Hey guys,

Heres the story:

I purchased a brand new 2010 MCS from Nick Alexander in Downtown LA a week ago. 5 days after getting the car, while I was driving around my friend's neighborhood, I got a warning light (I didnt know what it meant at the time - looked in the manual and found out it was the "Engine Too Hot" light ) I turned off the engine, turned it back on, kept driving. The light went on/off/on/off then - check engine light went on and the car began to lose power . Pulled over, popped the hood - there was coolant sprayed ALL over the engine bay, dripping everywhere and the bottle was completely empty. Had it towed to the stealership - They get back to me the next day saying that there is a hole in my radiator which was caused by a piece of debris and is not covered by Mini warranty. To repair it they want to charge $1800. I know, for a fact that i did not hit anything. They are assuring me that I did. They told me "the radiator mesh is soft, sometimes it happens."

Thoughts on this? Take a look at the picture they sent me of the hole.

Thanks in advance for any input/advice.

 

It does look like debris hit it, but you're going to have a hard time convincing the dealer to replace it under warranty. You may be able to talk them into replacing it or possibly another dealer to do it as a "good faith" repair.

 

Not so easy to hit road debris with the back of the radiator, though it probably is possible (the fan assisted). With all the air flow plus the fan, unless it is hit in the front and leaks in the back, I am not sure how they figure it was road rash.

 

talk to your insurance for coverage under comprehensive

and if your deductable hurts ask about lowering it to zero - you may be surprized how little that costs and when the next rock takes out your windshield you'll be happy.

 

Warranty or Insurance or out of pocket those are your choices.

 

Windshields are almost always covered without deductible on many plans, sometimes with just liability coverage. They are a "safety" item.

 

What is the dealer repairing for $1800? If this is the charge for just a new radiator, you can probably do much better at a private repair shop or maybe even DIY. I've never replaced a Mini radiator but It only took me about 2hrs to replace my Miata radiator. A new radiator from the Penske parts website is less than $300.

 

So I guess the next question would be:

How does a hole at the bottom of the radiator cause coolant to literally explode all over the engine bay. I understand leaking out from the bottom but it was even on the hood... Pretty stupid design if its just that easy for rocks on the road to fly in and destroy the whole damn car.

Don't worry, there is no way in hell I'd ever pay them $1800 for a radiator.

I've been on the phone with the stealer and Mini Corporate. I'm not going down without a fight.... plus I still havent gotten that survey they're all so scared of

 

Coolant systems are pressurized. Also, that big black thing behind the radiator that goes around and around can fling things around the engine bay quite well. If your AC was running ,it's likely your cooling fans were running as well.

 

$1800???!!!! Does that come with a reach-around, full body massage, and a bottle of warm champagne?? It does look like damage and not a defect, but don't pay that outrageous price unless those other perks are thrown in (and don't accept the champagne unless it's properly chilled). Take it to an indy shop and get it repaired for a fraction of that cost. That's an outrage.

 

Since I made this post much has happened.

I went down to take a look at the car. The damage is only on the BACK of the Radiator. It did not fly through the grill. The service advisor told me (with a serious face) that a rock flew under the car, upward AND backwards into the radiator while I was driving. Not only that, but it went THROUGH a spinning fan. Check out the pics. How is something like this possible??

 

Sh.....it happens... mostly to MINI's if you read the Forum... hope it get resolved to your satisfaction with the least damage to your wallet

 

What do you think happened?

 

A rock or something may have been 'batted' by a fan blade into the radiator. Look and see if there are any nicks or damage to any of the blades.

 

The damage is clearly impact damage to the radiator. I don't think the fan would normally be turning when you're cruising, only at slow speeds and in stop and go traffic. Most of the other cars I've owned lately have a large heavy plastic shield under the engine compartment to improve airflow and protect the bottom of the engine from water and road debris; maybe the Mini needs one as well.

 

Well, it's clearly an impact, so how would this be a manufacturing defect?
And how would MINI be responsible for it?

I mean, it sucks that you have to fix a brand new car, but I sure don't see how this is MINI's fault........

Open to your idea here.....

 

How does your post help the OP at all? If this was your one week old new car, I'm sure you would be mad as hell too, especially if they were trying to stick you with the bill.

Back on track at the topic on hand, what has MINI USA said about your situation? Also, who are you talking with at the dealership? If you are working with the service manager, talk to the general manager or better yet, ask to talk to the owner and calmly explain your situation. Also, how does the dealership know it was not punctured at the factory? I find it highly unlikely a rock can fly from underneath your car and puncture the rear of your radiator.

 

Thank you Kimbo. I've talked to everyone over there. I was always very calm with them, asked them to just fix it and be done. It would cost them nothing and would keep a new customer happy. They simply said no.

I completely understand what the situation is here and while it absolutely looks like something hit it, i find it very unlikely. The day it happened was 110 in LA. I was driving and blasting A/C. What if it happened at the factory, and was slowly leaking the entire time and only expanded when it got really hot?

I was standing under the car when i took these photos. We're talking about physics here. Car driving straight. Rock flies under the car, bounces off the ground and flies up and BACKWARDS, catches up to the car and into the radiator through the spinning fan so fast that it punctured a hole.

Theres also the question of just how much damage did it actually do? If the engine overheated, it wont end at the radiator.

 

I think that his post is very helpful because it is what it is.... Bad luck. The dealer and MINI are not responsible for this. As mentioned the fan likely batted a rock into the radiator in what can only be called a freakish accident. In my personal opinion I would have the car taken to a good independent and have the radiator replaced or do it yourself. Claiming on insurance may raise your rates and the dealer is probably not going to help you.

In your physics, you forget that there is an engine there. Rock flies up, hits engine and bounce towards spinning which in turn propels the rock into the radiator. I have had something like this happen on a Ford as well. All cars are prone to it.

 

How do any of these posts help?

Did he ask for our help? and if so, how would we give it to him? By our considered opinions? Do you think that our comments here in an internet forum will somehow magically get the dealer to pay for his repair?

I offered my opinion, just like everyone else, I'm sorry if I breached some sort of protocol here by not agreeing with him and adding my indignant comments to the rest, but I happen to think that it's not the dealer or the manufacturer's responsibility in this case.

Sorry if that upsets you, but frankly I don't really care what you or anyone else here thinks...

I've never encountered a bigger bunch of whiners than on this forum. You car gets a flat tire and it's everyone's fault but the owner/driver - someone must pay!

Your car has anything go wrong with it and all of a sudden it's the worst car ever made and someone should invoke the lemon law!

What a bunch of whining wussies..............

I asked if the OP had an idea how this could have happened that would have been the mfr's responsibility or the dealers - haven't heard any yet, so in my opinion, he should grow a pair, pay for his car repairs and get on with his life.

Hope THAT was helpful

 

I'm sorry, but I think it may not be the owner's fault. What if a tech or some assembly machine dinged the radiator, but it still held fluid? They easily could have though it was cosmetic, then when the car was driven on the road the pressure could have ruptured the previously watertight defect.

I think that is more likely than and reverse-rock, fan assisted projectile piercing the radiator in that spot.

 

It looks as though a rock could easily have bounced and hit something up behind the fan there and then ricoched off and into the radiator. Looks like it hit with some upward force too.

There is no way MINI will cover that.


I do agree it could be an assembly ding, but one would think that if it drained THAT fast that it would have been doing it onto the damned boat lol

 

As for the cost of this repair, having removed many front clips on the R53 which only take a matter of minutes the R56 is no where near the same. Wheel liners/trim etc all have to come off to get the front clip off the R56 and I'm sure that the book has this at around 3 hours labor just to get to the radiator. Then throw in the cost of the radiator along with the labor to replace it and purge the air from the system and your going to run up a bill. Other options do exist in that there are Mini shops in the area that should be checked for cost since this is going to end up coming out of OP's wallet.

 

You should do PR for MINI. Although we love these cars, you act as though every single one is bullet proof. In the OP's situation, this is not the case. You are what is called a FANBOY in the industry. If you seriously do not care what I or anyone else in this post thinks, then why post at all, especially in a thread classified under "stock problems/issues?" Obviously, you want to accepted for your not so sage advice. You are real cool! Have a nice day, and keep on padding your posts. Hope you reach 3000 real soon!

I'm done talking to you, so go ahead and have the last word. I hope you never end up in a situation like the OP.

Sincerely,

"Whining Wussy"

 

I don't know how you got "fanboy" out of my post????

In no way do I think MINI is bulletproof, problem free or anything else. I've owned two of them so far, and neither has been trouble free.....

My post is strictly aimed at those who think EVERY thing that happens to their car is somehow the fault of the mfr., whether brand new or 100K down the road.

I've seen people post here how they ran into a curb and bent a wheel or control arm and want to know if that would be covered under warranty? I think this, unfortunately, falls under a similar situation. The OP is upset and doesn't want to shell out for an expensive repair and he wants someone - anyone else - to pay for it.

I asked, respectfully, in my earlier post how this could be MINI's fault and responsibility. I wanted to know how the OP saw it happening, if in fact it was the car's fault? The only reply I've seen is that it must have been there all along and chose this time to 'blow".......given the size of the stream of water coming from the hole in the first pic I think that's nonsense. I base my OPINION on 30 years of repairing cars, both to make my living and to help friends and family members with theirs.

I did commiserate with the OP and the fact that it's a new car, but for him to fold his arms and state unequivocally that it's MINI's fault and responsibility shows me both that he has little car knowledge to base his stance on and little understanding of what a car warranty is for.

I wish him luck, and maybe he will be able to bully someone into paying for it, but that doesn't mean he's right......it just means he's a good bully or maybe very persuasive.

Like another poster has in his signature "opinions are like exhaust pipes, everyone has at least one"