Well I reached the first problem on my 2 1/2 month old MINI S. The first time I tried to open the bonnet it was so stiff I thought I was going to break something, only today I actually did. Went to open it and something just snapped from the engine bay side. Now, with 4 auto crosses and a break in period that I frequently aired the engine I have opened it up much more than the average customer, but 2 1/2 months is just pitiful. At this point I am wondering how they are going to fix this one. Most anything cannot be accessed without opening the bonnet up front. That seems like it complicates the situation of getting to a release latch. Sure glad I wont be the one having to fix it. Looks like a trip to the dealer for me.

On the side note, I bought this car not trusting BMW quality and under the assumption i would sell it once the warranty goes away. Because its so much fun to drive, I would consider keeping it longer, but this is not a good start. Common BMW the little things DO matter when you are selling cars to people.

 

There is a spring in the pull release ,thats what happened to mine you might be able to reset it yourself .After that put some white grease on both latches under the bonnet .

 

You sure seem down on the overall quality based on this one thing, which is definitely covered. FWIW, this doesn't seem to be a common problem.

 

Just have a hard time trusting them knowing other people who have owned the newer BMW products. Sure its just one thing, but it just shouldn't happen. There is supposed to be testing for stuff like this. I just have high expectations, seems like quality has been sliding with modern safety requirements making cars more and more complicated.

How did you get to it to reset it? the top is closed off and seems like it would be tough to get all the way up there from the bottom.

 

Its the plastic part you pull inside the car .The dealer fixed mine ,it made such a loud pop I thought the cable broke .

 

I don't think that is the same thing, the little spring on the release level is fine, but the cable itself is slack until the lever is fully extend out and it then starts to tightens up. Makes me think the latch in the engine bay broke.

 

Mine was very tight when I got the car, a little white grease really helped.

 

We broke our release already also, of course our hood has probably bean opened a couple hundred times during testing. Ours did not break up front under the hood, it was actually just behind the release, behind the plastic panel, there is a little piece of metal that holds the cable when you pull on it. On our car the cable pulled out of this little bracket, which chewed up the cable, which then does not allow you to release the hood. We can still open the hood, but to do so requires us to pull back that plastic piece squeeze our hands back in there and hold the cable while we pull on the release. The good news is that the dealer has a replacement on order and will take care of it.

 

Once it's fixed, keep those two latches & springs under the hood lubed up.

Mine were super-tight, too. I was actually scared I would eventually snap the plastic release lever opening the hood. Heat from the turbo (mere inches away) seems to dry out whatever lube is there from the factory. I've been using a modest amount of WD40 once every few months and no hints of tightening up. Releases as easy as can be.

Not trying to get up on the soapbox too much here, but... somthing I was told very early on in my autosport career: If somthing feels like it's going to break... try and identify and fix the problem before it does. If you can't figure out whats wrong, find someone who can. When you're autocrossing and you feel a nasty wobble up front you don't wait 'till the wheel falls off... you start checking the torque on your lug nuts, right? A couple shots of lube would have probably saved you some personal grief and the trip to the dealer... not to mention the new found disappointment in the percieved build quality of your car.

 

Didn't break the release on our car but the bonnet will not open when the engine's hot. Definitely another problem waiting to happen. This is on my list I'm going over with the regional rep...still waiting for them to call back for an appointment.

 

Got it into the dealer this morning and they said it failed due to the hood being misaligned. Seems like they need a little more TQM on the assembly lines. They said they have fixed that and the released should be fixed tomorrow. For now I just have suffer through driving a giant Altima.

 

File this in the extraneous thoughts department: My '94 325I always had a fragile feeling hood release. I always wondered when it would fail. It never did in 14 years. Maybe MINI's lever isn't as bad as it seems?

 

I just got my car back last week after having the flywheel changed and today when I decided to have a peek under the hood I pulled the hood release latch and nothing, I didn't hear a pop or anything, it was just there. The cable is still attached to the latch inside but it's slack when I pull it. After reading some of these threads on broken hood releases and taking a peek under the car I can see it's impossible to release the latches from underneath. Back to the dealer again...

 

So what exactly failed due to the misalignment? Spring?

 

I have to say on my 03, everything is work as it should that what impressed me with the car and for a 6 year old car it amazing

 

I think the folks at your dealership were blowing smoke--I can't believe they haven't seen it before. If you do a search here on NAM, you'll discover that this bonnet release failure occurs with an abnormally high frequency on the R56. It's definitely a design issue, but just doesn't get a lot of press because it's a relatively easy repair. I'm sure that replacing them as they fail is a whole lot cheaper than a redesign.

As the other posters have noted, a little preventative lube will go a long way.

 

Yes definitely a lubrication problem in 99%of the cases. They are assembled dry. That white grease really works. If the cable breaks at the bonnet latch the dealer usually has to destroy the front grille to get the hood open, and then replace it.

 

When they fixed mine they told me the latches were out of sequence, adjusted and good to go... This is the only car where every time I go to open the hood I wonder whether it'll open or not...

 

I feel the same way they fixed mine and i greased both of the latches and it still just doesn't feel right releasing the hood. I cant imagine this one lasts very long either since I usually pop the hood between autox runs. At least its made it more than a couple of months so far.

 

Forgive my double-posting but...

I literally just got my MINI this weekend and this is what happened to me:

I popped the hood for the first time with no problem. Then, when I went to pop it again to review the check points, there was an odd popping sound and the hood release went slack. Apparently, it separated from the cable. The dealer rep pulled the car into the shop and fixed it. The hood appears to open just fine.

BUT

The hood must be out of alignment or the headlamp is improperly situated under the hood because it has scraped a groove in the headlamp! See below:



Warranty will correct the alignment problem AND replace the headlamp lens, right? I mean, this should NOT have happened. Particularly on a brand-new car! Your thoughts?

 

AvidMINI based on what happened the warranty should cover both issues.

Let us know the results when you can.

 

Will do! I know it's only a small chip, but I fear it will only get worse over time and it made me heartsick just seeing it on a car that was only a day old.

I'm scheduled to take it in this Saturday, August 30th. I'll keep you all posted. Thanks for the reassurance, btw!

 

My hood release broke last week. Went to the dealer today and they ordered me a new assembly that should arrive in a couple days...seems a little weird that they do not carry the parts in stock.

 

You're absolutely right; the warranty covered me completely. No questions asked! In fact, once I forwarded them the photo I shared with you, they called to let me know that they had already ordered a replacement headlamp and confirmed my appointment to come in and have everything taken care of.

I got my headlamp replaced, and minor adjustments were made to both headlamps so that the bonnet wouldn't interfere with either of them. I'm VERY satisfied with the service and the speed in which this issue was resolved!

 

Excellent and great to hear