Well, I just picked up my '03 MSC from the dealer last night. Had to go for what I would consider a few minor gremlins but the wife is getting tired of the gremlins. She figures for the price of the car that MINI/BMW should be able to pull their head out of thier butts and build them right from the start and quit patching them up like a Microsoft product. How does your significant other feel about these? My wife has been wanting a Infinity G35 Coupe for the longest time but it was my turn so we got the MCS. I think when it come time for another car I'm going to loose the battle here. If it helps here is our gremlin list so far.

- Winshield trim blew off.
- Rubbing sound when wheels turn to stops - bad strut mounts.
- Rough Idle - new software load?
- Clutch linkage is rough - parts on order.
- Loud snapping noise when closing the sunroof - adjusted.
- AC occationally won't come on - can't repoduce at dealership.
- Windows occationally won't work - can't reproduce at dealership.
- Passenger window quit working w/ remote down - dealer tweaked something but did not document it.

To me minor, to her major for 24K car.

 

You always have to look on the bright side, hopefully the issues have already presented themselves, and there's nothing else coming up for awhile. You can't have problems constantly, everything will eventually break, and you'll have all brand new parts.

 

Reminds me of the old joke.


My wife told me it was either her or the car...

Man, I'm going to miss her.

Thanks! I'll be here all week.


Dave
2003 DS/B MCS needing to schedule appointment for list of "gremlins"

 

Part of her argument is that this car is almost 3 years old w/ only little over 20k miles. This is some sort of record for both of us. We both work in NE Florida but used to live and commute from S GA. We have since moved to FL and cut our avg commute from 130 miles round trip to about 15. I usually get my hands on a company vehicle so that cut mile off too. She sees this as a long list of things for so little miles. Her car (step-son driving it now), 2000 Accord Coupe, has over 60k w/ no dealer visits. My last vehicle was a 2000 Dodge Ram 4X4 Quad Cab w/ 75k and one transmission rebuild (stricly my fault there, something about sand, mud and big rocks). We'll see, trying to talk her into trading for an '05 since it seems most of the early bugs have been worked out.

 

I've got an '03 MC with 40,000+ miles on it and none of these issues, though most do seem pretty minor. I guess it all depends how you look at it. All cars have issues. My brothers 1999 Odessey Minivan's transmission was replaced because of defects during the 1999-2000 year. Bro in laws 2000 Honda Accord had same issue.

But I know how wives are. My wife isn't a MINI fan--it's just another car to her. My tolerance is a lot greater for minor things.

 

Hey Bob, sounds like you have most of the bugs worked out in the car you have. Kinda seems a shame to get rid of it after all that effort. Hope you get the '05. Hang in there!

Motor on!!

 

The rough idle seems to be a widespread (albeit minor) problem with no solution available from the dealer. I've learned to live with it. The rest of the problems you mentioned should be promptly addressed by your dealer. Stand your ground, keep the car!!!

 

Not even minor, and certainly not gremlins, these are signs of your little British car's character. Imagine a world without fault, where nothing unexpected ever occured, Infinitylandia, you say?.....
BORING I retort.

No boring cars, ever.

 

Get a 2005! The new cars are dramatically improved in terms of build quality, performance and reliability.


Having said that, my wife's '02 Cooper CVT is still running strong at 30K miles. We have had none of those gremlins either! We paid $18.5K for that baby back in 2002.

 

yes i have to agree. i have an 05 and just crossed over 5k and have had none of the problems i have read about here on this forum and others. hope i haven't just jinxed myself.

 

At the begining you said it.

This is your car the next one is hers.

She is due the G35 with the next car you buy. The question is do you trade in the MINI and live with the office Honda as your car. Or do you trade in her current car and keep the MINI as a third car in addition to the company car and the new G35 (lottsa car payments there). This is something only you and your wife can answer.

Your delima is more than just your wife talking though. I read into you statements that you are more than a little tired of your MINI's "quirks". You might love the good things about the car and the community but it sounds like the quirks are gitting to you a bit as well. The conflict in feelings by the way is not a bad thing. The conflict is just is something you must come face to face with. Do that and everything else will fall into place. You might stay with the car, you might not. I sold my Healey 20 years ago and the community has not let me go yet. God knows why. Another view in my mind is, I sold my sports car 20 years ago and I just got around to getting a MINI back in Sep. 2002 to replace it. I am very happy with both positions.

Your wife is more important, you know that. Maybe it is time to scale back on MINI stuff so you can keep the car - AND get the wife a G35 that she loves. What does she drive everyday? Lets hope it is not the MINI. If she does not like the car you will never make her happy, even if it (the MINI) was '94 HONDA Accord perfict (one of the longest running cars ever made. Dull, but keeps going and going and going...). Think about if you had to drive something you did not like everyday and she drove something she loved everyday.

To much said so I will shut up.
Good luck,
John

 

i own an early built 04 S model w/24k on it & have had d same issues i think its a dealer scheme when they either dont record or do small adjustments.
i think that when d car has that many miles on it ( & only many miles cause of d short warranty life) d dealers dont want 2 deal w/u my strut mounts were changed as well, 3 months after they changed d stering column d same noise had returned and after a bad report 2 d onlinr survey they changed d steering column again.
d whole time i told them that i thought it was d column but they did not listen 2 me.
so iknow d feeling d windows do the same thing they replaced motors but left window is at lt again their trying 2 blame d tint film u know im not going 4 that. i love d car but i did pay about 23k 4 it and it is frustrating so hang in there.
as 4 ur wife my girl says d same thing GET RID OF IT!

 

Ok, let me mix things up a bit. I'm going to put myself in your wife's shoes, Leif will stand in as you and instead of wanting a G35, I (your wife) want a MINI. Leif has a Jetta, which is fine and slightly quirky, but I want a MINI. OF COURSE I'm going to whine about any little thing that goes wrong with his car, knowing that if I can get him to get rid of it I get my MINI.

(ok, we're all back to normal identities now)

I say tough love, baby! It's MY turn, this here's MY car. Enjoy your Honda thankyouverymuch.

In short, I don't think the problem is your car, I think the system is inherently faulty. Perhaps you need to set a maximum allowable mileage on each car -- 50K, for example. Once any car -- hers or yours -- reaches 50K, you have to get rid of it and the other person gets "their turn". You cannot, however, under any circumstance (save lemon law), get rid of a car before 50K without signed and witnessed consent from the party presently having their "turn".

 

My fiance (getting married in a month) really doesn't like my MINI obsession. She tolerates the MINI, at best. She wants a Scion xB instead. Maybe when we have kids, but the MINI's staying for now!

 

KiLO,

Yeah, but has she driven it? Especially for any length of time on a windy road? I've converted die-hard anti-MINI people into people who at least respect the MINI for what it is, simply because I insisted they give it a spin.

 

yeah d car rules!
it really kicks some tail
& 4 d money u cant beat it
unless u get up in 2 d more higher end sports cars
then they also have different issues there and more expensive 2 tune.

 

This is such BS! A wife is not more important than a man being a man. You can't stop being who you are. We men need toys. It is wrong for a woman to ask a man to give up his passion for "her." Yes, sometimes we need to set it aside, for the good of something outside ourselves. But never on a whim or for fear of not getting any poontang.

You need to read between the lines to hear what this wife is saying.

She couldn't care less about gremlins in your Mini. She is either feeling a problem in your relationship or she is simply trying to control you and get what she wants. Better figure out which it is because if it's the second reason, you need to set her straight. If the first, then you need to look at meeting her needs (whatever those are), and once met, the Mini issue will disolve into nothingness.

Or, you could just crumble under, sell the Mini, and just be happy as a eunuch.

 

Well I can understand her wanting another car for herself. My current wife has problems with mine. She hates having to climb into the back seat for the grandson. Problerm solved I do it for her from the front seat. But alas in a few months she will be gone...

Art

 

Or the other old jewel:

"I got this car for my wife - pretty good trade, don't you think??"

<Rimshot!>

 

Yeah, well, my wife doesn't like the fact that I go 160mph on a motorcycle at the track either. But I made it clear when we got together that I have my passions and don't ask or tell me I can't have them.

Here's the thing. What a woman may say in words is not necessarily what she means, especially when it pertains to the relationship. For example, my wife's fear of me on the track is one of security. The fix was two fold: 1. Don't tell her how fast I ride. 2. Carry plenty of life insurance. This covers all the real fears and meets her needs. She is not thrilled with my sport but she nevers says a word, either. In fact, she hangs out at the track at every opportunity.

It is also OK to expect your partner to be clear on what her needs are. A woman, for some odd reason, expects her man to read her mind. That doesn't work very well.

 

You should be able to keep the MINI for at LEAST 10-12 years - we take both of our daughters (10 and almost 12) everywhere in our MINI - cargo space is a bit tight, but for a kid hauler, it's fine!! Lot more fun than a station wagon or SUV, too!!

 

DaCrema,
I'm okay w/ the quirks. I work w/ enough electronics and mechanical stuff at work that I know things do go wrong. I wish MINI/BMW would have spent a little more time and money on some of these issues because it will hurt thier reputation w/ the normal people. I am a die hard Dodge fan but this car is just too much fun to pass up. My wife is actually driving the MINI daily now. I get to drive on weekends and sometimes at night (The joys of having two cars w/ 2 working parents, 2 working teens, and 1 teen w/ a new learners permit). I drive a company van/truck most days and her Accord has been/is being passed down to our 18yo. She loves the way the MINI handles, drives and it's milage she just really love the G35. We'll see, after we get some bills paid down we are going to shop and test drive some more options and see. Thank you all for your responses, glad to see I'm not alone.

 

I really wanted a G35 coupe. I love the way that car looks. I know it seems odd, but my 2 choices had come down to G35 coupe or MINI Cooper S. My Significant Other liked the G35, we went one day and I had her ride in the G35 for a test drive and then we went and test drove the MINI. I ordered the MINI the same day.

Even if they were the same price (the G35 was 15k more) I would have gone with the MINI - I dont think the G35 is work 38K, for 23K my decision would have been tougher. But I dont regret for a second my 05 MINI.

 

We have an 02 "S" and my wife loves it. We've had no such "gremlins" but the key tumbler has stuck on her, the boot didn't latch for a while and the sunroof did rattle when new. All fixed. We have about 25,000 miles as well. She drives a 94 Accord wagon with 95,000. I promised her whatever she wants when she's ready to retire the Honda. Can you do the same with your wife/Honda combination?

 

I know a good divorce attorney .