Where will MINIs be serviced in the US?

[BruceK]

I just read about the great servicing option that will be available in the UK, but where will MINI COOPER owners in the US get their cars serviced?

Only at MINI dealers, or available at all BMW dealers, MINI dealer or not? I understand that the MINI uses the same diagnostic equipment as standard BMW cars, but will all BMW technicians know to service/repair MINIs? Will they have a parts inventory?

If they ever announce MINI dealers in this country, I could literally find myself 250 miles from the nearest MINI dealer, so this is a big concern (it's not like I'm out in the sticks, I live in a city of almost 2 million people).

We could go back to the good old days (and present days ) of the classic Mini in the US where garages to service the little beasts were as scarce as the cars themselves.

I'm sure BMW USA is addressing this, but I haven't heard a word….

[tommy]

I think only Mini dealers will be able to service them. I can't imagine BMW paying for their BMW techs to get trained on them as well as their own cars. Like everything else, that's just a rumor that I heard, the source of which eludes me. Hope this helps a little.

[BruceK]

A year from now, If you were to drive a MINI COOPER coast to coast across the US, there would be quite a lot of vast open spaces (and even entire states!) far, far away from any MINI dealers (e.g. just the leg of Seattle to Minneapolis is 1,700 miles with no MINI dealers along the way).

I'd like to believe that BMW management will foresee the need to ensure that BMW dealers who don't have a MINI fanchaise are able to service MINIs.

[kshapiro]

Quote:

On 10-06-2001 17:16 BruceK wrote:
A year from now, If you were to drive a MINI COOPER coast to coast across the US, there would be quite a lot of vast open spaces (and even entire states!) far, far away from any MINI dealers (e.g. just the leg of Seattle to Minneapolis is 1,700 miles with no MINI dealers along the way).

I'd like to believe that BMW management will foresee the need to ensure that BMW dealers who don't have a MINI fanchaise are able to service MINIs.

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Playing devil's advocate...what do you think owners of Ferraris, Lambos, etc. do?

[BruceK]

Quote:

On 11-06-2001 0:25 kshapiro wrote:
[...]

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Playing devil's advocate...what do you think owners of Ferraris, Lambos, etc. do?

Have the funds necessary for airlifting the car to the nearest exotic car boutique?

[tommy]

Damn it, you beat me to it. I'd think that, for the first couple of years, every owner of a mini should carry around a helms/bentley/whatever other brand service manual in the car.

Also, a pile of money to do said airlift wouldn't be a bad backup either.

It's going to take awhile for awareness of Minis to come around, so maybe you should put off that cross-country trip until the summer of '03 or so.

[gmehal]

I asked this to my dealer here in Portland and they refered me to the person who would be heading up the MINI service dept. at their dealership. When I asked her this question she said that even though the car has a ton of bimmer parts in it you would only be able to get service at a MINI dealer.

Madness