At risk of being classified as a troll, I’ve got to ask Tokio, TXDeepone, dominicminicoopers, chrisnl, and the others that are whining about BMW/MINI, WHY? Why do you go on venting your anger? You may make some potential buyers such as dvorak look elsewhere, but since MINI USA easily sells all of its allocation do you think that you are getting even with them? What are you attempting to accomplish with all your whining? IMO an anger management class may be of some benefit.

I understand that as an ADHD sufferer life can be very difficult for you. My oldest son (age 16) has ADHD, but with a great deal of effort and diligence he has learned to cope (without medication). The first and most important fact that he learned is that ADHD is NOT an excuse for inappropriate behavior. He earned Eagle Scout rank at age 13, in his first two years of high school he has earned a 4.15 GPA and has earned two varsity letters each year. For the past few years he has worn a rubber band on his wrist, and when I starts to get frustrated with authority, has trouble staying focused, or any of the other ADHD symptoms appear, he snaps the rubber band, regroups, and gains self control. I sincerely hope that you can learn to do something similar. The inappropriate venting of your anger will only cause more anger causing things to happen.


I’m sorry that your calculator yields incorrect figures, but it is a characteristic of your calculator and your use of a non-OEM battery has voided your warranty!

 

Being first on the list I guess I'll have to answer.

Ok I give up - NOT.

This is my anger management. :smile:

 

I really don't think this has devolved into an angry thread - yet.

While I enjoy my car, I'm not willing to pick a fight or put someone down on an internet forum because he/she has had a different experience than I have had. For all you people who have had trouble free miles - I'm happy for you. For all of you who have been treated right by MINI/BMW - Congrats. In short..........

- Do I love my car? Yes

- Do I have any faith that MINI/BMW will take care of me in the event that something goes wrong? NO

- Am I angry about it? No

- Will I buy another one of their products? No

- Do I recommend someone else buy one of their products? No

I have loved every BMW product I have ever owned despite their faults. I can live with minor annoyances as a trade off for amazing performance - I will not, however continue to do business with a company that treats it's customers like dirt. We have four Mini/BMW dealerships in the Bay Area and three of them are complete jerks. The other one is sympathetic but claims to be handcuffed by the Corporate Death Star. I'm not planning on moving to South Florida or Ohio so that I can own one of the automobiles and be treated right. When my MCS crosses the line from "minor annoyance" to "time consuming" I will sell it and never buy from this company again.

If this constitutes whining so be it. The gentleman who started this thread voiced his concerns - he's getting the full spectrum - good and bad.

 

Some years back, my wife and I buy a Ford Probe GT. This car was in the Ford repair shop 50% of time we owned it. We had electrical problems of all kinds.

The last straw for us was when the muffer just fell off!!!

I don't think the Lemon law was around at the time, but it worked out OK. While at the dealer to have the muffler fixed, the owner of the dealership backed into the car. He punched a big gash in the fender.

The service writter called and said they think they have the car fixed but we do have a problem in that we now have a hole in the fender.

Man the wife was some kinda pissed off. She took the title and we went to see the dealer. He offered to fix the hole for no charge in the Ford body shop

 

>>I really don't think this has devolved into an angry thread - yet.
>>
>>While I enjoy my car, I'm not willing to pick a fight or put someone down on an internet forum because he/she has had a different experience than I have had. For all you people who have had trouble free miles - I'm happy for you. For all of you who have been treated right by MINI/BMW - Congrats. In short..........
>>
>> - Do I love my car? Yes
>>
>> - Do I have any faith that MINI/BMW will take care of me in the event that something goes wrong? NO
>>
>> - Am I angry about it? No
>>
>> - Will I buy another one of their products? No
>>
>> - Do I recommend someone else buy one of their products? No
>>
>>I have loved every BMW product I have ever owned despite their faults. I can live with minor annoyances as a trade off for amazing performance - I will not, however continue to do business with a company that treats it's customers like dirt. We have four Mini/BMW dealerships in the Bay Area and three of them are complete jerks. The other one is sympathetic but claims to be handcuffed by the Corporate Death Star. I'm not planning on moving to South Florida or Ohio so that I can own one of the automobiles and be treated right. When my MCS crosses the line from "minor annoyance" to "time consuming" I will sell it and never buy from this company again.
>>
>>If this constitutes whining so be it. The gentleman who started this thread voiced his concerns - he's getting the full spectrum - good and bad.
>>
>>
my MINI goes 24/7,summer or real snowy,cold winter
night time is very good with zexons,on the highway,deer and other critters an issue here,I can move around in my lane ,even in curves and dodge deer,

 

Chet - -
Take a look at this thread for a different perspective.

 

Yes, we have lots of people who whine about their problems here and I am one of them. Why do we do this? It is because our dealers and MINI USA do not HEAR us. We tell them about problems with software not working and they say they are working on a new fix. Well buddy, I've owned this car for 18 months and I am still waiting for a fix. MINI says this is a great enthusiasts car! It's great for autocrossing, DEs...and accepts mods easily. We even have a rewards program for those who do well in autoxing. Then, I'm sorry, we can't replace those parts because you voided your warranty by autocrossing your car. WTF? Are they talking out of their ****?

I've had three MINIs and the least problematic was the MCS. The other two were MCs and the problems were unbearable and at times made the vehicle unsafe. I still love the car, but when it comes to my family's safety I draw the line.

Some say life is too short, so get over it. I disagree! A few years ago I was on death's door and that incident made me appreciate life and that life is too short to put up with BS. If I'm going to die, it will not be as a patsy. I will fight for my rights as a consumer and will help others as well. As such, I have been thinking about starting up an organization called LASH, Lemon Aid Society of Hawaii to help others. If there are problems, we can LASH out at the dealers!

 

Complaining about small cup holders is whining. Complaining about replacing windshields five times, or having repeated near-miss accidents because of a first gear bog is not whining. It is justified criticism of a car company that has had ample opportunity to get things right. Most of us love this car enough to put up with a problem here and there, provided that there's a good faith effort on the part of BMWMINI to fix it. It's the long term patterns of earplugging and strong-arming that are turning people off to the brand.

I'm honestly happy for those of you who have (so far) had problem-free cars. Cooper4us, you've been doubly lucky to have two problem-free cars. That's great. But don't discount legitimate complaints as whining just because I happen to be bringing down the atmosphere in this forum. I am intensely dissatsified with this car. So much so that I'll sell it? Most likely before the warranty runs out, yes. At the moment, I'm having enough fun with it to not buy a Matrix yet. Still, I have every right to try to dissuade people from buying the car.

 

Beastmaster - -
You don’t sound like a whiner to me. You sound like a rational owner who has experienced problems with his cars and is dealing with it rationally. Good luck with your current MCS!

 

>>Complaining about small cup holders is whining. Complaining about replacing windshields five times, or having repeated near-miss accidents because of a first gear bog is not whining. It is justified criticism of a car company that has had ample opportunity to get things right. Most of us love this car enough to put up with a problem here and there, provided that there's a good faith effort on the part of BMWMINI to fix it. It's the long term patterns of earplugging and strong-arming that are turning people off to the brand.
>>
>>I'm honestly happy for those of you who have (so far) had problem-free cars. Cooper4us, you've been doubly lucky to have two problem-free cars. That's great. But don't discount legitimate complaints as whining just because I happen to be bringing down the atmosphere in this forum. I am intensely dissatsified with this car. So much so that I'll sell it? Most likely before the warranty runs out, yes. At the moment, I'm having enough fun with it to not buy a Matrix yet. Still, I have every right to try to dissuade people from buying the car.
>> well in my country you have every right to say that you do not like your MINI
but I have every right to say that MINI,s are great so if you don,t like it go away

 

>> well in my country you have every right to say that you do not like your MINI
>>but I have every right to say that MINI,s are great so if you don,t like it go away

What the hell are you talking about?

 

This is a truly bizarre thread. It seems to have become a black hole for anger, frustration, and individual refusal to give an inch in what is by all estimation a rather silly argument. For the newbies out there, be warned that this is NOT a typical NAM discussion.

You know, it's just a car...ok? If you like it, swell. If you don't...that's ok too. You either sell it, or live with it. Prior to the Internet you could only go complain to the guys at the local bar or go lick your wounds in private. Now, we can tell the world...or at least that .00001% of the world who reads this stuff. Some of us have good experiences, some have bad, and most have a mixture of both. Again, nothing remarkable here. Most importantly, no one can be guaranteed to have a totally good or totally bad MINI experience....'cause, well...it's a car.

Now that we have that out of the way, my only remaining question to Chet is what exactly does ADHD have to do with a need for excellent customer service? I've met a whole lot of folks with ADHD before, and I've never heard of this symptom.

Oh, and to the person who suggested that he drive 672 miles (Iron Mountain,MI to Mentor, OH) to get his potential car serviced...you've got to be kidding!

 

I guess I would be considered a whiner since I have had tons of problems with my MINI. Everyone has the same right on here to respond. That is all their is to it. The people complaining about people complaining are just as bad is all I have to say.

 

ocho9 - -
It’s not the number nor the severity of problems that make a person a whiner. Posting complaints about functionality or service is one thing, incessantly whining about them is another thing.

 

>>ocho9 - -
>>It’s not the number nor the severity of problems that make a person a whiner. Posting complaints about functionality or service is one thing, incessantly whining about them is another thing.

I am in the exact same position as the person that originally started this thread. I was going to get a replacement MCS for my MC. I am pretty up in the air now. BMW really has done nothing for me. Other than agreeing to buy my car back they have not extended their arm at all to bring me back in. If they had bent over even slightly I would be getting back into a MINI for sure. It really would not have taken much on their part. I just don't get how a company can operate like that. I have dealt with warranty under my own company in the past. We always went out of our way giving discounts if someone wanted to upgrade and stay with us. We always did what we could to make the customer comftorable. I just don't see that with BMW. Maybe they don't teach those types of things in Germany.

 

MINI's are NOT for the faint of heart. I suggest a visit to your local Honda dealer. Them cars sure are nice........also Chrysler has pretty cute ones these days......

 

At the very end of the day, ALL car companies are exactly the same!

 

>>At the very end of the day, ALL car companies are exactly the same!

That may be true. But back in the mid 90's I had my Mitsubishi bought back and they bent over backwards to make me happy with my replacement car. They upgraded me for half the price of the MSRP difference and were very agreeable that the car had issues and they would replace it no problem. I can't say even close to the same thing for BMW.

 

I'm not saying it's an excuse, and the whole reason for this thread is that I want to avoid a problem that will be a lot worse for me than it will be for others. If BMW is going to be an ***, then I'm going to get very, very angry. You should see what I'm like after being forced to use Microsoft's Word for three hours in order to get a paper done for class. My family dreads it because they know that I'm going to be yelling very loudly. Much of dealing with ADHD is frustration avoidance. What I'm saying is that if BMW is really that horrible from a customer service standpoint, I need to stay away from them.

If BMW can't guarantee a trouble-free experience, then what are they selling? Where's the money going? I can buy a Ford or a Chrystler if I want a crappy experience. For the premium I'm paying for their cars, BMW/MINI needs to get its act together.

That said, this is day three of 'no-medication-for-Chet-to-see-if-the-meds-really-work', so if this thread seems a little tense, that's why.

This is the literally the car of my dreams, but if it's going to bring more misery into my life than joy, I don't know what to do.

Chet.

 

>>MINI's are NOT for the faint of heart. I suggest a visit to your local Honda dealer

Guess what I have on my calendar for tomorrow morning!? Yep, take the Honda CRV in for 2 recalls, plus some other issues. I have had some experience with Hondas, starting with the Accord I learned to drive in, then with my friend's Civic, and finally with her current CRV. The Accord had quite a few problem, and the Civic was so problematic that my friend dumped it and took a big financial hit.

If you think you will have less frustration by buying a Honda, well, I can tell you from personal experience that you will not get less frustration. MINIs are put together a lot better than Hondas.

 

But how are the dealers? How is Honda USA as far as acknowledging problems? The contention is not that Hondas are perfect, but that they back up their products.

Chet.

 

I think a lot of the problem here is that I've never bought a new car before and I'm just afraid of getting screwed in general on a premium product. I expect that I might get screwed on a used vehicle, but if I'm going to pay the premium for something new, boy, I really want to make sure I'm not going to get a 'buyer-beware' used-car experience. I'm paying the extra specifically so as NOT to have that experience.

Chet.

 

>>At the very end of the day, ALL car companies are exactly the same!

Yes they are all in business to make money - it's the way they go about it that makes the difference.

Lexus V BMW
day and night

 

Just wait for one of these "satisfied" customers' windshield has to be replaced 5 times...

Folks, this isn't about whining. It's about not being dicked over by BMW.

We all pay our hard earned money for our vehicles.

Are we at fault for expecting them to live to a high standard?

Are we at fault for expecting respectful and good service from our dealership?

 

No auto maker or dealer can guarantee a trouble-free experience! In my experience BMW does an above average job of providing a trouble-free experience, but keep in mind that the MINI is a relatively inexpensive mass produced car with a lower margin than a 7-series or a Lexus - - and to maintain profitability there must be a limit to the support that they can provide.

When you say that BMW/MINI needs to get its act together it appears that you’ve already decided that BMW is going to give you a bad experience, so I suggest that you find an auto maker in whom you have more confidence. It’s a shame that the whiners here have soured you on BMW! I have sympathy for those who have had to replace their windshields five times, and hope that it doesn’t happen to me - - but if it does, then I’ll pay the $50 deductible for each one and continue to enjoy my car.

I’ll be 70 years old in a very few months - got my drivers license at 14 and bought my first car at 15 - and I owned a lot of cars since then - over 20 new ones - and one thing that I’ve learned is that any car purchase is a calculated risk. The quality of every car manufacturer’s product is distributed over a bell curve; a very few lemons, a very few faultless cars, and a wide range in between. It doesn’t matter which car you buy, you’re exposed to the risk of getting a car that will give you some troubles. Think it through thoroughly, mentally prepare yourself for the fact that your new car may have faults, and celebrate if they are only minor faults!

My wife is currently driving her second new Lexus and while their build quality is somewhat higher than my bimmer or MINI, the customer service from her Lexus dealers and my BMW/MINI dealers has been on a par - in fact Crevier BMW/MINI may have a slight edge over Tustin Lexus in customer care - no complaints about either company.