LOVE my car, but....
5th Gear
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 779
Likes: 4
- Mark
If there is a policy for an annual oil change it is not public; at least not in Houston. I would be completely satisfied with an annual oil change. I did get a call from the service manager at Mini of The Woodlands where the bottom line was an oil change on them in the future - A note on his business card anyway. I was not looking for anything free but was very frustrated at the lack of concern. From the conversation I believe this is not the first time he had this issue arise. I do appreciate his call and the manner in which he addressed my problem. I already drive by Momentum BMW/MINI which is less than 3 miles from my home and drive 45 miles across the city to Mini of The Woodlands. This issue not withstanding, Mini of the Woodlands at least appears to treat you with some respect. Bottom line; I receive significant pleasure driving the Mini. If there is a next time for Mini I'll be smarter about the negotiation. 
Change Engine oil at least annually.
So I took the Mini into the dealer about a year after I bought it, they took it right in and did an oil change. (I had changed the oil and filter at 1200 miles, and again at 7500 miles, both with samples to Blackstone labs.
About 6 months later the 1st service was due, Took it in they did that. Now, it's going to be about a year since the last service, and they will do it again.
(that is NOT to say I've been waiting for only them to do the oil changes. I change the oil and filter on my own dime. It just may be that the oil gets changed by MINI when they are supposed to do it. and that may be 3000 miles since I did it.) But I will get my free changes, fluids, filters, brakes... from Mini...
Neutral
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Houston
Maybe that is why I'm so put out with Mini---"well change the oil early but you'll pay for it and we won't reset the computer". And I was also purchasing $1,000 worth of tires at the time. Having retired from a very large corporation I understand "policy" and "pressure" to avoid doing work for those pesky customers without revenue.
By the way, it's not just Mini doing the shuffle over 3 years free maintenance again with a huge sign in the sales AND service areas. My wife has a Subaru and it turns out you really don't have 3 years free maintenance, you have coupons good for 3 years and when you run out of coupons you run out of free. You run out of free sooner than 3 years if you follow Subaru's maintenance schedule. The service manager refused to let me take his picture holding the large Three Year Free Maintenance sign. I absolutely LOVE driving the Mini. Let me repeat, I love driving the Mini but I have a more reliable 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser with 200,000 plus miles in the drive also, thank goodness. I'll overlook the 15mpg for the moment.
By the way, it's not just Mini doing the shuffle over 3 years free maintenance again with a huge sign in the sales AND service areas. My wife has a Subaru and it turns out you really don't have 3 years free maintenance, you have coupons good for 3 years and when you run out of coupons you run out of free. You run out of free sooner than 3 years if you follow Subaru's maintenance schedule. The service manager refused to let me take his picture holding the large Three Year Free Maintenance sign. I absolutely LOVE driving the Mini. Let me repeat, I love driving the Mini but I have a more reliable 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser with 200,000 plus miles in the drive also, thank goodness. I'll overlook the 15mpg for the moment.
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2nd Gear
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 79
Likes: 1
That is very obvious from your list of problems.
While some of your problems are straightfoward Mini issues, in general, I think you're asking the Mini to be something it really isn't - a car that is designed from the get-go to be smooth, ultra-reliable and "vanilla". You complain about rattles and buzzes, but some of this is just the trade-off that a very stiff-riding car must make - you're never going to make a Mini have a vault-like ride and lack of buzziness like a Lexus.
Accepting some compromises will result in a lot less stomach acid. If you want to compromise towards something ultra-reliable and smooth, get a Camry. If you want something in-between this and the Mini, I'd suggest a VW GTI or Mazdaspeed 3.
BTW, what is "lip-trapping debris"?
- Mark
While some of your problems are straightfoward Mini issues, in general, I think you're asking the Mini to be something it really isn't - a car that is designed from the get-go to be smooth, ultra-reliable and "vanilla". You complain about rattles and buzzes, but some of this is just the trade-off that a very stiff-riding car must make - you're never going to make a Mini have a vault-like ride and lack of buzziness like a Lexus.
Accepting some compromises will result in a lot less stomach acid. If you want to compromise towards something ultra-reliable and smooth, get a Camry. If you want something in-between this and the Mini, I'd suggest a VW GTI or Mazdaspeed 3.
BTW, what is "lip-trapping debris"?
- Mark
That said, getting rid of those ghastly runflats has made a pretty big improvement
So far as the lip that was trapping debris, that is a quote from the ticket, brake compound was building up in between the pad and the rotor
4th Gear
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 493
Likes: 0
From: Charlotte, NC
"change oil at least once per year". In bold
Hendricks changed mine actually a month early at no charge.
Seems the secret to happy Mini ownership is making sure you have a really good dealer.
5th Gear
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 779
Likes: 4
- Mark
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