I purchased a Countryman new from Moritz in Arlington, Texas. In the first two weeks it was in with an engine light and the thermostat went out. Of the three months that I have owned the car it has been in for four repairs that are getting progressively worse in nature. It went in on Monday for acceleration and brake issues and on Friday it is still in the shop in "undrivable condition". It should have been a clue to me when the car wouldn't even start on the showroom floor and they had to charge the battery, that this was a lemon.

The second time it went in, I asked them to take it back. The response was, "It's a new car for the US, it will have some problems, things break even on new cars, and aren't you glad warranty covers it?!" Wow. $34,000. later I have a car that I cannot enjoy for 20 days without it being in the shop. I have never felt more screwed over by a brand or by a dealership.

The only way to make this right is to give the car back and get another make. How in the world do people sell cars that have so many issues?

 

It's a mechanical machine made by men, not Gods....that said, there will be issues with what ever you drive these days especially the first run of a new model. Remember when the first 2002 MINI's came out -

But why the 20 day down time, was it for the thermostat housing with thermostat ?

 

Check the Texas lemon laws. At some point, they probably have to take it back.

Sorry you got a lemon. It may be something electrical that they can resolve once and for all, but there's only a certain amount of inconvenience that a company can expect of you, and if that's run out, then it's run out.

I'm assuming you've at least had a nice loaner and/or a reimbursed rental the whole time.

 

When this is your first and only post here it's hard to take your advise. Otherwise exactly what gray raven said. No car maker is perfect, and unfortunately lemons happen with every make/model, especially with first runs, chance you take when you want something new.

 

first year, first generation model of cm. you should know/understand what that means....

 

Chalk it up to bad luck. You got a lemon. Get an attorney to fight on your behalf and move on. Or ask them to switch you into one of their vehicles in their inventory. You will end up happier either way since you have lost faith in this vehicle.

 

While the argument of "it's the first year model of a new model" may seem compelling to some, it serves as an absolute ludicrous point on simple examination. What person who put any credence on the inherent faults and flaws of a new car as a matter of course would even elect to sell them? It's like going to purchase a house and saying because it's brand new, there may be structural and electrical issues that will
Prevent you from living in it weeks at a time- but keep paying that mortgage!

 

that's comparing apples to oranges. is the dealer denying any warranty repairs? is the dealer not providing any loaner? are you giving the dealer a chance to fix the issue(s) - demanding lemon law on just the 2nd visit is a bit extreme? dealer does not only have your mini to fix, they have many. parts may have been backorders as well. maybe the tech there are not as well inform and experience as other dealers.

my point was that first model year may demand a bit more patience from owner. and if you're not satisfy with it, then there's always consumer protection laws to help get your $$ back.

 

I have 12K on my CM and no issues mechanically.

 

To clarify, I did have a loaner car- which hardly seems like a gift when faced with taking a car two weeks old into the shop. It has been in four times now, it is currently undriveable, and yes, I am perfectly cognizant of the laws and means of recovering my money and acquiring a new vehicle.
The intention was only to point out the utter absurdity in having a new $34k vehicle which you can neither drive nor appreciate. I'm certain that had I gotten a quick dissertation on the potential problems with the new model, the possibility of having severe mechanical issues, of spending hours driving it back and forth to the service center, and losing entire days sitting in the service center waiting on repairs- BEFORE i purchased it, I would have elected an alternative vehicle that would have spared me that mental anguish and lost time. As much fun as the Coopers are to embellish and accessorize, give me a car that works any day over racing strips and mirror caps in coordiating colors.
out-

 

i hate hearing your having problems with your countryman. i have heard that some of the replacement parts for the car are made in japan, and after the earthquake it's been hard getting some parts. If you get the car back and have more problems, be sure to keep asking the same person you asked earlier to "take it back" to take it back again. i'm sure he/she should see there is a obvious issue with your specific car, as compared to others. please keep us informed of your outcome, so we can know what to do if we also get a possible lemon countryman. thank you for posting!

 

Jax,
It is unfortunate that you are one of the few who received a truly bad vehicle, Hopefully, it can be fixed. My car has a 'first year' bug in that the trim is falling off. I am giving MINI the time it takes to correct the problem. When they do, I will have the car I always wanted, and one I can enjoy every day I get to drive it. If you don't feel you will ever get to that point with your car, then try something else. From your last comment, it appears to me that you don't belong in a MINI. Maybe a Honda or Toyota would be more your style.

Mark

 

Let me ask you, if you spent $34k on a car that had mechanical issues every 20 days, would that require patience or perception?

 

Buyers remorse?
Is it possible that nothing could ever make you happy after spending your $$?
Let's face it, there are some folks that are impossible to make happy..
when you say un-driveable, care to elobrate?
To just say acceleration issues and stopping issues...kinda wide open..

A new drivetrain could have been dropped into the car, new brakes and all by now....nut as it was pointed out, the first few months of any new model, any make will usually have some parts shortages for unforsean repairs....for warranty or even crashes....so long waits foe the first 6-12 months of a low production specialty car would be the norm...
sounds like they gave you a rental to drive...so you get to put miles on a car other than your own....sounds like a good deal...
And if you chose to buy a car from a dealer that was less than convient, that is maybe something you should have considered before buying....
Sure you are getting a bit of a raw deal....and mini is not perfect, but EARLY ADOPTERS OF ANY NEW PRODUCT ALWAYS TAKE A DISPORTAUNTE RISK....ALL FOR THE REWARD OF BEING FIRST!!

 

I understand that you are unhappy. I spent nearly $34K for my CM, and it has trim falling off. I'm not happy about that, but I fully believe MINI will make it right. Your CM has problems that are a lot more severe. I agree completely that, if MINI can not fix the issues, then they deserve to make things right. That most likely will mean following the lemon laws, and refunding your money. I bought the CM knowing there was a higher risk for 1st year issues. I got mostly lucky since the trim is the only issue I have had. If I were in your shoes, I would be upset, but I also would have a bit more tolerance since it is a new model, and I knew that going in. As long as my dealer was doing everything in their power to make things right, I would try to work through the issues.

Mark

 

Hey, dude just plunked $34K on a POS, he has the right to be p-o'ed at the car, the dealershiup and the manufacturer.

Doesn't make a lick of difference if he's new to NAM or a seasoned poster / MINI owner

 

My perception is that you have a bad one. It happens. The important thing is how you deal with it. If complaining on nam helps, good for you. If not, I would really look into trying to solve the problem.
Suggestions
1. Make a formal complaint in writing. Get a lawyer if you need help.
Or
2. Request another vehicle from the dealer.
Or
3. Sell the vehicle yourself take the loss and move on.

 

Seriously. While a new model has a certain amount of risk, and the dealer in this situation is following through and not causing the OP any financial hardship, it still sucks to have a car that doesn't work and that ends up in the shop.

This kind of thing happens occasionally with any brand and any model, including models that aren't totally new. It doesn't make MINIs a bad bet (and OP, I think the negativity you're hearing in this thread is that you came to a MINI enthusiasts' forum and told them that nobody should buy this model).

Still, it stinks to be the person who has the lemon, so I feel for the OP's frustration. If the lesson is "never buy a Countryman," then I don't agree. If the lesson is "my Countryman experience has not been good so far" and you want some advice or some commiseration, I'm with ya.

 

Have been rather shocked myself at some of the responses here. I don't know the OP, so I can't say whether his complaints are real, or he's just a person who cannot be made happy. But the idea that you are taking a risk being an "early adopter" might be fine for computers, but its not okay for cars.

The law says a thing must be fit for its intended purpose, therefore a car must be fit to drive, regardless of whether its the "first" model of its kind or not. If its trim issues, finishing issues, etc., that's one thing. But if its in the shop over and over for things that make it undriveable, they need to make it right, regardless of whether the OP adopted early.

 

Sorry for your problems. I had a Range Rover that was a lemon and after many months of frustration, the Regional Service manager met me at the dealer and gave me a full refund of my entire purchase. Hopefully this will be resolved for you as well.

 

US wasn't the first to get the CM...I got mine last year...it's running great.

 

Wow, Good luck!! I'd be pissed too.

(no consolation I'm sure - but t sounds like your experience is pretty isolated)

 

He has the right to do whatever he wants, it doesn't change the fact that his advice is still very suspect when he has given nothing else to the community.

 

 

I'll give props to the staff at the Arlington MINI dealership. They treated me and my family with the utmost respect and courtesy. We recently had to take our CM in for an issue with the transmission shifter and ignition key. This issue was most likely caused by us, along with a quirky design flaw by MINI. NOT a problem with us. We both understood what steps needed to be taken to prevent the issue from happening again. We also fell victim to the chrome trim peeling off. Again, it was handled well and with a new part.

During both repairs, we were given a brand new Cooper and put at the very least 250 miles on it. The service department was very understanding of our situation and did everything to make our inconvienence comfortable.

While we understand the OP's situation, we believe that Moritz will handle it in a timely manner. We knew/accepted the risks involved living 280 miles from the dealership and that this was a first run model. We wanted to be FIRST , too!!!