I have a dilemma. Any advice would be deeply appreciated.

I recently bought a 2013 MINI Cooper from Shift, an online dealer. $11,000+tax. 39k miles. No accidents on Carfax. Good oil change history, averaging 10k miles between changes. Clean. Shift has a 7-Day return policy. My return deadline is this Wednesday, 01/27/2021.

After I bought the car, I took it to a reputable MINI specialist (MINICorsa in the Los Angeles area) for a Pre-Purchase Inspection. Their recommended repairs total $1,000, mostly maintenance type issues: needs new belt and waterpump pulley ($350), new spark plugs ($150), and rear brakes ($400 for new, although the current brakes should last another 4,000 miles). The AC system probably has a leak, though MINICorsa doesn't think it's a big problem. (I asked about the AC issue in a previous thread here.) Overall, nothing horrible.

My biggest concern is a small gap (about 1.5 mm) between the back, vertical edge of the passenger window and the frame. See below for photos. I drove the car in medium rain for about 30 minutes - mild seepage. Heavy rain or carwash will likely cause leaks. Definitely more noise.

I took the car to several repair and body shops, including a MINI dealer. Their advice are conflicting, basically breaking down into three categories:

• They don't know why the window gap exists, thus they'll need to open up the door to examine the inside. $200 for the diagnosis. Actual cost will depend on what they find.
• They can open up the door and adjust the window for $300.
• The window cannot be adjusted. (Is this true - that R56 windows cannot be adjusted in and out?)

Basically, I have two options:

1. Return the car to Shift - This is the simpler solution. But I've been hunting for a used MINI for more than two years. It's hard to find one that fits all of my criteria: my preferred color combo, 2012+, under 40k miles, good Carfax, fair price, etc.) This one is ice blue plus white roof - one of my favorites. I'm already attached to it.
2. Keep the car. Try to fix the gap by taking it to my choice of shop. But if the fix is going to be too expensive, like more than $300, then I'll just try to live with it.

My head says door #1 to prevent headaches, but my heart says take a gamble and go for #2. What do you think?

Thanks!

 

Is there a chance it's coming from the door that doesn't line up (prior unreported accident)?

If the car is low miles and in good shape I would probably not return it. Are you going to a Mini independent shop, I'd say a good one should be able to tel you with more accuracy.

 

It's possible the culprit is the door since the chrome trim doesn't line up. Some shops thought the door was misaligned, but other shops thought the door was ok since the painted parts looked fairly flush with no unusual gaps.

I went to two MINI specialists, Minicorsa and The Haus, both with great reviews on Yelp. Minicorsa referred me to a body shop, which estimated $300 for an adjustment. The Haus said they'd have to open up the door to diagnose. If a clip is broken, the regulator would have to be changed. They also said the window is adjustable up and down, but not in and out.

One shop pointed out that someone had drilled two holes in the door for paintless dent removal, thus it's possible that something internal got damaged by the removal process. There was probably no big, unreported accident on the door since everybody noted that the paint is original.

 

I might try adjusting the door latch striker plate (on the body) inward just a bit, see if the door might just close a bit tighter, pulling that glass tighter to the weatherstrip. In the one pic, it looks like the door sits slightly out from the body. Worth a try, at least.

 

I was in a very minor crash with mine which actually worked out well as everything from the door to the bonnet ended up getting repainted. While the shop did a spectacular job on the painting, the window adjustment somehow got off a little and its about 2 mm shy of going up fully.
I should’ve taken it back but ended up letting it go. The adjustment for fore and aft is easy but elevation and, I believe in-out, requires taking the outside trim strip off and special BMW/MINI specific tools.
No wind noise and it only drips a tiny bit in the car wash, never from rain.
also agree, see if the whole door needs to be adjusted a tiny bit, it might be easier.
Also also keep it 2013 is a good year. Mine’s just hit 100k and has been one of the most reliable cars I’ve had.

 

Is the glass genuine mini glass, should have mini emblem on the glass by the lock. Long story short, someone busted my window out and I got a replacement done a safe auto. My gap isn’t that bad but was in the middle of the window and about 2 inches long. They tried and tried and got it as close as the could. So I went and picked up some foam tape and placed in my problem area and it has been good for 6 months. Windows are tinted so you can’t see it when rolled up and when rolled down you can barely tell a difference in color. I have tossed around the thought of junkyard hunting for a door and glass.

 

OP: If it were me I'd go with option #1 and return the car. If I was to spend 11K on a Mini it MUST have everything in good working order. This car seems like it needs a lot of attention.
It's the human condition to make decisions on emotions rather than logic. Unload the thing before you regret it.

 

You have other options. Did the car come with some type of warranty from Shift? Get in contact with them and tell them you don't want to return the car but will do so if the window isn't properly fixed. My guess is that they'll arrange to get it done.

 

I don't have any window advice, but I get where you're coming from there. I'm shopping for MINIs, now, too, and finding the right color combo, mileage, price, transmission, etc. is tough because there were SO MANY different combos before 2019 when they simplified the order process.

Also, Ice Blue and white is an awesome combo!

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll mention it to the mechanic if I repair the door. Always better to try the easiest fix first.

Good to hear. 100k - that's great.

Yes. Genuine MINI window.

Yeah. I'm usually pretty practical. My first car and only car is a 1997 Toyota Camry - few cars are more practical (or more boring). 23 years later, with <100k miles, the car still runs great. Smooth, quiet, comfortable. I'll be sad to let it go. But I've been wanting a MINI for a long time, and I'm getting impatient. I also hate headaches.

Every time I think I've made up my mind to return the car, I go look at the MINI in my garage, and I smile upon seeing it but my heart just breaks a little. I feel as though I'm returning a rescued dog to the shelter. Like I feel guilty telling the MINI that I'm giving it up.

No warranty. Some Shift cars have 30-day warranties, but this is not one of them.

I could ask Shift to repair. But that may entail a lot of back and forth - could be a pain. Frankly, I also lack confidence in their ability to do quality work since they did not catch the non-functioning AC despite their advertised 150-point pre-sale inspection.

Yeah, I kind wish MINI had more color combos too. I tend to like the light, retro colors (like ice blue and interchange yellow), but MINI doesn't have them as much anymore.

 

Agreed. That's why we tracked down the Ice Blue Edition 2018 MINI!

The new "Zesty Yellow" they just unveiled last night for the 2022 convertible is reminiscent of Interchange, so that's good!

 

Ha, I just read about the new lineup for 2022. Very exciting. Three new colors! Island Blue kinda looks like the Laser Blue last seen in 2012. You're right, Zesty Yellow also reminds me of Interchange Yellow, which was last seen in 2011. Maybe Zesty is brighter? I probably prefer Interchange over Zesty because Interchange looks a bit more muted, more retro, but I'll reserve judgment until I see Zesty in real life. Often times pictures don't do justice to MINIs.

I've been googling Zesty, and all I see are pictures of the convertible. I hope that the color will be offered for the hardtop too because I don't want a convertible.

I'm a bit surprised that MINI did a refresh for 2022, since 4th gen is supposed to come out in 2023, no?

 

Agreed. I like interchange's kinda muted color, too. I just saw one yesterday, actually. Definitely need to see Zesty in real life, like you said.

Somebody said that Zesty would be convertible only for a year, but then probably open up to other bodystyles... which is approximately what happened with Interchange Yellow and many other "exclusive" colors.

Yeah, they weren't originally planning on a second refresh (it's very rare), but then they had to delay the all-new MINI for some reason and so they decided to do this refresh, I guess.

 

So today is your deadline. What did you do?

 

I couldn't sleep last night.

This morning I forced myself to decide - I emailed Shift to say I was returning the car. Immediately I felt remorse but did not want to flip-flop. A part of me wished that Shift would deny my return. However, Shift replied to say ok on the return. Now I'm just waiting for them to set up a time to pick up the car.

I believe I've made, objectively, a good decision. Nonetheless, I feel heartbroken. I got too attached to this MINI. I keep telling myself that, because I don't deal well with anxiety, it's better that I don't get a car with issues that could be expensive or a hassle to fix. But the logic can't overcome my sad.

I will probably always regret this decision to some extent. But then again, I could also regret keeping it if it turned out to be a big headache. Whatever I chose, I would likely always have some misgivings about the road not taken.

 

Logically you've made the right decision, and logic should always drive decisions when it comes to purchasing cars. The right car is out there so keep telling yourself that.

 

We all have things that annoy us. I wonder if your personality is better suited for buying/leasing something brand new for peace of mind. I mean that respectfully, because inevitably most used cars will have cosmetic or mechanical stuff that will need work.

 

You make a good point. I get what you're saying.

Ideally, I would buy a new MINI and just keep it until the repairs become too much. The main reasons I was shopping for a 2013 ice blue were that:

(1) I prefer gen 2 over gen 3, and I figured 2013 is the least risky cuz it is the newest year of gen 2;

(2) I love the ice blue + white roof combo; and

(3) An older car is cheaper.

MINI has not made ice blue for the US market since 2013 except 2018, when they brought it back as a special edition. I'm considering that, though the 2018 version all have moonroofs, which I'd rather not have. I just really love that white top and want as much of that real estate as possible, heh.

I prefer owning over leasing. I just feel like the car is more mine when I own it. Maybe that sounds silly, but I get a lot of joy from that. Leasing feels like driving someone else's car.

Plus, I get attached to things. I know you can buy the car at the end of a lease, but that's usually not as good of a deal as buying outright if you intend to keep the car for the long haul. My current car is a Camry I've owned for 23 years. It has always been just a utilitarian vehicle, and I've never really loved it. But now when I think about selling it, I get sad because I know that it has served me faithfully for over two decades (and is still quiet, smooth, reliable, and comfortable - such a good car). There is a joke that says: a good friend helps you move, a great friend helps you move bodies. Luckily, I haven't had a need to do the latter, but my Camry would step up if that were the case.

 

I hear you. Especially on the third generation looks and the new late cycle facelift. If Mini is sharing designers with BMW the brand is doomed...

I could not buy a third gen, they just don't look Mini to me. I appreciate that the larger models sell better but I truly hope the two door hatches of the future fourth gen are much smaller and have a cleaner front fascia. The new one looks like the G80 m3.