["Megan"]

Quote: Originally Posted by MiniFr34k

have a look at these pictures.. you will not believe it....

http://www.northamericanmotoring.com...&postcount=127


for those of us in australia with this, i really think we should get together and bombard bmw with this problem.. is there anyone else that can be notified re: this defect?? Oracle do u know anyone?.. how about Ray Martin? lol

My printer is working overtime - I am taking in copies of the posts on both MINI 2 and NAM to give to the dealership - gives them some pretty solid ammunition to give to BMW!!

I think we need to help the dealerships with this particular issue, as it is not something that they have any control over. BMW are going to have a hard time ignoring both their dealers AND their customers.

Bottom line - I am not too keen to be seen to be 'organising' any kind of group approach to BMW - however, I do understand that a lot of you don't have much spare time on your hands to take it that step further. So I am happy to do what ever time permits me to do on this issue.

Cheers
Avril...

[n00b]

Update: just spoke to a rep from BMW clarifying the rust warranty is fully transferrable (unlike what Trivett told me yesterday) and any dealership can get it done. Obviously it has to be booked in, inspected and they send the piccies to the warranty claims people in Melb to look into it before saying go ahead or not.

If anyone feels like bombarding BMW with the metal cancer findings, feel free to fax it to 03 9562 0278 Attn Customer Relations Dept.

[Mini2v]

Quote: Originally Posted by n00b

It's like what support do they provide anyway? Take the Targa for example, a bunch of dedicated individuals needed help, representing the marquee but the Works team aka BMW Aust wouldn't give a stuff!

As Avril said we do need to be a little careful with clubMINI involevment as it could be counter productive. MA does support clubMINI quite a lot, eg, support vehicle and spare wheels/tyres on the NSW 5 day High Country run last December. Same for the 14 day Tasmania run in Feb 07, plus they will be mailing all MINI owners about the event (potentially all new clubMINI members as a result) and they will be financing the gala dinner on the Tasmanian run. Plus there is financial support for the Biannual National get together which i am working on for October 07 at Wakefield in Goulburn.

Vic

[Tit]

Adelaide MINI took photos of my small patches of rust last week. They called me yesterday and told me they were going to address the problem under warranty - minimum fuss. It's booked in after the long weekend...what is yet to be seen is how they treat the rust..

I asked the service manager if he'd seen this before and he said that this was the first time he'd seen it....

[n00b]

No one knew about the rust until someone talked about it on NAM it's like...can anyone expect rust to pop up there in a relatively new car?

[PPE]

I feel that the more people speak out about their problems the more likely we are to have an easy time getting said problems fixed. I don't think we need to include ClubMINIs name in any of our dealings, but I'm sure that we could mention that it was the internet and forums that made us as customers aware of this. I also say, don't be afraid of sticking up for yourselves. If customer service doesn't want to do anything for you, go higher until you reach someone who is willing to look after you.

[rellik666]

Yes I too have found it........

Am very very P****D OFF. How can everyother car manufacturer sort this out?????

Passenger side worst, found mould on rubber strip tooooo.......URGH!

[MiniFr34k]

Im thinking everyone should contact their dealers, get them to notify BMW, and we should also be faxing/ calling bmw like avril has.

[MiniFr34k]

Anyone know if its worthwhile contacting these blokes?

Paul Joseph - BMW Australia Technical Services Manager (Mulgrave, Vic)
Sean Sayer - BMW Australia Customer Support Executive (03 9264 4028)

Ozmini had referred to them with his Airbag light problem (see his thread in faults section).

Im also wondering if we should start a thread in the faults section so that mini's world wide (and not just NAM) are aware of this issue?

[PPE]

If you are looking at names to contact, try calling BMW direct (in Melbourne) and asking to speak to 1. Ben Ellis 2. Peter Henry 3. Ken Petroni, or if you really want to go to the top, Dr Franz Sauter.

[MiniFr34k]

well im goig to check my car tomorrow morning... fingers crossed theres nothing there..

[swamos]

Quote: Originally Posted by n00b

No one knew about the rust until someone talked about it on NAM it's like...can anyone expect rust to pop up there in a relatively new car?

Cough.. cough... Some of us have known about this and other rust spots for some time. There are others that no one here has mentioned

[robbo mcs]

Quote: Originally Posted by swamos

Cough.. cough... Some of us have known about this and other rust spots for some time. There are others that no one here has mentioned

Hi,

Steve, you have to understand that for some strange reason certain problems that have been around for a long time suddenly become "valid" when someone on NAM from North America discovers them. I've been there and done that with several problems (racing related) I guess it is the power of the number of people on NAM, and also the fact that they are particularily demanding in their expectations of the car?

So can you educate us as to the other possible rust spots ???

Cheers

Robbo

[swamos]

Quote: Originally Posted by robbo mcs

Hi,

Steve, you have to understand that for some strange reason certain problems that have been around for a long time suddenly become "valid" when someone on NAM from North America discovers them. I've been there and done that with several problems (racing related) I guess it is the power of the number of people on NAM, and also the fact that they are particularily demanding in their expectations of the car?

So can you educate us as to the other possible rust spots ???

Cheers

Robbo

Well my bloody drivers door rusted through to the outside. It was so serious that MINI replaced the whole door. I posted a thread up about it and no-one seemed interested. Oh well... I guess I presumed no one cared or you all thought that it was just Steve rabiting on again I thought it was just me but someone came out of the wood work in this thread with the problem so I guess it must be more common. I've only known about the door seal rust for about 6 months.

Other areas that I'm aware of are under the bonnet where it rubs on the rubber around the radiator (fixed 04). Also the rear seat mounting plates on Snoopies car were a bit red Fairly superficial.

[AndrewH]

Quote: Originally Posted by swamos

Other areas that I'm aware of are under the bonnet where it rubs on the rubber around the radiator (fixed 04).

My under bonnet wear mark on my 03/03 was fixed under warranty and they even installed the new protective plastic strips too - all fixed under warranty with no quibbling what so ever - no muss, no fuss

In relation to the new rust issue, I really think people need to take a step back and wait until the people that are affected have a response from BMW before shooting off letters of demand to all and sundry at BMW HQ. My experience is that it takes time for these issues to be assessed - even in this day and age of photos sent by email. IIRC, it took a few weeks for them to assess my under bonnet wear mark but they came through with the goods in the end. I say give the system a chance to work before you go burning your bridges.

[poki]

Quote: Originally Posted by swamos

Well my bloody drivers door rusted through to the outside. It was so serious that MINI replaced the whole door. I posted a thread up about it and no-one seemed interested. Oh well... I guess I presumed no one cared or you all thought that it was just Steve rabiting on again I thought it was just me but someone came out of the wood work in this thread with the problem so I guess it must be more common. I've only known about the door seal rust for about 6 months.

Other areas that I'm aware of are under the bonnet where it rubs on the rubber around the radiator (fixed 04). Also the rear seat mounting plates on Snoopies car were a bit red Fairly superficial.

I was a bit confused by your earlier post Steve, gotta say I thought it was a bit mean spirited but now I understand what you were saying. I was unaware of your thread, probably because you posted it in the "right" forum, and admittedly I don't go there unless I have a specific problem. Rusting through a door in a car of that age would have been pretty scary!

When I took delivery of my car it had some spots of surface rust on the body under the bonnet near the hingey things. Luckily, I don't seem to have the sill rust problem (and the rubber wasn't wet - might be something in the way I wash the car - I tend to concentrate more on eye level areas). I do however, have a foul wet damp smell emitting from my drivers door every time the car gets wet and I put the window down.

[swamos]

Quote: Originally Posted by poki

I was a bit confused by your earlier post Steve, gotta say I thought it was a bit mean spirited but now I understand what you were saying. I was unaware of your thread, probably because you posted it in the "right" forum, and admittedly I don't go there unless I have a specific problem. Rusting through a door in a car of that age would have been pretty scary!

Sorry... My humble pie anyway. I didn't start a whole thread just chipped in.. It was August last year.

http://www.mini2.com/forum/faults-fi...ml#post1862498

[snoopy]

Rusty old snoopy here, well I have rust in my 02 on the area we are all talking about, as you can see by the photo I uploaded over at NAM.

But I think Andrew has a point, I am in a “lets wait and see” what MINI au and MINI world wide will do about the problem.

Poki I think your surface rust under the bonnet (passenger side) is due from the cutting edge law and policy some government departments make. Ie the Australia compliance plate is fitted in that position under the bonnet and it is the old metal shaving that caused the rust.

I noted the rust to MINI Au and told them who is ever is doing there pre delivery compliance needs to lift there game ( ie wipe away the metal filling). I also contact the deptpartment that subject my car to the 1940’s way of marking a car compliance and got told well “the plate and how it is attached is set down in law so we can not change it”

I also believe if you search back….way back you will find a list of places that the original workers/ designers thought (their best guess you could say) rust would be a problem.

[kyl72]

mine is an Aug 05 make but i will be checking first thing when sun comes up!!

[Baker]

I actually had my VIN rust out where it is stamped, the protective plastic wasn't applied properly. BMW simply got rid of the rust and painted it no more problems!!