I understand your viewpoint, but do you understand mine? There are so many opinions floating around, so many variables, and so few real answers other than that "turbos are hot."

I'm personally not thrilled with the idea of adding something that might affect my warranty on turbo, scoop, or paint. After all, if something does go wrong with it, that's the first thing they'll point to, even if it has nothing to do with it, and some dealers are pretty hardline about warranty issues. (Just look at all the grief pre-R56 owners took on windshields--BMW/MINI's attitude on cracks was that it was the owner's fault, no matter what the circumstances, even though there was a known stress crack problem.) I'd just as soon make BMW keep replacing scoops until they finally cry uncle and devote the necessary time to the problem. Maybe they'll at least order a recall of some sort. And your rights would be protected in the future.

It's your car, though, and your bucks.

 

I agree daffodildeb, Why should we have to go out and spend $$$ to fix a problem that Mini/BMW should take care of. Parts of cars just should not melt and deform like this. If there isn't a solution to stop the heat transfer from the turbo then the hood scopes should have been made of a material that would not melt, metal, carbon fiber, heat resistant plastic. In my opinion they have a ready made solution setting on the shelf but replacing tens of thousands of $80 hood scopes with $300 carbon fiber ones has got to be a little hard to swallow (they could replace your hood scoop at least 3 times before they match the carbon fiber one). Mini/BMW obviously knows there is a problem because they made changes from the 2007 to the 2008 models. The people who are having this problem need to keep on Mini so they understand that this problem still exist. I haven't read the warranty in detail, so someone correct me it I am wrong, but If you report a problem that is covered under warranty and Mini can't fix it before the warranty run out, that specific issue will still be covered until Mini comes up with a final solution. So report this to Mini even though they don't really have a good solution yet, so if your hood scoop continues to melt after your warranty is up you will still be able to get it replaced.
Tim

 

tkwasny--thanks for your support. A couple of points:

You mention that there were changes from 2007 to 2008. Are you referring to the "opening" of the scoop grill? If that's the case, they actually did that in mid-07. Unfortunately it didn't make a difference. And I have 2 friends with '08s, and both have had exactly the same degree of deformation that I have, and that has been shown in the photos of this thread. (Their scoops have been replaced, but I don't know how the new ones are faring.)

My second point is that we can't count on BMW/MINI continuing to support us after the warranty runs out, even though we may report it. A case in point: We also have a 2001 530i. Something went wrong on it--I can't remember what, but it was about $250 to repair. We were very close to the end of the line with our warranty, so I called our service writer and told her about it when I made the appointment, figuring that I would preserve our rights. Didn't work that way. I was told that our car had to be in their driveway BEFORE the warranty ran out, or they wouldn't pay for it. And it was--all of TWENTY (20) miles before the cut-off.

Given the scope of this problem, we might not have that hard-line handling, but I'm not counting on it. I plan to replace it now, at Zippeee!'s next oil change--this week or next--and hope that will give me a chance to make sure the next one doesn't go bad before I'm out of luck.

BTW, does anyone know this--if the scoop is replaced, is the "grill" replaced also? Mine has the totally closed type.

 

My 2008 Cooper S is the first BMW product I have owned so I don't have any experience about how they handle their warranty issues. On my previous car, a Toyota Celica, I had a transmission issue which I brought it in for prior to going out of warranty which ended up requiring several return visits to finally get it resolved, the last one being after the warranty expired and I was never charged for the repairs. I would hope that if the problem is not only reported but they have made attempts to fix it and don't that they would still cover it. Anyway the point is that everyone with this problem, needs to let Mini know about it and make them repair it, as many times as it takes. Only after this starts to affect their business, either monetarily or PR wise will they do anything about it.

 

It's true that various companies handle things differently. I mentioned the windshield issue. Subaru (I think it was) had the same trouble, and said the same things, used the same "pencil" test, but owners got action only when they filed a class action suit.

What I would do--I've done some of this already--is document everything, insist on a new scoop, ask for carbon fiber, AND FILE A REPORT WITH NHTSA (commonly pronounced "Nitsa"). I am convinced that this is what caused MINI to recall the tail pipes. In case you are unfamiliar with that problem, many people were getting the "MINI brand" (look up the threads), and a bunch of us reported it. Now it's a mandatory change-out--you should have gotten a recall notice. I saw a burn just the other day on a guy who hadn't had his modified yet. And I got mine early in '07.

Besides the cosmetics, this is a safety issue. You know someone will get hurt somewhere along the line, and even if MINI takes the position that they should know better, a lawsuit will be filed. It takes millions of bucks--lawsuits (cost of defense and any awards) and replacements before there's action.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/

Here is the actual portal:

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm

File as a body safety defect. Or engine (can't remember what I used).

 

All the new hood scoops have partially opened honeycomb grills. They've been opened from the factory since before April of this year.

Also, the tailpipe tip project is still a Service Campaign, not a madatory recall. I had my car into the dealer's shop on the first day of the campaign and had the change done, and I still got the letter advising me of the issue last month.

The problem I see with filing the scoop issue with as a safety item with NHTSA is connecting it with an immediate threat to safety. The tailpipe tips give you small burns when you leaned on them, the scoop only gets just hot enough to start warping, but is otherwise well protected and no-one's been injured by it. I also think Mini is motivated enough by reputation to not compeltely abandon out of warranty cars.

 

Frankly, I don't think MINI will care enough to do anything about the scoop unless we demand it, considering their history of ignoring the struts, clutch and window problems on the previous models. As Tkwasny pointed out, they'll have to replace a lot of scoops before it's worth it to them.

I'm not comfortable with relying on either BMW or MINI worrying about their reputation. When the engine blew in our BMW, I found out on the internet that a certain type of radiator breakage was a known defect. Our research saved us $4500 (half of a new engine), but only because we pointed out the defect and insisted on some action. It certainly wasn't anything they were worried about. In fact, it had been a problem for many years. I had the same problem with my '94 325i--twice. Fortunately it was an iron engine rather than aluminum, so there was no damage. (Can you believe we had both of them in the shop at the same time for the same problem?!)

As for the burns, some have been severe. As it is, a couple of rings on your leg--severe enough that they had to scab over to heal--is a safety issue, and that's what has been typical. My letter said I had to have the new one installed at my next servicing, or to bring it in at any time. Clearly they have acknowledged it as a safety issue.

I disagree with you on whether or not someone will be burned by the scoop. Sooner or later...

As for the scoop grills, they've been partially open since mid '07. Both of my friends with '08s have the partially open scoops--the same type as the previous year's, and they still melted. I don't know why MINI won't sell an entirely open scoop, rather than one that is partially open, but so far as I know they haven't on either new cars or warranty replacements. (I don't know about the '09s, though.)

 

I agree, we shouldn't have to spend our money to fix a defect that Mini and BMW should have fixed a long time ago. But at the same time I just decided it was better for me to spend the money and not deal with the grief of a deformed scoop. Then there would have been my lost time involved in taking the car in for a replacement and then hopefully they match the paint correctly and then since the scoop wasn't painted at the factory it might peal or fade quicker than the rest of the hood and it goes on and on... Bottom line, Mini/BMW should fix the problem but I'm not holding my breath that long so I took care of my car.

 

carbon fibre!!!!

 

I've got a news flash for you...the carbon fiber scoops melt (warp, actually) too: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=158614

 

I wonder if painting had anything to do with the carbon fiber warp? Mine is still okay after 3 months, but I couldn't really tell from the photo how bad his warp issue was.

I've seen MINIs in parking lots and I've gone to check their scoops, usually if they are a turbo it's warped in the center.
I'll keep an eye on mine, but generally carbon fiber is designed to hold up to more heat and pressure - I believe one of the first uses was high pressure and heat containing vessels. Of course their main concern was not aesthetic, since then it has been used in sailing vessels, motorcycles and I believe planes. It's also used in racing cars, where many of the components like hoods are made of carbon fiber.

That said, nothing is perfect and if it's not thick enough or connected properly it will probably fail in some way. Sorry to hear that some are having a problem with the carbon fiber also, it was one of the reasons I chose it as an option on mine to avoid this issue. I have a little over 2000 miles on mine of which about 75 percent is city miles. It maybe that I haven't stressed Hilla to the point that the fiber would deform. The OP also mentioned some clips that were exposed on the underside (post number 9), I don't have any exposed clips. Is it possible that the metal hood opening is designed differently on earlier models than mine requiring a modified connection system? Or is it the dealers own method? Misread the OP said they had epoxied clips, can't comment on that since I cant see them!

 

I was wondering the same thing. The only one I have heard that melted was his and it was painted.

Here are how the clips are mounted



But Why would you want to paint this...




Mine is in my basement waiting for my car to be delivered

 

it warps at the clips and the screw in the middle

i dont think its the heat ,i think the pressure just warps it

 

Stopped by a local BMW dealer in Henderson NV today... Saw a 07 or 08 MCS on the lot 4 sale. Here is a picture of the hood scoop. Im surprised the amount of damage to it.....

 

I think I may put some Heat Wrap on mine this summer. It was 31 here and I dont like the cold so I stayed inside!

 

Juiceman--that is such a weird pattern. Are you sure you weren't looking at some sort of wrapping, or Invisi-shield kind of product? Also, it looks like a chrome scoop. An MA friend says it doesn't usually happen on the "chrome," even though it's not really metal.

Mine was just replaced. Surprisingly MINI shipped a closed scoop, which matches what I had, but doesn't make sense, unless there's a specific part difference between closed (early '07) and open (later '07). At any rate, he just took the screen out entirely, so we shall see if this will help. Behind the screen is an ugly red panel (my car is red), so I'll have to paint that black to look better. Just above that the "intake" is completely open.

(I should mention that this wasn't an official MINI fix--this was entirely my SA's suggestion. He gave me the parts to make it stock.)

 

That is odd as the replacement hood scoop should have been ordered semi opened not fully closed like your original one you had.Then there wouldn't have been any need to remove the screen completely.I would tell your SA to order the correct one instead of trying to modify it.Which should be covered under the factory warranty anyway.

 

I touched I tapped the scoop with my finger nail and it sounds a feels like its just chrome covered plastic. I pressed the warps and they wouldn't press down very easy. The car didnt have a clear bra installed.

 

the chrome coating (and whatever adhesion layers are used) is lifting off the plastic.....

Matt

 

Agreed, Chrome job didn't take well.

 

But are those chrome scoops real chrome or just plastic chrome like everything else on this car?

 

Plastic with plastic chrome.

 

It does look like it's delaminating somehow, very strange looking pattern.

 

I forgot to mention the back edge of the scoop was drooping below the edge of the metal of the hood.

 

I have not read all of the 200+ replies to this thread, so I apologize if this has been answered, but have there been any reports of 2009s having this issue?