I'm the proud owner of a 2008 Cabrio, and when waxing it the other day I noticed a 6 inch long crack along the black plastic cover on the driver's side windshield pillar. I can't recall any kind of impact that would cause this. I had the windshield replaced due to a crack pretty early on in my ownership the summer of 2008, but I don't think that has anything to do with it, due to the amount of time that has passed. Anyone else experience this? Think I might have any luck having it replaced under the new car warranty? Thanks in advance!

 

Happens somtimes when windshields are replaced. There is a molded foam backing which also loses some of it's resiliancy over time so when the covers are put back, there is not enough even pressure behind the cover when pushing it back on.

Over time these covers look pretty crappy anyways requiring buffing and scratch remover. So if they have aged to the point of requiring lots of upkeep, replacing them in pairs sometimes is not a bad idea.

I did a how to here this past spring.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...placement.html

I also ended up having to epoxy the pin clips for those little strips at the top of the A Pillar. The clips are held in with an oblong slot which is not very rugged. I used a dab of epoxy in the slot and slid the clip in. Let it dry and pushed it back on.....they are on there really tight now.

Good thing to do as these little buggers are not available separately from MINI, you have to buy a whole section to get this one little part

 

It's been over two years since I replaced the windshield and they were not cracked when it was replaced, so I don't see how the deterioration of the molded foam back would cause a crack two years later. Only recently did I notice the crack. Manufacturing defect? How much are they from Mini (I assume they are the only place to get them)?

 

What can I say.....It's just a poor design to begin with and over time the foam molded backing just loses it's resiliancy so when any uneven pressure is applied to the ouside of the A pillar cover - it cracks.

I had one A pillar with a micro crack about 8 inches long left by a windshield installer that did not become visible until I eventually applied uneven pressure when applying polish and wax.....

Replacement from MINI ? Well it never hurts to ask. What ya got to lose .

 

Thanks! Your posts are very helpful. I will pursue it with Mini and see what happens. Can't hurt to ask!

 

Guys, what happened to me is some idiot drugged out thief pulled my Right-side A pillar out (not in a nice way) and stole $500 worth of flying gear by pushing a rod straight down and opening the door (handle). So I need a new A Pillar. Do I need to buy the mounting plate too?

 

Oh, and is there anywhere I can get these? I've only found one website and it's $60+shipping.
And the buggers stole my Garmin...gonna miss that!

 

Hello,

I would bet money that the pillar is cracking because of the window installation. It could be that the foam wasn't placed back correctly or maybe the pillar is screwed in too tightly. If I could go back in time I would have removed the parts in prep for the new window replacement. The installer I had was only concerned about rushing through it and as a result missed a lot of details that I had to go back and fix.

The place I bought replacement OEM parts was ...

http://www.penskeparts.com/index.aspx

about 6 months after the installation I noticed that the top corner of the pillar was grabbing the towels when washing the car. I went to the MINI dealer and the service advisor helped me push the pillar in/tighten the screws.

 

http://www.penskeparts.com/index.aspx