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on topic
orthogonally

 

I called my SA about another issue and asked about the recall. He says they've got the parts in stock so I'm going to get it done at the same time.

 

I've got an appointment to get mine done Friday this week in Nashville... I have NOT recieved my letter yet, but they said they'd do it anyway as I'll be in town for biz ..and they are providing a loaner..

 

Got mine done the other day (no letter yet), and they did a new hood scoop and heat shield gratis !!! Guess I'll have my wife take the car in from now on.

 

so they replaced your hood scoop for free? mine has a slight 'bend' in it... i was told by the dealer that its normal......

 

Man, that's a different spin on dealers. Taking care of a woman instead of taking advantage of them. She must be pretty hot.
Was your car still under warranty?

 

I got it done today, my SA said the government was holding up the sending out of the letters for some reason. He also said a lot of people had heard of the recall and were asking for it. On the other hand lots of people hadn't heard of it.

 

No, it's not normal, and they've been replacing them free for years! Mine was replaced after a couple of years (I've known others who had theirs "bend" much sooner, and they were replaced sooner). They didn't have a heat shield available at that time, except non-MINI, but I elected to leave out the little grate because the factory replacement at that time was undrilled. I've had no further trouble. My guess is a heat shield would also have been installed had it been available from MINI.

Anytime you hear a "it's normal" from a dealer, and you suspect it's not, go on NAM and do a search. This has been the subject of many threads, and plenty of people would have told you to grab a fistful of titles and show them to the SA!

 

thanks for the info. would they do this on a car that is out of warranty?

i am dropping the car off today for the recall and will request the dealer to swap it out and install the heat shield as well. :fingers crossed:

 

It's hard to say. How far out of warranty? How long have you had the problem? When did you previously talk to your dealer about it? Are you a member of a local club (ie, will you talk about the problem with fellow MINI owners/buyers)?

My guess--and I'm neither a lawyer nor a dealer--is that they will replace it if you point out how many others have had the problem. It IS a very well known issue, and they've been replacing them right and left since 2007. The only thing they won't do (I've asked) is replace them with the carbon fiber style. They'll be happy to install it, but only if you pay the difference.

 

warranty expired in september last year. i noticed it around 3 months ago. i spoke to the dealer about the issue when i first spotted it. no, i am not a member of a local club and i don't know any other mini owners in cincinnati. i have owned the car for around 7 months now.
i will tell you this... the cincinnati dealers did give me a run around to get stuff repaired under warranty where as the other dealers in nearby cities such as dayton, columbus, indiana and kentucky were way more helpful. each dealer treats first time customers different.

 

That makes it tougher if you're not the original buyer, but again, it's a known issue. See what the dealer says today, and if the answer is no, go higher in the food chain. Look up "hood scoop" in the Gen 2 section, and poke around in the threads. Here's one:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...s-melting.html

There's probably a service bulletin on it somewhere. I'd tell the higher-up that you've discussed this with your dealer before and was told it is "normal." And now that you have proof that it's not, that it's a known issue, and that they've been replacing them since '07, you want a new one.

Also, if you're not a member of a club, you're missing half the fun of ownership! There's a big listing of clubs on the main directory of forums. Find the one closest to you, and join up! You're coming into prime drive time, and there's nothing "funner" than seeing a line of MINIs going through the twisties! (Don't forget MINIs In The Ozarks--MITO--this October, in Eureka Springs, AR, too!)

P.S. Lots of clubs offer discounts with local vendors and dealers with membership. They'll probably pay for the dues.

 

Never got the letter, but my dealer emailed their whole customer base about this. Not only that, they setup the appointment, came with a loaner, took my car at my home. LOVE my dealer.

 

Great! Do the dealer--and fellow MINIacs--a favor and tell us who it is!

 

i'll give this a shot, thanks for the tip.

TBH, i don't like the way the mini drives... lol
maybe cuz i'm used to driving a rear wheel drive M3. or maybe its the turbo lag. i bought the car with the intention of it being a grocery getter and gas saver car more than a track car.

i will look into the local clubs... those are always fun and i've been members of other car clubs earlier.

 

Boo, hiss! You and my Hubby. He went out and bought an old Miata for an autocross car, just because he doesn't like front wheel drive...

Then again, we always take the MINI when we want to have fun in Arkansas!

 

car is at the dealer now and i got a sweet dark grey countryman with red stripes as a loaner to drive around... didn't know this car was so close to the mini with the addition of all4 and 2 doors.

 

Got my letter yesterday.

 

They must have sent the letters out all at the same time.

 

Probably, I got mine, too.

BTW, for those who have already replaced theirs, I noticed the letter offered compensation to those who have spent the money. Or at least, a way to get "consideration" for reimbursement.

 

Yeah, got my letter yesterday and made an appointment for next week.

 

Got my letter yesterday as well, but had the fix done last week,

 

I'll give my dealer a call and see when to bring it in. The letter said it takes about an hour to replace the parts.

I hate having my car taken apart because I'm sure it will not ever be right again.

In my 23,000 miles I have no leaks, use no oil, have absolutely no problems at all.

Now the nightmare begins. (((DOOM)))

 

Seems like a fairly easy thing. They don't have to take the bumper off or anything like that to get to it. It's just in a tight spot.
You'll be ok.

 

I think I should send mine in for service this week. Thanks for the fear you've instilled upon me as well.