Repairs after repairs...anyone getting sick of it?

[n00b]

/rant on

Today is the 4th time in 7 weeks that my Mini went into the dealer for repairs. 3x fixing the airbags, 2x fixing rattles, 1x fixing the left pull problem, 2x steering "clunk" noise and possibly another one next week if they can't road test the car and sort out the rattling from the B-pillar.

One thing I gotta priase is, BMW Australia is responsive to any repair request and they are willing to pick up the tab when being approached on my behalf by the dealer. Even then, I've lost quite a lot of time with dropping/picking the car as the dealer is a 1 hour drive (one way) from my place.

I know some of you may have more repairs than I have but 4 times in 7 weeks is just a bit...scary especially for its price tag. Sure I am one happy Mini owner

/rant off

[punkeyfunky]

I know the feeling. You'll see other threads where you know your dealer on first name terms...

I think a lot of the issues are down to build at the factory. Stopping a production line costs huge quantities of cash, and it's actually cheaper for BMW to have dealers make all the necessary repairs.

Having said that, getting to/from the dealers all the time is a PITA.

I remmeber when I bought my Honda brand new, back in 2000. The first time I went back to the dealer was for the first service. The second time I went back was for the second service. The third time I went back.... (can you see a pattern here?)

I doubt that that level of build will come out of the MINI factory until a major facelift version is released.

My $0.02

-Lee

[Martin L]

Yes I have
3 MINIs and numerous visits to my dealer later (luckily I worked right next door to them) and I had enough.
Hence I'm now driving an RX-8. Owned it 3.5 months now and not one trip required to the dealers.
Build quality has improved but still isn't good enough yet IMO

[Todd!]

My MCS (Nov 03 build) hasnt been back for problems once... (TOUCH WOOD!!) The car is driven VERY hard all the time and I have no complaints...

I had the car back at the dealers at 5000km for an oil change, casue I didnt want the first oil been in there for 16000.

So I'm now looking at mid-October for my 16000km 1st service. I have a few rattles, but other than that, it is sensational!!

My car is a delight. Nothing but smiles around here, sorry to hear about your misfortunes!!

Todd

[swamos]

My dealer is on the Gold Coast, which is about 1 hour away from me, so what we tend to do is get a bit of a list, and get a heap of things done at once. Typically they have my car for a week. They have never left me stranded and have always offered a courtesy car.

I would say that my car has been at the dealer for probably nearly 2 months of the just on two years that we've had it!! Most of this stuff has been minor. You must remember that is a really early build S (Jun02). I am only aware of a few cars in queensland older than it. We were early adopters

But, on the positive side, it is actually quite well sorted now So I guess I'm happy, and the last thing I'd be doing is selling it to someone else and risking having to go through all that hassle again!!I

[TRELO]

I have only been 4 times to replace the expansion Tank . Apart from that nothing else.
I have a few rattles here and there , but i just turn up the volume on the stereo and then cant hear it

[CanberraCooperS]

Other than my expansion Tank i have not had a single thing go wrong... Seems only time somthing goes wrong is after the ROLFE BMW mechanics work on it!!!! But they have learnt alot on my car I believe... so it seems to be getting better. Other than that expansion tank i fixed the rear hatch rattle myself with a 5cm strip of Electrical tape wrapped around the Tounge on the hatch. Then went in and showed the Workshop what they need to tell BMW Engineering... turns out i believe the workshop uses a heat shrink plastic coating on this now.

I have found that by buying a set of TORX screw drivers and a little common sense you can eliminate all interior noises yourself.. Had to do the same with my E36 325 when it was new as well. No Car is perfect especially when you have so many plastic componants connecting together..

Over all im impressed with the Mini Build quality and strength. I guess i would possibly hear less than others due to the increased noise with the Exhaust and strut braces subwoofer etc... but hey my cars got 67000klms on it now and in reality is the most reliable car i have ever owned.

[JME]

Quote: Originally Posted by CanberraCooperS

Seems only time somthing goes wrong is after the ROLFE BMW mechanics work on it!!!!

Last time I dropped the car off to Rolfe for a standard service and to fix one rattle they gave it back with a whistling passenger window (with scratched window tint), a dodgy gearshift and more rattles than it started with. They are friendly and helpful but I have some serious doubts about the competence of their 'technicians'

[jasemini]

I too am sick of the "issues" with my car. Yes they're only very minor things like rattles, or excessive wear on door grabs, or cold start problems, or air con noises.......the list goes on. Yes my dealer is fantastic at doing their best to rectify these problems for me, sometimes it takes 2 or 3 visits (I think it's been in close to 8 times since I bought it in November 02) but I always get a loan car and a smile. But now my friends and peers think I drive a lemon because my car is always in getting one thing or another "looked at" and I'm really getting sick of it, I feel like a real goose. For a car that costs 45K and is sold by BMW I find the level of build quality totally unacceptable. Go and take a 20K Corolla for a drive and the build quality is streets ahead, it's interior style isn't as cutting edge as the MINI but I think that's what makes us look past the faults with the MINI. It really looks great, it drives and handles exceptionally well and people always tell us how cool our car is That's why I tolerate the "issues". I will however be selling my car before the warranty period expries next year and probably going back to a much more reliable and pedestrian vehicle. If I wanted a fiddly, tempremental English sports car I would have saved myself $30K and bought a classic MG for $15K!!!

[brett]

No Jase, don't do it man

My dealer has BMW Cookie ( shortbread with the BMW Logo in it)
make the trip worthwhile.. although last time there were none

and hopefully soon hello "05 COOPER S

[Themikanic]

Sadly jasemini, it's a documented fact that the most reliable cars these days, according to the Melbourne "Age" motoring supplement, is the Korean cheap & nasty imports. I sure hope that after delivery of my $65K MCS in November is at least as reliable as my last new car, my 1983 Mazda 626.

[swamos]

I must admit that it perplexes me how you people are going to dispose of fully sorted cars!!! Mine is all sweet now

[erichui]

Quote: Originally Posted by jasemini

I too am sick of the "issues" with my car. Yes they're only very minor things like rattles, or excessive wear on door grabs, or cold start problems, or air con noises.......the list goes on. Yes my dealer is fantastic at doing their best to rectify these problems for me, sometimes it takes 2 or 3 visits (I think it's been in close to 8 times since I bought it in November 02) but I always get a loan car and a smile. But now my friends and peers think I drive a lemon because my car is always in getting one thing or another "looked at" and I'm really getting sick of it, I feel like a real goose. For a car that costs 45K and is sold by BMW I find the level of build quality totally unacceptable. Go and take a 20K Corolla for a drive and the build quality is streets ahead, it's interior style isn't as cutting edge as the MINI but I think that's what makes us look past the faults with the MINI. It really looks great, it drives and handles exceptionally well and people always tell us how cool our car is That's why I tolerate the "issues". I will however be selling my car before the warranty period expries next year and probably going back to a much more reliable and pedestrian vehicle. If I wanted a fiddly, tempremental English sports car I would have saved myself $30K and bought a classic MG for $15K!!!

ok, to be unbiased, i too have once felt sick about the issues with my car (maily the interior dash rattling, other than is the coolant tank leak issues which was fixed in 1 go, with a loan car provided) i also think its wrong to compare this to a corolla, since you guys are now only comparing the issues to a mini only, not other 45k+ car build by companies like Audi, Mercedes and BMW. I do browse some audi and BMW sites and i ALWAYS hear that people complains with the quality of the cars as well.. as for punkeyfunky pointing out that for japanese cars only requiring to go back when doing services, i too agree with you.... too bad most european cars have minor issues like that however that won't stop me from enjoying my mini hence now getting a 2nd one

[MickyD]

my theory on 'quality', and in particular, quality surveys like the JD Power survey, is that someone who buys a $15000 econobox isn't going to be the type of person who will complain about every little squeak, rattle, etc, where as someone who buys a more expensive, or more 'interesting' car will be very particular about it, and complain about smaller things, thereby skewing the statistics reported in these surveys.

[IML337]

I've whined enough in threads like this about the issues I've had with my car in the last 2 years. I also go to the same dealer as dairyboy and often doubt the level of skill their techs have....

All I'm going to say is any profit that was in my car is LOOOOONG GONE after all the warranty repair costs