Just wanted to update everyone. I had a look at what was repaired, and to my (non-educated, but capable of common sense) eyes, it looks like the work done was consistent with car hitting something like a parking space barrier or curb. There were specific parts that were NOT repaired or replaced that WOULD have been, had there been a serious collision. But, based on what I was shown and looked at, what was replaced makes sense and didn't seem consistent with a major collision incident.

During this inspection, the Carmax mechanic pointed out a small fluid leak. They agreed to send the car back to MINI to have that fixed, and they also agreed to have MINI do a thorough inspection of the vehicle and resolve any other issues they find. Carmax would not agree to paying for an extended warranty or any kind of purchase price rebate. But, they did agree to let me return the car if I wanted to, based entirely on my overall "comfort" level with the current vehicle. They also agreed to sell me a MaxCare extended warranty at significantly lower prices than I was quoted when I bought the car, which I am still considering.

Overall, though, I think I've decided that I am comfortable with the previous work done and with keeping the car, especially since they are willing to take care of any issues that the MINI dealer finds. It also seems like a lot of what was repaired would also address a lot of the common issues that other Clubmans have had, such as the timing chain, high pressure pump, etc.

I am also happy with the way Carmax offered to handle the situation. Carmax have a 5-day return policy. The fact they were willing to let me return the car at around 40 days for a full refund was, in my opinion, a pretty strong show of good faith. And, although they wouldn't pay for an extended warranty, the discounts they offered were nice, and I might still purchase the extended warranty to help mitigate any other risk.

The only downside--the car is back at MINI so I'm stuck in their loaner for a few more days. Driving just isn't the same anymore without her. LOL.

 

Congratulations!
It sounds like you handled the negotiations like a champ.
I hope your Clubman makes you as happy as mine makes me.
It's been almost 3 years and I still love my car!

Happy Motoring!

 

Sounds like they treated you fairly.

Just for consideration: What did they offer the Carmax extended warranty for, and how much did they quote you when you purchased the car?

I go 'both ways' on extended warranties. I bought one for my Clubman because of the HIGH repair costs of MINIs... and my prior experiences with German and English cars. Carmax has the actuarial side of figuring this out down pat, from what I understand.

 

Prices vary based on TOTAL odometer (it's at just over 41K right now) and deductible. All of their plans are 72 months from CARMAX delivery date.

75K Miles/72 Months
$50 Deductible = $1500
$100 Deductible = $1450
$200 Deductible = $1280
$300 Deductible = $1180

100K Miles/72 Months
$50 Deductible = $2300
$100 Deductible = $2080
$200 Deductible = $1760
$300 Deductible = $1500

125K Miles/72 Months
$50 Deductible = $3380
$100 Deductible = $3000
$200 Deductible = $2450
$300 Deductible = $2000

Coverage details here:
http://www.carmax.com/enus/maxcare/default.html

When I purchased the car, I think I looked at 100K Miles/$200 Deductible, for which I was quoted around $2700, if I recall correctly.

For comparison, Easy Care (another extended warranty company) quoted me similar coverage, but only for an additional 48 months/50K miles for $3711.

I'm considering the 125K/72MO $200 deductible for $2450. I drove my last car (VW Golf) to 125K miles/10 years old (avg 12K/yr). Towards the end, I was probably putting $2-3K annually in repairs. I figure 100K miles is when I would start really getting my money's worth, if not a little sooner with the price of MINI repairs I've seen.

 

Sounds like a great deal... and good customer service!

 

I just thought I'd update this thread again regarding my experience with Carmax. During the first 30 days of owning my MINI, the brake light came on indicating that I needed brake service. I took it into Carmax, and Carmax sent it down to the local MINI dealership. The dealership swapped out the brake wear sensor, but I was told the brakes, themselves were fine.

Fast forward six months. I took my MINI in for an oil change. The shop tells me I need new brakes, that my pads are worn down to nothing, and that the sensor was installed, but was never connected. HUH?!?!?!

Well, I called Carmax and said, "Look, I brought this to you inside of my initial 30 day warranty with you folks, and you sent it to Desert MINI, who apparently did a crappy job of installing new brake wear sensors, and now my brakes need repair. What gives?" Further investigation showed that on the dealership receipt that Carmax gave me on the initial service visit that "Customer (i.e., Carmax) declines rear brake pads", implying that they actually DID need to be replaced, along with the sensor, despite the fact that I was told the opposite.

Anyway, about a week and a half later (this was all over the Thanksgiving holiday week), I got a call from the operations manager at Carmax. And, at the end of the day, they took care of the brake service at no cost to me.

So, I can honestly say that Carmax have stood by their sale and taken care of me 100% of the way, even 6 months down the road. Yes, certain issues could've been avoided with more accurate information from the start. However, any problems that were created have been addressed, and they have done what it took to keep me happy. Not every company does that, these days.

 

wow.. just wow... i mean.. I do like how they are standing behind everything they do, but I am concerned that this stuff has happened..

 

I'm glad they did you right this time - but why did they try to slip one past you the last time?

 

Honestly I'd say yeah it is a good thing seeing A company follow through so far out of the initial 30 day BUT, that could have been a huge liability I feel. Especially if an accident occurred because of it. That's good for you that you got the situation taken care of but things could have gone a lot farther. I would have been a dash bit livid in the CarMax office

 

To be honest, I more apt to blame the MINI dealership for the issue with the brakes more than Carmax, simply based on my own experiences at the dealership.

The whole place is a cluster *****. It really wouldn't surprise me if they forgot to hook up the brake sensor and forgot to tell Carmax the car needed pads. I actually tried twice to buy a car from our local dealership. Both times, I was flatly ignored (once after asking for help), so I just walked out. My last experience with the service department was disorganized at best. No follow ups, nothing was done when they said it would be, and the loaner they "booked" for me was suddenly unavailable when I showed up for my appointment. The time before that, they had the car for 5 days to replace the water pump. And, how long did it take them to replace the brake sensor they forgot to hook up? 3 days that time.

So, yeah...it was hard to be too pissed at Carmax given what they were working with at the MINI dealership. The accident not showing on the vehicle history report wasn't Carmax's fault, and they were willing to find me another car if I wanted them to, even outside their "satisfaction guarantee" period. And, regarding the issue with the brakes--I was tempted to be upset because it could definitely be construed as a cover-up; however, given the dealership that worked on the car the first time, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, since they were willing to fix the issue when it was brought to their attention.

Anyway, all is well now, it seems.

 

I didn't read every post but I didn't see anyone mention shipping damage. These cars are brought over generally unprotected on ships and can/will suffer damage during the trip over, or when taken off the ship, up to and including running it into something. That type of damage will not show up on any Carfax report because it occurred when the car was untitled. I believe Mini has a repair shop at the US dock just to handle these problems.

 

Not a matter of shipping damage. Car was a 2009; damage repair date in 2011. I think Carmax did more for you than I would have imagined possible. I'd expect to be blown off on the most recent repair.