Well, hoping to have a clean slate, start fresh with a nice new 2005 Mini for myself (well, new to me with low km's). I was assured from the dealership that this car was accident free, corporate demo, thus able to have the Mini Next extended warranty on it. I was so proud to own a perfectly clean, practically "factory new" car. After my first hand wash, i noticed the driver's side door sits a bit too low and actually rubs on the plastic rocker panel underneath the hinge. The door functions absolutely normal...just sits kind of low, and rubs the rocker panel at the front.
Of course, I have a meticulous/perfectionist personality and call Mini to get it in and corrected all under warranty before the paint really gets worn away and rusts!
Looks like im going to be out of a car for a week to have the hinges "re-aligned" and repainted plus they'd replace the rocker panel. (anything that has been damaged by this issue.) Just my luck, my dream car is a "one in a million" mini that has a poor hinge weld job!
What bothers me is the fact that I know now that there is a "repainted" area on my car...I've been thru so many used cars in my life with repainted areas here and there, and there is that annoying overspray and miss-match colours. I just hope that Mini uses "BMW quality" paint and painters" that will make it look near perfect.

 

My CR/W 03 MINI had the drivers side door replaced and body work done on the rear quarter panel recently. I've very picky and my local body shop did an excellent job that I'm happy with. I also took the opportunity to have both rocker panels replaced with the "S" version. One was paid for by insurance, the other, undamaged, one on the passenger side cost $100 installed. I think they look better.

It should be very good, if it isn't, have them redo it till it is.

I'd also run a carfax.

 

Paulo, My 2005 Mini WAs recently rear-ended, $6K in damages, they had to replace the rear hatch, rear bumper ,rear &side glass, left rear quarter, and all related trim parts. I never thought the car would be right, I too am somewhat a perfectionist. My Mini was repaired in a week, new paint was computer color-matched before the body shop sprayed it, glass and trim was carefully fitted. It is impossible to tell the car was ever damaged. If done properly, your car will look perfect,as I hope it turns out. If you can look at it and tell it was reworked, then it wasn't done right. Good luck, and hope you get a quality job done...........................

 

Yeah im hoping the paint match will be clean. Im also nervous about the re-welding of the hinges. I dont even know how they are going to align them to match the hinges on the car. Maybe they will just replace the entire door...or maybe the hinges on the car frame are the problem!
Atleast the Mini dealership here is owned by the same guy that owns the BMW dealership...and the Ferrari dealership. So if they are reworking/painting Ferrari's and beemers all the time...im hoping i dont have to worry about the quality.

 

Good to know HFM. Atleast I feel a little bit better about the bodyshops that Mini uses.
Should i trust what my Mini dealership said about my car being "accident free" (also Mini NEXT wont cover a used mini if it was in an accident), or should i try carfax like Resmini suggested??

It was apparently driven by somebody from corporate headoffice. Only had 16,000km's when i bought it.

 

Update:
Well Mini Service department is waiting for the Warranty paperwork to go ahead with the fix. They had to take pictures because this (apparently) has never happend before. (yay, i have rare factory defect...). I just dont know how they are going to line up the hinges again and re-weld it perfectly. I just hope the bodyshop they take all their cars to (bmw and Ferrari's) have the tools and techniques to handle that kinda thing. Im just pissed that my car has to go thru all that grinding, welding, prime and repaint....Never will be the same, no matter what anybody says.
I wonder if i complain alot, they will do a mini swap? (I haven't even had the car for a month)