I think we seriously should all get a petition together to make MINI service the cars at BMW dealers. It is VERY inconvenient to have the dealers so few and far between. What's that warranty worth, then?

I told the person from MINI USA who called me about my customer satisfaction survey that this is my biggest complaint about the MINI and that's why the cars may not sell so well in the future after the craze has worn off... We are all in danger of ending up with collectors items and nowhere to service them. These cars are rather peculiar and are not your mainstream car. The attraction might be obvoious to us all, but.. We all want the MINI to do well, right?

And -I want that service close by and convenient, don't you? I also want ot save my miles for driving for fun, not to get service!

Let's all share our opinions on that and mail the summary to MINI USA!!!!

 

I'm in!
Let me talk to Mark on this one.... we may be able to set up a poll.
SW

 

:smile:

 

I think that having Mini's serviced at BMW dealers is a great idea but it will never happen. Until there are enough minis on the road for the dealer to justify sending at least 2 or 3 mechanics to the factory school to be trained we're going to be stuck driving to the closest Mini dealer.

Just my $.02

 

Count me in too... Have ordered Mini S for December delivery. Live in Lexington, KY and Mini dealer is in Cincinnati, OH, 2 hours away. Have big BMW dealer in Lexington.

RR

 

rcrogers,
Welcome to the site!! Go Big Blue!!!
SW

 

I've given up on buying a Mini due to the distance to the dealers in this area (at least an hour's drive to both of the dealers in Atlanta). I'm only 15 minutes from the nearest BMW dealer, so if they could service it, I'd reconsider.

 

My Mini dealer is about 90 minutes away... I have a BMW dealership 5-10 minutes away... I'm in!

 

Maybe I am very dim in terms of how to fix cars, but it seems like BMW mechanics should knoe how to do basic services and how to change oil, do a tuneup, etc. It is not rocket science. Does that need a trip to the factory? And are all BMW mechanics sent to germany to learn? I don't think so. Etc. Etc.

if the MINI is pitched as a new BMW technology (engine, etc.) - well - they own the darn factory in Oxford, don't they?

WE SHOULD ALL GANG UP ON THEM AND MAKE THEM STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT IN A WAY CONVENIENT TO US - MINI BUYERS AND DRIVERS!!!!!!!!

 

Count me in...my current car is serviced by the dealer who is also the local BMW Dealer and has a fantastic service dept. The dealer I've ordered my Mini from is 2 hours away, and while looks to a class operation, it would be much more comforting to deal with my dealer 5 minutes away.

 

Count me in! I love to drive my MINI, but not so far to be serviced! It would be a major convenience for all of us! It would also make the decision to buy a MINI more solid for those who are hours away from a MINI dealer. I agree, it shouldn't be so completely different from a BMW for the techs to work on. I'm sure it just a quick certification course they go through. It would be smart if even every other BMW dealer could service MINIs! Where do I sign?

 

Purchased my Cooper from a dealer 60+ miles away (nearest dealer is 45 miles away) - would love to be able to take my car to the BMW dealer 10 minutes from my house.

Count me in!!!

 

I'm with you guys! BMW SERVICE... I've had to drive to the dealer twice now... (130 miles RT) and still have not gotten my problem fixed. The passenger side seat back will only stay in one position..all the way back.. if you don't mind sitting at 45 degrees I guess it's ok.. The dealer has to order a new seat back which means that I will have to make the trip one more time. He said he would give me a car to use if they need to keep the mini. Which means another trip back to pick it up.. Now if they would give me a Z 3 they could keep the mini for the rest of the summer.... JUST KIdding.... I couldn't give up my mini for that long a time.

 

I'm in Southern California, out here if you give them 2 weeks notice prior to getting your car serviced the dealer will come to your house pick up your car and give you a loaner BMW and when they are done they will drop your car off and pick up your loaner.

This is standard with all new cars sold by BMW.

(this is also the case with the mini, i asked my dealer about this to confirm)

Is this not the case in other parts of the country?

 

Hey, I am in Southern California, too, which dealer is that promising such service? My nearest is at Lakershim Blvd. in Universal City. Although I bought my MINI at Pleasanton (because they do not have mark-up).

But wouldn't that be worrysome to have somebody you do not really know to drive your car for 2 hours, then drop it off, keep it, do god knows what with it. Maybe I am paranoid, but...

I suggest that we ALL contact MINI USA with the BMW service request!!!!! Wrtite letters!!! When they call you for feedback (after purchase follow-up) - TELL THEM THAT THAT IS WHAT YOU WANT AND IT IS YOUR BIGGEST CONCERN!!!

When visit your dealer waiting to pick up your MINI - TELL THEM!!!

:evil:

 

Along the same lines of what Bleu stated. I live a good 4 hours from the nearest MINI dealer. But at that dealership (MINI-Richmond, BC-Canada), they said if anything goes wrong, they will foot the bill to have my car hauled off on a flatbed truck to the dealer, without a cost to me. The only thing is, that I'd have to go pick it up, or pay to have it hauled back. Anyone else's dealership offer that? Or is it just them? But in my case, the nearest BMW dealer is as far away as the MINI dealer. Dohhh! So IMHO, I think MINI should either adopt the policy of taking care of tow bills/long distance driving expences, or servicing MINI's at BMW dealers, or both. Being that the amount of dealers are few and far between, they should be meeting us in the middle somewhere, by making it more appealing to potential and current owners. Just my $0.02

 

I'm sure that if you want your oil changed any BMW dealer will do it, but that's not the point. Mechanics have to be factory certified to do warranty work which means that a BMW dealer with no Mini dealership will have to foot the training bill for a car that is rare right now.

Try taking a Cadillac to a Chevy dealership for warranty repairs and see what they say. Until BMW dealers have a financial reason to make an inverstment in training their mechanics I'm afraid it's not going to happen.

 

Hate to brag, but I'm within a half an hour of my MINI dealer... (Heck, where I live, most things are half an hour away...). But if they started doing service at the BMW dealership, would this not totally mess up BMW stratagy with MINI-only dealerships? I was reading a page last night that described why car companies force dealerships to create new, seperate, specific dealerships in order to circumvent federal allocation laws. Due to some state laws in Texas, that is why (at the time of the article) there were/are no MINI dealerships there.


Rocketboy_X

 

I live in Wilmington NC and the closest mini dealer is in Winston Salem NC, which is over three hours away from me. There is a BMW dealer here in Wilmington. One of the reasons I put a deposit down on a mini is because I have never had a new car and the idea of having warranty is worth a lot of money to me, I did not know I would have to travel three hours to get the car fixed. This makes me somewhat skeptical.
COUNT ME IN!!!!

 

GOOD NEWS! - I hope!
I'm not sure how many of you have your MINI now, and have had any follow-up calls by BMW's owner satisfaction survey people. I've had two so far, and altho their list of questions was short, they listened patiently to my various rants. I laid it squarely at their feet - the lack of service centers, the rip-off mark-ups, the poor image they were fostering by not acting quickly enough to rectify consumer complaints, the seeming overall lack of dealer supervision. I also was given a chance to give kudos to the dealerships who are dealing fairly and squarely.

The second call, however, had a little extra punch. The lady who was asking was also answering. She told me in no uncertain terms, that BMW IS ALREADY LOOKING seriously at having trained MINI mechanics at selected BMW dealerships!! I hope it's not just lip-service from the feel-good dept. Hooyah!

BCNU,
Rob in Dago

 

Great news Rob! Well..... we hope.
Thanks for bringing this up....
I Look forward to seeing what they will do to solve these issues.
SW

 

BMW is doing the service at the two dealers I've been to, That's Crevier BMW/ Mini in Santa Ana, Ca. and Brecht BMW/Mini in Escondido, Ca. Are we just lucky or what? At least they both use the same service buildings, maybe with different mechanics. Ron.

 

I was told by Flow BMW in Winston-Salem that because the demand is so great for the MINI, BMW is pushing to train all dealers to do warrenty/service work. It will take at least a year.

 

lUCKY ME MY MINI DEALER IS 15 MINUTES FROM MY HOUSE

 

I have to drive 3 hours to reach the nearest MINI dealer. I don't own one yet. This is what has stopped me. So Of course I would love to petition this stupid rule of BMW. They make the car, so they should service it.