[skott]

The fuel tank problem was the least of my worries.

This was fixed, and the car died in the street (100ft away from the dealership): this was apparently a loose plug on the relay. ok

The worst was when I couldn't get the key in the ignition.
The emergency MINI service was duly phoned and promptly showed up.

The guy said the ignition barrel was knacked.
My dealer (Eastern BMW in Edinburgh) told me the barrel was on order and would take a few days to arrive.

In the meantime, I struggle to start the car because the ignition is incredibly sticky to get the key in the lock now.

2 weeks pass and no word.

I phone up and am told that I will be called when the barrel arrives.

Another two weeks pass and I have given up.

30th Dec 2001: key will now not go in ignition AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MINI emergency arrives and tows the car away.
I get a free VW golf to drive and BMW tell me that the ignition lock is now bust (probably due to me using it for weeks with the initially duff barrel still in place)

BMW tell me they cannot get the parts and so cannot tell me when I will see my car again.

Anyone else had an ignition screw up on them? The emergency guy says that the only one he had visited with this problem was Anna Ryder Richardson from 'Changing Rooms'!!!!

 

[R1]

The emergency guy says that the only one he had visited with this problem was Anna Ryder Richardson from 'Changing Rooms'!!!!

I bet she had her car back within the hour!!

 

[Apial]

Parts delay intolerable.

I sympathise. BMW need to get their parts bins filled. I needed a new headlamp unit after a pheasant hit it at 40 mph. I was told at the begining of December that there were none available until the New Year. Now I have been told that they are not going to have any until the last week in January. What will they tell me at the end of January?

On a car that is not exactly ... reliable... it would at least make some sort of good customer service sense to have replacement parts available quickly.

What other parts are unobtainable I wonder?

 

[timlowden771]

Lack of parts

I have been waiting for a new seat for my mini one now since the start of November. Every 2 weeks the guy at my dealer rings me up to tell my it is still not it. Lucky it is not a vital part.

 

[ricardo]

Parts delay

There can be no excuse for these delays.

No parts available? Erm...they're making cars at Oxford with these bits aren't they?

They must be able to make some available to dealers.

 

[Crashandburn]

I guess that dealers are only keeping the most commonly required parts as stock items. I took mine in and they put a new ECU in straight away. Other regular parts probably include seat fittings and suspension elements.

Although the lengthy delay (and lack of communication) in getting hold of the parts you need is inexcusable, there may be a silver lining. Evidently its not a common fault and not an intrinsic design problem, so the replacement should fix the problem permanently.

 

[Dogger]

Re: Lack of parts

I have been waiting for a new seat for my mini one now since the start of November. Every 2 weeks the guy at my dealer rings me up to tell my it is still not it. Lucky it is not a vital part.

Same here - awaiting a new seat base for the drivers side. Was told originally that it would be at the dealers in 'week 52' (Christmas week to you and me). Since then, not a dicky-bird and the part has even disappeared off the system that originally generated this date..

Perhaps I'll ask ms Ryder-Richardson to fashion a new seat for me from MDF and some tie-dyed fabric..it would have to be more comfy than the one I'm using at the moment..

 

[Hanny]

Same here - awaiting a new seat base for the drivers side. Was told originally that it would be at the dealers in 'week 52' (Christmas week to you and me). Since then, not a dicky-bird and the part has even disappeared off the system that originally generated this date..

Interesting.
I took mine in last week as the drivers seat was forgetting it's position.
They have ordered a new seat base for it and 'apparently' it is due in Tuesday/Wednesday next week.
It will be interesting to see if that happens, from what you have unfortunately experienced.

 

[Apial]

Well my dealer nicked a new seatbase off an order from another customer. The bad news is that once it was fitted it was faulty too....