I hate to beat a dead horse, but just wondering if my fellow MINI owners have had any good experiences with corporate MINI post warranty period. My R56 had a water pump issue March 2012 at 47k miles...now at 57k miles in November 2012 the thermostat fails. My warranty ended at June 2012 so thermostat replacement under warranty is out of question.

I asked MINI corporate if they would do a "good will" service for my water pump issue. And am hesitant to even bother for my current thermostat issue. SA at my local MINI even vouched that I have a good shot, but it seems the folks at corporate aren't willing to help out customers for known issues. I'm losing my faith in MINI and am already thinking of selling...I hate to but at such low mileage with already so many issues...it's only making more sense.

Anyone out there receive "good will" services out of warranty? If so, please share your secret...

 

This is little stuff. Be thankful the engine hasn't gone to hell. Why not give it a try?

 

Ask....
point out it was previously fixed under warranty...
IMO they MIGHT give you a % off....and in the end the % off they give you will make the cost of the fix be about the same as what it would cost to get it fixed at a good independent shop.....and USUALLY they do not tell you they will pay part of it till your car is already torn apart....so if they DO NOT goodwill part of it...you are stuck with a dealer $$$ for a repair....
Either way good luck!!

 

@countryboyshane - i thought the same with the water pump issue, but they gave me the runaround about it...and it was within warranty.

@Zippy - im trying to avoid having the dealer tear it up while waiting for confirmation that corporate will pay for even part of costs...I'd rather get a go/no go prior to taking it in.

I'll give it a shot...very skeptical they will honor a good will service or even % off, but I guess worth a try...praying for a miracle though...

 

I believe in CA if a part is replaced you get a 12 month / 12Kmi warranty on the repair (parts & labor). I had a similar issue with another car that had the same part fail and it was replaced without question.

Unless the libs in CA think that they need more $$ for their entitlements.....did I just say that??

Nevermind.....

 

Lol

 

Shaolin29,
The water pump seal failure is a known issue (not thermostat housing). My 08 failed 2 years into the ownership; 2 years past that it failed again. Both were repaired by Mini of Escondido in CA. The first was replaced under original warranty and the second was past original warranty but still under the service warranty. Service warranty is 2 years and they replaced it at no charge.

 

Warranty is warranty so if the car falls under that period it is always covered. Sounds like the service advisor might not be the most eloquent speaker and didn't know how to treat you right. However, things that get covered outside of warranty should always be considered as very generous.

 

Just to clarify my 08 original warranty coverage has expired. However the water pump that they replaced, under the original warranty, is covered under a ‘service warranty’ for 2 years from the time they installed it. So when they had to replace it within the 2 year period it once again will be covered under a ‘service warranty’ for 2 years from the time they did the work. There is a difference in the warranty I was talking about.

If history repeats itself I’ll check the pump on or before August 2014 for any leaking and if it is they will once again replace it for free under the service warranty. I’m just sharing my experience with this dealer.

 

Good News!!!

After 2 weeks of phone tag with corporate MINI, I finally was able to get a hold of a representative. Spoke to him for a mere 5 minutes explaining my situation.

Then another week rolls by, all hope dwindling away for a Good Will service, and wouldn't you know...my local MINI service advisor calls me on order from corporate asking to bring my r56 in for thermostat housing replacement free of charge.

MINI corporate may finally be acknowledging the issues that shouldn't be happening in the first place, but only to those that call and complain/ask.

@thisshouldwork - thanks for the insight. I'll make sure to keep an eye on my water pump and now my thermostat for the next 2 years, assuming that the service warranty applies to good will deeds.

 

Another thing to keep in mind is to try and get Goodwill requests in at the beginning of the month. A friend who was a BMW SA for 20+ years advises me that each dealership has so much Goodwill repairs they can give every month. However, if they go past that, I think it was their CSI score or whatever corporate uses, goes down. That will affect the dealership's bottom line.

 

Very interesting...will definitely keep that in mind next time (I hope there's no next time) something weird happens under the bonnet. Thanks for the insight Beastmaster!

 

Glad I could help.

My thermostat housing is still holding up but valve cover seal is leaking a small about of oil. Not too worried about it.