I took delivery on my 2013 S Roadster on August 12. The 2013 Roadsters come with Bluetooth and USB/iPod adaptor standard. My MA was familiarizing me with the controls, etc and tried to set up the Voice Activation. When she couldn't get it to work, she said "Oh yeah, they left that off the 2013 models and there would be an update coming soon." I called the dealer on September 15 to check on the update and was told they were just notified that day by MINI USA that Voice Activation had been discontinued on all 2013 models. I complained by email to the dealer and they suggested I contact MINI USA Customer Service through the web site. I did that a couple of days ago asking that they either make the funtion operative or compensate me for the lack of it. I haven't received a response yet. Believe it or not, the thing that bothers me most is that there is a Voice Activation button on the steering wheel that is totally inoperative. How do I explain that to a prospective buyer if and when I want to sell the car? This is my first experience with MINI and it has not left a good taste in my mouth.

I made a post on another MINI forum where there was alreaady a thread on this topic. Several people have had a similar story about their 2013. There is a lot of discussion including whether or not Voice Activation is now only functional with the Connected option which I didn't get. Somebody said that there is a lot of dealer uproar over this and MINI engineers are working on a fix. Another person said MINI would be offering a $500 credit. Obviously none of this is confirmed.

To clarify, my Bluetooth functionality works. I can make and receive calls via Bluetooth using the radio or steering wheel Phone button. It is the Voice Activation function and button that are totally inoperative.

Anybody else have this problem or know anything about this?

 

Good Luck with getting a response from MINI they are one of the worst out there for customer service from headquarters.

And i hear your pain. But i just want to let you know that with out NAV or Connected the voice dialing sucked anyway and was not worth even having as it only allowed a maximum of 20 Voice dial numbers stored in the car. It did not work by using the phone contact list. Form NAV and Connected cars it did use (an maybe still does) use the phone contact list. I have not used it since about 2 months after i got my car in 2008 as it is such a horrible implementation. My latest phone a Droid 4 and my previous phone a Droid X both did great voice dialing with a single button push on the phone and then it automatically connected to the bluetooth to make the call so it all works better that way.

Also of note is that back in 2008-2010 there were a lot of phones that caused the voice dialing not to work at all due to differences in bluetooth software inconsistencies.

 

Thanks schatzy62. The crappy performance and problems are probably why it was discontinued. Its not really the absence of the function that bothers me, but the way this has been handled. Seems to me to be a pretty poor marketing decision to put a car on the market that has a totally inoperative button prominently displayed on the steering wheel... and a lighted button at that. A much better decision would be to eliminate the button and/or plug the hole.

My phone, by the way is an HTC Amaze running Android.

 

yeah, I hate having a button that doesn't do anything, or a blank (there's one... windshield heater or something? that's in the UK models and not the US- hate having the empty "hole") so I hear you. And I was all excited about voice activation- but in reality find I never use it. I can't remember the commands so I always get it wrong... I find it's just as easy to just use the buttons than to say it 10 different times before I finally get it to work.

 

Just received an email from askminiusa.com saying that my case has been forwarded to Zach, that he is currently looking into my inquiry, and that he will be in touch with me shortly. I will post more info when I hear from him.

 

WOW you got a response that is great. I know some people have sent many emails to MINI usa and never had a single response

Good luck.

 

I wonder if this is making way for Siri Eyes Free

 

I just got a 2013 Convertible with connected, but not nav, three weeks ago, and the button works for me. I'm using an iPhone. It works via the Bluetooth, so I don't' think it has anything to do with the "connected".

Maybe they are saying that is only a "connected" feature?

 

Interesting, we just picked up our 2013 Convertible that was Born Sept 10 Last night and it has everything in it.

The voice system is in it, but it is dumb as a bunch of rocks. I really hope they fix it for more human like interaction.

 

Mine is inoperable but if I'm on a call and hit the button, a message pops up on my radio screen. I forget exactly what it says.

I figured I would talk to the dealership about it when I had to take it in for it's first service but I heard on a MINI podcast that it was cut out completely.

Since we're going to be left with a pesky button that does nothing; I'd love to know if there was a way to replace the button or get a cover for it with a novelty thing like "ejector seat" or something like you can get for the glove box button or the sport button.

 

MrGutts, just curious when you say it has everything in it, are you saying that the Voice Activation button on the steering wheel works for hands free dialing? Do you have Connected? jbatt66 says his/her button works but the car does have Connected. Maybe it is an issue of Voice Activation included with Connected vs Voice Activation without Connected or maybe MINI has fixed the issue on cars built since mine and Andrew C's

 

I received some information from a reliable source that wishes to remain anonymous (it is not somebody at my dealer).

Like previously reported, they said that when the 2013s first started to arrive, dealers noted that the function did not work, informed MINI USA, and were told that it should be an easy fix and the situation would be rectified. It turns out that MINI's worldwide headquarters in Germany decided that Voice Activation was not going to be installed because of negative comments gathered from JD Powers Initial Quality Surveys filled out by MINI customers. This information was not communicated to MINI USA in time for first 2013 deliveries to customers. They also said that they have been told that MINI is working on a fix for customers that expected the function and didn't get it and that the time frame would be the first part of 2013.

 

Sorry had to go outside to verify because we got Kent 2 days ago.

When I said everything I should have clarified we selected every option for our Mini. Yes, we do have the Tech package 2 that comes with the connected and the button is on the wheel. It does the voice activation, or at least tries.

 

In case I wasn't clear. Sometimes my mind types faster than my fingers. lol. Mine has Connected, but not NAV. Also the voice button works whether I have the connected app running on my phone or not. I DO however have to have my phone connected via Bluetooth to the car, so I can make and receive calls through the minis speakers and mic.

In addition to the phone things, I can also say "Radio FM station 100.7" and it will change the FM to 100.7 and play it. Or I can ask for car info, or lots of other things, I don't have memorized yet. :-)

 

I just told my car that voice command but with a different station and it tried to dial and order me a pizza.

 

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I agree with the POS comments. Mine has never worked very well. Once in awhile it will work like it's supposed to but, most of the time I get "please speak" "please speak" "system off". I just use my phone voice dial with the blue tooth. Got tired of yelling at the stupid thing. My husband has the voice activation in his Acura and it works great so that makes me even more annoyed at the one in my MINI.

 

I find that mine works really great! I don't over enunciate any words or yell into the mic so it can hear me. I just speak clearly in a natural rhythm and I rarely have a problem with it understanding what I'm asking.

I almost always use it to change the radio station and always use it to make a phone call. The only thing I think it's missing is the ability to change the temperature. Other than that it works way better than any Audi implementation I've ever seen.

 

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You just have to know how to talk to her and what commands she'll understand. It's not like Siri that knows what you're saying and what you mean. The MINI only understands what you're saying.

I think there's a list somewhere of the commands you can say but common ones I use are:
-Channel [#2-994] (sets sirius station)
-Preset [1-?] (sets preset)
-Channel [102.7, or other FM station]
-Redial (then say the number on the list that pops up)
-External Devices (then say what device you want from the list)

I don't know if the voice activation is better on models with Connected or not, it seems like it might have a larger library of commands. It seems like most things on the Connected screen I can just say instead of clicking to and she'll get it. It doesn't work for typing tho :(

I'm excited for MINI to integrate the new EyesFree feature from iOS6. That should be pretty awesome!

 

I just picked up my 2013 Roadster on Tuesday. Has a build date of 7.2.2012. My Voice commands button doesn't do anything either. If I press it during an active call the radio display says "Connection Active" so it must be hooked up. I do not have Connected or Nav. I'm going to ask my dealer why it doesn't work. He told me it would do voice commands when he was explaining the car when I picked it up. Then again, he also didn't know the difference between the CA Key FOB and the regular one either...

 

I just talked to my MA. He called Mini's main headquarters and talked to the product manager. The response he got on Voice activation is that they pulled it because of quality issues but are working on a fix that should be out soon (couple of months?). The fix will be available for 2013 models at no charge. It will not be available for older models.

I guess we just have to wait and see...

 

The reason it was pulled because too many mini owners complained during their surveys, so mini got a low JD-Powers score. Mini's fix, to heck with the owners, just remove the function, so they can't complain!!!! So I was told my my MA.

 

My 2012 has the voice DIALLING. I do not have connected or nav in it. I find the system a little convoluted to program, but once you have it up and running it's really invaluable. My 2013 on order will have nav and connected so glad that I'm not going to be losing that situation. As a note for other '12 owners without connected or nav, the only thing that button does is dial, not change radio stations, etc.

 

I have a 2011 Clubman and I use mine all the time. I have not programed any numbers with names into the radio. I just push the button and tell it what number to dial. It works great.