I've been reading the posts on this forum for about 6 months so I thought it was time I joined!

The information, experiences, and general comments are most helpful and its good to see so many MINI freaks!

I bought my 08 MCS last June from a MINI dealer with 33K miles (lease return) with 1 year left on the factory warranty. After negotiating from a $23K ask price to $19K out the door (see signature for configuration)....interesting saga. I can strongly assert that Bob Smith MINI service center is one to AVOID...these people ain't "got it".

Only two things needed fixing...a rear panel pano squeek and the hint of the death rattle (just started last month). After going all the way up to the MINI USA Director of Customer Service and simple engineering reasoning (yes, I'm an Engineer!), they saw it my way and offered a "one time good will" replacement of the tenstioner, chain, guide rails, etc....to which I said NO! It is not a good will jesture, it is a fix under warranty (real important difference)...which they complied. The squeek in the pano has been back to them three times in 6 weeks (never fixed) where the last time around they fixed the squeek by breaking the plastic pano guide rail. So the squeek is gone but I can't open the pano until they get a new one from Germany (about 4 weeks). Now of course we have the water pump recall!

I love the car...and have done a few minor mods but nothing performance wise. I will post some pictures on the appropriate thread once it gets sunny again in SoCal (raining at the moment).

Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself! Thanks!

 

Hiya and welcome!

 

I'm sorry to hear about your trouble at Bob Smith. I hope this isn't their attitude/competence with all of their service (including regularly scheduled maintenance).
Even though I purchased through Nick Alexander, I live much closer to Bob Smith and was planning on dropping my MINI off for it's scheduled oil change and was going to have them tackle a few small squeaks (clutch pedal and pass. window) while it was in.
Uh-oh!

 

Hope this won't happen again. I bought mine at Universal City and although I had a bad experience in the beginning, they have been nothing but great to my MINI. Fixed the death rattle, water pump and HPFP then replaced my motor last year when it went FUBAR.

Welcome and BTW, a few of us MINIs have a weekly Thursday night meets and tonight will be at Chuy's Mesquite Broiler in Moorpark around 8:30. Come out if you guys can make it!

 

Going to try to make it tonight, but I'll have to see since I haven't been feeling too well.

 

Welcome N sorry with the problem with your car...

 

I'm in Simi as well. Be aware that they charge nearly $200 for an oil change! There is an independent Mini service company in TO that comes highly recommended (Motoring Magic). They charge $99 for the same oil change and do the job right. Bob Smith did my last one and the condition of the car under the hood was a disaster. Let's just say that the car was a half quart low when I checked the oil level at home after picking it up and I found the half quart running down the block of the engine because they didn't tighten down the oil filter. The response from them was "sorry" just bring it back. I told them I would right after I did a stop payment on the check. Never went back and they never pursued payment.

On the warranty stuff, just check everything they do BEFORE you leave the lot! Had many items left loose in the engine bay after the death rattle fiasco, and of course the broken pano rail.

 

hmm thats interesting, cuz I just had a problem with my roof rack and they took care of everything no problem, but then again there wasn't really any service that my car went through, it was just the roof rack. You win some you lose some I guess.