Dude, I know this a message board and it's easy to write things like that, but this is condescending and insulting. I broke the car in properly and treat it like anyone would treat a new car that they love to drive. It's only a month old. These things have nothing to do with its caretaker.

I am going to try a different dealer, though.

 

And I presumed that you knew that I meant the dealer as its caretaker, not its owner. I find that there are serious gaps in what Mini intends to have happen before delivery and what really does happen. I know I sent mine back a couple of times before I accepted it at delivery, and I still missed a couple of things that they forgot.

I believe that there a good many things that are added to these cars in their delivery facility at the port. I'm not so sure that the idea of quality workmanship prevails in that arena.

But so sorry, Headlands, if I offended you, perhaps I'm not as clear as I hope to be sometimes. I never mean offense.

 

FWIW, I thought you were blaming Headlands too.

I don't think BMW's quality issues are limited to their port facilities. IMO, they have systemic problems throughout -- from engineering through their dealer network. Some day it will catch up with them.

They do have excellent marketing, though.

 

Gotcha, Herleman. Message boards are often bad for communication, ironically. No worries, sir!

 

911FAN ===== why do you continue to call out mini to be crap and jump on everyones band wagon that even thinks there car is "junk" FWIW I THINK YOU ARE ONLY HELPING TO FEED THE FACT THAT COMPANIES NEED TO BUY BACK CARS FOR STUPID SIMPLE FIXES THAT JUST CANT BE DIAGNOISED WHEN THE CAR COMES IN! ==Headlands=== but anyway i would have asked the dealer to just drive a similar car to your with a foreman or a tech to point out what you dont here on that car that is occuring on your car. just remember its a machine it will make noise.

 

OP may not have that option w/o driving hundreds of miles, depending on where he/she lives. My next closest dealer is 450 miles to the S or W.

 

Sequence, I agree, it could be that he has no one near him, but he said in his other posts on this forum that he lives in Los Angeles. so I concluded that he had access to other dealers. All I was trying to tell him is that he may find it advantageous to seek other opinions or reviews of his Clubby's issues. I really was just trying to help. But I'll shut up from now on -- I learned my lesson.

 

Do you really believe Fiat would be an improvement in reliability?

I must be getting old because each of the four Fiats I've owned make my R56S seem like a stone-ax in terms of reliability.

 

I didn't say that, although I'll stick my neck out and say that it's probably true these days. Fiats have changed over the years. How old was your newest Fiat? BTW, I had a Fiat too back in the day (124 Sports Coupe) so I know where you're coming from. And, like the Mini, it was a blast to drive when it was working.

My point is that there are no direct competitors to the Mini. If there were, maybe BMW would start worrying a little more about quality and reliability to try to keep their customers.

 

I had two Fiat 850s. A coupe and the spyder. Bought both of them new.

They didn't exactly rust, they just kinda dissolved in water -- they may have even fizzed a bit. I never took them back to the dealer -- couldn't, the dealer went out of business. Tried to find parts for awhile, then I cannibalized the coupe to keep the spyder running. Then one day, the front suspension mounts came loose from what remained of the "monocoque". RIP Syyder (it was a pretty little car, but then, so was the Coupe in its own way).

A Mini is carved from granite compared to my Fiats.

 

Headlands,
I took delivery o my Clubman about the same time you did and have about the same number of miles. The car was perfect and I've had no problems. Am i lucky or did my dealer do a better job prepping the car? The MA has called me twice to make sure I am happy with the car. Think you should try a different dealer for service.

 

Interesting...what kinds of things...anything to lookout for in particular when you take delivery?

 

Perhaps its in some other thread, but could you list for us your problems, other than the sound your steering makes? Maybe we could be of assistance.

 

What about the lemon law in your state?
I bought my Clubman 09 in August and it is a great car.
I have had to replace the windshield twice, which is apparently a MINI "issue."
If I were in your place, I would be bitter and angry too.
A new car should not have so many problems.
I can see a bit of adjustment here and there, just working out the bugs.
What you describe with your car sounds way beyond normal for a new car.
Your car should be a joy!
I know that mine is.

 

Hey there Headlands.

Any update?

 

My 2007 Mini Cooper has 35k on it. The only mechanical failure notices other than brakes and oil changes is a cracked thermostat housing. I do think that it sa fragile car given the complexity of the electronics and construction but that is the nature of the species. I wonder how much the JC Powers numbers get statistically skewed by a relatively few bad examples.

 

Some things have been taken care of, some they can't figure out. They replaced the entire A/C compressor, but the A/C noise is still there sometimes. Whatever. I'm sick of taking it back so I'll just deal. Overall it's fine now.

I don't mean this to be rude at all, but I think that this is merely an excuse -- there are highly complex cars electronically and construction-wise out there that are more reliable. And it's not only J.D. Powers -- it's almost everywhere that catalogs the reliability of cars (that I've seen, anyway) such as Consumer Reports, etc., etc.

The fact is that they certainly are not the most reliable cars out there. The fact is also that some will have no problems, just like any other car. That's just something we all have to accept and take in stride whether we got one that never had a single problem, or got one that does.

 

Well said -- e.g., I have a C300 with the most complex electronic wizardry I could ever imagine. And its an appliance -- all we ever do is get in it and drive (well, maybe an oil change here and there). Complex cars are not, of necessity, unreliable cars. Nor are "sporting" cars -- I've a friend whose 1992 Miata has over 500K on it.

I do wish Mini could get a handle on their quality issues. It seems that some Minis are very very good, and some are very very bad. Like Forrest Gump says, you never know what you're gonna get. It is frustrating.

 

This is very interesting and I am wondering if the dealership prep has anything to do with how good the mini is? I know it should come from the factory in perfect working order, but I know that Mini, Honda and Scion are very similar in the way aftermarket parts and such are applied. Cutting of bodywork. Splicing of wires, etc...

When I picked up mine, I had a list of some 50 items that I wanted to check. The sales women sat with me through the entire process. Literally the process took over an hour. I know it wouldn't catch everything, but it was a starting point.

 

I agree with you there.
I'm a huge Mini fan, but that many trips to the service dept on such a brand new ride is unacceptable.

 

Excuse me up front if I offend anyone, but why come out here and just bash MINI for problems that seem to be in some cases...pretty minor.

The ranting about this car. I would bet the dealer cringes when they see you coming.

• Thegear shifter is "Slightly" angled to the right
• The NON power fold mirrors don't Power fold
• The sunroof that works and makes no noise is off 1/8" so you have them fix it. Mine is 1/8" higher than roof...it's not broke so I won't fix it.
• The speedo is too big and you want a smaller one left of the Tach...surely you looked at the instrument cluster before you bought!
• The AC makes a noise, so does mine when it is ON.
• Now the steering is making noise.

I'm sure you can find some good in your MINI. Chalking it up to just JUNK really doesn't make anyone new here feel good about coming back.

My Clubman is also a little over a month old. I cannot say enough good things about it and the only problem I have had with mine is when it gets dirty...I got a problem with that!

I'm going to start a new thread, I think everyone will find it will help create some positive energy.

 

LOL J.D. Power Associates is a joke my friend.

From 2002-2006 Jaguar was listed as first on J.D. Power Asssoc list. And I wasn't on a first name basis with everyone in the dealership because I am a friendly guy either......


While I feel for everyone who is having problems, lord knows I have been there too. I would not make broad statements condeming the car or quality control.

Of the thousands of MINI's sold here each year, it would be ridiculous to suggest every owner becomes a member here in NAM. I didn't even google to find this place until I had issues with my 03' MCS looking for answers. That said, those first time MINI owners who DO post here are probably experiencing some sort of issue(s) or problems with their car. That being the case, the fact that some new MINI owners are posting here with issues should not be a reflection on the car as a whole.

It's just a matter of keeping things in perspective.

Use the warranty service for what it is, and hope eveyones issues are resolved.

 

Congrats! And, as a jaded owner of two Minis, I suggest you keep all your fingers and toes crossed tightly...