Rust :: door sill area of '02-'05 MINIs
#426
#427
Originally Posted by SSMini
Im about done with my dealership. Ive drove up to My dealer twice (80 miles round trip.) and nothing is going to be done about the rust. I was told "If I repair the rust myself, I will void the rust warranty." I said to myself, If there is a warranty to void, why the hell dont they repair it I keep getting the run around. I was told the RSM must see the problem. I was told twice he was there and when I get up there, he is gone. Now Im told to call back every week to see if he is up there I showed one of the mech. over there and I was shocked at what he said after he saw the rust. He said "Whats the big deal? All cars rust. Ive owned 2 MINIs and Im sure they had rust." I was told that they will NOT do anything till MINI gives them the ok. By then, my poor MINI will be a rust bucket... Im just going to fix the problem myself and be done with it......Out of all the cars Ive owned, MINI has had the worst customer service Ive seen. Its not like Im asking to fix my engine after its been modded. I have a MINI that is rusting in a place I feel it should not be rusting. Just for the hell of it, I removed the lower door sill cover off my 88 Mitsubishi Cordia. (My daily driver.) and guess what, No rust... My MINI is only driven on nice days and the only time it gets wet is when I wash it. I would hate to see what it would look like if I left it in the rain all the time. Here in Florida, It rains just about everynight during the summer.
#428
Originally Posted by SSMini
Im about done with my dealership. Ive drove up to My dealer twice (80 miles round trip.) and nothing is going to be done about the rust. I was told "If I repair the rust myself, I will void the rust warranty." I said to myself, If there is a warranty to void, why the hell dont they repair it I keep getting the run around. I was told the RSM must see the problem. I was told twice he was there and when I get up there, he is gone. Now Im told to call back every week to see if he is up there I showed one of the mech. over there and I was shocked at what he said after he saw the rust. He said "Whats the big deal? All cars rust. Ive owned 2 MINIs and Im sure they had rust." I was told that they will NOT do anything till MINI gives them the ok. By then, my poor MINI will be a rust bucket... Im just going to fix the problem myself and be done with it......Out of all the cars Ive owned, MINI has had the worst customer service Ive seen. Its not like Im asking to fix my engine after its been modded. I have a MINI that is rusting in a place I feel it should not be rusting. Just for the hell of it, I removed the lower door sill cover off my 88 Mitsubishi Cordia. (My daily driver.) and guess what, No rust... My MINI is only driven on nice days and the only time it gets wet is when I wash it. I would hate to see what it would look like if I left it in the rain all the time. Here in Florida, It rains just about everynight during the summer.
1. Try another dealer. Even if it means a longer drive, your current dealer sounds like the dealer from hell.
2. Painting the currently rusted area would void corrosion warranty coverage on that area. But if somewhere else on your car rusted and perforated should get coverage. (Unless you went and showed the dealer and MINI where you had made a repair to an area that they refused to cover and to add insult to injury, told them: ...look how good it is doing, but you f**king idiots can't get your s**t straight to protect another area.... That in-your-face approach might get the middle-fingered salute from them.)
#429
My dealer, Princeton Mini (New Jersey), came through with flying colors for my 2002 Cooper. I asked them to check for rust, which they did, saying they had never heard of this problem (!) and were skeptical it existed.
But when they found the dreaded rust, they responded magnificently. They took Max to their body shop on a flatbed truck, gave me a loaner car for several days, returned Max from his hospital visit in fine shape, all under the rust warranty at no charge. Max is just over 4 years old.
Thank you, Isaac at Princeton Mini!
But when they found the dreaded rust, they responded magnificently. They took Max to their body shop on a flatbed truck, gave me a loaner car for several days, returned Max from his hospital visit in fine shape, all under the rust warranty at no charge. Max is just over 4 years old.
Thank you, Isaac at Princeton Mini!
#430
Originally Posted by shep
My dealer, Princeton Mini (New Jersey), came through with flying colors for my 2002 Cooper. I asked them to check for rust, which they did, saying they had never heard of this problem (!) and were skeptical it existed.
But when they found the dreaded rust, they responded magnificently. They took Max to their body shop on a flatbed truck, gave me a loaner car for several days, returned Max from his hospital visit in fine shape, all under the rust warranty at no charge. Max is just over 4 years old.
Thank you, Isaac at Princeton Mini!
But when they found the dreaded rust, they responded magnificently. They took Max to their body shop on a flatbed truck, gave me a loaner car for several days, returned Max from his hospital visit in fine shape, all under the rust warranty at no charge. Max is just over 4 years old.
Thank you, Isaac at Princeton Mini!
#433
#435
Off to Krown to get the car spayed
Originally Posted by cristo
I don't think the real problem is the water getting under the weather strip,
but the fact that they didn't fully paint the area in the first place.
Once the rusted area is stripped, primed, and painted over, it should remain
as rust free as the rest of the car.
but the fact that they didn't fully paint the area in the first place.
Once the rusted area is stripped, primed, and painted over, it should remain
as rust free as the rest of the car.
#436
I just took my 04 MCS in for my 10K service to Momentum Mini in Houston. I asked the MA about this issue.
Here's what the services ticket states verbatim:
"Customer states water gets up under rubber door gaskets. Rubber door seal is exposed to outside conditions water accumulation is normal unless water is expose inside vehicle" DUH
Here's what the services ticket states verbatim:
"Customer states water gets up under rubber door gaskets. Rubber door seal is exposed to outside conditions water accumulation is normal unless water is expose inside vehicle" DUH
#437
Originally Posted by rjccooper
Well just went and got my 2004 Cooper Krown rust protected! Will do this every year from now on.....it's a shame...I've owned many Volvos and this has been the last thing I worried about.....we need a redesigned weatherstrip or no matter how well we clean,paint etc. the problem will come back!
#438
Question
Originally Posted by caminifan
Ummm. If the metal is prepped down to the molecular level (dilute phosphoric acid) and a corrosion-resistant primer is used and then a color coat is used on top of the primer, absent abraision that exposes the bare sheetmetal again, you have a seal that will outlast the corrosion warranty.
#439
Originally Posted by rjccooper
I must admit I don't have your experience with this topic but is it still not a problem if water is getting in between the pinched metal sheets or will the treatment you recommend fill the gap between the panels.....just thinking if I should go the the body shop and get them to sand the edges, prime and paint along with clear coat
#441
Could be...
Originally Posted by DJA
It's tough to tell for sure in this photo (from a MINI Oxford exhibit of the '07), but it looks like the problematic pinch weld is less crude on the new body.
#442
#443
Originally Posted by snid
Can't the griping wait until after the car is actually built.
I know spelling jokes are lame, sorry. [Emphasis added.]
I know spelling jokes are lame, sorry. [Emphasis added.]
Oh, and while I attempt to get my spelling correct, I make no claims for perfect spelling - it seems to be one of the challenges of advancing age.
#444
Excuse my ignorance...
Originally Posted by RaiderZA
I too, have found rust on the driver's side, but not passenger's side. The driver's side was also wet. Minimal rust- mostly on the unpainted spot where the sill was clamped (at the weld). Mine is an 2004 (10/03 build) and I received the extended rust warranty- now I know why. I guess I'll be making a trip to MINI of St. Louis soon.
#447
Does anyone know if the 06 has a different weatherstrip design? I read somewhere in here that there is a break/joint in the strip that water flows down in. I should be getting my 06 any day now. I'm very sorry to hear the problems you all are having. I am in a coastal area and rust is a serious enemy that I want to keep at bay.
#448
The '06 that I'm driving ('05 November production) has the holes 1/2 way up the front door jam and wicks water in. I had a few rust stains (I'm loath to even call them spots) which I wiped away with a couple passes (2-3, tops) of very fine grade wet sandpaper. I packed the area with p21s carnuba wax to help prevent water accumulation in the future.
#449
Why do they call it "customer relations?"
I pointed out the rust to the SA at my last service, who was unaware this problem was going on. I gave MiniUSA a few sentences about it in my response to the online service survey. Just got a call from Mini in followup. The caller offered me an opportunity to file a "product complaint" which does not count against the dealership's record as opposed to a "service complaint" which does reflect badly. The caller then transferred me to "customer relations" who said BMW is not aware of this issue, but she would pass on my complaint. I think I got a blank stare over the phone when I pointed her to this thread. I asked what to expect for a response and when to expect it. She told me that if BMW decides to issuse a SB or recall, I would be notified with the rest of the Mini owners. I will not be notified of any other disposition - such as BMW refuses to do anything or I need to press this with the regional service rep on an individual basis - because "well, what if BMW decides to do nothing now but changes their mind down the road. It would be unfair to send you a letter now saying they won't do anything." I had to take matters into my own hands, so I registered a complaint against BMW's customer relations policy of not following up on complaint results with individual customers. I am beginning to believe that the solution to all of the problems with Mini is to buy a Buick and abandon all expectations of a meaningful motoring experience.
#450
I checked on my 04, and no rust ( not a surprise really, I live in Arizona ) BUT, I do have moisture under the weather stripping. We do not get much rain, but i wash my car quite often.. I happened to check right before recently washing the car. It had been 2 weeks since its last wash ( ok, to those who know me, I know,I know, way too long for me ) and there was mosture. Now, you have to realize, thats 2week of driving in 110+ deg and very dry. And yet, the water retained under the weather stripping make one go HHMmmmmm....