It all started out September 4th when I got my new 2005 Hyper Blue MINI MCS. After one day of driving it I got the dreaded super charger / alternator / belt tensioner squeal. No problem. Take it to Ferman MINI in Tampa Bay. One day later the car is back. One day later the car is squealing again. Shizit. I call Downtown MINI of Orlando where I purchased the car. Shawn the service manager tells me to come on over. While I am driving over.. I start to hear a loud wind whistly at 40 mph and above. I get there September 19th. 7 hours in the waiting room.. we fixed the squeal you have to come back for the wind noise. I get 30 miles outside of Orlando.. and its squealing like a stuck pig. I call Shawn... he tells me to bring it back in the next day and they will get me a loaner.
I bring the car back on September 22nd. I will not see the car again for 39 consecutive days . For weeks they try to troubleshoot why the hell the car still squeals after a new alternator, a new belt tensioner, a new belt, a new SC pulley. They never replace the SC. In trying to fix the god-awfule wind noise.. they try everything. The replace the wind shield on the car. Replace the air recuirculator box. They take out everything behind the engine in front of the firewall.
They then call MINI USA and beg for a rep to come on site. It has been 30 days now. Finally a rep shows up. They drive the car for a WEEK with parabolic microphones listening. Friday afternoon the MINI engineer is up underneath the car... "Hey did you see this plug that was missing in the firewall..??" They go and look at another car. The other car has the plug. The drive mine with the plug.. no noise. Without the plug.. noise. It is about the size of a quarter.... . Shawn calls me... "Hey dude your car is ready.."
I go and pick it up last week Friday... 23 miles away.. yingyingyingyingyingyin squeal is back.
I call the department of consumer affairs division of customer relations for the state of Florida. I file an official arbitration form. I call MINI USA.. they tell me they can't give me the name of the Regional Rep.. and that I have to send any questions to their PO box. I call the Jacksonville store.. and through a little "social engineering" I am able to obtain the email address, name and phone number of Deitz Froehlich who is the Mini Rep in charge of all the southern US district stores.
We talk for a half hour or more... he wants to put a JCW belt on the car... and maybe replace the SC. I remind him that they have had the car for WELL over 30 consecutive days. I also remind him that the state of Florida will either get my money back.. or get me a new car. Finally after a little more drama.. he agrees to what I want.
Mini USA let me order a new 2006 MCS and is going to give me full MSRP what I paid for my 2005. They will make me pay the $500 difference between the 05 and the '06...

I called Larry and Mike Torre the sales manager at Downtown Mini Orlando. On the phone we ordered my new MCS, I got my production number. They are letting me drive my car for the next 7 weeks. But it is a done deal.

Although it took some time.. and some phone calls.. they stepped up to the plate and took care of me. I guess I really can't ask for anything else.

This board had been a big help. I can't tell you how many time I printed out posts here and showed them to the service manager in an effort to help diagnose the squeal. Thanks for all the information you all provide.

 

Man that's unfortunate. I find (unless you've not gotten attached to it) that it might be hard to let your first MINI go. That I assure you will go away as you stomp on the accelerator of the new though, at least you get a new car. This reminds me of my dad. In 2000 he bought a Lincoln Navigator, was a lemon 2 motors, 3 transmissions, etc. Next car, FREE 2003 redesigned(different bodystyle) Navigator. Lemon. Pretty much the same thing. Got rid of it a year ago. Next up, FREE 2005 lincoln navigator, fine, the only problem we've had is warped rotors, from braking after long periods of not braking, got brakes replaced, nothing wrong. In the spring though he's getting something a little more "economical" according to him: Intergalos Blue BMW M3 Competition. Fine with me though!

Good Luck man, I can see where your coming from, it's tough esp. since you've been without it so long, good luck with your new car, just be sure to give us pictures when you get it, I love Hyper Blue!

Good Luck

Mike aka "Chili"

 

I am nearing the end of my own Lemon case but I am not doing the replacement option.

You didn't mention if they are giving you credit for what you paid on the first car. I know you said they are allowing you full MSRP for the original car, but what about the payments you have made? The first few moths of payments on cars are primarily interest and not principle. Just curious.

 

They are giving me full value for what I paid for the car. And taking that and applying it to what I am ordering.. which is the same car.. just with antricite headliner.

I have about a $12,000 balance loan on the car. I have made 2 payments. Most banks will allow what is called a "substitution of collateral". This means the dealer contacts your bank, submits paperwork to them that they are "replacing" the vehicle due to mechanical problems. You keep your same loan / interest rate. You continue to make payments on the car. When the new car comes in.. the bank simply swaps the VIN number.

All I am doing it paying them the $530 difference between the two model years out of my pocket. Seemed fair to me.. since they are going to get a car back in 8 weeks with almost 7000 miles. Certainly.. some domestic dealers would actually charge you a formula that depreciates the vehicle slightly. Dietz made the agreement with me that MINI USA is giving me full MSRP for my car... no matter how many miles are on it in 7 weeks when my new one gets here.

 

The fact that you've had all these problems really sucks, but it sounds like mini has really stepped-up to the plate and has done everything and more that you could expect them to do. Congrats for handling it so well.


When I had my lemon BMW 530, the deal that I ended up with was that they took the car back and paid off the lease and sold me a new BMW (my choice) at dealer cost. In that case the car was 18 months old, so it wouldn't be rational to expect them to give me MSRP or anything like that. At the time I was a little PO'd that I had to get another BMW, but in hindsight, they treated me well.

Good luck with #2!!!!

Michael

 

I'm glad BMW MINI did the right thing for you. Before everyone gets all warm & fuzzy feeling, remember erictuley had to force their hand to make them do the right thing. I'd feel warm & fuzzy if BMW MINI would have made that offer in the first place. After reading all the problems on his MINI I'm sure that's what they should have done.

Chuck

 

 

Powers that be respect POWER...that is just the way it is. Glad to see that you are getting a new MINI, Eric. That is exactly what should happen.

 

Now wouldn't it be funny if the new 06 started squealing, too? Man, that would be hilarious...

 

I am sorry to hear of all your problems..... good luck with the new one!

 

Scary story!

They should be glad that you're still willing to stay with MINI.

 

My MINI squeals also. I road in another friends '05 and noticed the same sound in his. I brought mine into the dealer and they had QC drive mine then drive another MCS and said they made the same sounds, so nothing was wrong. It only does it in a certain RPM range and when the transmission is upshifting or downshifting(I have an auto). Also when the engine temps warm up and the oil temps warm up it seems to go away so it probably isn't a big deal. It might just be the alternator recharging the battery after start-up.

I was close to fighting them with the lemon law during the limp mode problem with the auto MCS. They had it for 6 weeks, sent out a MINI engineer, and reprogrammed it 2 or 3 times, gave it back to me once still with the problem, then finally sent my DME to New Jersey and got the problem figured out. I contacted Dietz Froelich also when that happened. Actually, MINIUSA had him contact me so I'm surprised they wouldn't give you his e-mail. Glad to see you are getting a new one though.

 

that REALLY sucks, dude, good luck with that '06...

In the meantime, have "fun" with your '05 with the squeal... keep in mind they never said crap about the internal condition of the motor when you make the trade!!

 

Mine squealed the first 1500 miles, haven't heard a peep since (now 5600 and 3 months later). Yours has 7000 and still squeals? Jeez. Glad to hear you're getting it resolved, though.

 

I wonder if the squealing is due to the abraidable coating on the super charger vanes/casing? The 2005 is the first year for this allthough it has been standard on the JCW's. The coating is supposed to bed-in providing a tighter tollerance, before that time the SC would be harder to spin and may cause the belt to slip.

 

Wow Eric and others! I guess we are in for a battle after all, as we are just starting the process on my 2005 MCSa (not even 9mos old). Been a nightmare so far (since the problems have started) and I have always thought the BMW side of customer service was pretty good. I have owned 3 BMW's and even sold mine to buy the MINI even though my husband asked me countless times if I am sure. Looking back, maybe he did know best...
So far we are at the someone will call you back stage and "others are having the same problem but we don't know how to fix it stage." Getting someone to call you back seems to be proving difficult at best.

It's too bad it has had to get ugly for you all in order to have the right thing done. I am hoping that the desire to give good customer service will win out at some point, but my husband is not as optimistic.

There is an old commercial (Doesn't matter what for as this fits customer service in general) that's tagline went "You tell 2 people, and I will tell 2 people and so on and so forth". Granted the commercial was wanting you to tell people what a great product this was, but in customer service it works both ways as does it when the right thing is not being done.

Take care and wish me (us) luck in our pursuit for the right thing happening. It is such a cute car it is hard to have it all end this way. It just doesn't have to be this way. I want to be happily motoring again soon!

(Discouraged) Wife of a car enthusiast

 

Yeah..

I told my dealer.. you guys can't be serious with keeping my car 6 months and expect my confidence not to be blown in this vehicle. I found it very amusing that MINI USA kind of gets invovled but then calls the dealer on the other line and pretty much says "hey this customer is pissed of fix it...". You would not BELIEVE what I had to go through to get Deitz's contact information. You are right.. it does not have to be this way. I expected a BMW quality car.. not a Kia. But my new one has been scheduled for production.. or at least that is what my owners lounge log in says .

 

I tend to think of mine as an over-priced Kia that handles really well. Seriously.

 

Actually, my dealer told me that if I wanted a reliable car I should have bought a Kia. Seriously.

 

Wow! I am really sorry to read all these stories....pretty much stinks all the way around. But I am glad to hear that MINI has stepped up to the plate with what sounds like a pretty good replacement deal.... Too bad I can't sit here and say the same thing about our experience with MINI USA..

Donna