At my 48K service, the Cooper dealer mechanic wrote: "...cupping due from defective struts/springs. I can compress the springs by hand just by lifting on the wheel while the vehicle is in the air. ...no signs of struts leaking... not sure if struts are too long, blown, or the springs are just too weak... bushingh torn both rear struts...also rear trailing arm bushings torn..."

I had this severe wear and a 'roaring' sound before the warranty ended at 35K miles and had to buy a complete set of tires even tho' only rear were worn oddly then. So, now, 13K miles later I need another set of new runflat tires!! At about $1300 a set!

Also, now the rear suspension needs to be "rebuilt".

My original tires suffered the same wear pattern of excessive inside wear and severe cupping and vibrating and roaring sound.

Has anyone else had this problem?

John

 

but runflats are only $1300 a set at the dealer. If you have to go out of pocket, buy tires elsewhere.

Matt

 

I am thinking that there must have been a severe problem in the rear suspension to cause the roaring and severe cupping of the rear tires.

I do not feel that my having to replace the tires at 13K miles is reasonable, especially since the car is driven 99% with one person aboard, no cargo, and mainly on smooth highways with few stops or turns.

I believe that the suspension problem existed prior to the warranty's expiration. How could 13K miles make the springs weak? ...the struts longer?

I am asking if other owners of Clubman S models with sports suspension and runflats are finding similar problems as this mileage level is reached.

Thanks for the tip on tire prices.

John

 

this is the very first I've ever heard of something like this. It's really, really shocking that all the bushings are shot AND the springs are bad and all the rest. I can't even imagine what would have caused it.

Matt

 

If it's defective parts then I would think that it should be covered under the 4 year 50k mile regular warranty.

 

Agreed!

 

Question the dealer on why the warranty ended at 35K as the Warranty and Service Manual on your car should have the correct warranty information and it should state 48 months or 50K mile which ever comes first.

I know my dealer ship called me just yesterday about purchasing an extended warranty before my 36K mile warranty runs out. I took the information and today looked in the written information that I have from purchasing the car which states 48 Months or 50K miles. So I have a call into the dealer about this discrepancy and have not heard back.

But you should check the Service and Warranty Booklet you got with you car. If it states 48 months or 50K then take it back an make them fix it. And show them in writing where it is covered by 48/50 warranty.

 

Well the car has 2 warrantees. The 3yr/36K months is the service warranty (oil changes, brake jobs, etc) and the 4yr/50K miles is the regular bumper-to-bumper parts warranty.

 

Well two notes for you here.

1. The service part i.e. oil changes etc. in NOT a warranty. It is a MAINTENANCE PLAN specifically called the MINI Maintenance Program and yes it does last for 3yr/36K.

2. The Warranty (4yr/50K) is what the OP needs to have checked on as the problem is the struts and the springs.

Also if you read what the OP stated
You would notice that he stated his warranty ran out at 35k. This is not correct and the parts should still be under warranty. Although tires are not covered under either the warranty or the maintenance program.

Also of note is that my dealership (as I stated) called me and told me that the 36k WARRANTY was also about to run out and I needed to decide soon as to what I was going to do about an Extended Warranty (NOT the Maint Program) so I am still waiting on my dealership to get this straightened out.

It sounds to me like MINI is trying to pull a fast one on people here. Or at least my dealership is in my case an maybe in the OP's case.

 

I apologize for the 35K warranty end remark. I did know it was for 36K and the dealer contacted me at the 30K checkup to see if I wanted to buy an extended warranty (service plan?) for about $1350 if I am remembering correctly. (I have other vehicles in similar age/warranty situations)

Also, I was not aware of any warranty extending beyond the 36K original service plan, so that is good news.

The dealership said they will contact BMW and see if an agent will check out my car sometime in the next few months to see if the parent company will stand behind the rear suspension.

The dealership also said they'd been fined $60k last year by the parent company for honoring warranty on too many problems, so it does not look very good.

John

 

I would tell them tough Ti**ies on this if they tried to use that excuse on me, from what you have said it is a warranty problem and they should fix it, plain and simple.

 

There are two plans on the car.

1. 3yr/36k Mini Maintenance Plan. NOT a warranty. this covers oil changes, brake pads and rotors, windshield wipers. Not covered by this Service Plan is tires, gasoline, windshield fluid, damage from negligence.

2. 4yr/50K MINI New Passenger Car Limited Warranty. Covers material defects and workmanship. This is what is wrong with your car. The dealer should be covering this repair.

See MINI New Car Limited Warranty above. it is good for 4yr/50k miles

Do not let them wait on this your car may then be out of warranty.

What a bunch of BS they have to have the approval from BMW before they do the work. Now if they do the work with out the approval then BMW will surely NOT pay them. This is standard operating procedure for warranty work.

If your normal dealer will not work on this right away do you best to find another dealer that will. If you need to you can always get roadside assistance to take the car in without using drivign miles if you dealer is more than 100 miles away.

 

For the info. The dealer is 220 miles away and I drive a long distance to work daily, so I am concentrating more on my old gas/diesel guzzling trucks until I can get this worked out. I am concerned about emergency handling, especially since the rut is in and dodging deer is a daily occurrence.

Thank you so much for the information! I really appreciate knowing the facts as I am going into this mess.

John

 

Theres no need to get ur panties in a bunch bro. I'm stating that their are 2 types of plans (trust me most dealers call them both warranties) associated with the car. The one the OP stated about that they contacted him that was up at 36K miles would have to be the service warranty. If you an owner wants to pay for it, it has to be bought before the 3yrs/36K is up. The other is 4yr/50K which should be covering the suspension, no questions asked.
I do not see the dealer trying to pull fast ones on people for this only because both these plans are so clearly stated and advertised about these cars and lying about a warranty is a federal offense. They are not that dumb to risk that.

The older model R53s had 36k mile manufacturer warranty, but did away with that years ago and upped it to 4 yr/50k miles.

Just chill dude we are all here to help. I was stating warranty facts that the OP might have had mixed up, no need to retaliate. We aren't a honda civic forum now

 

Thanks for tryinig to put me in my place BUT

I spoke with my dealer yesterday and they have had NUMEROUS complaints about some one from MINI USA calling customers and telling them that both the MINI Service Plan and the MINI New Car Limited Warranty expire at 36K mile or 3 years. So If MINI USA is doing this then I am sure they have no problem with the dealers doing it.

And by the way the OP has stated a couple of time that he DID NOT KNOW there was any kind of warranty beyond 36K. And on top of that it seems the car has 48K on it and is a 2008 and the OP is wondering why (or at least it seems to me and others here) the dealer will not just repair it. With only 48K and less than three years old the dealer should have just gotten the authorization to do the work not tell the customer Now that IS a scam or trying to pull a fast one

 

Checks,

To my thinking, having complained about this roaring sound and the cupping of my rear tires for tens of thousands of miles, it seems strange that Mini does not just fix the defective rear end. Why must I wait until some BMW rep "comes to town'?

So my "pants are in a bunch" because:

1 - If I drive at my normal rate, the warranty will be gone before the emperor comes to town (bmw rep).

2 - The problem has been brought up by me to the dealer multiple times with no resolution so far.

3 - The head of the BMW dealership and the Mini Cooper guy put me into an "interrogation room" (to my thoughts) and kind of did the "bad cop, we know you did it" routine saying they "KNEW" that I had altered the suspension for racing and wanted me to "ADMIT" it. All this before they told me the rear suspension was shot. I have done nothing but turn the key and drive the Mini. Only the dealer worked on it, and they certified in April '09 as I put $1300 into a new set of tires there, that there were no suspension problems in that rear area. Note that now, October '09, I need another NEW set of tires. Is a new set of tires every 6 months the norm for Mini Coopers?

4 - If it's broken, wrong, or improperly designed, why do they not just fix it and let me go on my way?

5 - So now I am making monthly payments, paying for insurance, property tax and storage on an unusable vehicle.


Those are some of the reasons why I am "bunched up" in the scivvy area!

John

 

Well then it looks like some people need to start taking some legal action on them for this. A warranty is a legal contract and if the manufacturer breaches it, then it's breaking federal law. I just went to court with BMW last week on an issue that should be fixed. I'm well in my 4yr/50K warranty (at 2yr/31K) and still having to fight to get my issue fixed, but finally it's going to get done. Those kind of issues are dealer dependent which is bs. If one dealer says its a problem and needs fixed then they all need to agree. I had to drive to further dealer to get any kind of work done to mine a long time ago. That should not be the customer's responsibility. They all need to be doing what is right.
Personally I would call it a scam and if someone is inclined, they can take legal action. If they were lying to me about when the warranty was over, I would first have them fax me that in writing and then see what an attorney thinks.

 

No no no I was not saying that to you, I was saying that to schatzy62. I posted up some warranty info for you to make sure none of these were confused and then schatzy62 went and attacked me like I was being a jerk. I was asking why his were in a bunch.

I understand where you are coming from. I've had similar issues with mine with parts not being fixed and just finished being in court with BMW about it this week. Them not fixing yours or my parts while the car is well within warranty is complete bs. They need to fix the damn cars.

All I was saying is that maybe there was some confusion about which warranty was up because I could not imagine they would really lie about when the warranty is up because that would be against the law. That's considered a breach of warranty.

Please guys lets not fight over this. This community is for helping others (info, opinions, etc) so lets not ruin it. I was just giving some info.

 

Checks, I appreciate all the info and was not intending to stir things up, but rather to expound on how my particular situation unfolded. It just seemed a bit strange to me.

John

 

No problem

Yes it is strange, especially after hearing they are trying to accuse you. I do not understand their integrity on fixing things. I've had the same issues at my dealer. I am closing in on my warranty ending and that is why I just had to take it to arbitration. I just cannot fathom how a company is turning their backs on customer service. If we were out of warranty and complaining about these things, then they would be happy to fix it at our cost. The warranty is there to protect us, but they are trying to skimp on it as much as they can and it is really not fair. I'm still upset that I even had to drive to another dealer for a fix when that is not my responsibility; my local dealer should be fixing it.

I hope all the dealers get their heads out their butts and start going back to their MINI roots instead of BMW *********s

Good luck on getting it fixed. Fight back hard and eventually it will work

 

It sounds to me like MINI USA, the dealership or both are trying to confuse people about the maintenance agreement and the vehicle warranty. As Shatzy says, the problems with your car have nothing to do with the maintenance agreement and are purely a warranty issue which does not run out until 50K miles or 4 years. With the fact that you complained about it many 1000s of miles ago, and now have ruined tires, I would make them pay for a new set of tires too.

At this point because of what you have been told by this dealership, I would be very very suspicious of anything they are telling you. I think in some of these cases they use the fact that you are hundreds of miles away to their advantage as well. They know it is a PITA for you to bring your car in, and if they stall and delay long enough you'll cave and just pay to have it fixed. Telling you that they have to have some other person come in and look at it is just another example of them delaying.

Personally I think you are being lied to and treated very unfairly. I would either find a different dealership, or if that is not an option, threaten to kick it to the next level. Check out the 'BBB auto line' of which BMW and MINI are both a part of in certain states.

David

 

Just an update. The Mini Cooper Dealer got a visit from the Company rep and they decided to fix the rear suspension under the warranty. They say I am the only one with this problem so far. The car has been in the shop for several weeks awaiting parts from Germany, but they gave me a new Mini loaner car at no charge.

So, all things considered, it seems this is on the road to an acceptable resolution.

John

 

glad they stepped up, and the only downside is that it took a long time. But at least you're on the path to a workable fix!

Matt

 

Final Resolution!!!! Complete. I should have let you know that the Dealer, Jackie Cooper of Edmunds, OK and BMW/Cooper or whatever the official entity was took care of the rear suspension problem in a very thorough fashion: They completely replaced the entire rear suspension, including shocks, struts, springs, and even two brand new tires at no charge to me. They gave me a new Cooper Mini to drive during the installation.

Now my Mini Cooper Clubman S runs like a dream! Smooth, quiet, yet authoritative handling. NO more of the roaring sound I had had earlier.

Thanks for having this forum for info! John

 

AWESOME..............