Should we start a thread of "MINI Factory build mistakes".[/quote]

That would be fun. But I don't think we can include my car in the list, I think that CarMax screwed up when they wrote up the sticker.

 

I really love my leatherette seats But unlike leather, they do not adjust very well to body temperature and they feel very tough in cold weather and hot in the summer.

However, this has been a non-issue for me I have been unimpressed by the quality of the factory MINI leather. I like real cowhide in my living room furniture. But for the car, leatherette is the way to go (And still look good)

 

That would be fun. But I don't think we can include my car in the list, I think that CarMax screwed up when they wrote up the sticker.[/QUOTE]

You don't have the original factory window sticker for your car?

Call MINIUSA and see if they can guide you as to how to get a hold of the original window sticker. Some dealers (Like mine) keep an extra copy of the window sticker on the customer file.

I still think you should try to get a hold of a print out of the official build sheet to help you clear this mess out once and for all.

 

Here it is:



The error was limited to 147 2006 convertibles built during the first week of September.

The mistake delayed delivery of my car for about a month, although others had to wait longer, depending on how far their car made it before the mistake was discovered. MINI had to decide whether all the cars needed to be destroyed & rebuilt, or if they could come back to the factory and be re-VINed, or what. They finally got permission from the government to just re-VIN them. The cars that were still at the factory were fixed there, and the cars that were already stateside had to wait for MINI to ship the appropriate engraving machines to the Vehicle Production Centers in the U.S.

I like it - I think it gives the car a little personality.

To make up for it, MINI gave the affected owners a free wind deflector, a $250 gift certificate, and a free extension of the service agreement to 4 years/50k miles.

 

Sweet! Do you have any official communication with MINI letter head attesting to the mistake? Being only 147 cars affected this will surely add "collectible" value to your car.

Very cool, thanks for sharing.

 

Yes - MINI documented the issue very well, and it all went into my file. I've made enough changes to the car that I don't know if I'll ever be concerned about its collector value, but it's a neat story, regardless.

 

Well notice I said "if its anything like MB Tex"... and apparently it isn't from your assessment. I, personally, have never experienced Mini's letherette. So I will bow to your personal experience with it.

Mine is Leather in the Mini. And I do have one MB that has Leather and one MB that has MB Tex. And in that (MB) I prefer the feel and wear of the MB tex. In fact I put cloth covers over the Leather one.

 

Most stickers that are put on used cars sold at used car lots have a disclaimer that states (para-phrased) "It is your responsibility to verify the options listed are correct."

I have seen many stickers on used cars at used car lots that have been wrong over the years, up to and including the wrong engine size, moon roofs that did not exist etc...

I wish you luck. If you get money back after that amount of time from the dealer, my wife will have to throw cold water on me to wake me up from fainting after reading your post...

 

Just an FYI - you don't have to bow to me on anything - I'm not royalty!

 

Figure of speech! I'll curtsey then

 

Like a few you have stated, the sticker that was put on the MINI was produced by CarMax and not MINI/BMW. Therefore it is hard to tell if you actually paid for those items that were listed on the sticker. How does the price you paid for he MINI compare to the bluebook value at the time of purchase? Does the sticker itemize the cost of the cruise control and leather?

 

LOL

...just making sure that the title under my username wasn't intimidating. I'm just a regular, enthusiastic MINIac like everyone else here.

Some people love the leatherette... some don't. Personal preference wins again!

 

Naw. No intimidation here. Respect though. I was in your position for many years so I know how little respect some give Moderators and Admins. I, for one, know your pain.

I will say this though. This is the first Leather I have had that I had heated seats and I do like it a bit better with that combo. And this particular leather seems as good if not better than Mercedes puts in theirs. I don't have the door sheet so I cannot exactly determine the exact option of it.