Hi guys,

I've just had my car cleaned and with clean windows it is now obvious that there are three completely straight vertical scratches on my driver's side window. There is no way these were done by the car washers as they are far too straight, therefore it must be some stones or dirt that got into the sealed unit that operates the window.

Is this sort of thing covered by MINI warranty?

Thanks in advance!

Not unless it's due to a manufacturing defect.

If stone damaged, it will be covered by your car insurance assuming you have that level of coverage.

I have a quarter-sized mark on my windshield (passenger side) where I was hit by debris falling off a dump-truck without a load cover (on the highway no less). I thought the car had been hit by an artillery shell or something from the sound it made and I physically flinched when it happened.

It's covered by my insurance but I'm living with it since I heard horror stories of changing out the windscreen. 18 months and 1 severe winter later and it's not getting larger or anything. Gives character to the car.

Actually, the car's a major target, I've been hit by a cardboard box flying off a flatbed, numerous rocks, a kid with a pellet gun, manure flying off a farmer's tractor and I myself got targetted through an open window by a large bird letting go of it's "load".


Hi guys,

I've posted this in general and faults and fixes in the hopes of more exposure.

I've just had my car cleaned and with a clean windows it is now obvious that there are three completely straight vertical scratches on my driver's side window. There is no way these were done by the car washers as they are far too straight, therefore it must be some stones or dirt that got into the sealed unit that operates the window.

Is this sort of thing covered by MINI warranty?

Thanks in advance!

Sounds like ur MINI craves battlefield adventures! The damage to mine is scratches caused by something in the window/door mechanism. I'm not sure whether it's a foreign object or something faulty in the door, but either way it shouldn't be happening so I think it should be a valid warranty claim (it's not stuff getting flicked up off the road). Although being in Russia I have low hopes of the dealer admitting any liability...hope they prove me wrong.

I had exactly the same problem with my R53, going back about 5 years... both front windows and necessary mechanisms replaced under warranty. :)

Thanks minicore, did you have any trouble getting them to admit liability for the repair? Is it a matter of taking the door apart and replacing the mechanism or is it likely just to need a clean and reseal?

To be honest, it never occurred to me that it might be a warranty issue... I figured that some dirt had managed to get between the door/window mechanics and the glass... just "one of those things", or a sort of wear and tear issue, if you will.

Wasn't until my mate drove the car and commented that it should be covered by warranty that I even considered it. :o

Anyway, from what I remember, there wasn't actually anything trapped anywhere - it was the mechanism itself, or something to do with the mechanism, which was causing the scratches. I'm not sure exactly what was replaced, but my dealer didn't try to contest it, they just took the car in and did the work (had it for about half a day I think), after which it was good as new. Problem never reoccurred for the remainder of the time I owned the car either. :)

Taking it in to the service department next tuesday for them to assess and repair it. Will see if they accept it as warranty, but I'd appreciate anyone else posting their experience with this too so I've got some ammo just in case.

The car is in for diagnosis now (at £80 / hr payable if not covered by warranty), should find out this evening if it is covered. The mechanic said he has seen it with other cars (BMW) and it has been covered by warranty but he has not seen it with MINI so doesn't know what the warranty people will say. Hopefully what's good enough for BMW is good enough for MINI...

In case anyone comes across this thread later, they found stones in the mechanism and agreed to fix it under warranty without any fuss. only annoying thing is they managed to scratch the rear bumper whilst it was in with them so we'll have to take it back for them to fix that too :mad: