It is 1 year that I drive my new Mini Cooper 2005, ad I have to say I love it. But I have a huge deception about the qualiy of the car that doesn't seem to be so strong.
After a lot of paint chips discover have 1 winter only, and the transmission who is making a weird noise by cold weather when I stop, I got a bad surprise this weekend when I removed my Bike rack that I use for 8 years on 3 differents cars.

Bike rack: Rack1.JPG

After I removed the rack, 2 dents created by only the weight of 2 bikes:
Dents1.JPG


Any body got any issues with the cheap body on the Mini?

 

Cheap MINI body? I disagree. This sort of damage could have also happened on a new Honda, which are known for their thin sheetmetal and paint.

It seems to me that you are using a bike rack that is not approved or suitable to use in the MINI. I find it a little hard to believe that you don't expect to see damage on a part of the tail gate that is clearly not designed to withstand the weight of a bike rack plus 2 bicycles.

Sorry to sound a little harsh but I think you need to find a bike rack that does not press its weight against the hatchback. If you look at OEM bike racks or aftermarket ones (Like MINIFINI's) you'll see that none of them rest their weight against the back of the car.

 

Paint chips are an universal problem in new cars today, not just the MINI. Blame it on EPA mandated water based paints that have poor chipping resistance. Consider a front clearbra to keep these at bay and keep the car looking clean.

 

Get a new car.

-Cody

 

MINIFINI bike rack:

http://minifini.com/ShopDetail.aspx?id=8

 

 

Ouch... sorry to see the damage on your nice MINI.

For those for whom its not too late, consider something like this:
http://www.outmotoring.com/mini_fini...bike_rack.html

 

there must be a reason why MINI made their bike rack the way they are...

 

So MiniToy will have these dents on his hatch, and a couple big holes drilled into his bumber?!
Might be difficult to sell when the times comes. Plus be sure your warrenty isn't void if you do decide to go and drilled out your bumper.
I've been looking for a bike rack for awhile, and my service manager at Mini actually condemned the bike rack options they offer, a) they are about $1000 including install (both roof and rear). b) both options require drilling into the body. They only install them if the customer insists on having it....and willing to pay the price.
So currently im designing my own 'under the bumper' hitch system.

P.s., MiniToy, you installed your bikerack incorrectly....the top arm is supposed to rest on the window.

 

MINITOY can have his dents fixed for around $150 at one of those mobile dent (PDR) removal places. Painful lesson to learn.

I am not a big fan of the OEM roof rack but it so happens that the manufacturer has deemed the roof as one of the safest places to put your bikes. The other such place is the rear bumper structure.

Sorry, the MINI was not designed to be a bike hauler right out of the box, so your "safe" choices are pricey and require holes to be drilled. If you deviate from these requirements, you'll have problems. Post #1 is a clear exhibit as to why researching these add ons is so important before putting them on the car.

 

Thank guys for all your coments.
Regarding the Rack, it is a rack designed for 3 bikes and I used is a lot on my Golf 2002 and 1996 with no such problem.

What I see with all that, it is that Mini is built to use Mini accessories only which is why it cost so much soon you pass the Mini dealership doors...

However the Mini solutions are really bad for Canada where I am located because they are source of rust which is alrealy a big problem with Mini in Canada.

Well I will get it fix and just keep in mind that I bought this car for the fun driving and the look.

 

I use the Saris Bones rack; it cost about $110. One arm rests on the window glass, and the bottom arms rest on the bumper. I use a pad on my bumper between the arms and the bumper and while it does dent the bumper a little (they can only seen at the right angle), they pop back out after a short time. I don't know what the rear bumper is made of, but it isn't the metal the body of the MINI is made of. No permanent damage to the bumper after using it for a year on my MINI. No holes need to be drilled. The rack pops on and off in 2-3 minutes.

I couldn't afford the $1000 for the Sport Link, install, and bike rack and I already had the Bones rack, so it was a no brainer.