Paying for the steering wheel you didn't want
 

I really don't want to pay the premium for the steering wheel I didn't want. I ordered the multifunction wood, and they gave me the multifunction leather. It doesn't match the wood dash, and I'm definately dissapointed, but at the very least, I don't think I should pay the premium for it. Is anyone else with me, or do you think we should pay it anyway?

- R

It's hard to say. What they should have done is tell us about the problem when we could still make changes to the interior. It's hard to put a price on that. To them, they have replaced it with an equal price wheel and they probably figure we can reorder if we don't like it. Having said that, a $550 refund would greatly help me live with an interior that I didn't order. They wouldn't hear another peep out of me if they did that.

Did you check with your MA? From what I read here some people think that MINI is working on a fix that will be fixed later (wheels swapped out.) If you don't get an answer from your MA try calling askmini. If that is the case, you will only need to deal with the leather for a short time.

ask mini totally in the dark on this. The guy that answered didn't even know there was a bulletin and I had to convince him there was. Said he would get back to me, but to no avail.

Can the dash inserts be swapped out after delivery (for free of course)?
Just a thought :grin:

Dash inserts
 

That is what I'm considering is swapping out the dash inserts with either standard silver (deducting 300 for wood upgrade) or piano black inserts (equivalent cost).

If I knew they were shipping the car with the wood handbrake and wood shifter that matches the wheel, I might be ok with the leather wheel, with shifter, handbrake and dash inserts in wood. I think they are substituting the wood shifter and handbrake as well as the wheel, in which case my other option would be for mini to replace the shifter and handbrake to wood.

MINI just can't seem to get the steering wheels right can they? First the MFSW mishap, now the wood wheel goof.

I agree with your perspective W84R56; I wouldn't feel obliged to pay for something I didn't order. That's why I re-ordered my MINI, and hopefully this time it'll come how I ordered it! I reordered mine because my dealer said the car would be here in about the same time period [it's not] and they didn't offer any concessions for taking delivery of the mis-built one [the sales manager said he'd sell it "in an instant" having it on the showroom floor] I would talk to your dealership and ask:

1) Why didn't your car come as-ordered?
2) Is anything going to be done to rectify the matter, whether the wood wheel be retrofitted upon availability or a financial adjustment?
3) Is the leather wheel acceptable, or a deal-breaker?

Good Luck!
Ryan

[quote=glangford;1394806]That is what I'm considering is swapping out the dash inserts with either standard silver (deducting 300 for wood upgrade) or piano black inserts (equivalent cost). /quote]

I think Piano Black is only $200. But it looks good with the chrome trim which would bring it back up to $300.

I checked with mine. They seemed to think that nothing was going to be done. They had only known about the problem for about 24 hrs at the time I asked. I am going to check with them again. I will also check about the shifter and hand brake.

The only thing to keep in mind (& it's been awhile since I checked the configurator so correct me if I'm wrong) is that you cannot have cruise control w/out the MFSW & the only 2 choices for MFSW were wood or leather so no wood means you would have had to choose leather & Mini wouldn't owe you the cost of the wheel since the wood & leather were the same price. But, I do think they should accomodate you in terms of updating the interior/swapping out wood inserts to match your new wheel.

Boy and I have been hit twice now with these steering wheel fiascos. First I ordered an automatic MC with leather MFSW last Nov. Then I had to reorder and decided to change to manual since 3/07 availability in 6 speed manual. Used 1350 savings for some other things one of which wood dash and wheel. Now I'm hit with this. Wondering if I'll get a car with even a steering wheel. I think leather is acceptable if they provide the wood shifter and handbrake that matched the wheel/dash, or alternatively replace the dash inserts to something that matches the rest of the interior.

Don't even think for a second about accepting a $550.00 wheel you didn't want, demand a full refund, I have already started the ball rolling with my MA's assistance. The dealer of course will not refund, the $$$$ must come from the corporate entity. I wrote a letter that my MA is going to present and then work on my behalf to solve, I am asking for $550.00 +tax and the 4th year of matinence free, and beleive me I will get somthing close!
The ace in the hole for me is the fact that i accepted delivery with a guarantee that i would get a wood wheel, I was ready to walk, then 4 days later my MA calls to tell me that my wood wheel parts order was kicked back to the dealer as unabailable, this was the 1st he'd heard of the mix up MINI was late in notifying him and I think this will help all of our causes

FYI: MINI knew about this 4-6 weeks ago and never told anybody, not even dealers, that is an unacceptable business practice, this info from my MINI dealer.

P.S. I have asked for the other wood bits and my dealer is confident that they will soon be able to be installed ( shifter/ brake) free of charge of course!

Theoretically, you should not pay for what you didn't order. Do you want to wait for a rebuild, though??

Sounds logical, but it isn't. If you ordered the wood and didn't get it, don't pay for it. It doesn't matter that they happened to have an option you didn't order.

Anyone else noticed.
 

When I first saw "MFSW" here, I thought I entered a very strange "personals" chat.

Well then if you don't want the leather wheel I am sure they will gladly sell your Mini off the showroom floor to someone else who does & reorder you a Mini without the MFSW which means no cruise control (but $500ish cheaper). I would be shocked if they offer much more than interior bit swapping to anyone (other than people who already accepted delivery on a false promise) :grin:

I picked up my MC on Saturday. As expected, it did not have the MFSW I had ordered. The dealer gave me the option of re-ordering (which I rejected). They also did a computer search for PW 07's avaialbe now but unsold (none were acceptable to me). In the end they simply took off the price of the MFSW ($550) and I accepted the car "as is".

Given the un-helpfull attitude of MINI USA, I didn't even bother to get into the question of a retro-fit. If it ever happens and I decide to go for it, I will take it up with the dealer at that time.

I donno... if I were spending $25-$30K for a MINI it had better be delivered 100% correct -- the way I spec'd it. And if it wasn't, I wouldn't accept it. I'd rather wait 2 more months than be reminded everyday that what I'm driving isn't what I ordered. For me, the MFSW is central to my driving experience.

At the very least, get what ever you want in writing from the dealer!

I agree... Considering that the car is not cheap 33K for me, it better be the way I spec'd it :nod:

Keep in mind the only other cars that offer this level of customization from the factory is Rolls Royce, Bentley, Bugatti, Koenigsegg, and Maybach.

The MINI is a steal of a price for a "custom" factory car.

Think of the scenario if you rolled into your local Chevy dealership; you'd have to put up with whatever they had on the lot and try to fend off annoying sales thugs. Keep it all in perspective; if you want custom [and correct], you have to wait for it. If your MINI shows up not correct, you have the luxury of accepting it as-is because you're in a hurry, or you can wait until the right parts are available and wait more. I chose to wait more, but I have the time.

Ryan make an Excellent point.

Another example: you want leather seats on a new GTI and also need to get Package 1 (sunroof and SIRIUS radio) AND Package 2 (Cold weather and climatronic).

- - - - - -
For those that were affected by this, what would you rather MINI have done to your order:

• Delete the Three Spoke and MFSW controls entirely from your order and deduct the $550
• Proceed with a Leather Steering Wheel with MFSW controls for essentially no change in cost

To me, it seems that given that there couldn't be a wood steering wheel option, MINI made the best call they could for how to deal with the orders already approaching build/build completion.

I don't have a problem with them removing the wood wheel for safety reasons. They didn't have any choice. The problem is that they appear to have known about it for a long time and didn't notify the dealers. They probably knew it was a problem before the dealer placed my order. If I had known, I would have done something different with the interior. I may still reorder.

HUGE UPDATE: I just got off the phone with my motoring advisor, I am recieving a full refund of the wood wheel cost $550.00 + tax, AND if a fix is ever worked out i get the new wood wheel at no cost to me, all thanks to my motoring advisor, he kicks A**

He was still foggy on the availability of the shifter, will keep on him!!

mininovice you got a decent deal I think. Especially if the current wood wheel wasn't safe. How did you pull this off?

Now maybe Mini will make it up to those of us whose Mini was built without the Leather MFSW for making us wait longer to get the Mini with the correct wheel.

But mininovice you had already accepted delivery & under false pretenses. I am really glad that Mini made it right for you but I doubt they will be refunding $550 to all the folks who have not yet accepted delivery but we shall see.