To all who are thinking of purchasing this piece of s$@t car, I own one and I have a story of warning for you. As some of you know my MINI was making a light noise when I drove under 10mph. I posted about it on this site and most agreed it was probably nothing. Anyway I took it in today to BMW and this is my story. First a mechanic took a ride with me and tells me its nothing. He says "its a german car its gunna make noise, but we will check it if you want". So I wait for an hour in the lounge and they come in and tell me that they called MINI HQ in Jersey and that there technicans wanna come out and take a look at it, but still not to worry it probably nothing. In the meantime they send me to Enterprise rent a car. At Enterprise I wait 2 HOURS and have to fork over a 250 deposit for a rental even though MINI is paying. And what car do I get???? A WHITE SATURN STATION WAGON!!! The ugliest car design known to man. Now at this point Im really pi$$ed. So I go to work in my crappy rental and get a call from BMW. The MINI people took a look at it and.......THE TRANSMISSION IS BLOWN!!! ON A THREE WEEK OLD CAR!. It will take two weeks to get a new one!!! This is by far the worst car Ive ever purchased. NEVER have a I heard of the transmission go on THREE WEEK OLD car! I have my civic for SEVEN years and 175,000 and the transmission NEVER had a problem. As a result of this, I will be trading my MINI in for the Nissan Z when I get it back and vow to bad mouth this car as much as possible. There is just no excuse for such sh$%%y car and bad customer service when your paying 27,000. So a word to anyone thinking about buying this pretty looking LEMON! Dont.

_________________
2003 Chilli Red Cooper, Bonnet Stripes, Nav System, Sport Package.

 

Sorry about the car. Did they mention what may have caused the transmission to blow? What does Enterprise giving you a white Saturn have to do with the MINI anyways? I don't follow that part.

 

The only thing that mechanical things are guaranteed to do is break.

You got a faulty weak transmission and they are going to fix it. Yeah it sucks, and I can tell you are frustrated, but its really not a big deal in the end. When a car is first launched in its first year or two, there are bound to be some occasional glitches in the manufacturing process. Every single mini is not garbage because one bad transmission slipped through quality control. It just happens and you lost this particular roll of the dice.

Look at your signature photo and see how psyched you are to have the sweetest car around.

Why don't you just pound on that Saturn for 2 weeks and get your frustrations out and enjoy a brand new transmission when your MINI is ready?

 

Wow, that's too bad.....Was your Mini A CVT?

One out of 100,000 does not make it the entire model line a lemon...
You will get a replacement, good for you... you should whine and get re-imbursments also, for loss of use...and loss of use at $X per day. Now the 350Z is no winner, it may look keen ans sound neato but the reality of the new Z is that it Lacks the style and innovative class of the last model Z which set a standard, a standard Nissan used to create the new Z and they also admit that it is not as good as the last model Z. If you are looking for a fun, stylish, affordable alternative to the Mini try AUDI.... AUDI is top of the line in performance, style and class...

Trashing YOUR Mini in a forum such as this is MOOT. You can't possibly think that your negative comments based upon your sad situation with the car can influence ANY of us here to reconsider our purchases. Go to http://www.iHateMini.com and vent your story there.

I feel bad you had the poor service and the lemon....and the Rent a Car... did you expect a Mini Rental????? Mini's policy is to not take care of loaners... Unless you make a firey stink about it or make friends with your service tech. I suggest buddying up... they will give you better service and offer more than they are required to.

In closing, your whining is annoying... Buy another car... You Mighty Suit a Saturn Ion.

Good Day

 

It's too bad that you had a bad experience with your MINI. I really feel for you.

However, given the volumes of people (not only here in the US, but worldwide) that have not had this sort of problem - or anything serious for that matter, I think your frustration and anger is causing you to be at least a bit rash. You must also keep in mind that this isn't just a new car to you, it is an entirely new model. There will be bugs. That was something you should have known and accepted before you plunked down your $27k.

You really need to consider the big picture before bad-mouthing everything about MINI. Granted, your incident is pretty atrocious, but I hardly see how it means that everything about the car sucks all-of-the-sudden. I have already had less-than-stellar results in my dealings with MINI customer service, but they did address my issues and I still love my car.

As for getting a Saturn rental car.... It seems to me that you are making a mountain out of a molehill here. C'mon. Really. MINI is evil because the rental car agency gave you a Saturn? Get real.

Although I can appreciate your frustration, I cannot tolerate your obvious disregard for logic in the matter. I hope that time will cure your insensibilities - even if you choose to get rid of your MINI, you can't simply write off MINI as complete crap because of this *seemingly* isolated incident.

Again, I offer my condolences. I just hope that this dark cloud doesn't obscure your view forever.

 

let em badmouth the car, less people who do not really deserve a Cooper, to buy a cooper. i do not want this car to become bland and lame, like a honda. sure they are reliable, but **** all boring. if you want a honda, buy a honda, if you want something fun and unique, buy a mini. or something more fun. in my humble eyes, this motorcar, is the best deal around, and the most interesting looking car around. i have 6500 miles on my cooper, and not a problem. well a few squeaks and rattles, but hell, i drive hard, and have fun, plus the car has very tight suspension. whoopydo. just my 2p
cheers, jason

 

It's sad to read this story :smile:...so far

 

I am very sorry to hear about what happened with your MINI, but these kinds of things happen. When I was in the market for my second car, I ended up with a lemon that needed to be replaced. There are thousands of other people that love their MINIs very much and have had very minor, if no, problems at all. Lemons can happen to anyone, and all brands of cars, and it's terrible but it doesn't mean that every one of those cars is a piece of trash.

L.

 

I understand your anger with MINI and/or the dealership you are working with. Not to minimalize the issue your are experiencing but why not contact MINI directly and calmly explain the issues you have experienced, the treatment you have received at the dealership (if you felt it was less than professional), and see if they can assist? Give MINI corporate a chance to correct the issue for you. Give them constructive feedback on the dealership you've dealt with. I would expect that they will make every attempt to correct the issues for you in a timely manner.

BTW - Please adhere to the site guidelines for posting (ie - no profanity). The cleaner we keep the site the better the experience for everyone.

Mark (and NO...I don't work for MINI or BMW)


_________________
MINI COOPER Online.com

 

That is a shame. I can understand felling jiped under your circumstances. You probably waited a long time for your Mini to arrive and paid MSRP or above (maybe even A LOT above).

As previously stated by others here, it is always a huge gamble buying a new model car. You took the risk and luck was not on your side.

If I may make a suggestion, call BMW and air your grievances. Make sure to keep it businesslike and not lose your cool. Next, write them a strong letter and, again, keep it formal. If you have not been in a similar situation before and done something similar, you may be pleasantly surprised by the response you get, and a little of the sting from your bad tranny may disappear.

If it is any consolation, I had to take my very first car back to the dealer immediately after I bought it. I was 16 and it was Friday. The first thing I did was drive my best friend around my parents' subdivision. Upon the return and almost reaching my parents' driveway, I heard a large "wap" and felt the car jerk suddenly. The front sway bar had not been properly screwed in, and one half of it was dragging on the street. Of course, by that time, the body shop at the dealer was closed until Monday. So for the first weekend of having my very first car, all I could do was look at it in the driveway. To make matters worse, my dad blamed me at first! The car was totalled 3 months later by someone driving under the influence. Fortunately, the car had appreciated, and so the insurance company gave me more for it than it cost to buy. Since the Mini is so hot right now and hard to come by, you may have the same experience if you decide to dump it.

Good luck in resolving matters.
-Otto

 

Sorry to hear this about your MINI.

Can honestly sympathise. Finding something like that happening to your brand new car is a pain in the #%^$.

Thank god, i have never experienced any major problem with my MINI. Some minor problems with the back latch (common) and a spring noise in the seat.

Have you considered asking your dealer to provide you with a new vehicle? I think you can if you push it.

The new Nissan Z wouldn't be as enjoyable as driving a MINI. That is with respect too handling, stability and fun. Japanese cars tend to lack the "kick" that German cars have.

Good Luck buddy, and think thoroughly before you decide on what to do.

cheers

_______________________________________
DS/DS MCS, all the goodies in the book, rally lights, 17" R90s, white back indicators, tinted windows, painted wheelarches. SEXY AS HELL!!

 

I can't blame you for feeling a bit "abused" by the situation. I bought a brand new nissan sentra two years ago. I even asked that I take delivery "right off the truck". The car had a horrible "whine" in the final gear of a 3-seped automatic. I finally took the car in 1& 1/2 years later for another issue, and the mechanic claimed "they all whine like that". I asked if I could ride in a used 00' and they agreed...no whine. Result: 2 weeks without the car and a replaced transmission. No loaner, no rental, I had to find my own source of transportation. The day after I received my car back, I traded for my Mini at BMW of Nashville. No, I did not give $27,000 for my sentra, but 00' was a remodeling year for the "new" sentra.

I don't know about you, but I bought my Mini because there's nothing else like it in this country. I remember the "Z" coming out just a couple of months ago. Like you, I loved the design. There are a number of them all over my city now. At 27,000 to 30,000, there are plenty. I have yet to see the first Mini, besides my reflection in storefront windows. I like the feeling. The "Z" is also a new design. Even though your Mini is only 3 weeks old, and even though their resale value is high right now, you are going to lose money. Z's are selling quickly, like the Mini. How much of a deal do you expect the Nissan folks to offer? I still own a NIssan Xterra, and have not losed faith about Nissans in general.

Once you have had time to consider the pro's & con's , I hope you'll stay in the Mini. I enjoy owning and driving a car that attracts a great deal of attention. Your car is sharp. Stay with it and you'll be turning heads for years to come.
Jim

_________________
Turning head syndrome began on 09-21-02. (Indi Blue)

 

The boss gives you a bad review = Quit you job

Your wife burns the Thanksgiving turkey = Divorce her

Your kid fails physics = Tell him to drop out of school.

You are diagnosed with arthritis = Off yourself

Lighten up, put things in perspective. Failures and setbacks are part of life. Giving up is easy.

 

Please post what you find out about the car though. I'd be interested in what they say. It could be helpful to alot of people that have CVT's.

Nov 13th, you posted:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"If you have a CVT (automatic) transmission on your cooper you know that it can be shifted into steptronic mode where you control what gear its in. So its kinda like manual but not really. My question is, how do I use this feature? Do I start in 1st and then build up to 5th as I go faster? I have no clue when to upshift or downshift and when I do try and use it the car gets VERY jerky and Im afraid Im going to kill the engine. I would like to use this feature more often, but dont know how. The manual does not explain it at all. Does anyone have any pointers? "
and:
"thanks so much. I will be sure to try this out. Hopefully I can get the hang of it, as I have never driven manual before. "

You mention that you're afraid of killing the engine, and apparently, you did. Either that, or it was a flaw, or a combination. This could be very helpful to the others here, or those wondering about getting a CVT.

 

You should hav bought a U.S. built car. The big three auto makers could show you some real pain.

 

NYIllustrator, dont judge all MINIs by your bad experience. I would be totally sick if I had the same experience you had, so (in a former President's words), I feel your pain. But I've had many cars throughout the years. Some good, some bad. Presently my wife drives a 2002 Lexus ES300. At 7000 miles the front rotors warped. Braking was like a carnival ride until they were replaced. Previous car was a 1996 Taurus LX edition. At 200 miles, the engine would die when going up hill. Only up hill, not downhill or on level ground. The idiotic service manager told me it was bad gas. (like it was only bad when the car was going uphill!!) After a week in the shop and untold research, they finally fixed it and I had no other trouble with it for 6 years.

Give the MINI a second chance. BMW/MINI is a good company and I feel they will do you right.

 

Welcome to MCO, Lauri!

 

I'll try to take a different tact on this one.

It's clear the original poster feels he has some grievances. So, how about we look at the following:
- The alleged grievance
- What restitution measures have been taken so far?
- Were those measures appropriate?
- Who took those measures?
- What more should be done?

Grievance #1: The Transmission

The alleged grievance: a 3 week old MINI Cooper has a transmission noise

What Restitution measures have been taken: The dealership test drove the car, diagnosed a transmission problem, alerted MINIUSA to the problem, and is in the process of getting the transmission replaced.

Were those measures appropriate: Yes. It would seem from the information presented, that the transmission is being replaced, under warranty, so the vehicle will be viewed as having been returned to it's original state of proper working condition. The dealership has taken steps to resolve the problem, and has also pulled in MINIUSA.

Who took those measures: a MINI dealership somewhere in New York?

What more should be done: It would appear from the information presented that no redress, beyond that already put in motion by the dealer, is in order at this time.

Grievance #2: The Rental Car

The alleged grievance: customer had to wait for a rental car and then was unhappy with the car provided. Also, customer is not happy with paying a $250 deposit.

What Restitution Measures have been taken: None.

Were those Measures Appropriate: Yes. No formal complaint appears to have been made to any of the parties. Beyond that, let's look at how each of the parties involved responded lacking the complaint.

The Dealership: they apparently either don't have a loaner program, or chose not to use a loaner in this case. Loaner policies vary from dealership to dealership. It would appear that the dealership in question then contacted MINIUSA and got approval from MINIUSA to have them reimburse the cost of a rental. So, they stepped outside the bounds of the services they were required to provide (my opinion).

MINIUSA: Given that this customer was not on a vacation and didn't have his MINI towed from 100+ miles, no travel interruption coverage was required. There is no requirement (as I read it) in the warranty for MINI to provide free rental cars for customers with warranty issues. The mechanics of how this rental process may need to be improved, but in the end the rental car service is still being provided. MINIUSA will apparently pay for a compact car during this period for this customer. There was no promise on the part of MINIUSA they would pay for a refundable deposit; just cover the ultimate cost of the vehicle while your MINI was being worked on. Thus, MINIUSA is acting in good faith, and is providing a service to the customer, which goes beyond what they are required to do.

Enterprise: working within the guidelines of what MINIUSA has agreed to pay for, they provided the customer with a Saturn station wagon. This car is more than adequate for basic transportation, and should allow the customer to continue to go about his life with as little interruption as possible. We have NO details of what caused the three hour wait, but one could only assume that there was some coordination going on between the dealership, MINIUSA, and the local Enterprise franchise. In any case, it should have (and may have) been apologized for. As for the deposit, it is refundable, and I would gather there is something in the way this is being paid for or insured that results in that requirement on their part. Again, the company in question satisfied the terms of what they agreed to provide (my opinion again).

What more should be done: in my opinion, nothing.

To summarize: Your MINI is being fixed. Your dealership and MINIUSA are doing what they can to help you out. Enterprise, did rent you a car, and MINIUSA will apparently pick up the tab.

For now, do two things:

1) Ask yourself what more it would take to make you satisfied with the situation. Then calmly explain what further steps you would like to see happen and why those steps are reasonable.

2) Enjoy driving the Saturn. Appreciate it for what it is, basic transportation. Look forward to when you get your MINI back, and in the mean time, enjoy a few days of driving in obscurity and not having people stopping you at the gas station to ask "What is that? Who makes that? What kind of gas mileage does it get? Is that electric? How much do they cost?"

 

Be glad it wasn't a $125,000 Porsche. We had one here with a defective transmission. The tranny blew while the sales person was taking it to the gas station to fill it up before delivery. That customer never even got to see his car before it blew. He had to wait an extra three weeks for his delivery.
Trying to put things in perspective here. It's not a $125,000 Porsche, it's a $27,000 MINI. And it happens, no matter what you pay, or what you expect. Sometimes bad things happen to good cars. It's part of life. The dealer and MINI did everything they could to attempt to make you happy.
There are way more important things to get upset about. Yeah, you spent alot of money on a car, and something like this can **** a person off. Understandable. Maybe you posted that whole thing in the heat of the moment, now you're over it, and see the fact that you really don't have it so bad. Or maybe you don't, you're not over it, and this is the worst thing that has ever happened to you. If that's the case, be grateful.
Your car problems are not the end of the world. It's being fixed, and you don't have to pay for it. You can still drive in the mean time, and you don't have to pay for it. What more do you want?
Give me a break.

 

Nicely stated Dave....

I find it interesting that the original poster started the tempest in a teapot and let it boil on its own.

Perhaps, he feels a little silly....

Personally, I kept seeing them showing the MINI on Motortrend TV in a lineup of the top new cars. Which they gave the award to the Z or more specifically the Infiniti version. The MINI kept popping up in view though and I pointed at it everytime. My wife would rather have the Infiniti.... Never fear despite my lovely wife and this young man's ranting. I will have the MINI Cooper S BRG all packages, oh yes I will.

jc

 

Oh by the way, when a car rental company (Like Enterprise, Avis, Budget, etc) requests a $250 deposit to rent you a car is typically for 2 reasons:

1) You have questionnable driving record

2) You have less than perfect or bad credit

I have rented cars in Enterprise before and not once I have ever been asked to plunk down a deposit to rent a car from them. Ever.

 

Yo. Chill dude. Imagine how the people who bought
the Ford Focus feel.... . I feel your pain but sometimes
bad things happen to good cars and good people.
It came off an assembly line and even robots have a
bad day. Party on in the Saturn.....

 

EEEEK! We all need to get some perspective here. Every consumer has the right to be angry when the product he purchases is defective. I don't think anyone is picking on any car maker that doesn't deserve it. My 99 GMC Safari is on its third yes! 3rd transmission! This is a $27,000 car that GMC says is number one in toughness and performance! So upset? Yes I am. However, when I do plunk down my $$$$$ to buy my mini it better not lose a transmission in three weeks!

Whatever happened to quality parts? My dad still owns a dodge from the 50's. He can fix it himself, but rarely. It runs like a top because it was built when corporations hadn't fiured out how to build in obsolescence
:smile:

Rant rant, tangent tangent!

_________________
Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose (Francais)

 

Dave did pretty much say it all; one thing stood out for me, and I would like to point it out, since it seems some people are going along the path of 'maybe the dealer could have done better.' As reported the story is that in one hour, the dealer diagnosed a possible major mechanical problem, contact the national HQ, and arranged for alternate transportation even before it was clear it might be required? All of this in Manhattan, in an hour? Wow. I hope all my service visits are this bad. The two plus hours at enterprise is a pain, and in most cases inexcusable. And a Saturn as a replacement for a $22,000 car? I dunno. Seems fair. Seems free, too.

One curiousity though: there is at least one other current thread involving a chunked tranny. Given how negative NYIlls feeling are, could we at least get him back and the other tranny guy to see make model, VIN, etc. I keep looking at my coolant and seal, but maybe we should start checking around for tranny issues now too.

===============================

Oh, yeah, and a MCS BRG looks great (I speak from very personal experience, but I guess that also makes me a little prejudiced). I recomment the panther black leather. I know there has been some talk about the quality of leather, it was the only thing I was usure about. But it is great.

 

How do we know if his CVT transmission wasn't damaged due to negligence or abuse?

I am giving him the benefit of the doubt, but if MINIUSA still replaces his tranny in despite of eveidence of abuse, man you should be plenty happy.