Yep... my early '05 is showing a tad of rust under there... Time to paint and make sure I dry there!

 

(This was moved over from the Mini Talk forum)

Has the concern over the door sill / weatherstripping rust died down or is it not an issue for most people? Seriously, as someone who is considering this car, I read the posts over at MotoringFile and it's very much a concern for ME. The idea of non-damage related rust on a ONE YEAR OLD car is something I have extreme difficulty accepting. Even though it is just under weatherstripping in a door opening, it is still unacceptable.

I live in the snowy/salty Northeast and I keep cars long-term. Everyone has there own tolerance level I guess, but I would be VERY upset...

http://motoringfile.com/2006/05/31/h...-rust-problem/

 

I'm not that worries about and I'm just taking delivery of my new MINI very soon. A known problem is a problem you can plan and prepare for. I don't like the fact of the rust and I'm disappointed, but its not enough to sway me. Hopefully MINI USA handles the problem in a customer-focused way. If they handle this with denials, then I'll be concerned about a systemic corporate value of ignoring the customer. More GM than Toyota, if you will.

 

not an issue on mine... nor is it an issue on shukes24's car which has been
in service in michigan as a daily driven car.

i recommend monitoring it on occasion and just clean, touch up, etc.
if you're worried.

you just pull the stripping up and just push it back on the rail after inspection. anyone can do it.

 

Gabe - is there a reason they need to know if you have an aero kit? Are they thinking if you have an aero kit your are more prone/less prone to this problem? I just picked up my new 06 MCS 2 weeks ago with VDC-installed aero kit and am just wondering.

 

I was told that any installed of parts in that area would need to be documented when looking at the issue. Not saying that it is a cause. Personally I don't see how that would be an issue.

 

I wish I had to join NAM for a more enjoyable reason, but here is the first post...

Below are the pictures of mine (also sent to Gabe). The car is an 03 (4/03 built) MCS without areokit.
Although it seems to be at an early stage, I have rust on both sides. It is VERY tempting to just scrape it and do something about it, but I know that I must wait for an "official" repair from MINI.
For what it is worth, the car was washed about 2 weeks ago, and like in every other case, when I removed the strips, the area was wet. I keep it garaged all the time and dont wash it very often.
I am trying to set up an appointment with the MINI field service engineer for the clutch; I will be sure to show him the rusted parts along with the print out of this thread.
Good luck to all of us!!!

 

Another concern for me is the idea that this area shouldn't rust (especially after one year) even if it remains wet for long periods. There are many areas of a car that trap water (fender liners, mud flaps, moldings, etc) and they normally do not rust. Aren't these cars made with fully galvanized steel? Shouldn't they have elastomeric waxes and coatings in water prone areas? The fact that this seam area is rusting seems like a manufacturing defect. The finish of these edges looks remarkably crude.

If it's happening in this easily accessible area, it may also be happening around glass frames or any hidden edge areas....

 

Merging this thread with the Rust on the 02 sticky in the Beneath the Bonnet forum.

 

I pulled the door seals on my 2006 (Yes! A Two Thousand and SIX) MCS and found a few rust stains, the most notable documented here:



MY CAR IS 6 MONTHS OLD - I PICKED IT UP ON DECEMBER 16, 2005!

I took a piece of auto grade sandpaper and it brushed right off... I didn't even go through the layer of paint. I then applied a liberal coating of P21S carnuba. I'm not sure if it will help, but I'd bet it won't hurt!

I know that this is a tiny little superficial rust spot. I'm not freaking out about it... I'm just not happy that I have to think about this with a brand new car.

MINI: To spare the embarrasment of any fair person, I won't tell you which finger is pictured above!

 

Well, there's the perforation...

 

My early '05 has a couple rust spots on the passenger side. One at the top of the seam, and another further down. Like some one else commented, even if this area is always wet, why is it rusting in a year and a half? Also, I can't figure out how so much water is getting in there. The holes in the side don't actually go thru to the seam. The root cause of the rust, though, seems to be this seal. Even if the dealer were to fix this little bit of rust, no doubt it would be back again soon unless the rubber seal is re-designed.

 

Shouldn't this discussion be held under the more widely visited Mini Talk section? Although it is just gaining momentum, this has the potential to hurt sales, reputation and resale value. It can possibly impact every current mini owner. This should be available where the most people will see it.

This is a little bit of rust now, but it is a big deal if you paid the premium demanded for this car. It also should be a big deal for BMW, and the more people who demand resolution, the better the chance of a fix for current and future owners.

 

Presumably, Gabe is referring to the full Aero kit (including the revised side trim pieces). If you only have the Aero kit front bumper, I doubt that you need to mention the Aero front bumper, right Gabe?

 

Clo, a VERY GOOD idea (to merge the threads)! Nothing like having multiple threads to confuse/diffuse the issue.

 

Where is the perforation? I see some bubbling that has broken the plastic/cellophane tape that was placed over the unpainted area, but not a hole in the sheetmetal (which is the general standard for perforation). Depending on what MINI says about whether they will cover a repair to the bubbling (as well as whether the rust warranty has lapsed), the bubbling should be treated with dilute phosphoric acid and painted with a rust preventive primer. Otherwise, the bubbling will lead to perforation (and rust cancer after that).

 

sly:
My 03 has rust! Erk... Will have it documented I guess at the dealer and send pics/VIN.

Just a thought, even if you had the rust check thing every year (or as required), would they even check under the seal?? Doubt it.

 

I heard somewhere along the way that Murphy’s Oil Soap, when applied will act as a temporary rust inhibitor....Hate the fact that I even have to think about this after 1 year of ownership...but hey...guess better now then later!

 

That's what I was wondering too. I'll probably talk to my SA this week and see what/if they will do anything.

 

Just checking in: 03 MCS, ~38k miles, originally delivered in Illinois, daily driven year round in Michigan -- no rust either side. Interesting knowing about this potential rust issue and will keep an eye on it.

 

That's what I saw and described as well... If you look closely, there is a tiny bit of thin metal that connects the two sheets, and there is the tape that covers the whole unpainted area. The rust is superficial on that thin metal and bubling at the moment. As I said, I am very tempted to do something about it...

 

Took the car in this weekend and of course, the MINI guys weren't there...Had to deal with the BMW people (BMW shares space with the MINI dealer I go to.)...Of course they are unaware of the issue...
Will check in when I get the MINI gang to look at it...

 

I would be tempted to fix it too. But it is smarter to wait until BMW makes their plan clear. Remember, this just came to light several weeks ago and it will take time for BMW leadership to get the message and decide how to handle this. This could be costly for them in both money and reputation.

But, if you mess with the "integrity" of that edge, you will be giving your dealer the option of saying it was all your fault.

 

Looked at mine yesterday - 2005 built in 3/05 - both sides were fully painted. Drivers side had a bit of moisture inside, passenger side was dry. On the driver's side, there was a smidgen of a rust stain along the very top of the seam, maybe 1-2 cm long. No bubbling or anything else. Almost looks like a transferred stain from something else (is there metal inside the rubber seal?).

 

One thing you could do is to notify MINI/BMW in writing as soon as possible (like certified, return receipt so you can prove they received the letter). And then follow-up (again, certified return receipt) maybe every two weeks. After three attempts, you are kind of in the three strikes zone and if you don't get any action out of MINI/BMW, you have laid the foundation for a claim that they blew you off and you had to act to stop things getting any worse. The current bubbling is not that severe and if stopped, the rust issue has gone away. I don't know what MINI/BMW will do about this. They (MINI/BMW) are more interested in selling new cars rather than extending the life of cars they have already sold.... I personally would fix the rust while it is a minor issue. But then again, I obsess about my cars more than normal.