MINI USA

despite the complaint was closed with unsolved status, I want you to know that Mini has contacted me directly and we were able to reach an agreement to solve the problem

Less than 6 month has...

gone by since I paid $4,745.59 to repair my 2007 MINI Cooper S and again engine light and loss of power occurred. Even though I recently receive payment for services completed in prior years related to timing chain and valve covers, I feel since only 5 months have passed, engine light, loss power, the above was a patch job not a fix, not even a temporary fix, as it should have lasted more than 5 months. If you back to my records, engine light is common occurrence year over year. I would like reimbursement of my last invoice. Lesson Learned: 1. MINI Cooper S is not made for Connecticut. 2. In-depth research is necessary. 3. Ask others with the same brand before make your final decision. 4. Check pending lawsuits. 5. Review Consumer Reports, Edmunds, Kelly Blue Book, and other vehicle sites to ensure that your not getting a lemon brand. 6. If you're willing to spend extra money (purchase / repairs), a new Mini Cooper makes a compelling high-fashion option against more common subcompact cars.Refund of my last invoice, the work did not last 6 months without the engine light / loss of power, which made the car unable to drive.

Customer is seeking reimbursement for warranty repairs completed at an unauthorized facility. No record of customer attempting to make appointment with an authorized MINI service center. Reimbursement denied. Warranty repairs must be completed at authorized MINI dealerships.

[redacted]/2007 MINI Coope[redacted]  - BB ID# [redacted]Current Mileage:  99,200The above vehicle has been out of warranty since 3/31/11. As a goodwill gesture, MINI USA has agreed to offer the above customer a one-time owner loyalty payment of $2,500.00.

I am rejecting this response because:
I am sorry, they are is.  The dealership refunded my money.  Apparently, MINI does not communicate with their dealerships.   Thank you for assistance.

To whom it may concern, MINI USA will be inspecting this vehicle. I will update the file after the inspection on April 23rd. [redacted] MINI USA Customer Relations

I would like to cancel Complaint ID [redacted] regarding a MINI warranty issue. They have changed the diagnoses of the issue.

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before...

sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
[redacted]

Reimbursement denied. Warranty repairs must be completed at authorized MINI dealerships. MINI USA considers this matter closed.

Review: MINI of USA contacted me regarding a warranty repair on some of their vehicles which included my 2003 MINI Cooper S. The power steering components could fail, causing a loss of steering control. The warranty was extended to include additional years and mileage for which my vehicle qualified. I contacted MINI USA and verified that the warranty repair, if done by a third party (non-dealer), would be reimbursed. The repair was done in July 2013. Reimbursement was to take 6-10 weeks. I contacted MINI USA several times in the following months and was told in November, 2013, that the reimbursement would be received by the end of 2013 or January 2014. I recently spoke with customer service wherein they informed me that my claim was denied. The customer service person revealed that it was a call center, not necessarily a MINI USA location. This person also said that it was possible that the information I was given regarding the reimbursement was false. Considering the negligence of this issue, MINI USA should be held liable for the reimbursement cost of the sanctioned repairs.Desired Settlement: The full repair amount should be reimbursed.

Business

Response:

To whom it may concern: The customer took the vehicle to an independent repair shop to have a warranty repair done. It appears from the independent repair shop repair order that the part was not faulty and the customer requested to have the parts replaced. The customer could have taken his vehicle to his nearest MINI Dealer to have it diagnosed. If it was found to be defective, it would have been replaced at no charge under a 13yr/150,000 mile extended warranty. Unfortunately, no reimbursement will be provided at this time.

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

My complaint is based on the fact that 2 different MINI USA customer service representatives on two separate occasions assured me that I would be reimbursed using a third party repair service prior to initiating my third-party repair.

Nowhere in the literature sent by MINI USA did it stipulate the need to prove part failure. At no time did the MINI USA customer service representatives convey that stipulation. The reason for the repair was due to the fact that at random times, control of the car was lost due to power steering failure. The warranty repair was to provide service on the car to prevent catastrophic failure.

The MINI USA customer service representatives directions were to have the car repaired under the warranty and submit any invoices, receipts and ancillary paperwork to MINI USA. My car qualified for the repair, as it was under the mileage and age limits.

This warranty repair reimbursement was to take 6-10 weeks. I submitted the necessary paperwork in July of 2013. Over 25 weeks later, until February of 2014, I still had not heard from MINI USA regarding the status of my reimbursement. When I contacted them, I was informed that my reimbursement was denied for reasons unknown to the customer service representative.

In summary, MINI USA failed to make clear their directives for handling the warranty. Their customer service representatives gave false information that led directly to the denial of the reimbursement. In the interest of my personal safety while operating a car produced by MINI USA, the repair initiated was absolutely necessary and the reimbursement should be honored on the basis of negligence and incompetence on behalf of MINI USA

Regards,

Business

Response:

Mini Usa' position as previously noted has not changed. We have no record of our customer relations representatives giving mis information to the customer

Review: I purchased my MINI Cooper 2007 S hardtop in March 2007 from MINI’s Hartford dealership. My MINI service has always been performed at the MINI dealerships, either the Darien or the Hartford locations. From day 1, I paid their premium service cost, believing the higher cost for MINI specialized mechanics and MINI official parts at the dealership would extend the life of my MINI and minimize issues.

The valve covers had to be replaced in January 2012 and tension chain had to be replaced at 58,000 miles in February 2013, which I paid in full. I have accumulated invoices that exceed $20,000 in a five year span (2010 – 2015). The majority of the $20,000 resulted after the valve and tension chain replacement. I understand that wear n’ tear occurs along with servicing is necessary to ensure long health life of a MINI. Since my purchase, I have met all scheduled service dates at the dealerships.

The $20,000 plus paid, $4,000 plus annual, exceeds the average MINI repair and maintenance cost. I should be reimbursed for a portion of my total repair and maintenance cost. MINI Cooper should be accountable for items (parts and labor) that are above the average repair and maintenance cost, which if they perform an internal investigation will discover that certain repairs do not fall under wear n’ tear repair and maintenance cost that should be the responsibility of the consumer.

If $ 4,000 plus annual that I have paid is the true average repair maintenance cost, then MINI Cooper is falsely stating information to the consumer during the inquiry / purchasing phase of a MINI. If actual versus estimated average was close, then, no issue.

I would like reimbursement for a portion of my total repair and maintenance cost that I have paid to date. I will leave it to MINI to reimburse a fair amount. MINI’s accountability should be assessed by the vehicle world, if no action is taken or detailed explanation is not provided in writing. I would assume if the vehicle world actual reviews my invoices / description of issues would agree that certain cost do not fall under wear n’ tear repair and maintenance cost, the responsibility of the owner.

Those who are thinking of purchasing a MINI, please do a detailed research on the model, as the fun and look will definitely fade once reliability and cost begins to appear, which most likely will be seen after the 5 year mark. Ensure you review MINI’s prior issues, which can be found buried online i.e. tension chain, exhaust valves, turbo charges, etc. Also, ensure you obtain references that you can speak live to the MINI owners that have over 3 years under their belts. I would also compare dealership and local repair shop for labor cost and parts on the recurring maintenance, such as oil changes, brakes and rotors, battery, sensors, tires, reviewing and clearing engine light. Based on my experience, I would use a local repair shop, to lower the cost. At the end of the day, I would have the same issues; however, saved thousands from the premium cost at the dealership. If you are looking to own the car for a year or two, go for it! It is a fun car to drive.Desired Settlement: Reimbursement of a portion of the repair and maintenance cost that I have paid to date.

Business

Response:

[redacted]/2007 MINI Cooper/TL88371 - BB ID# [redacted]Current Mileage: 99,200The above vehicle has been out of warranty since 3/31/11. As a goodwill gesture, MINI USA has agreed to offer the above customer a one-time owner loyalty payment of $2,500.00.

Consumer

Response:

Less than 6 month has gone by since I paid $4,745.59 to repair my 2007 MINI Cooper S and again engine light and loss of power occurred. Even though I recently receive payment for services completed in prior years related to timing chain and valve covers, I feel since only 5 months have passed, engine light, loss power, the above was a patch job not a fix, not even a temporary fix, as it should have lasted more than 5 months. If you back to my records, engine light is common occurrence year over year. I would like reimbursement of my last invoice. Lesson Learned: 1. MINI Cooper S is not made for Connecticut. 2. In-depth research is necessary. 3. Ask others with the same brand before make your final decision. 4. Check pending lawsuits. 5. Review Consumer Reports, Edmunds, Kelly Blue Book, and other vehicle sites to ensure that your not getting a lemon brand. 6. If you're willing to spend extra money (purchase / repairs), a new Mini Cooper makes a compelling high-fashion option against more common subcompact cars.

Review: At the beginning of May, 2013, I was driving my Mini Cooper, when all of a sudden, the steering stopped working. I had no control of where my car was going. Thankfully, I was in a parking lot at the time, and not on the freeway, which could have been disastrous. I took the car to an authorized Mini Cooper repair facility, where I was told the Power Assist Steering Mechanism had to be replaced. The cost for repairs was $1,381.43, plus a rental car for one day @ 29.29, totaling $1,410.72. A few weeks after this, I received a letter in the mail from Mini Cooper stating that there was a recall of vehicles including my year and model due to the faulty Power Assist Steering. It also stated that if I had already had this problem fixed by an authorized repair facility, to send the receipt to Mini Cooper and it would be fully reimbursed.I sent my request, along with a letter, and the requested receipt to Mini Cooper on May 28, 2013. My full refund was "approved" by Mini Cooper on July 22, 2013. I also have a detailed log of all the dates I have called to find out when I will receive my refund check. Each time, I was given the run around. Most recently, I called on February 11. I was told a check had been mailed to me on February 7, 2014. It is now February 25, 2014 and I still haven't received the check. In three days, it will be nine months since this process began. There is no excuse for a delay of this magnitude. I think Mini Cooper is counting on people just giving up and/or forgetting about the refund they thought they were going to get. I am honestly doubting I will ever receive the reimbursement promised by Mini Cooper.Desired Settlement: Immediate refund with no more excuses.

Review: Mini USA sent out a letter to Mini Cooper owners about a extended warranty on the Power Steering pump. and also promised reimbursement of funds for any repairs done on same item if a receipt was provided. I sent a copy of my receipt to Mini USA on June 2, 2013, I received an email back from Mini USA on June 6, 2013 that if approved it would take 4-6 weeks, I was told it was approved by Mini USA when I called Customer service on June 19, 2013, also. After not receiving the funds in the mail after promised date I have called several times and told the same thing, It will be mailed soon. It has been over 16 weeks and no reimbursement has been received. I believe I am not the only one that has been waiting for the reimbursement according to customer service, none have been mailed out. I think this needs to be looked into.

thank you

[redacted]Desired Settlement: I just need to have them send out the reimbursement as promised.

Business

Response:

We are in receipt of the claim, it has been approve for reimbursement and is currently being processed. We anticipate that the customer will receive the reimbursement check by the end of the year. We regret the length of time it is taking to process the check and extend our sincere apologies

Review: Purchased 2008 Mini Clubman on May 2012 with 35, 000 miles

• June 27, 2012 – 1st Repair of FAULTY T-STAT Housing Repair $380.00

• Jan 30, 2013 – Torx Bolt, Chain Tensioner $812.00

• Jan 30, 2013 – Replaced Turbo oil return feed line. $512.00

• November 27, 2013 – Heat Shield replaced – Warranty $855.00

• November 27, 2013 – Replace Coolant Pump - $500.00

• November 10, 2014 – Replacement of Door panel because it was falling apart. 146.32.

• January 15, 2015 – Replacement of Blower motor $575.00.

• March 2, 2015 - Head Gasket was replaced on the advice of Mini Dealer ship but actual repairs were performed at a repair shop close to my job. $ 168.00

• June 19, 2015 – 2ND T-STAT Housing Repair $400.00

Recently, I was advised by the service rep my car required a water pump. BEFORE, authorizing the installation I asked if this had been repaired before. The service rep stated NO it had not, I went home and checked through my receipts and indeed it had been replaced before. I physically went to the dealership with both invoices and showed them to the rep and he stated he did not look back farther than a specific date because there is only a two year warranty on BMW parts. HOWEVER, that is not what I asked him prior to authorizing the installation. I ASKED him to look at the repair history to see if the pump had been replaced before. I want my money back, I have no proof at this point the pump was even bad.Desired Settlement: They need to refund the cost back to me for the second water pump and at the very least a portion of the costs for all of the repairs for this vehicle. It has been a real lemon.

Business

Response:

We have verified with our dealer that the repair carried out on June 19th 2015 was for a Thermostat only, the water pump was not replaced on this occasion. Therefore, the customer is not entitled to a refund. Please let me know if you require any further information. Kind regards,

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because:

I am sorry, they are is. The dealership refunded my money. Apparently, MINI does not communicate with their dealerships. Thank you for assistance.

Review: The airbag warning light came on in my Mini so I took it in to diagnose in September. They said that the passenger seat airbag sensor needed to be replaced and that the airbag will not deploy in an accident. They comped the cost of the replacement at over $1100 after talking with MINI USA headquarters and said to bring it in once they have a part.

It is now the end of January 2016 and they STILL have not fixed my vehicle. That's four months with a faulty airbag. The reason they haven't fixed my car yet: they cannot find a replacement part - a tiny sensor that goes inside of the seat. They claim that they cannot locate the part anywhere in the world. I've called numerous times to get an ETA on the status of the part and they can't even provide that.

They have absolutely no idea when they will be able to fix my car and have no problem telling me this. I find this completely unacceptable. It could be another year of waiting for all I know.

Meanwhile, I cannot let anyone sit in the passenger seat of my car. I've missed trips, have had to make arrangements to use other vehicles for business etc.

This is a huge safety issue that needs to be addressed ASAP. I have a family and I want them to be safe. They are NOT safe in this car.Desired Settlement: I want to know exactly when my car will be fixed. It is unacceptable that MINI USA cannot even provide a simple ETA on when my car will be fixed. If they cannot provide an ETA on when the part will come and my car will be fixed I want compensation for driving a dangerous vehicle and not being able to let passengers ride in the car for each month or a replacement vehicle of equal value.

Business

Response:

Dealership contacted the customer on 1/22/16. Customer’s concerns were resolved and the dealership provided customer the back-ordered part to complete the repair

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

Review: Mini had a warranty coverage extension for power steering pump and associated parts. I had already had this repaired in my car at a mini dealer. I submitted all paperwork required to them. My claim was approved in July of this year. Settlement was supposed to be sent in 4 to 6 weeks, the it went to 6 to 8 weeks, then 8 to 12 weeks, then sometime before the end of the year. This is ridiculous. I didn't take my car into a dealer to have the work performed after the notice. I had already had it done and I am not getting reimbursed like the letter stated.Desired Settlement: I want the 1069.00 that it cost me to have my car repaired like I was told I was approved for. It doesn't take that long to reimburse someone their money.. the excuse that I keep getting is that they had a bigger response than they thought they would get. That isn't my problem. I am entitled to my money refunded like the letter stated. I followed all of their rules for refund and I am getting nothing from them in return but the run around.

Review: I bought a 2014 Mini Cooper in July 2014 that had two major problems within the first year. I contacted Mini Corporate to express my concern that I had received a lemon. They agreed to give me (free of charge) an extended warranty for 7 years/70,000. Weeks, then months passed and I still had not received proof of the extended warranty. During this time, the communication from Mini Corp was dismal. I kept playing phone tag with [redacted] (###-###-####)who kept assuring me that things were in place and I would be getting something soon. Very recently I was asked to go to my local dealer (not the dealer I was told the warranty would come from) to sign paperwork on the new warranty. Today (21-31-15) I did that but saw that the new contract was for 6 years/70,000, not the 7 years I had agreed to. I had a call from [redacted] who informed me that when they changed dealerships for the new warranty that it was changed from 7 rears to 6. I told her I would not sign the contract unless it reflected our original agreement. She said she would have someone at a higher level than she call me. I have waited far too long to get this resolved and knowing that every contact from them in the past came with a promise that never happened, I told her I was finally fed up and would be filing a complaint with the Revdex.com. This has simply gone on too long and I still have no paperwork in my possession proving I have an extended warranty.Desired Settlement: To resolve this matter, I want Mini Corporate to extend to me the original offer to which I agreed, of an extended warranty (at no expense to me) for a 7 year/70,000 mile warranty on my 2014 Mini Cooper. I would like to have proof of that new warranty in my possession in a timely manner.

Business

Response:

This notice will acknowledge our receipt of the consumer complaint, AG No.:[redacted] filed with your office regarding the above-referenced customer and vehicle. The MINI Division of BMW of North America, LLC has reached an amicable agreement with Ms. [redacted] regarding her concerns. We verified in our records that Ms. [redacted] was verbally advised in July 2014 by Lindsey in our Customer Relations team that she would receive an extended warranty for 72months/70,000 miles, as a onetime goodwill gesture. We advised Ms. [redacted] there are no records verifying that an extended warranty for 7 years/70,000 miles was offered to her. We also informed Ms. [redacted] that MINI USA does not and has never offered a seven year extended warranty for our vehicles. However, the interest of customer satisfaction and brand loyalty, Ms. [redacted] has been offered and accepted a complementary extended Maintenance Program Upgrade (MPU) for 72 months/100,000 miles, whichever comes first, from the vehicle’s original in-service date of 7/28/2014-for the said vehicle. Going forward, Ms. [redacted] has been notified that International Autos will contact her to schedule an appointment to complete the odometer statement, process the MPU contract and apply the coverage to the vehicle. Ms. [redacted] has verbally advised that once she signs the MPU contract and the coverage is applied to the vehicle, then she will update the Revdex.com regarding her position regarding this matter. Should you have any questions, please contact me at [redacted]. I am available Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

Review: [redacted] Roadside Assistant gave me a quote of $225.00 for road side assistant to have my car towed from [redacted] to [redacted]. I was stranded because my car had broken down. I authorized [redacted] to charge $225 to my credit card, once my car arrived in Edmond I received a call from [redacted] requesting the $225.00 payment before my car could be released. After talking to [redacted] I found out that without my permission or knowledge that [redacted] charged me $119.95 on top of the quote that was owed directly to [redacted]..So I had to pay the $225.00 plus the $119.95 to have my car taken to Edmond instead of the $212.50 I could of paid my insurance company to take it to Edmond if I had know that total amount. When asked the [redacted] what the total amount would be I was told $225.00 so I thought it would be a better deal to go with [redacted] because they would take better care of me...boy was I wrong!!! Instead they took me for $119.95!!! When asked for the to refund the money because I was missed led on the total amount the refused!!! I will never use this company again and suggest no one else does either!!Desired Settlement: I request a settlement of the total amount of $119.95 to be returned to me since I had no idea they were going to charge me nor did I give them permission to charge $119.95 to my credit card!!

Business

Response:

Research indicates that the customer was advised that she was out of warranty and that there would be a fee of $119.95 along with over mileage of $225 paid directly to the provider. The customer experienced a service delay due to phase conditions, and had called back into the call center requesting a discount in service. As a goodwill gesture l have reversed the PPU charge of $119.95. Ms. [redacted] was satisfied with the resolution

Thank you!

Review: I own a Mini Cooper Countryman S purchased in May 2014 for $38K. Car is currently financed through Mini Financial Services (VIN:[redacted]). Since October 2014 it presents a creaking noise coming from either doors, windows or the moon roof. Depending on the obstacle it seems that the car is breaking apart. From October until now I have dropped the vehicle for repairs 3 times (last time was just 2 weeks ago), and despite the windows and doors sealings replacement the car still presents the same problem. I will probably leave the car once again this week for another round of repairs, but at this point I'm very unsure if the outcomes will be satisfactory. The dealer had mentioned during my second visit that this could be a design problem and I did question MINI customer service about it. Answer was that there is no such failure known. I'm becoming concerned that this could be caused by some kind of structural problem of this specific vehicle and despite the dealer efforts to repair it, no solution has been achieved. I did contact the service director and the service manager at the dealership and they seem engaged to solve the problem, but have the car once again dropped for repairs is just frustrating. Unfortunately MINI customer service couldn't help much during the period.Desired Settlement: I'm willing to receive a fair evaluation about the problem since the vehicle is still under manufacturing warranty. Also repair is a possibility, however need to be assure that I won't need to take the car back to the dealer every single month to do the same ineffective set of repairs. I truly trusted MINI brand, but at this point, if a satisfactory repair can't be achieve, I do need to look for a definitive settlement: have my car exchanged.

Business

Response:

To whom it may concern, MINI USA will be inspecting this vehicle. I will update the file after the inspection on April 23rd. [redacted] MINI USA Customer Relations

Consumer

Response:

despite the complaint was closed with unsolved status, I want you to know that Mini has contacted me directly and we were able to reach an agreement to solve the problem.

Review: I have been told on numerous occassions, beginning in September 2013 that reimbursement for my 2003 Mini Cooper power steering pump replacement has been mailed. At this point in time, I have received nothing.

My husband [redacted] spoke with customer service representative [redacted] on Jan 30 and he assured him that a check had been mailed. I have not received this check.

This is at least the second time that a customer service representitive ([redacted]) has told us a check was on the way.

I have many emails promising me that 100% reimbursement is forthcoming for the claim I filed in June 2013.

This company is giving us the runaround.Desired Settlement: I need to finally receive the reimbursement funds promised.

Consumer

Response:

I am happy to let you know that we have finally received our reimbursement check from Mini Usa