My Cabrio's top has had wear marks above the rear windows since a few weeks after I took delivery (October '04). The marks have now started to fray and I'm getting ready to have the dealer replace it. In reading about other owner's experiences with top replacement I came across a (heart stopping) post on MINI2 about a two year warranty for the top. I assume 2 years is for replacement tops and that the original top is covered by the original 4 year warranty. Can anyone confirm this?

 

As I understand things...your car, including top, is covered for the 4 years/50K mile warranty.

That said, anything the dealer installs is covered by a 2 year warranty. My dealer explained to me that this 2 year warranty is in addition to the MINI warranty.

In other words, get your top replaced near the end of the MINI 4/50 warranty and you will still have another 2 year warranty from the dealer.

 

By "in addition" to the MINI warranty, I think that means that the two-year warranty runs concurrently with the standard warranty, but it can "outlast" the standard warranty.

So, if you have the top replaced at the one-year point, and it fails again before the four-year point, you would still be covered by the standard warranty, and the two-year warranty on the first replacement top would never even come into play.

But if you have the top replaced at the three-year point, and the standard warranty expires at four years, the top remains covered until the five-year point, because of the two-year warranty on dealer-installed parts.

In short, the two-year warranty starts ticking away the day the replacement top is installed. This may mean that your top remains warranteed longer than the rest of the car, or it may not - it just depends on how much of the factory warranty was left when the top was replaced.

 

Thanks. Given that I'm already past the 1/2 way point I may wait as long as possible into the 4 year warranty before having it replaced. (provided the state of the wear does not become unbearable)

 

...and have them take a look at it. They may not immediately replace the top but it will be documented if you decide to push for a new top with MINIUSA. Also, has the dealer looked at it to verify that it's compliant with all the changes/fixes that have come out? If it's wearing, something's wrong. Our '06 cabrio gets dropped regularly and it's (blue) top has no wear or fading over the C pillar. MINI is making a lot of changes & adjustments to the top over it's production run. Just recently someone posted a TSB for cabrios made before mid '06 involving a strap attached to the Z bracket (which broke on ours and was replaced). There was a TSB for earlier cabrios to add spacers to the top frame to keep it from retracting quite as far down to eliminate the rubbing.

 

Just FYI, we bought the 10yr/100k Miles extended warrenty from BMW, and the top is one of the few things not covered.

 

you purchased an aftermarket warranty not a MINI/BMW backed warranty as they do not exist. there will be many many things that are not covered...

 

bring it in... they will put a new top on it... you can bring it in about once a year and they will put a new top on it... just an FYI

 

Check if your's was in the recall. Mine's in the shop now getting a new top

 

Any information on the recall? Is it based on a range of build dates, or particular VIN numbers? Or is there something to look for on the top itself?

 

Our good buddy Frank at checkered flag mini told me it was based on VIN numbers.

 

I have an 2005 Cooper Convertible (Hot Orange)... 58K miles, so out of warranty. The right side of the roof won't open. Took it to the dealer, who said a cable snapped and wants $2000 to repair, $900 of which is parts. Does anyone have any experience with this issue? Any ideas? Should I try to convince Minu USA to cover this? THANKS
ualwoody@gmail.com

 

This was a common failure in the early build Cabrios & yours is obviously one of them. The roofs had multiple problems due to misalignments of the tops including wear & cables breaking. The cable in mine broke a little over a year ago along with being on my 3rd roof. If it were me, I would take MINI USA to task based on all the roof issues with the early Cabrios. $2K is a lot of money Good luck.

Lois

 

Has the top ever been replaced? If it has, it may still have its own warranty above & beyond the factory warranty. (Dealer-installed replacement parts are generally warranted for two years or for the remainder of the factory warranty, whichever is longer.)

Alternatively, does the dealer seem like they might be willing to help out with all or a portion of the cost? There was a MINI service adviser posting here a few months ago saying that there's a "goodwill" period that extends a little bit beyond the factory warranty where a dealer can perform repairs and still get reimbursed by MINIUSA.

 

I guess i was a little premature. While picking up my car this afternoon, I asked the Service Manager if he would request Minu USA to help out... I got a call just a little while ago, that they are fixing the roof, parts and labor!
Downtown Mini (Orlando) rocks!

 

You posted saying that the dealer said it was your problem and he wanted $2k for the job.

With that backdrop you posted and asked for advice. I don't think you were premature at all.

Are they replacing the top too, or just the bad parts? I ask because someone told me that she did not think a new top was all that expensive because she saw one on eBay for $900. I said that labor to install a top would be quite expensive, so that $900 is misleading.

As far as I can tell, any work on the top is spendy if it involves replacing parts, etc.

 

Time to decide about purchasing another warranty. I already purchased the maintenance warranty (6yrs/100,000) for $2000. This warranty is 4yrs/100,000 for defective?) for around $3,700.
Help - I'm confused. Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks!

 

Personally, I'd rather have the $3,700 and take my chances.

What constitutes "defective"?
How do you prove it's "defective" and not normal wear and tear?

I'd read the "warranty" carefully and understand all limitations - if you run through a puddle and hydrolock your engine, is that covered? If the top "wears out" - is that covered? If your transmission goes out, is that covered? If you miss a shift and over-rev the engine and it blows, is that covered? If your shocks/struts give out at 90,000 miles, is that covered? If you "wear out" your clutch, is that covered?

If all those things are covered, it *might* be a good deal *if* you have a major issue. But the odds are that the "warranty" company will make thousands of dollars off you... that's what they're betting on...

 

Thanks for the suggestions, I will definitely do that. After reading over the Maintenance Warranty I renewed for $2000 ... I am hoping the Ext. Mfg. Warranty covers ALL the things it does not.

The Mini is my 2nd car, mileage is 28,000. Just want have all the basis covered in the event something does happen.

 

I bought an extended warranty once for one of my first "nice" cars - about 20 years ago. It was a total waste of money because I never had a failure that the warranty would have covered. I've had probably 5 cars since then - and if I had bought the extended warranty on all of them, I would have spent approximately $10,000 MORE than I have spent repairing the stuff the warranties *might* have covered. So, in the long run, the odds are you come out WAY ahead without the warranty...

 

FWIW, I had a bad experience with MINI (San Antonio dealer) in getting my top replaced after warranty expired (even thought I notified them of the problem BEFORE the warranty expired). I had to write letters to MINI USA and BMW NA to get it replaced. But, in the end they did the right thing.

 

my dealership did not do anything and my warranty over...