calling the dealer, but since I put the blackjacks on myself, I can't see how they'd be on the hook for it, even IF the connectors are weak enough that people seem to just shed scuttles on the highway...

 

I've had my car for 6 months now and the side scuttles have fallen off both sides. Not the entire light assembly, just the decorative "black-jack" part. The first one fell off on my way home from the dealership on the night I bought the car (not a great first impression of the quality of what I had just bought). The second one fell off recently on a bumpy road.

The dealership replaced the first one under warranty and I will have them replace the second one when I take it in for 30K service. It is pretty sad to have pieces falling off a $30K vehicle like that.

Does anyone know whether any aftermarket side scuttles are available? I'd like to find something with a more creative design (graphics) that will stay put once installed.

 

I'm not aware af any third party scuttle insert providers but you could create your own using custom vinyl graphics overlayed on the scuttles you have. As for build quality, I agree the clips are not as tight as I'd like, but after losing that first one, I now use some glue up in there, and they haven't had a problem since. SO FAR.

 

Outmotoring has aftermarket scuttles:

http://www.outmotoring.com/mini-coop...r_housing.html

I've had a set on my Clubman for about 8 months / 6K miles, and so far no problems with them coming loose or falling off.

 

Perhaps I misunderstood. I thought the aftermarket INSERT was the objective. Yep Outmotoring has scuttle housings...

 

Actually, the Outmotoring scuttles replace the housing and the insert with a one-piece unit. I haven't seen anyone who offers aftermarket inserts.

 

Do you know whether these come with the light assemblies or if I would use my existing light assemblies?

 

You remove the existing light assemblies from the OE scuttles and install them in the OutMotoring scuttles. To remove the light from the OE scuttle is a two-step process: once you've removed the scuttle (with the light attached) from the car, you unplug the light from the wiring harness (there's about 4 inches of slack in the wires), and then you pop it out of the scuttle - the light snaps/clips into the scuttle. To install, first snap the light into the scuttle, then reconnect the wires, then install the scuttle on the car. Repeat on the other side of the car, if you're so inclined, and then stand back, admire, and show off to all your friends!

 

The side scuttles are wired for lighting from the factory...? That's news to me...! I don't think I've ever noticed that on any MINI...

 

Welp, ya learn something every day. Only every Mini has a side scuttle,...and every scuttle has an integrated directional signal light,...that is if it hasn't fallen out yet.

 

Ahh. I follow now; they're talking about the side marker light. I got it in my head that the scuttle insert itself was backlit or something like that. Never mind. Carry on.

 

I put double sided tape on the back of the decorative part to keep it attached after losing 1.

 

I had the same thing happen on our '12 Clubman S, got off of freeway as soon as I could but already scratched the paint. Mini of Concord said they would fix, repaint if they had to, haven't made it in yet.

 

Good plan. I'll give that a shot.

 

I have these on my Clubby:


I had to buy another set at least 3 times because of how easy they kept coming off when driving and hitting bumps...And these aren't cheap!

 

superglue them on!

 

I am going to superglue both my sets together!