Hi folks!

So in the fall I had the dreaded smurf coolant leak on my 06 MCS w/50k kms.
Was bad enough that I had to add some coolant. While still under warranty I brought it to the dealer and they pressure tested and inspected and found nothing...
Went away for the a month so did not drive the car. Come December I drove it again, put a few thousand kms on it and within two weeks coolant was leaking again with a loss of heat and over heating. Brought it to the dealer again, this time the regular warranty was over and it was on CPO warranty.

Just got a call from the dealer this morning stating that the car needed a new t-stat and that it was not covered under CPO warranty as it is considered "wear and tear". UGH 450$.
Wasn't the t-stat and or housing redesigned?

I bitched that I had brought the car in for the exact same reason while under full warranty and they did not catch it. So the difference is that this tech diagnosed it and the other failed to do so?
They said they will give me a 30% discount on parts and labour...which is better than nothing, but is this something I should contact Mini Canada about? Should it be covered under regular warranty as the problem started when it was still covered? And also, should the tstat/housing/gasket be considered "wear and tear" if it's a known issue and there was a subsequent redesign?

Thanks,

Phil

 

Thermostats need to be checked at inspection II. Typically, thermostats need to be replaced around 50K. The fact that they are giving you a 30% discount is pretty good. That pretty well matches the aftermarket price of a new thermostat and is probably a better quality than something you might get at NAPA, Lordco or Canadian Tire.

I'm surprised they didn't check it when you complained about the leak the first time. They probably should have. I'm wondering where you are losing your coolant as a worn thermostat does not normally leak coolant out. Your car just takes a long time to warm up, or it overheats.

 

I'd go to MINI Canada over that one. You complained of the problem while under warranty. You shouldn't have to eat it because they 'couldn't find' the existing problem.
Beken, the gasket is known to leak on '05/'06. In fact I'm about to replace it on a friend's '05.