MINI2

JME · Apr 19th, 2004, 05:33 AM

My wife dropped off my mini to Rolfe Classic in Canberra for it's first service. When she went to pick it up she noticed that someone (presumably a mechanic) had sat in the drivers seat with something (presumably a screwdriver) in his pocket. This left a HUGE scrape in the leather which the dealership have offered to replace. My question is - how can they match the leather exactly? Even if they do match the leather, are they going to be able to match the stitching? Has this happened to anyone else? I'm a typical mini owner so I'm fastidious when it comes to my car and I don't want to be depressed every time I go to drive my mini and open the door to see a reminder of the damage someone else has caused.

Also - when I dropped the car off for it's service I asked for them to update the engine management software. Their reply was "what software?" I thought I would just need to ask the dealer to install the latest software version and they would know what to load and how to load it. Do I need to give them more information, or have I asked for the wrong thing?

ScottyB · Apr 19th, 2004, 05:40 AM

How disappointing

Bit of a worry that theyve never heard of the software updates

There are so many of them too!

eltel · Apr 19th, 2004, 06:05 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by JME

... My question is - how can they match the leather exactly? Even if they do match the leather, are they going to be able to match the stitching? Has this happened to anyone else? ...

JME, you may find that they will replace the whole skin of that part of the seat, eg the seat upright or the seat squab (the bit you put your derriere on). Similar thing happened to me.

Therefore there should be no stiching or matching problems, but may take a little while to get one into the country. Good luck.

JME · Apr 19th, 2004, 06:31 AM

They are going to replace the side bolster and the side of the seat on the upright part of the seat (where the airbag is). It's still rediculous that a mini dealer wouldn't fit seat covers when working on customer cars.

Maybe they will give up fixing it and just give me a pair of JC Works seats (I wish)

Smurfn · Apr 19th, 2004, 06:41 AM

Hope it gets sorted out quickly for you. It sounds like they made a mistake and are fixing it, I know it seems tough, but you probably won't notice. I guess if it's not fixed to your satisfaction you could make them change the whole seat for a new one.

warped · Apr 19th, 2004, 07:10 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by JME

Also - when I dropped the car off for it's service I asked for them to update the engine management software. Their reply was "what software?" I thought I would just need to ask the dealer to install the latest software version and they would know what to load and how to load it. Do I need to give them more information, or have I asked for the wrong thing?

Who were you talking to when you asked this question? The service manager should know exactly what you are talking about, but a receptionist or someone on the sales floor is less likely to know about these sorts of things

Software upgrades are a fact of life these days so the person you spoke to was either clueless or being obtuse for some reason

FADZ · Apr 19th, 2004, 09:18 AM

im sure they will look after you. Never heard them not to look after people. Usually you can get exact leather/fabric that was used in the car and it matches exactly what you have.

swamos · Apr 19th, 2004, 10:39 AM

My seat was damaged by water after teh wwindow dropped itself

They replaced the seat. Then the two seats didn't match as one was a looser fit leather. I asked them nicely, and they are now replacing the other seat. Try that at a honda dealer. You might have to revive the service advisor when he stops laughing

Sooper Cooper s · Apr 19th, 2004, 11:25 AM

I've recently had a similar experience. I picked up my MINI on 24 Feb, it's an ex-demonstrator. On the day I picked up the car the dealer noticed that the bases of both front seats (black leather) appeared to be damaged. The damage looked a little like aged leather, not the nice smooth texture of the rest of the seat. The service manager took some photos of the damage to send to BMW Australia to accompany the warranty claim. The seat bases were replaced on the Thursday before Easter. I'm not sure of the extent of the damage to your seats, but in my case BMW Australia didn't have replacement bases in the country, so they had to be sent from OS, hence the long wait.

On a positive note, the damge to the seats did not adversely effect my enjoyment of the car

I hope this all works out for you soon.

minigolf · Apr 19th, 2004, 01:00 PM

That's a bugger JME, but at least pleasing to see that, apparently, Rolfe have come on board pretty quickly to rectify the issue. Fingers crossed for a more than satisfactory conclusion.

Cheers Liam

dietcokeplease · Apr 19th, 2004, 06:31 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by JME

It's still rediculous that a mini dealer wouldn't fit seat covers when working on customer cars.

Most dealers do use seat covers, paper floor mats and steering wheel covers. Trouble is, they are normally just thin disposable plastic so it probably wouldn't have helped.

sholto · Apr 22nd, 2004, 07:25 AM

My leather is the same. The front seats (on the base) have crap leather that is all wrinkly and tight and looks very worn. It has been there since new and the dealer won't replace it. Have rung BMW and they are going to look at it. My friend had the same problem but had the blue leather and they replaced it. They told me only the blue leather was affected! Have too many other problems to list.

Sooper Cooper s · Apr 22nd, 2004, 07:32 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by sholto

My leather is the same. The front seats (on the base) have crap leather that is all wrinkly and tight and looks very worn. It has been there since new and the dealer won't replace it. Have rung BMW and they are going to look at it. My friend had the same problem but had the blue leather and they replaced it. They told me only the blue leather was affected! Have too many other problems to list.

Where are you located sholto?

sholto · Apr 22nd, 2004, 07:45 AM

In Sydney, Eastern Suburbs

sholto · May 13th, 2004, 09:21 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Sooper Cooper s

I've recently had a similar experience. I picked up my MINI on 24 Feb, it's an ex-demonstrator. On the day I picked up the car the dealer noticed that the bases of both front seats (black leather) appeared to be damaged. The damage looked a little like aged leather, not the nice smooth texture of the rest of the seat. The service manager took some photos of the damage to send to BMW Australia to accompany the warranty claim. The seat bases were replaced on the Thursday before Easter. I'm not sure of the extent of the damage to your seats, but in my case BMW Australia didn't have replacement bases in the country, so they had to be sent from OS, hence the long wait.

On a positive note, the damge to the seats did not adversely effect my enjoyment of the car

I hope this all works out for you soon.

The warranty guy looked at my leather and said it wasn't bad. But it looks crap compared to the demonstrator they had at the dealer.
HE said it was normal, but it isn't. My car has had so many bloody problems. I wish they would just fix it! I didin't pay for the leather option to get second rate leather that is worse than that in a Hyundai!

Apr 19th, 2004, 05:33 AM	#1
JME MINI2 Regular Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Canberra, Australia Local Time: 06:21 AM Posts: 136 Offline	Mini Damaged During Service My wife dropped off my mini to Rolfe Classic in Canberra for it's first service. When she went to pick it up she noticed that someone (presumably a mechanic) had sat in the drivers seat with something (presumably a screwdriver) in his pocket. This left a HUGE scrape in the leather which the dealership have offered to replace. My question is - how can they match the leather exactly? Even if they do match the leather, are they going to be able to match the stitching? Has this happened to anyone else? I'm a typical mini owner so I'm fastidious when it comes to my car and I don't want to be depressed every time I go to drive my mini and open the door to see a reminder of the damage someone else has caused. Also - when I dropped the car off for it's service I asked for them to update the engine management software. Their reply was "what software?" I thought I would just need to ask the dealer to install the latest software version and they would know what to load and how to load it. Do I need to give them more information, or have I asked for the wrong thing?

Apr 19th, 2004, 06:41 AM	#5 (permalink)
Smurfn Smurfing Around Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Newcastle, NSW Local Time: 05:21 AM Posts: 42,149 Offline	Hope it gets sorted out quickly for you. It sounds like they made a mistake and are fixing it, I know it seems tough, but you probably won't notice. I guess if it's not fixed to your satisfaction you could make them change the whole seat for a new one. http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheezelsmurf/

Apr 19th, 2004, 11:25 AM	#9 (permalink)
Sooper Cooper s MINI2 Lurker Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brisbane Local Time: 05:21 AM Posts: 1,145 Offline	I've recently had a similar experience. I picked up my MINI on 24 Feb, it's an ex-demonstrator. On the day I picked up the car the dealer noticed that the bases of both front seats (black leather) appeared to be damaged. The damage looked a little like aged leather, not the nice smooth texture of the rest of the seat. The service manager took some photos of the damage to send to BMW Australia to accompany the warranty claim. The seat bases were replaced on the Thursday before Easter. I'm not sure of the extent of the damage to your seats, but in my case BMW Australia didn't have replacement bases in the country, so they had to be sent from OS, hence the long wait. On a positive note, the damge to the seats did not adversely effect my enjoyment of the car I hope this all works out for you soon. ...eat a snack with Brown and Black. Last edited by Sooper Cooper s : Apr 19th, 2004 at 12:02 PM.

Apr 19th, 2004, 01:00 PM	#10 (permalink)
minigolf Blue is the colour! Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Canberra, Australia Local Time: 06:21 AM Posts: 13,849 Offline	That's a bugger JME, but at least pleasing to see that, apparently, Rolfe have come on board pretty quickly to rectify the issue. Fingers crossed for a more than satisfactory conclusion. Cheers Liam Sabine Schmitz: Fear disturbs your concentration.

Apr 19th, 2004, 06:31 PM	#11 (permalink)
dietcokeplease Official MINI2 Fluffer Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Spearmint Rhino Local Time: 07:21 PM Posts: 5,261 Offline	Quote: Originally Posted by JME It's still rediculous that a mini dealer wouldn't fit seat covers when working on customer cars. Most dealers do use seat covers, paper floor mats and steering wheel covers. Trouble is, they are normally just thin disposable plastic so it probably wouldn't have helped. There is just one moon and one golden sun; And a smile mean friendship to ev'ryone; Through the mountains divide, and the oceans are wide; It's a small world after all.

MINI2

Fuel for your MINI obsession

Discuss your experiences with MINI dealers worldwide

Today
Sponsors	Sponsored Links Registered members do not see Google Ads posts, they can also post messages, pictures, and classified adverts. Register your free account today and become a member of MINI2 - MINI Forum

Apr 19th, 2004, 05:40 AM	#2 (permalink)
ScottyB Take me down to Paradise My Classifieds Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: David McGhan's World Local Time: 06:21 AM Posts: 192,103 Offline	How disappointing Bit of a worry that theyve never heard of the software updates There are so many of them too!

Apr 19th, 2004, 06:05 AM	#3 (permalink)
eltel MINIstry of Fun Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Eastern Suburbs, Mel Local Time: 05:21 AM Posts: 1,566 Offline	Quote: Originally Posted by JME ... My question is - how can they match the leather exactly? Even if they do match the leather, are they going to be able to match the stitching? Has this happened to anyone else? ... JME, you may find that they will replace the whole skin of that part of the seat, eg the seat upright or the seat squab (the bit you put your derriere on). Similar thing happened to me. Therefore there should be no stiching or matching problems, but may take a little while to get one into the country. Good luck.

Apr 19th, 2004, 06:31 AM	#4 (permalink)
JME MINI2 Regular Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Canberra, Australia Local Time: 06:21 AM Posts: 136 Offline	They are going to replace the side bolster and the side of the seat on the upright part of the seat (where the airbag is). It's still rediculous that a mini dealer wouldn't fit seat covers when working on customer cars. Maybe they will give up fixing it and just give me a pair of JC Works seats (I wish)

Apr 19th, 2004, 07:10 AM	#6 (permalink)
warped JCW No. 1459 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Neutral Bay, Sydney Local Time: 05:21 AM Posts: 869 Offline	Quote: Originally Posted by JME Also - when I dropped the car off for it's service I asked for them to update the engine management software. Their reply was "what software?" I thought I would just need to ask the dealer to install the latest software version and they would know what to load and how to load it. Do I need to give them more information, or have I asked for the wrong thing? Who were you talking to when you asked this question? The service manager should know exactly what you are talking about, but a receptionist or someone on the sales floor is less likely to know about these sorts of things Software upgrades are a fact of life these days so the person you spoke to was either clueless or being obtuse for some reason

Apr 19th, 2004, 09:18 AM	#7 (permalink)
FADZ MINI2 Newbie Join Date: Jan 2004 Local Time: 07:21 PM Posts: 8 Offline	im sure they will look after you. Never heard them not to look after people. Usually you can get exact leather/fabric that was used in the car and it matches exactly what you have.

Apr 19th, 2004, 10:39 AM	#8 (permalink)
swamos MINI Traitor Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Brisbane, Australia Local Time: 05:21 AM Posts: 4,985 Offline	My seat was damaged by water after teh wwindow dropped itself They replaced the seat. Then the two seats didn't match as one was a looser fit leather. I asked them nicely, and they are now replacing the other seat. Try that at a honda dealer. You might have to revive the service advisor when he stops laughing

Apr 22nd, 2004, 07:25 AM	#12 (permalink)
sholto MINI2 Newbie Join Date: Sep 2003 Local Time: 05:21 AM Posts: 17 Offline	My leather is the same. The front seats (on the base) have crap leather that is all wrinkly and tight and looks very worn. It has been there since new and the dealer won't replace it. Have rung BMW and they are going to look at it. My friend had the same problem but had the blue leather and they replaced it. They told me only the blue leather was affected! Have too many other problems to list.

Apr 22nd, 2004, 07:32 AM	#13 (permalink)
Sooper Cooper s MINI2 Lurker Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brisbane Local Time: 05:21 AM Posts: 1,145 Offline	Quote: Originally Posted by sholto My leather is the same. The front seats (on the base) have crap leather that is all wrinkly and tight and looks very worn. It has been there since new and the dealer won't replace it. Have rung BMW and they are going to look at it. My friend had the same problem but had the blue leather and they replaced it. They told me only the blue leather was affected! Have too many other problems to list. Where are you located sholto? ...eat a snack with Brown and Black.

Apr 22nd, 2004, 07:45 AM	#14 (permalink)
sholto MINI2 Newbie Join Date: Sep 2003 Local Time: 05:21 AM Posts: 17 Offline	In Sydney, Eastern Suburbs

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

May 13th, 2004, 09:21 AM	#15 (permalink)
sholto MINI2 Newbie Join Date: Sep 2003 Local Time: 05:21 AM Posts: 17 Offline	leather Quote: Originally Posted by Sooper Cooper s I've recently had a similar experience. I picked up my MINI on 24 Feb, it's an ex-demonstrator. On the day I picked up the car the dealer noticed that the bases of both front seats (black leather) appeared to be damaged. The damage looked a little like aged leather, not the nice smooth texture of the rest of the seat. The service manager took some photos of the damage to send to BMW Australia to accompany the warranty claim. The seat bases were replaced on the Thursday before Easter. I'm not sure of the extent of the damage to your seats, but in my case BMW Australia didn't have replacement bases in the country, so they had to be sent from OS, hence the long wait. On a positive note, the damge to the seats did not adversely effect my enjoyment of the car I hope this all works out for you soon. The warranty guy looked at my leather and said it wasn't bad. But it looks crap compared to the demonstrator they had at the dealer. HE said it was normal, but it isn't. My car has had so many bloody problems. I wish they would just fix it! I didin't pay for the leather option to get second rate leather that is worse than that in a Hyundai!

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
ARG! Someone damaged my MINI!!!	Mini_One_Too	General Discussion	7	Oct 13th, 2006 02:21 PM
Wind Damaged MINI	MiniMinx!	General Discussion	35	Mar 25th, 2004 03:45 PM
Damaged Mini	AZ Paradise	General Discussion	12	May 17th, 2003 12:44 AM