I was wondering if anyone else found some quality control issues on their brand new MINI's. I found several QC issues on my 06 after I got it home that really bugged me. Made me wonder if the rush to beat the production record for 2005 made the workers overlook some things. At first I was not going to say anything because I like the car so much but I have contacted my dealer about them and they said they will look at them at the first service. Here they are:

Several deep scratches in rear bumper.

Actual fingerprints from the factory in the paint on the boot (handled before dry?).

A spot in the paint about 2" x 1/2" by the fresh air intake that was buffed through the clear coat and is dull in appearance.

The bonnet would not latch due to a mis-aligned latching mechanism that I had to adjust myself to work right.

None of these are huge in themselves but they should not be there on a "premium" vehicle.

 

It sounds as though you have some grounds to complain to the dealer and have the items remedied under warranty. Good luck.

My '06 MCS is definitely better than my '02 MCS. So things are getting better from my point of view.