Hello to all, going on two months as a proud owner of a 2008. I live in Vegas and my scoop is starting to sag.The dealer just informed me that the newer 08's are having this issue. He also said a rep from MINI would be inat the end of the month to discuss this issue? So my fix is to get a primered one ordered and paint it to match, a carbon upgrade is not an option or allowed as an exchange. I am concerened about the paint matching or it still melts.Is there anyone out there who has had a fix done, and what was done to address the apparent design flaw.

Thanks

 

Sorry if I posted a duplicate thread I'm new to this.

 

i noticed mine starting to warp as well. I'm not happy about it, i've had mine for about a month now. I'm at least glad to here i'm not the only one with this problem.

 

oh he got you with that mini rep... dont take that as an answer. it doesnt matter if an official mini rep is there or not. its still their fault and its a defect. if they gave you a mini with a dent in the door, are you gonna wait to have a mini rep to examine it? its an issue with the warranty wich should be dealt on the spot.

 

Word ^^. At the very least you should ask for a replacement. Actually we all should, that should get someone's attention.

 

Lots of posts on this topic--one of the more recent threads is this one, but there are several others, most quite lengthy:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=148413

BTW, it doesn't have anything to do with the '08s, We had this problem with the '07s, too--it's the turbocharger that's doing it.

 

Well I just talked with dealer again and told them replacing the scoop isn't fixing the design flaw, they need to correct the problem or replace the scoop with one that will handle the temperature, which carbon should. The service advisor said its a directive from corporate not replace it with a carbon scoop. I said thats BS, I paid cash for a new vehicle and I'm not coming back every year for a F'n new scoop. So tomorrow I'm to talk with the manager. The parts rep. even told me a new primered scoop plus painted to match washes out the price of a carbon scoop. It makes you wonder why there not confronting the design flaw?

 

^^Good question because it is a design flaw and they need to fix the problem not just replace.

 

How many failure cases until they can consider this a recall. Maybe we should start pushin for it.

 

As was mentioned on one of the other threads, we need to file cases with NHTSA.

I'll be interested in hearing about your meeting with the manager. It could set a precedent if the costs are so similar. Did your SA give you a copy of his directive, or a reference number?

 

They will NEVER do anything about this other than to replace it as many times as you like, until your waranty is up... Unless someones little Johnny gets burned severely by the Bonnet, and their parents win a lawsuit against MINI/BMW. Then, and only then, will they correct the problem.

The "Fix" for the scoop is to replace it, and to give you a different scoop hole insert that is 100% opened up, instead of the one that comes with your car that only has 50% of the holes opened up. This does not seems to work because the heat problem does not occur when driving. It occurs after the car has been parked and is turned off.

I asked my MINI waranty admin guy about putting the M7 turbo cover on my MINI, and if it would void my waranty. He said that it would not void the warranty as far as turbo area goes, but the cover might cause the heat to go elsewhere, and cause damage to something else, which "Could" then void the waranty for that damage.
There is also a turbo heat shield wrap out there for this issue as well, but I have not seriously considered this option as of yet. I need to though!

The bottom line here is that you will have to try to figure out a way to fix this issue yourself, without voiding your waranty in the process.

After reading just about everything here on NAM there is to know about all of the MINI design flaws, and defects, I have come to the conclusion that a MINI is a car that is going to require quite a bit of patients, and money, to continute loving to drive/own far into the future.

Here is the list of things that will more than likely go wrong with your "new" MINI:

The clutch will probably fail before 40k miles

The hood scoop will probably melt

The wiper washer sprayers will probably weep

The electric power steering pump will usually fail prematurely

The auto window motors will probably fail prematurely

If you drive more than a few mph through a puddle that is aprox 4" deep, you will more than likely suck water through your air intake, and blow your motor (Which is not covered under waranty).

Tires seem to wear out very quickly, so you had better rotate them very often... And make sure air pressure is correct all the time.

The junk they spray on you car at the factory to protect against rust on the way over to the states will melt and get all over your plastic fenders and such. This will stain them, and your paint.

Your sun roof will more than likely leak, and will have issues opening up when the weather is a little extream in either direction.

Your car will start to have rattles, and air leak noises, inside the **** pit after a while.

If you do not make sure your seat belt is in its correct possition before closing your door, you will dent the hell out of the edge of your door pannel.

Passenger seat air bag sensor light issues.

The battery will go dead after your fan stays on all night after you turn off your car.

Your engine will sound like a diesel when you first turn it on, and otherwise, due to there being an issue with the oil flow at start up on some percentage of new MINI's.

That is about all I can remember right now.

With all of this being said, I still love MINI's, and I will do my best to own at least one for the rest of my life.

MINI Happens!

Motor on!

 

So, is that like a Chinese menu where you pick the three that you want?

 

lol!

I'll have the problems that happen and are covered under warrenty, please.

 

Froglips that was a great recap. I love my Mini also, and if they don't recall the scoop there are other ways we can make a dealers life miserable. It seems to me there has to be thousands of owners out there that are or should be concerened about these issues. We all should work together and address our concerns we all purchased vehicles in good faith and they have the duty to supply us with a good reliable product. Everyone knows how much profit they make on parts and service, it costs me a full day every time my vehicle goes in the shop, and thats having to schedule a month out.

 

I think that list was not only over pessimistic, but in several cases, not current for the R56. And sun roof leaks? Auto window motor failure? Battery running down because the fan motor runs on? Your chances of these are pretty much nil.

Look, I've got a week 3 '07 build (delivered 4 days after official U.S. release). During that time, I've had, what, three (3) of these issues, in 27,000 miles. Those three are a slight dip in the hood scoop, the tendency for the sunroof not to open during the hottest times of the year, and a rattle that has, admittedly, driven me nuts, mainly because it is intermittent. That's it!

Telling us things like we have to keep our tires inflated to prevent wear on our tires, or that you have to make sure the little plastic clippie thing is positioned so that the seat belt doesn't hang out when you close the door doesn't make the MINI an unreliable car. I've had little to nothing in the way of problems during that time, INCLUDING weeping washers (which has, by the way, a fix). One of the latest problems is the Cosmoline dripping. That's a dealer-prep issue, not a MINI problem (and I haven't had it). Any foreign car could have it.

Reading NAM, while a great resource, subjects you to a variety of problems suffered by a few of the owners. And I seriously doubt that any of us have had more than a few of the problems you've listed.

Glad you still like MINIs. I ordered mine before the dealers even had pictures of the interior, for crying out loud. All I had to go on was the problem list of the previous model, and I admit that I had some concerns that I might inherit both those issues and the teething problems of a totally redesigned model. Hasn't happened.

 

Well I received an e-mail from the mnager, I guess he was to busy to actually call me. He said that he would be happy to accomodate me, and install a carbon scoop and waive the labor charges. That is after I purchase the $300 scoop (thats so nice of him considering its only 2 months old and warranty labor would be no charge anyway), or just wait until MINI fixes the flaw. They say the MINI rep is coming but they wont tell me when, so I could talk with them. Desert MINI is a joke, but I'm not done with them.

 

Well I think for $300 they should be happy, they can profit and satisfy a warantee claim at the same time.

Frog,
Thanks for pointing out how MINIs can be notorious for these particular features. At least statistically I shouldn't need to worry about much beyond this list. Funny how the car is so well liked even inspite of a few issues that seem to go multiple years without re-design. Perhaps the car sells almost too well and BMW doesn't see these as priorities.

 

I would be curious to see what Classic Mini would charge you for the Carbon Scoop. I'm willing to bet their price (with the NAM discount) is gonna be substantially lower than your dealer's price. If so, its a neat way for your dealer to gouge you on a warranty solution.

 

+ eleventybillion12

 

Will they at least sell you the scoop at cost? Seems that would be the least they can do, given that it probably releases them from further claims. Or, are you a member of a local club that gets a discount? My card gets me 15% off.