Two weeks back I was promised an answer by early last week and I still don't have any response from Mini regarding what they are doing to resolve this error.

It appears that different customers have been given different answers for the same questions by Mini.

I can't believe how unprofessionally Mini is handling this issue, especially by keeping the customer in the dark.

Does anyone know of a number other than 1-866-ASK-MINI where I might be able to get better customer service and response?

 

I am arranging for my pick up now as well, and at least as of this morning my salesman knew nothing of a retrofit. I told him about Inomis experience posted here and he was going to make calls to try and get to the bottom of it. Looks like the stripes are going to be at least a day so I have a little bit more waiting while we sort this out.

 

I took delivery of my R56 this weekend without the MFSW. The dealer promised that the retrofit would be available within the next two months and offered $100 off of the sport steering wheel price for the order mix-up. I was ok with that.

 

mike - are they going to charge you to put the MFSW in later? Or will it go in no charge.

 

Service at 866-ask-mini remains pathetic. I just got off the phone with them concerning the wood wheel fiasco. My MFSW reorder was in wood wheel and now not that!! MINI customer service didn't even know about the wood wheel bulletin. He had no clue about what would be done as I"m sure they don't concerning the MFSW issue.

 

I decided just to get the second one I ordered. Should be here around 3/26 or so. That way I get 17" wheels and the MFSW. My dealer still didn't have an answer on the MFSW Sunday either.

 

My dealer got the same info from Mini USA as Inomis. I'm doing the same thing. Paid for the 3 spoke, 300. Get the MFSW when its available. Amounts to 250 off. It answers all my complaints, and in the end delivers the car I ordered. Thats the best I could hope for given I did not want to re-order. But people who have reordered will get the right car before I will after all, so there was certainly nothing wrong with that choice, especially since there was no indication which way this was heading (and little now too to tell the truth - its still a leap of faith!)

 

I called ask-mini again yesterday and the still didn't have any answer on the retrofit or compensation.

I don't think mini cares about making this right. Does someone know of an official channel to register consumer complaints like bbb or something like that?

 

BBB maybe best shot.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by lava

mike - are they going to charge you to put the MFSW in later? Or will it go in no charge.

I agreed to pay the $250 for the retrofit (there will be no labor charge of course) when it becomes available. So I will end up paying $450 total for the $550 MFSW.

 

A ray of hope: Customers who ordered the Wood MFSW ($550 value) and aren't getting that wheel due to security issues are now getting the Leather MFSW at no cost. That's a $550 saving for them which is a decent compensation I think. They also are being given the option getting the wood mfsw when available at a later stage.

Shouldn't Mini offer us something similiar too?

 

The Ask Mini guy I have been talking with left me a voice mail today to call him back. Hopefully I will find out in the morning if they are going to compensate us at all.....

 

The retrofit parts are 190 or so retail which includes the left and right covers and a wiring harness that is supposed to plug into the stock wiring harness to allow the buttons to function. What we are unsure of is if all cars have the same wiring harness's or not. I would assume it would be cheaper and less risky to make all the harness's the same to make retrofiting fog lamps, driving lamps and other accessories easier to deal with.....

I am going to try to get MAG to do the retrofit on my car so I can this car the way I wanted it....

 

My MA said he asked some MINI tech people at training and they verified it was a simple procedure, all harnesses the same etc. Part availability was the only issue.

 

Can someone answer a question. I'm looking at a floor model MCS. It's build sheet has the code 255 for the Sports Leather Steering Wheel -- not part of a pkg -- is there a chance the cruise/radio functions will be able to be retro fitted? I have read some posts here about this MINI mishap and I understand there is much still up in the air.
Is it logical that the functionality is there or is it more likely only when the wheel was ordered as a package?
Since the 3 spoke was available in the UK as a seperate option -- are the UK cars with the plain 3 spoke built with the functionality of cruise, etc but not "hooked-up" to the optional MFSW?
Seems to me the assembly process would have had to follow what they were prepared to build and were use to building in order for the mishap to have proceeded without someone raising an alarm.
I'm trying to figure out if I purchase the floor model is it reasonable to ask for the retrofit when it is available?
I'll be signing a final sale on Monday if not tomorrow.

 

the word is that it is coming, no idea of the date, but a retrofit kit will be coming.

 

You can definitely put the MFSW feature on a non-MFSW car. It's not clear to me if the wheel itself needs to be changed out or if you can just add the MF part of the MFSW. Aaron's post implies to me that the MF parts are $190 but since he's not sure about installing it I'm not sure those parts will fit all wheels. Might be one of those "you can't get there from here" situations on the existing wheel.

It looks to me like all the MY dealer demo cars had the same problem that my car had, it was not built as expected and just got the wheel not MF. I would tell the dealer the fix is out there and negotiate getting it done if you want it. Let the dealer do the work finding out how much it's going to cost him though it may be more than you would be willing to pay. I doubt MINI will help the dealer for those cars.

 

Hello All

Thought i would chime in on this topic as i am a Tank Mechanic for the Military. Not only do I work on tanks but the trucks as well. Well the trucks come in numerouse different variants (just like the MINI) but they all share the exact same body harness's.

In this modern day manufacturing of cars is done the most cost effective way for the company. i am shuure (would put money on it) that every MCS has the exact same harness install in it. The only missing parts is the short harness that goes to the buttons and the buttons themselves.

The retro fit should be no harder than removeing the steering wheel and swaping it with the new one and pluging in the harness's.

you guys who went for the reto fit should not worry about haveing your interior rip apart. though i bet a few peices on the steering colum may have to be romoved.

 

That's what I am guessing. I think in the previous model the basic harness extended all the way up to the steering wheel whether or not the MFSW was installed. That made it an easy steering wheel swap. In this case they have to add that sub-harness in.

 

Good advice inomis, and I've requested an answer before I pay the balance and sign off on the purchase deal. I'd even accept just a promise of a lower hourly rate once it is figured out. $105/hr per can certainly add up very quickly!

 

Mini have given me a $100 gift certificate to purchase items at the motoring gear website. I thought it was a nice jester.

 

peppergirl, congrats on getting "something" for your pain even though it doesn't seem to be appropriate compensation. Either way, is this $100 voucher from Mini or from your dealer?

 

it is from Mini. They sent it to me via email today. I was bummed about having to re-order, but the new one is on the Elektra right now heading for the Panama Canal. For me, it is only about a three week waiting difference.

 

I've given up hearing anything from mini. My reorder is done and awaiting a shipping vessel. A few hundred dollars (at best) is not worth getting upset over this whole fiasco, which I guess is what mini is counting on....

 

peppergirl, looks like so far you are the only one who got anything. Who is your dealer so I can call Mini & quote you if that is ok.