[Bill Sz.]

After our last posting detailing our trip on Saturday up PCH to Malibu and through Malibu Canyon Road, we parked the car in our garage and (believe it or not) we didn't drive the car on Sunday. Today, my wife opened the garage to drive the car to work, and to her surprise, she found a crack of about 3 inches that begins in the corner of the windshield, (windscreen for those of you across the pond), where the temporary registration papers are tucked into a plastic envelope, and extending up in an arc towards the top of the windshield. The crack wasn't there when we parked the car on Saturday. (And ... since it was on the passenger side where my wife was riding ... believe me, she would have noticed it!!) Upon close examination it seems that the crack actually goes down into the area of the glass covered by the window moulding or trim and may even extend to the end of the windshield hidden under the moulding. We could see no evidence of a stone chip .... and we can say in no uncertain terms that the windshield was never hit by any rock or object while the car was driven.

So ... this afternoon I took the car back to the dealer and showed the crack to our salesman. The car is only 10 days old and has 485 miles on it. "No big deal," he said. "We'll just replace the window under the warranty." Then the assistant service manager looked at the window. "Oh No", he said. "We won't replace the window, because it was (allegedly) caused by a road hazard." Pointing to something about the size of this: "." he said that is what caused the crack. To be honest with you, I could barely see a thing!! Bull ..Sh ... I said. If the window is that fragile, then there must be something wrong with it. I mean, really, I have had good size rocks and stones hit the Porsche, the Jag and the Mercedes, and the windshield has never cracked, (and I have huge pits in the glass to prove it.)

I went back to our salesman and explained the whole situation to him. He promised to take it up with BMW/MINI customer service. (It will take at least 2-3 weeks just to get a replacement window, according to the service department.)

When I brought the car back home, I quickly checked the "Fault" postings on this site, and sure enough, there are several posts dealing with the same sort of cracks! I have copied all the posts and sent them to my salesman, saying, "... this can't be a coincidence ... too many people complaining of cracked windshields."

As soon as there is some response from either the dealer or BMW/MINI, I'll let you know.

In the mean-time, if you have your Mini ... be careful, especially if a big bug should hit the windshield!



Liquid Yellow Cooper CVT -w- white roof & mirrors and sport package, leatherette and 16" 5-Star alloys (in our hot little hands); and,
Dark Silver Cooper S -w- white roof & mirrors, premium & sport packages and lapis blue/leather due in mid June.

[BruceK]

Bill, sorry to hear about your MINI's glass problem. My neighbor's yellow MINI 5-speed has what sounds like an very similar crack at the base of the windshield on the passenger side. He also is certain the crack was was NOT caused by anything being kicked up from the road. I mention the yellow color as perhaps the car's were produced at similar times (I think his was built 12 March) and perhaps used the same batch of faulty (?) windshield glass delivered to the factory at the same time?

[Bill Sz.]

Bruce: Thanks for you input on the glass issue. I'm going to send your post to my salesman, as well. Oh, did your neighbor get his windshield replaced? Thanks.

[PghArch]

I hate to say it, but this sounds like it is more likely to do with the mounting than the glass product itself. It sounds like the sort of stress cracking which might occur if the glass isn't allowed to move freely enough in the fitting. Of course I'm taking this from an architecture perspective, but there are case histories of odd endemic glass cracking/shattering problems that sound similar.

Hopefully they are getting it straightened out, but I think it is just as likely a result of the mounting process pinching or binding the window too tightly in that corner as it is likely a defect in the glass itself. If that is the issue, then replacement would probably fix the problem as it won't be remounted with that "pinch". Hopefully it is an assembly line rather than design issue.

[BruceK]

Quote:

Originally posted by Bill Sz.
Bruce: Thanks for you input on the glass issue. I'm going to send your post to my salesman, as well. Oh, did your neighbor get his windshield replaced? Thanks.

I don't think so as the nearest MINI dealer is 630 miles away.

But I do plan on telling him of your windshield incident so he can decide what he wants to do.

[SuedePumas]

Bill thank you for your wonderful posts. Aside from the unfortunate crack on your windshield, how has the dealer been treating you in this regard? Is this a problem that you can take to a different dealer for service? I hope all goes well witht the repair and you are treated fairly. I look forward to your next post.

suede

[Bill Sz.]

Quote:

Originally posted by SuedePumas
Bill thank you for your wonderful posts. Aside from the unfortunate crack on your windshield, how has the dealer been treating you in this regard? Is this a problem that you can take to a different dealer for service? I hope all goes well witht the repair and you are treated fairly. I look forward to your next post.

suede

I live 2 or 3 miles from the dealer; I think I have a pretty good relationship with the sales staff; and I'm getting a Cooper S from the same dealer in June, so it doesn't make sense to go another dealer. From what I have heard so far, (about price gouging with other dealers), and from what I have personally experienced so far, (in the purchase of our MINI), I personally believe that Long Beach Mini is the best in the area!

My salesman is going to take up the issue with BMW/MINI, and I have already e-mailed MINI's customer service department with the problem. In any event, apparently there aren't any windshields in California at this time, so we'll just have to sit tight for a couple of weeks and see what happens. (As an aside, the lack of common replacement parts at this time could be troublesome. I'm sure that will improve as time goes on. We can still drive the Mini. What would happen if it was a part that rendered the car undriveable for a time ... that is something you do have to consider ... because if the dealers don't have windshields in stock ... what else don't they have in stock??)

By the way, it really is not a matter of money, since it is not that expensive to replace the windshield. I just hope that the crack is the result of a bad windshield, and not some design or manufacturing problem.

Aside from the windshield, WE LOVE THE CAR!!!

[mr.bill]

A lot of people have experienced cracked windshields. It apparently has something to do with the design or installation because the cracks seem to appear in roughly the same place. They are stress fractures that start at the edge. Search for "windshield" in Faults and Fixes and you can find the posts on it. Print them out and take them to the dealer. If they won't do anything, then I suggest you contact BMW and demand they replace it under warranty. This is a "known problem."

[Bill Sz.]

Thanks, Mr.Bill. Yesterday I did just that. I sent copies of all the "windshield" postings in the "Fault" section to my MINI salesman. In addition, I went on the MINIUSA.COM site and wrote a nice letter to the customer service department, telling them about the problem, (including the VIN and Production Numbers of the car, the mileage and delivery date.) Although my salesman has promised to take the matter up with BMW/MINI, I haven't received a response back from either my salesman or BMW/MINI ... but it has only been a day.

As I mentioned above, it appears that there aren't any windshields in California ... so no matter what ... we are going to have to wait. (But it does make you wonder just what level of replacement parts are here in the country?)

[SuedePumas]

Once again more food for thought. The MINI will be my only car if I get one. With the availability of parts, and being a first generation build car, my head once again is telling my heart to hold off. But gosh darn it, I want the car sooo bad! Thank you again for your candid posts. I'm sure I speak for many others who benefit from them.

Suede

[Sejanus]

Quote:

Originally posted by SuedePumas
Once again more food for thought. The MINI will be my only car if I get one. With the availability of parts, and being a first generation build car, my head once again is telling my heart to hold off. But gosh darn it, I want the car sooo bad! Thank you again for your candid posts. I'm sure I speak for many others who benefit from them.

Suede

You raise a good point about being concerned if it is your only car. I'm not sure I'd get one so soon having read about all these problems if I wasn't going to have a back up vehicle.

[Bill Sz.]

Quote:

Originally posted by Sejanus


You raise a good point about being concerned if it is your only car. I'm not sure I'd get one so soon having read about all these problems if I wasn't going to have a back up vehicle.

That is why I have kept my old Volvo 760 Turbo ... it is the back-up to my Jag!! (I hope it doesn't have to do double duty with Mini.)