That's interesting.

 

Perhaps it's just me, but to me it seems you're a bit dramatic about the 'multitude' of problems with your Mini. Most of your few issues are simply rectified by adjusting or tightening a screw. Sadly every new car will have some issues, and of course the dealer should rectify them all. Yes, it is absolutely annoying, but apparently current manufacturing can't rule issues out. Just look at laptops: some well-known brands have 20% of laptops taken back within the first year because of problems. I guess it is cheaper to deal with those issues rather than try to prevent them.

Again, all issues should be dealt with, but having those issues isn't the end of the world.

 

Hm. Well, if a loud, whining air conditioner and often having to start the car twice to get it going both only require turning a screw then you may be onto something.

I've owned many cars and have never remotely had these kinds of problems with a new one (I'm being totally honest here) - maybe I've just been lucky, but that's my measuring stick. If it seems I'm being overly dramatic then trust me when I say that that's just the deficiency of message board communication. I'm frustrated and annoyed but am being very calm and collected with the dealer -- that's the only way to get through life without ulcers.

 

A funny tidbit:

I just got off the phone with the dealer. The guy said, "I wish all of our MINI customers were as easy to deal with as you in these situations...oh wait...I probably shouldn't have said that." At which point we both laughed.

 

Headlands, I do feel for what you are going through, I do.

My 03 Canadian spec MC had some major problems; frozen door handles, MINI said lube the cables, my MINI tech back in Winnipeg figured out it was not a cable issue, it was ice building up behind the lever. Fix was install 04 handles with stronger springs.

At 30k miles with temps of -40 an axle seal let go. This was fixed on the day it happened with new(better) seals. The dealer still replaced the tranny because it had dumped so much tranny fluid. I drove the car for 3 weeks before the swap, and all was fine.

Wife's 05 Cabrio, long list of issues, 3 new roofs, clutch, Body Control Module, to name a few.

08 Clubman S, not bad so far, CAS needed to be re-flashed. This past week CEL on, and temperature/coolant codes.


All these issues have been fixed, none of our MINIs have ever left us stranded, oh sorry, the clutch on the Cabrio, Road Side took over.

MINI has taken very good care of us, even when we vent openly to the poor SA. And trust me, we vent going in with knowledge, knowing bulletins that relate to issues, and that they personally did not build the car.

We have always gotten a loaner, the service done fixes the issue, and life goes on.

By the by, my 03 has 105+k miles, and has not had a single issue in 75k miles.

Hang in there, life is dull driving a boring car

Mark

 

You clearly have not met my brother. He had a 2002 Honda Civic that he bought new and it was a pile of garbage. It was fine for about 40,000 miles. Then stuff just started acting up, breaking, coming apart no matter how many times he fixed it. One night, a friend was helping him with the engine and he threw up his hands in frustration and ditched it for a Nissan. Now, I'm worried as people tell me that Nissan has had a rash of quality control problems only about a few years ago. At least he hasn't run into any problems yet. Also, did you know Toyota recalled more cars than any other foreign maker in 2008?

 

When I bought my Dodge Caravan (ugh ... kids then) my father chided me over and over for finally buying American

I finally showed him the sticker stating it was assembled in Canada . . .

 

Wow! Well, they simply aren't made as good as some other cars -- what can ya do.

But you're right, life is dull driving a boring car, and so far the dealer has been fantastic with this whole situation. I'll let you all know how it pans out.

 

Need to rephrase it to "Life is too short, drive a fun car!"

 

If someone can show me a car that has less/no problems, costs the same/less, and is as much fun as a MINI, step up, state your case. I may listen

Mark

 

I just got back from the dealer (the loaner car is BMW 335i! Whoah. Now THAT is fast).

They told me that a lot of people come in with two of the problems I'm having: the double start thing and uneven sunroofs.

The double start thing is something they haven't fully figured out ever since some people have been complaining about it for a number of years now -- they thought it was related to the cold chatter problem that's an acknowledged MINI issue for some, but it turned out not to be the case. He said as long as it's intermittent then I don't need to worry about it. Oh, well -- I can deal with that, it's not like it happens every time I start the car, just a couple times a week.

The sunroof is something that tons of people have problems with, according the mechanic supervisor -- he just laughed and shook his head when I told him about it and showed him that's in unevenly mounted. He said that as long as there's no leaking or excessive wind noise that he would advise not touching it as it will end up causing more problems.

The A/C probably needs to have the compressor replaced, they're going to fix the window problem, and they'll re-install the heat shield. They were great to deal with, and I just hope that the mechanic my car gets is a good one.

I will say this -- thought the 335i loaner is noticeably faster and handles like nothing I've ever experienced (its weight makes it more stable and steady than the MINI in that regard), it's just not nearly as fun to drive as my MINI and I found myself getting bored on my way back home from the dealer. The thing with the MINI is that you have to work a little bit more to drive it than the more luxurious and heavy cars, which is part of what makes it so fun.

 

You definitely sound upbeat ! You should have that smile back when you get your MINI !

 

I had a 335i as a loaner yesterday and it was a reallllly nice car but I felt like my Mini was faster....

 

What did they fix, Steph?

 

I was upbeat.

They told me everything was fixed, so I went to pick the car up. As soon as I got it on a main street out of the dealer I turned on the A/C and heard the exact same loud gear-like whining. Also, the heat shield in the engine was still stuck up against the pipe when I stopped to open the hood and check -- they were supposed to have fixed that. Turned right around and brought it back.

After I arrived home in the loaner the second time (about 15 minutes ago) they called me and said that they checked another MINI and the very same sound happened, so therefore all MINIs must make that sound. The interesting part about that theory is that my MINI does not always make that sound, and according to other members of this very message board theirs don't make that sound at all. The other interesting part is that when I went on a drive in my car with the foreman this morning we did not hear the sound at first, but later on in the drive (therefore indicating to me that it's not a normal sound -- am I being crazy here?).

I'll ask here again: when you guys turn on your A/C when you're driving (not in idle, only when actually driving), do you hear a gear-like whining noise that lasts for about 10-20 seconds and changes tone as you accelerate/decelerate?

UPDATE: They claim that it's normal and told me that "air conditioners make noise". I truly don't think this is normal. When I repeated that it didn't happen during the first couple of weeks of ownership he said, "cars break in and things like this happen". Really! I'm very interested to hear if other people have this sound -- it's a very obvious whirring noise, which I've never heard in any other car. I'll just have to take it to another dealer, I think. Pain in the ***.

 

Replaced the intake manifold because ice kept building up in it and caused the check engine light to come on..

 

Like I said, I hear the A/C whirring sound on my car but just on initial turn on, lasts about 10 to 15 seconds and then it's gone.

Minis make noises other cars don't, I wouldn't worry about it unless it gets unbearable. You have the engine clicking sound (normal), you have the gas tank bumping sound on shut down (normal), you have the A/C whirring sound (normal), you have rattles from hell (normal) ....

 

Putting the windows down and enjoying the drive with the iPod playing I very seldom hear my A/C as I normally don't use it even in the 100 plus temps of Central CA. If the noise your hearing is normal and it quits working they will be fixing it for you, at least you have that going for you.

 

Yeah I hear you. It just sounds like a cheap Yugo for a bit when you turn the A/C on! Kind of takes the mystique of it being a BMW out a bit.

 

Sorry about the bad luck. I know it is disappointing. I agree your joy of having a new car should not be marred by such poor QC but I also beleive it is important not to give up on the car which is really just a collection of parts. When you get the kinks out all should be OK.

I have been lucky - 7,000 trouble free miles on my MCS.

Here's to a rapid resolution and the return of the FUN.

 

I have the climate control package. I generally leave my fan switch set to the second speed position (summer or winter) and only rarely go to any faster speeds. The temp setting, in cold weather, I have it set for either 66F or 68F. In the summer, I obviously set it much higher. In any case, it's not like I turn on the A/C, it comes on when it's needed to adjust the temps and under that auto operation, I can't say that I was ever conscious of the A/C making any significant or noticeable noises.

 

Regarding Japanese reliability...Ummm not so. I traded in my top of the line '09 Prius six weeks ago after enduring countless problems. Including but not limited to...

Body Panel failure. I drove off the lot and within three blocks, the rear driver's side body panel popped off. I mean it was completely off of the car.

Interior Door Panel failure. I leaned across the passenger seat (more on that later) to pull the door closed and the whole panel came off. Like I was the Hulk!

Smoking brakes...like the car was on fire. We drove the family to the beach and coming down a canyon the car started smoking. I mean billowing clouds and the stench of burning rubber. Required all new brake pads...the first set.

Total brake failure. All pads had to be replaced and all rotors re-machined. This occurred during a drive from LA to Vegas with two screaming infants to visit Grandma. Even the dealer in NV was shocked. After the prior flaming brakes incident, you can imagine my reticence at driving back across the desert.

Passenger seat gremlins. Without a passenger riding in the seat it would squeal, moan and creak. It was so bad, I would drive holding the seat or weighing it down to minimize the noise.

The body in the trunk. At random intervals the rear passenger side of the trunk would emit banging so loud and violent that my husband lept out and swore there was someone trying to break out of the trunk. Mystery never solved.

Lurching during idling. Probably that stow-away trying to leap out. Dealer could never explain it.

The list goes on, but I did not. I dropped that eco-friendly-gremlin-ridden thing off and happily drove home in a '10 Clubman S with a 6-speed and am happy, happy, happy.

I don't know how you say lemon in Japanese, but I got one.

 

Agree that there will be cars from all mfrs that will have bugs with them. Just that if you review the annual Consumers Report book, "Most" not all of the japanese cars are indicated with far greater solid colored circles (indicating reliable) versus most other american and european car models.

When we bought our Odyssey, it was during the first year or two they had the motorized sliding doors. I was very concerned about the reliability of those doors. The Odyssey is the only Honda that I bought an extended warranty. As it turned out, we did have motor issues with those doors at least twice and they are expensive to repair. We bsaically made out okay with the extended warranty based on the doors. But I also had an extended warranty on the Dodge Caravan. Comparing the two - We were always into the dealer with the Caravan. Only into the dealer on the Odyssey for the sliding doors and..can't recall any other major issues. In the case of the caravan, it was not so much the out of pocket cost that drove us nuts because the extended warranty worked well for that car - glad we got it. But just that we had to go back to the dealer on a regular basis...throughout the time we had it.

In regards to the Prius....I am not a lover of these hybrids especially the ones that try to max out on the gas mileage. My perception is that I would be concerned with the dilemma to having to replace an expensive battery late in the car's life versus getting rid of it for peanuts without replacing the battery...and the battery replacements are expensive if it does ever need changing. Also. my perception (and I could be wrong) but the hybrids that are being sold to max out the mileage such as the Prius...My perception is that they are cutting corners to save on adding undue weight to the car. These cars are not being sold as elegant, deluxe cars. They are basically being sold as practical cars. The MINI - My perception is that it is for those that want a small car that is responsive and is an upscale small car. Reliability...Well, I bought with the expectation that it will not be as reliable as most of my Hondas that I have owned thru the years but it hopefully is above average compared to most American and European cars.

 

I agree about the "philosophy" but sometimes the "very obvious" become the most difficult thing to fix

As a member of the American Society of Quality (ASQ), I completely understand the need to follow a philosophy of quality; even the American car manufactures had (and still have) several quality initiatives they are working hard and succesful with the implementation, but it takes many years to fully implement them (on my previous company they are still working on the same philosophy since the beginning of the 90's) and maintain them (the hardest part).

Again, you have all the right to vent and complain, and your Mini Dealer have the responsibility to help you (which it looks it is happening), but all of these it is not an excuse for poor craftsmanship! (Even if it only happens in some vehicles, their QA/QC department needs to work on improving their record!)

 

Btw... $32k may be an acursed number. That was the final price on my Prius. I hedged my bets and leased my Clubman S. You want to debate quality control, I could tell you about my Audi Allroad and BMW 5 series. Great drivers, mechanically neurotic. Still, worth the excitement and the pita trips to the dealer. Achtung!