Hi everyone. This is my first post so please be kind. I searched the forums for this problem but, surprisingly, didn't come up with anything. I have a 2011 Countryman S that I adore. They've finally replaced all the trim (two trips) but cannot resolve my issue with water coming into the car. Whenever it rains or snow melts I get water dripping into my car when I open the doors. I've only noticed this on the two driver side doors since those are the only doors that really get used. Sometimes it seems as though the water drips are already there but they definitely happen when I open the door in wet weather. I've never had such an experience with a car before. I assume that on most cars, the doors are designed so that any extra water hanging out on the roof is not going to automatically drip into the car upon opening the doors. I took it to the dealer twice and they said they tried "everything" to get water into the car without luck. The service guy said that I should expect to get water dripping onto my seats when I open the door because that's how the car is designed. Since I haven't found anything on this topic online I'd really like to know from fellow CM owners if this is true. Do you get water dripping onto your front and back seats whenever you open your door and the roof is wet? Thanks so much for your help.

 

I have the exact same car, and have it happen on the driver's door - I think water lays in wait in the crevice at the top of the door, and gravity does the job when you open the door - opening the door slowly makes it better but it seems to be just a spot where the water is waiting to drop - it always lands in my seat...

 

Thanks for the reply. I, too, have found that opening the door slower reduces the amount of water. I am now pretty sure it's not a real leak but it's still a design flaw that I'm surprised by.

 

Back in the old days, cars had gutters that ran around the roof and stopped the water. Then we got modern, did away with the gutters, and got internal channels in the rubber seals that helped redirect the water. (This was just about the time we lost vent wing windows and roll down rear windows.) Now we're super-modern, aerodynamic, and we get wet pants.

Sealy - Who's all for progress!

 

You're right. Most cars are designed so that you don't get that shower when you open the door, but you bought a Cooper! . As silly as it sounds, what you're experiencing is "normal" (for a MINI anyway). I'm fortunate that I live in Southern CA so this only presents a problem to me a handful of days a year. I can only assume that our MINI brothers and sisters in the Great (and rainy) Northwest drive with a hooded wet suit on. It's one of the prices we pay for all the fun!

 

Well, living here in Oregon, I really can't remember any of my many cars ever NOT dripping on me when I open the door after/during rain.

 

I've also noticed this, but it only happens when you open the door. It's luckily not leaking into the car until you open the door. Opening it slowly does help reduce it.

 

Yup, experienced the same thing...
I just live with it... Its not so bad really, nothing like the flintstone ride run flat tires.
Now THERE's something t complain about LOL

A little water, not so bad

 

The plugs in the a-pillar are defective on my car. Under braking it sounds like a decorative waterfall under the carpet. Rear footwells filled with water.

They are replacing the carpet etc today. I really hope it fixes the problem, because other than that we love our Countryman.

 

I never really thought about water dripping into the car, its just something we deal with in Seattle. Can't say its any better or worse than any other car I've owned. But I do have water spots on my seats that resolve didn't take care of. Beet there a while. Not horribly noticeable with the pattern of the light tobacco, but they're definitely there.

 

I have this as well. This car makes me wet my pants! Seriously, for a $30-$40K car, that is lame. I've had to sit with wet undies on a long trip and had to hide wet spots on business clothes at work.

If you look closely at the uppder edge of the door & opening, you'll see the plastic moulding is on the door edge, not the opening. So water coming down along the roof exterior encounters nothing as the door is opened and falls directly down to the driver seat.
All that needs to happen is for Mini/BMW/Aftermarket to make up a length of weather strip moulding that attached to the door opening upper edge to direct the drips down the the "B"-pillar.

Modern passenger jet aircraft have an angled sill on the exterior surface directly over the door openings for this very same purpose. If airlines can afford the drag/cost, why can't Mini?

 

Our last two BMWs, the 04 JCW, and the CMS all have done this! You know, it *should* be easy to fix but I've just become used to it. I keep a terry rag in the door storage pocket and quickly wipe the seat before entering. In New England, we have our share of wet weather, but I have never found the need to spend 5-seconds wiping the seat to be a show-stopper. Perhaps I'm not feeling your pain enough...

 

Our last Jeep Wrangler had this problem, too. All over the Jeep forums.

 

I have a 2012 countryman, twice now after heavy rain I have tried to access the car using the keyless entry/ remote and it will not work, I then access the car using the key and water comes pouring from the rear view mirror, like a faucet has been turned on. Has anyone else experienced this?

 

Yes, happened to me today..2013 JCW Countryman... first time its been in heavy rain. I noticed it just a little then later I parked it for about an hour in a down pour and it poured in from the headliner/read-view mirror all over the speedo and filled the map lights with water. I called the dealer and a new windshields going in Wednesday. It had just been replaced before I bought it so they figure the seal was not set right. The WS will probably break trying to fix it so they're just replacing it. Do you still have the 1800 roadside sticker in the corner of your WS, if not its been replaced....

 

Really sorry to hear about your situation! :(

 

Hope you and StuRat get this fixed! As a prospective Clubman-Countryman convert, perhaps I shouldn't read these threads.

Question: Sunroof for you two, or no?

 

Well, I do have good news. It turned out to be a bad windshield replacement job that had been replaced from a stress crack. I had it replaced under warranty and it was put to the test over the weekend with heavy rain and a lot of driving on twisties. No more leak(s) and everything is great. I love the Countryman as much as my 2 GPs.... you can’t go wrong with a CM.

Oh, I have no sunroof. On my 4th MINI and still own 3 and never had one...... Don’t like um, too heavy, too noisy, too much flex and its $1000 to help pay towards the JCW upgrade... lol.. GPs don't have them anyway...

Hope this doesn’t discourage you on a CM...

 

Jeez, Stu- That's a gorgeous CTM, and great pix!

 

i have the same problem its dripping water behind the a frame window pillar and soaks the back seat passengers side foot well..... did they fix yours under warranty?

 

I have the same issue im pasta warranty will they still fix it ?