Hmmm, crazy.

My paint has a small, bubbly type flaw on the bonnet down by the fender, but I haven't had it looked at by the dealer yet. I know for a fact it wasn't damaged at the VDC cuz my car made it through there in 1 day!!!

Sorry to hear about your situation, and LMAO at the guy who suggested some friend or family member of yours damaged your car and then had it repaired without your knowledge!

 

So, when the robot at the factory that paints the cars has a glitch on one panel of the car, do you suppose the just throw the car away and start over? Of course not, they re-paint it, and probably by hand in a body shop of sorts on site. They probably don't repaint the whole car either, unless they have to, since the robot paint job is probably cured in a special booth. Right up until the time the car is "finished" it's a work in progress, and there wouldn't be any "damage" to disclose as long as it passes final inspection before it rolls out the door.

There's lots of places on my car, inner fender wells, underside of the hood, etc., where the paint quality is not very good. I would certainly suspect an issue at the factory as soon as anything else. Further, I've owned lots of old British cars and on more than one MG or Morris there was a panel or two repainted from the factory. It's pretty darn common.

That said, BMW usually has pretty strict fit and finish standards on their paint and bodywork so this sort of thing doesn't get noticed, but can the same be said for MINI?

 

Um, he did.

Reading > JCL_06MCS

 

There can be major damage done in shipping and at the port. There is a thread here some where (sticky too I think it was) of some pictures of Port Hueneme (sp?). They had a tour through the facility. One thing they had a picture of was a Mini that was getting a new roof. The truck driver hit the wrong lever and crushed it. They repaired the car. The thread the car wouldn't be sold but go into their corporate fleet or used as a demo.

There have been a few posts from people who had to reorder because their car was damaged beyond repair during shipping.

 

I sympathize with the OP. Someone is withholding a piece of critical info. The quarter panel might be the only part showing the repair but the whole suspension could have been replaced.

Coffeeman, was there any unexpected delay when you were tracking the car?

 

Having read the thread, I can feel for the OP. BTW it may, how can you prove who repainted it? In the words of Cochran " If the glove don't fit, you must acquit". Good luck in any case.

 

When you file your lawsuit, which obviously you are, be sure to sue both the dealer AND Mini USA. I still think it belongs in small claims though.

 

Coffeeman,

Sorry to hear about your misfortune.

I would ask that you don't slam MoT until you have proof of any wrongdoing.

Many of the Baltimore and DC area MINI owners are very pleased with their service and treatment of customers.

Please save the mudslinging until after your lawsuit is settled.

Thanks

 

Wow......major over reaction don't ya think? Websites, fraud email addy, lawsuits. All within about a month. Sounds like it was repaired at the factory if there is no evidence from BMW/MINI for a repair. Or the dealer had it fixed before picking it up.

 

Well, the point he brings up is a valid one. If the dealer DID have it fixed, they have a legal obligation to disclose that.

 

Coffeeman, clearly you are upset, but...it's just a car. The repaint was good enough that in 8,000 miles, you never had a clue it had happened. Sounds like you're pretty detail-oriented, so I'm guessing the car looks pretty good.

My advice -- and since you posted this here, you at least opened yourself up to advice -- is to drop your lawsuit plans and your grudge against whomever you're mad at, and go out and have a drive in your fun car.

Leave the courts open to those who have been seriously injured. This seems like a waste of your time and money. You have a perfectly decent car. Perhaps it has hidden flaws...but don't we all?

--Dan
Mach V

 

If you've been to a VPC, you'd know this is a more likely scenario than BMW/Mini trying to cover-up something as minor as a quarter panel respray.

Besides, with the way this guy is (over)reacting, it wouldn't surprise me at all if somebody tried to smooth things over before he returned home from a business trip or something...

 

I agree with that completely to some extent...BUT there are two types of people when it comes to that. A) It's not that big of a deal really, it's not worth my time I have better things to do. B) I'm not taking S*** from anybody. F*** me? No, F*** you!
I don't think there's anything wrong with either point of view. Obviously the heart healthy way is option A, but if you really feel you've been wronged, AND if the law is on your side go for it. It is a VERY interesting case though. I can't wait to see what happens. This is almost as good as the instance on the VW forums where a guy's new R32 almost burned completely down while sitting parked in the parking lot! Check that out at www.vwvortex.com for some entertainment!

 

so what you guys are saying is the diminished value of the car is the OP's share to take? Or not disclose the fact and sell it at normal book value to an innocent unsuspecting buyer? I could not do that. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did that.

 

Another interesting point. The burden of proof is going to be difficult to prove. Maybe he has a 16 year old son and he went out of town for a couple of weeks! This is another reason to go over the car with a fine-tooth comb wheen picking up a car. Really though, it's just a matter that sometimes life F***'s you. It just happens as they say.

 

It happens in more dealers that you think. Some dealers know about it and some don't. I've had the same problem with Dodge, Ford, and Nissan. I caught the defects with Dodge and Ford but not Nissan. It took me several months to notice a dull line that looked like over spray on the roof and was able to buff it out. I never had any problems trading it in though. Just goes to show you have to inspect your vehicles very carefully before you sign the paperwork. Always pick up your car during the day. A Dodge dealer kept wanting me to pick up the truck after sunset. I refused and when I picked it up during the day I discovered the truck bed had been repainted; walked off the lot...

 

At worst, this thread has been a great warning to people to make sure they inspect their vehicles!

 

Yes interesting story...

If this has diminished the value of the car---this is where the "tort" lies...

And Mini needs to pay the difference.

Sounds fair to me.

 

Given the previous legal action and subsequent precedent I seriously doubt BMW is willing to risk another multi million dollar settlement to "save" a few 1000 by not disclosing damage to your car.

It seems more likely that there was either an issue during manufacture as someone mentioned or damage en route to the dealer or at the dealer.

 

I can't say I agree with this. Our whole society has gotten too lawsuit happy. Carmax has a well established rep of low-balling people - they will find any excuse to drop what they offer you. If you did sell your car to them, do you honestly think they would disclose this flaw to whoever they sell it to? No way!

If you want maximum return on your car, you've got to do a private sale. Any dealer needs to make a profit, so they are going to offer you thousands below what they think they can sell it for.

And it's also a well know fact that if you buy a new car and sell it after just 6 months you're going to take a beating with the instant depreciation.

Your case may have merit, in light of the previous case you cite, but if the repair was done properly, I personally dont think you're entitled to much of a settlement, even if MINIUSA/BMW is found liable...

 

relatively quickly could be "expensive", regardless of paint work

 

But if you read what he said, it WASN'T done properly. A repair done properly would have been up to spec. This wasn't. The paint thickness PROOVES that. Again, I'm not even really on his side, but he has a point.

 

If it would have been me, I would have been really pissed, I would have gone to the dealer and told them what I found out, see if they would work something out with me and if they didn't then I would just tell them they lost a customer/referal for life. Then move on, that would have been the extent of my action. But that's just me, I don't need/want another gray hair.

 

You've done a very thorough job of documenting this discrepency.

I have another suggestion for you - write this exact email into a letter to Sal Talerico at MINIUSA (He's the VP of Customer Service for MINIUSA).

I don't think it's entirely fair to blame the dealer when the manufacturer has not been ruled out. MINIUSA can and will push back to the dealer to investigate further.

Also, resale value for a 2007 MINI Cooper S at trade in with about 11,000 miles is about $20,700. So CarMax is not entirely out of line in their purchase quote. Bear in mind you're dealing with wholesale prices so you're comparing all 2007 MINI Cooper S that have been through auction in the mid-Atlantic region. If CarMax screwed up and valued the car as a MINI Cooper (non-S) then this wholesale price would be right on the money.

 

I don;t mean to post *****..but that was deep.