R56 dead, no fix after days
#1
03-05-2007, 11:39 PM
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R56 dead, no fix after days
A friend of mine had picked his R56 up from the dealer a couple of weeks ago. He drove it 185 miles when it began to sputter. Engine codes started popping up and it threw some sort of VVT code. The dealer has been emailing MiniUSA for days trying different things to no avail. 
Anyway, it sure makes me glad I didn't sell my R53 and get an R56 yet, the dealer actually made him RENT a car or go without while they try to hunt down the issue.
Anyway, it sure makes me glad I didn't sell my R53 and get an R56 yet, the dealer actually made him RENT a car or go without while they try to hunt down the issue.
#3
03-06-2007, 05:40 AM
4th Gear
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A friend of mine had picked his R56 up from the dealer a couple of weeks ago. He drove it 185 miles when it began to sputter. Engine codes started popping up and it threw some sort of VVT code. The dealer has been emailing MiniUSA for days trying different things to no avail. Anyway, it sure makes me glad I didn't sell my R53 and get an R56 yet, the dealer actually made him RENT a car or go without while they try to hunt down the issue.
Anyway, it sure makes me glad I didn't sell my R53 and get an R56 yet, the dealer actually made him RENT a car or go without while they try to hunt down the issue.
a car
#7
03-06-2007, 10:48 AM
Trending Topics
#11
03-06-2007, 11:24 AM
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Anyway, I'll let you know the end outcome when I speak with him next.
#12
03-06-2007, 11:44 AM
OVERDRIVE
#13
03-06-2007, 11:45 AM
#14
03-06-2007, 11:51 AM
OVERDRIVE
#15
03-06-2007, 11:55 AM
4th Gear
Some MINI dealerships (mine included) don't do loaner cars. In fact I've never been to a dealership for any my cars that lent out loaners. It would be very welcome though.
#16
03-06-2007, 11:59 AM
It can be done. I have seen it. The case I am talking about was last year when I was a MA for my local MINI dealer. She had paid for her new MCCa in cash and the car died on her the next day with less than 100 miles on the odo. Road assistance was called in and the car was returned to the dealership. The customer was very upset and after having a chat with my boss (sales manager, he is a very nice guy) the dealer agreed that this was an unacceptable fault and offered to exchange the car. Mind you, she had custom ordered her MCCa from factory.
So it turns out that there was a very similar spec MCSCa (Chili Red) coming later that week and the customer decided to take the opportunity and üpgrade"to the S convertible. She paid the difference and we gave her a new MCSa hardtop as a loaner for a whole week until her new car came in.
I prepped the car for her and delivered it. She was very happy and no more problems with the new replacement. I even ran into her a couple of weeks later at church and she was very pleased with my treatment.
It turns out that there was a "lose" hose in her MCCa CVT transmission that caused fluid to leak and thus the sudden failure after she took the car home. Was a fairly simple fix and since the car was still new (less than 100 miles) it was cleaned up and put up for sale. A few weeks later it found a new buyer. The car never gave any problems after the initial repair.
The point of this story is that our dealer cares about customer satisfaction and to do the right thing when problems arise that are obvious factory quality control snafus.
Perhaps other dealer would have sent her back and she would have had to escalate the problem to the general manager and even retain legal counsel.
So it turns out that there was a very similar spec MCSCa (Chili Red) coming later that week and the customer decided to take the opportunity and üpgrade"to the S convertible. She paid the difference and we gave her a new MCSa hardtop as a loaner for a whole week until her new car came in.
I prepped the car for her and delivered it. She was very happy and no more problems with the new replacement. I even ran into her a couple of weeks later at church and she was very pleased with my treatment.
It turns out that there was a "lose" hose in her MCCa CVT transmission that caused fluid to leak and thus the sudden failure after she took the car home. Was a fairly simple fix and since the car was still new (less than 100 miles) it was cleaned up and put up for sale. A few weeks later it found a new buyer. The car never gave any problems after the initial repair.
The point of this story is that our dealer cares about customer satisfaction and to do the right thing when problems arise that are obvious factory quality control snafus.
Perhaps other dealer would have sent her back and she would have had to escalate the problem to the general manager and even retain legal counsel.
#17
03-06-2007, 12:00 PM
OVERDRIVE
I thought loaners were a standard MINI thing and had no idea it varied from dealer to to dealer. That's a shame.
dean.
#19
03-06-2007, 12:03 PM
OVERDRIVE
Perhaps other dealer would have sent her back and she would have had to escalate the problem to the general manager and even retain legal counsel.
dean.
#20
03-06-2007, 12:26 PM
Most every state has a "cooling off" period where you can return the car no questions asked. I know a guy whose wife bought a car without telling me that they could not afford. When he found out some number of days later, he took it back and the dealer had to take it back ... The law is for exactly those kinds of reasons.
That said, its not for ... Oh the car threw a code, its a lemon. Most lemon laws require multiple times down fixing the same problem and certainly not just once.
This is just a perfect case of early adopters acting as the guinea pigs (as C4 is cleary stating here) for the people who buy next year .... Sad but true.
That said, its not for ... Oh the car threw a code, its a lemon. Most lemon laws require multiple times down fixing the same problem and certainly not just once.
This is just a perfect case of early adopters acting as the guinea pigs (as C4 is cleary stating here) for the people who buy next year .... Sad but true.
#21
03-06-2007, 12:32 PM
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Most every state has a "cooling off" period where you can return the car no questions asked. I know a guy whose wife bought a car without telling me that they could not afford. When he found out some number of days later, he took it back and the dealer had to take it back ... The law is for exactly those kinds of reasons.
That said, its not for ... Oh the car threw a code, its a lemon. Most lemon laws require multiple times down fixing the same problem and certainly not just once.
This is just a perfect case of early adopters acting as the guinea pigs (as C4 is cleary stating here) for the people who buy next year .... Sad but true.
That said, its not for ... Oh the car threw a code, its a lemon. Most lemon laws require multiple times down fixing the same problem and certainly not just once.
This is just a perfect case of early adopters acting as the guinea pigs (as C4 is cleary stating here) for the people who buy next year .... Sad but true.
#22
03-06-2007, 12:35 PM
It can be done. I have seen it. The case I am talking about was last year when I was a MA for my local MINI dealer. She had paid for her new MCCa in cash and the car died on her the next day with less than 100 miles on the odo. Road assistance was called in and the car was returned to the dealership. The customer was very upset and after having a chat with my boss (sales manager, he is a very nice guy) the dealer agreed that this was an unacceptable fault and offered to exchange the car. Mind you, she had custom ordered her MCCa from factory.
So it turns out that there was a very similar spec MCSCa (Chili Red) coming later that week and the customer decided to take the opportunity and üpgrade"to the S convertible. She paid the difference and we gave her a new MCSa hardtop as a loaner for a whole week until her new car came in.
I prepped the car for her and delivered it. She was very happy and no more problems with the new replacement. I even ran into her a couple of weeks later at church and she was very pleased with my treatment.
It turns out that there was a "lose" hose in her MCCa CVT transmission that caused fluid to leak and thus the sudden failure after she took the car home. Was a fairly simple fix and since the car was still new (less than 100 miles) it was cleaned up and put up for sale. A few weeks later it found a new buyer. The car never gave any problems after the initial repair.
The point of this story is that our dealer cares about customer satisfaction and to do the right thing when problems arise that are obvious factory quality control snafus.
Perhaps other dealer would have sent her back and she would have had to escalate the problem to the general manager and even retain legal counsel.
So it turns out that there was a very similar spec MCSCa (Chili Red) coming later that week and the customer decided to take the opportunity and üpgrade"to the S convertible. She paid the difference and we gave her a new MCSa hardtop as a loaner for a whole week until her new car came in.
I prepped the car for her and delivered it. She was very happy and no more problems with the new replacement. I even ran into her a couple of weeks later at church and she was very pleased with my treatment.
It turns out that there was a "lose" hose in her MCCa CVT transmission that caused fluid to leak and thus the sudden failure after she took the car home. Was a fairly simple fix and since the car was still new (less than 100 miles) it was cleaned up and put up for sale. A few weeks later it found a new buyer. The car never gave any problems after the initial repair.
The point of this story is that our dealer cares about customer satisfaction and to do the right thing when problems arise that are obvious factory quality control snafus.
Perhaps other dealer would have sent her back and she would have had to escalate the problem to the general manager and even retain legal counsel.
#23
03-06-2007, 12:36 PM
#24
03-06-2007, 12:40 PM
A 2006 MCCa? Nope that's way past the "beta testing" period. The first early build 2005 convertibles do qualify under that label. One of my co-workers signed up for beta testing duty 2 and a half years ago and has had probably 2-3 brand new tops replaced. She loves the car otherwise
Early build R56's are beta testing mules, pretty much the same way 2002-2003 MINIs were back in the day.
However.. A late production car is not guarantee for a troublefree ownership experience, but the odds are still in your favor since the initial batch of buyers have done it all the testing for you.
Ever heard the wise phrase that states... "Never buy version 1.0a of anything?"
Early build R56's are beta testing mules, pretty much the same way 2002-2003 MINIs were back in the day.
However.. A late production car is not guarantee for a troublefree ownership experience, but the odds are still in your favor since the initial batch of buyers have done it all the testing for you.
Ever heard the wise phrase that states... "Never buy version 1.0a of anything?"
#25
03-06-2007, 12:41 PM