rattle on cold start

[bullet]

this has probably been discussed before but wth,i noticed yesterday on startup from cold that my car was making a tappy rattle but only when cold,theres plenty of oil,ive had it 6 wks and only covered 400 miles in that time so im not a very happy chappy,i bought it from peter vardy mini edinburgh but am reluctant to take it back there,john clark is closest to me but after reading some less than impressive comments about them i would rather take it to grassicks in perth,any ideas what it could be? and if a courtesy car is required will i be charged for it? when i spoke to the salesman at grassik he said they may not have any courtesy cars available so i may be left to bus it,after spending 14 grand im pretty angry.:ragin:

[N16SHP]

Whatever you do, do not go to John Clark. I heard another cracking story today about them refusing to replace a faulty brake disc that they fitted less than 2 months ago because the guy has had his alloy wheels refurbed...ridiculous. Could be the cold start rattle and if so there are plenty threads on here about it (I've had it replaced on both of our Cooper S') but I though this had been fixed and was only a problem with the Cooper S.

[stoney]

well i would ask when a car will be available and book it in then !!!! so if its booked then you know

you should not be charged for the car if yours is still in warranty !!

[bullet]

well i would ask when a car will be available and book it in then !!!! so if its booked then you know

you should not be charged for the car if yours is still in warranty !!

my car is under warranty but i was told that if i needed a courtesy car then i would probably have to pay for it !!!

[AndyP & Lenore]

IIRC Grassics have a policy whereby if you didn't actually buy the car from them and require a loan car while yours is in getting fixed they "hire" you a car. £60 a day I seem to remember. If you bought your car from them it's just the usual "cover the insurance £10 charge" I think.

As for the rattle... What year and model is your MINI?

A.

[bullet]

its a 2008 jcw,the rattle is from cold startup and occasionally theres a metal to metal noise,im not driving it incase i do any damage,have phoned emergency services,they can have a look.ive done 400 miles since i got it,expected it to be more reliable than this.:sad:

[N16SHP]

its a 2008 jcw,the rattle is from cold startup and occasionally theres a metal to metal noise,im not driving it incase i do any damage,have phoned emergency services,they can have a look.ive done 400 miles since i got it,expected it to be more reliable than this.:sad:

Although you've only driven it 400 miles, it is a second hand car remember. Plus, a lot of the dealers will not do chain tensioner work off their own back unless a customer brings it up as its time in the garage they could be getting paid work rather than warranty claims. This may sound harsh, but it's not meant to at all, it's just a fact...welcome to owning a Mini! As much as we love them, they certainly have their faults. I only had my S 5 weeks before noticing the cold rattle and had to fight to get it changed.

[Gismo]

Plus, a lot of the dealers will not do chain tensioner work off their own back unless a customer brings it up as its time in the garage they could be getting paid work rather than warranty claimsWarranty work guarantees payment, the dealer doesn't pay for the work, MINI do, so, the dealer would take warranty work every day

[bullet]

mini wanted to take the car to john clark in dundee,they will only take the car to the closest dealership,after reading some unfavourable comments about the place i asked them if they would take it to grassicks,they agreed and have since been told that its the chain tensioner,they have asked to keep it overnight and check it again as there may be more damage.thank god for a warranty. :phew:

[AndyP & Lenore]

Well it sounds like it's going in your direction at least.:thumbs up:

I'm sure the folks at grassics will look after you. If it's the cold start tensioner that's at fault I'm sure MINI will have it sorted. After a couple of years of MINI denying anything was even wrong, they now accept it's an issue and have a fix for it. Doesn't stop it completely, and it has been known to come back as bad as ever in some folks cars - my own car has been fine since the fix.:thumbs up:

A.:D

[bullet]

Well it sounds like it's going in your direction at least.:thumbs up:

I'm sure the folks at grassics will look after you. If it's the cold start tensioner that's at fault I'm sure MINI will have it sorted. After a couple of years of MINI denying anything was even wrong, they now accept it's an issue and have a fix for it. Doesn't stop it completely, and it has been known to come back as bad as ever in some folks cars - my own car has been fine since the fix.:thumbs up:

A.:D

cheers mate,:thumbs up:,i hope this is the end of it,time will tell.

[Craig]

I have my fingers crossed for you :yes nod:

The cold start issue is one of the reasons why I had 2 r56's in 11 months and also why I wouldn't have another one until they have defo fixed it for sure :rolleyes:

[bullet]

I have my fingers crossed for you :yes nod:

The cold start issue is one of the reasons why I had 2 r56's in 11 months and also why I wouldn't have another one until they have defo fixed it for sure :rolleyes:

thanks mate:thumbs up:,if theres even a squeak from the car from now on its going back to grassicks.:laugh:

[N16SHP]

Warranty work guarantees payment, the dealer doesn't pay for the work, MINI do, so, the dealer would take warranty work every day

Then I hold my hands up and I stand corrected...this proves never to listen to anyone from John Clark then...ever!


mini wanted to take the car to john clark in dundee,they will only take the car to the closest dealership,after reading some unfavourable comments about the place i asked them if they would take it to grassicks,they agreed and have since been told that its the chain tensioner,they have asked to keep it overnight and check it again as there may be more damage.thank god for a warranty. :phew:

Good to hear that Mini are finally listening to their customers and are willing to take it to the garage you want it to go to. As the others have said, I have my fingers crossed for you as I know how much of a pain it is to have this problem and be without a car too!! Good luck dude!

[Gismo]

Then I hold my hands up and I stand corrected...this proves never to listen to anyone from John Clark then...ever!This only covers the original problem, if warranty work is not performed correctly then it's at the dealers cost to fix

[bullet]

Good to hear that Mini are finally listening to their customers and are willing to take it to the garage you want it to go to. As the others have said, I have my fingers crossed for you as I know how much of a pain it is to have this problem and be without a car too!! Good luck dude!

cheers mate,heard from grassicks,no additional damage to the engine so its ready to pick up :motoring:

[Stewart]

Good to read your getting your car back, fingers crossed!

[Gismo]

cheers mate,heard from grassicks,no additional damage to the engine so its ready to pick up :motoring:Make sure you get a list of the parts they replaced, there are many parts in the kit that fixes the problem

[Craig]

Make sure you get a list of the parts they replaced, there are many parts in the kit that fixes the problem

^^^^ this

My experience is getting all the info re what they have done as of you have any issues further on then that can help ;)

[bullet]

cheers guys,:thumbs up:,it sounds silly but ive missed my wee car.:excited:

[N16SHP]

cheers mate,heard from grassicks,no additional damage to the engine so its ready to pick up :motoring:


cheers guys,:thumbs up:,it sounds silly but ive missed my wee car.:excited:

Good to hear there is no extra damage. And your right about missing your car. Mine was gone for about 4 days, and I was just lost. This will sound mega sad, but we all love our cars on here, but I kept looking out the window even though it wasn't there...:thud:

[bullet]

got the car back today from grassicks,was cleaned inside and out which was good and the part that caused all the upset cost £6?:idunno:,all the way back to forfar i was listening for the slightest squeak or rattle lol :motoring:

[stoney]

got the car back today from grassicks,was cleaned inside and out which was good and the part that caused all the upset cost £6?:idunno:,all the way back to forfar i was listening for the slightest squeak or rattle lol :motoring:


good stuff glad you have got it back

[Craig]

Glad it's sorted ;)

[bullet]

thanks guys,good to have her back,:thumbs up:

[bullet]

:argh:

[AndyP & Lenore]

:argh:

Rattle back?

[bullet]

yeah,at the mo my car is lying in bits.fed up:sad:

[MINIme:)]

:sad: sorry to hear that dude

[Craig]

:frown:

[GCA3N]

I am an expert a rattles now lol. Took mine in twice and both returned. They can be hard to diagnose at times especially if they are the centre dash console. Sorry to hear of your woes buddy

[N16SHP]

Is it an interior rattle? I find mine appear when the heating is on full blast, must be the expanding in the dash with the heat and the centre starts to rattle. Was going to get it fixed but from what I'd read it was a toss up between having a rattle, or having no rattle but nothing but tool marks all over your dash :frown: Either way, mega frustrating for you dude!

[gauldrymini]

With rattles from dash / trim unless they are MEGA annoying sometimes best to leave them as I tend to find 9/10 times they come back the same or worse from the garage plus a few marks as Neil mentions...

...as for rattles, living with a convertible MINI is well interesting...

[Gismo]

Edit: hmm, hope you get it fixed quickly, your not having the best introduction to MINI ownership

[bullet]

Edit: hmm, hope you get it fixed quickly, your not having the best introduction to MINI ownership

im certainly getting dissulusioned with the brand,received a phone call today that the engine has had it and a new ones coming from germany,im worried.

[Craig]

Fingers crossed its the newer n18 (?) engine which doesn't have this issue ;). It's one of the reasons I got rid of mine back in 2007 and why I won't have another S/jcw R56 :frown:

[AndyP & Lenore]

im certainly getting dissulusioned with the brand,received a phone call today that the engine has had it and a new ones coming from germany,im worried.

I know how frustrating it must be for you, especially as I think this is your first MINI, but it does seem like they are treating this with some importance - replacing the whole engine is not a simple fix.

Hopefully the new engine will draw a line under the whole shebang,.

Feel for you though.:frown:

A.

[MINI William]

Pleased to hear that this is getting sorted for you. I know its not great to have to get a new engine but hopefully this will see it sorted for good. Ive never heared of anyone getting a new engine due to this problem.


Fingers crossed its the newer n18 (?) engine which doesn't have this issue ;). It's one of the reasons I got rid of mine back in 2007 and why I won't have another S/jcw R56 :frown:

If its a JCW it wont be the new engine as the JCW is still using the older engine. When the cars were facelifted we never got the new engine

[Gismo]

One good thing to come out of this, the new engine will have at least a years warranty, some consolation for you

[N16SHP]

I just re-read this and realised it was an engine rattle again. When you said the car was in bits I assumed you'd taken the dash apart. Gutted to hear your having this problem but like others have said good to hear how Mini are advancing with it and hopefully a replacement will fix everything. Fingers crossed for you!

[gauldrymini]

Bullet, as someone once said " may the force be with you ".

[stoney]

Guted for you mate :(

[bullet]

ive done 600 miles in it since buying it,its been towed away twice and now the engine is scrap,this after being told by grassicks there was no damage to the engine an it was a bolt at fault,bloody ridiculous.paid 14k for a lemon,welcome to mini ownership.:frown:

[AndyP & Lenore]

ive done 600 miles in it since buying it,its been towed away twice and now the engine is scrap,this after being told by grassicks there was no damage to the engine an it was a bolt at fault,bloody ridiculous.paid 14k for a lemon,welcome to mini ownership.:frown:

Have you considered your legal options?

A.

[bullet]

not sure what to do about this yet,am ruling nothing out,spoke to mini and although sympathetic they failed to see what they could do more than replace the engine,if this is what this car is like now then i dread to see what the future holds with it.if in the future when i come to sell it am worried that possible buyers will be put off seeing it as its needed a new engine hence potentially devalueing the car,i know i woudnt be keen on buying a car thats needed an engine change.it has unreliability written all over it.

[Gismo]

Hmm, ok, how old is the car? did you buy it at Grassicks? what warranty is remaining on it?
Perhaps it's time to start thinking about rejecting the car, especially if it's new, start by writing down everything including discussions and telephone calls made to the dealer.

[The Dogfather]

The first thing you should do is get in touch with Trading Standards or Consumer Direct, they will give you advice on what action you can take.

Scottish consumer rights might be different but in England if you’ve only covered 600 miles as you’ve indicated (timeframe is usually up to 6months) and the engine needs replacing then you should be able to walk away from the deal without any consequence (cost to yourself), Trading Standards or Consumer direct will confirm whether this will apply under Scottish jurisdiction.

Give them a call, they will explain your rights and what you should be doing. Basically I expect a letter sent to the suppling dealer telling them your rejecting the car will all that will be needed.

Effectively its the sales of goods act, the dealer (and the finance company if its on finance) supplied you with a faulty car and is in breach of contract. Your contract of sale is with them to with MINI don’t let them fob you off by directing you to talk to MINI.

Whether you should accept a new engine in the car is up to you, but there is a fundamental fault with the Cooper S engine that was addressed with the newer engine. However I doubt that’s what will be fitted, the one you’re getting is likely to be a ‘new’ old one. There’s an increasing number of premature failures of that particular engine, Alex on NM is having extensive work on his to sort out a misfire - decoking etc.

This is why I didn’t by another MINI and went for an MX5 instead, I’m happy to wait for the new N18 engined MINIs to drop in price before I return to the fold (if at all).

[bullet]

asked for refund from peter vardy,refused.

[N16SHP]

Refused on what grounds? If you haven't already got in touch with Trading Standards, I'd speak to them as Paul said.

[GCA3N]

Great advice Paul.

sent from my galaxy S ll

[bullet]

on the grounds that "it was a fine car when it left here,somethings happened in the 600 miles that you have had it or grassicks were at it" "youll get a repair but youre not getting youre money back". i kid you not this was there response,two breakdowns an engine change in 600 miles and no refund.ridiculous.

[The Dogfather]

asked for refund from peter vardy,refused.

Of course they’ll refuse, initially. Once you’ve confirmed in writing threatening legal action to recover any monies paid they’ll agree but you’ll need to get Trading Standards involved to help argue your case.

If its on finance then you’re in a much stronger position as the finance company are also liable and will put pressure on dealer to resolve as the last thing they want is to be lumbered with a car that no one wants and with no showroom to put it in.

For reference I successfully rejected my blue Clubman S and was given a massive discount on a brand new white Clubbie S by the supplying dealer. This was quite a few months and a few 1000s miles after I bought it.

[The Dogfather]

The key phrase is fit for purpose at the time of sale, given the car only covered 600 miles then you can argue that the car was faulty at the time of purchase. Trading standards will help you with guidance on this, they did with my case.

http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/sale-of-goods/understanding-the-sale-of-goods-act/your-rights/

[bullet]

also the engine when dismantled had wear,am puzzled as to how much damage they think i could do to the wee car,was my pride an joy when it wasnt in a dealership getting repaired.

[AndyP & Lenore]

Vidal is spot on with all his advice. I've gone down this route myself with Honda. Successfully rejected a CRV 6 months and 3k miles down the road.

We can't repeat this often enough....

TRADING STANDARDS!!!! GET THEM INVOLVED NOW!!!! They are there to advise you and assist you through the process. Also if your car is on finance, it's IMPERATIVE you inform your finance company.

A.

[bullet]

have got consumer direct on it,they advised they are in breach of contract,a car has to be durable under the sale of goods act,i explained this and was told the 600 miles you got out of it is entirely durable.:wtf:,ive got a fight on my hands but hes not fobbing me of with his b**ls**t,have had very poor service from these guys.as soon as the money was paid it was a case of not interested.havent even had a courtesy call since i bought the car.:frown:

[MINIme:)]

:sad: :sad: I've had good service from the sales guys so I'm really sad to hear all the grief and disappointment you've had. Who was this conversation with? Was it your own salesman?
I see on fb that they've got a 3 day closed showroom guest list event on for the next 3 days, might not help you getting any decent response. Really hope you can get this sorted.

[The Dogfather]

First of all contact the dealership and ask for the name of the dealer principal, this will help to make sure the letter gets the attention it requires. Write a letter detailing every problem you’ve had with the car, dates and problems, mention that you consider the car was faulty at the time of purchase and that it was not fit for purpose.

Send it recorded delivery to the dealer principal and copy it to MINI Customer Services, mention that you’ve sent it to MINI Customer Services in the letter. Give them 7 days to respond, tell them that your next steps will involve taking the matter to court.

If you can get an email address for the dealer principal you can use email instead, the email address for MINI CS is on their website. This will speed the process up. Courts are fine will email as a form of written communication.

If someone else has looked at the car, i.e. dealt with the faults try to get a record from them of what they found and what work they carried out, it will help to support your case. Be prepared for a bit of a fight.

[The Dogfather]

One last thing, post your experiences on their Facebook site. If they delete it repost it and keep doing it until you get your money back. It’ll will hopefully warn others about the dealer’s customer service.

Companies are terrified of the power of social media, use it to your advantage.

[N16SHP]

One last thing, post your experiences on their Facebook site. If they delete it repost it and keep doing it until you get your money back. It’ll will hopefully warn others about the dealer’s customer service.

Companies are terrified of the power of social media, use it to your advantage.

We get this drilled into us at Uni and the hard social media can do, so I'd definitely go down this route as part of your strategy.

[stoney]

One last thing, post your experiences on their Facebook site. If they delete it repost it and keep doing it until you get your money back. It’ll will hopefully warn others about the dealer’s customer service.

Companies are terrified of the power of social media, use it to your advantage.

As allready said this is a very good point !!

[bullet]

id rather they act with decency and do whats right and stop implying that i damaged my car,that mini was my pride and joy,was warmed up,cooled down,only the best of stuff used on it and was in the process of spending alot of money doing it up.after spending 14k im hardly going to trash it.:frown:

[weefossy]

As everyone knows, I've never had a problem with PV or Dunedin as it was before. I have also had a car (Red Cooper) taken back by them as "not fit for purpose" and they were excellent even through that dispute. However if you have agreed to let them fix the problem...replace the engine....then you cannot legally now ask them to take the car back. You have to refuse to have the car fixed and make your stance at that point. In our situation, we made took that stance when a second major problem happened with the car and refused to let them fix it

They may then replace the car,as they did with us, but I'm not sure that getting your "money back" is a real option that trading standards will back, if the dealers are seen to be doing everything possible to help. In any situation that would be far too weighted against the seller, if the buyer didn't want the goods for another reason.

[bullet]

As everyone knows, I've never had a problem with PV or Dunedin as it was before. I have also had a car (Red Cooper) taken back by them as "not fit for purpose" and they were excellent even through that dispute. However if you have agreed to let them fix the problem...replace the engine....then you cannot legally now ask them to take the car back. You have to refuse to have the car fixed and make your stance at that point. In our situation, we made took that stance when a second major problem happened with the car and refused to let them fix it

They may then replace the car,as they did with us, but I'm not sure that getting your "money back" is a real option that trading standards will back, if the dealers are seen to be doing everything possible to help. In any situation that would be far too weighted against the seller, if the buyer didn't want the goods for another reason.

am glad you have had a good experience at peter vardy,all i can go on is my experience with them.the service has been next to non existent and i have to ask how many members on here would be happy after payin 14 grand for a car for it then have to be towed away twice then need a new engine due to excessive wear at 28,000 miles after covering 530 miles since purchase? as for letting them fix the problem mini will only take the car to the closest dealership,i didnt have a choice in the matter,after inspection jc found the engine to be heavily worn,something that did not show up on any of the cars displays or minis diagnostic checks.vardys are saying the car was fine when it left them but short of stripping the engine how would they know that?

[AndyP & Lenore]

They may then replace the car,as they did with us, but I'm not sure that getting your "money back" is a real option that trading standards will back, if the dealers are seen to be doing everything possible to help.

In my experience trading standards do like to give the dealer an opportunity to fix the car.

However, Trading Standards will not force a dealer to "replace" the car as that is not how the law is written. The way the sale of goods act is written is that you are entitled to a refund of your money, not necessarily to have the goods replaced. Replacing the goods is at the discretion of the dealer, but your not obliged to accept that. IIRC.

In Bullet's own circumstances, I can understand why he would want a refund, even though the car is currently waiting on a new engine. Would you want to buy a car with that history? And those problems will begin when he goes to trade the car in.

All imho.

A.

[MiniSnaps]

In my experience trading standards do like to give the dealer an opportunity to fix the car.

However, Trading Standards will not force a dealer to "replace" the car as that is not how the law is written. The way the sale of goods act is written is that you are entitled to a refund of your money, not necessarily to have the goods replaced. Replacing the goods is at the discretion of the dealer, but your not obliged to accept that. IIRC.

In Bullet's own circumstances, I can understand why he would want a refund, even though the car is currently waiting on a new engine. Would you want to buy a car with that history? And those problems will begin when he goes to trade the car in.

All imho.

A.


Interesting, I was having a discussion with someone with regard to the ex-driving school Dooper that Parks are trying to flog at the moment. His view was that the car has a Cherished warranty, so it would be a safe buy, but this story suggests otherwise.....

[bullet]

new engine in,still getting the usual bulls**t from pv though."the engine was replaced as a goodwill gesture by mini" said john mckinstry.total and utter rubbish as usual,it was replaced due to severe internal wear,there was swarf in the engine as confirmed by bmw.

[AndyP & Lenore]

Interesting, I was having a discussion with someone with regard to the ex-driving school Dooper that Parks are trying to flog at the moment. His view was that the car has a Cherished warranty, so it would be a safe buy, but this story suggests otherwise.....

The thing is, everything should be a "safe" buy, because consumer law is there to protect you. But the reality is that whilst that law does exist, you have to weigh up how much fight you are prepared to exercise in order to enforce that law when everything goes belly up.

A.

[MiniSnaps]

The thing is, everything should be a "safe" buy, because consumer law is there to protect you. But the reality is that whilst that law does exist, you have to weigh up how much fight you are prepared to exercise in order to enforce that law when everything goes belly up.

A.


The thing is though, surely one if not the main reason going to a franchised dealer and paying a premium is that you expect the car to be above the standard of a run-of-the-mill used car? Paying that extra amount should guarantee you a smooth ride should something goes wrong.

[bullet]

The thing is though, surely one if not the main reason going to a franchised dealer and paying a premium is that you expect the car to be above the standard of a run-of-the-mill used car? Paying that extra amount should guarantee you a smooth ride should something goes wrong.

i expected that by going to a franchised dealership and paying a premium i was going to get a nice wee car and good service,christ how wrong i was,ive not had even a courtesy call from them since buying the car letalone a so called "goodwill gesture" for all the trouble and worry this has caused.

[AndyP & Lenore]

The thing is though, surely one if not the main reason going to a franchised dealer and paying a premium is that you expect the car to be above the standard of a run-of-the-mill used car? Paying that extra amount should guarantee you a smooth ride should something goes wrong.

Absolutely agree with that. But the reality is that it very often isn't the case.:frown:

Our own experience was that after a significant amount of arguing with Chapham Honda insisting we wanted the car replaced they washed their hands of it and said "take it up with Honda - nothing to do with us". It took a letter from trading standards sent to Chapham on our behalf reminding THEM of their obligations AND a letter from us to the MD of Honda UK before a replacement offer was given. And to be fair to Honda, the day after they received our fax, the MD's secretary was on the phone less than pleased they didn't already know of the issues and promising a new car would be hauled off the production line for us as a matter or urgency.

Bullet's issue is slightly different in that he's purchased a second hand car and replacement would be difficult.

A.

[bullet]

a trader has to offer 1 of 3 options,a repair,a like for like replacement or a refund.even though i bought second hand the same rule applies and within 6 months of buying it is up to the dealer to prove that the car was roadworthy when sold,after the 6 months has elapsed it is up to the buyer to prove any discrepancies.think i may need to go higher up the chain with this as at the moment im dealing with the monkeys at the bottom and just being hit with the usual mini reteric pre printed letters of there duty to customers.one things for certain im not going to give up or just go away.i spent what i class as a lot of money on this product and feel as someone thats disabled and has mobility problems i have been treated appalingly both by pv and mini customer services.:frown:

[KenL]

Hi,
I can really sympathise with you. I have had problems with cars in the past and it is a stressful business.

Can I just ask. Has the engine been replaced? If yes, I think I would be happy enough with that outcome. I might push for an extension on warranty or something like that to account for the trouble you've had.

[Craig]

Hi,
I can really sympathise with you. I have had problems with cars in the past and it is a stressful business.

Can I just ask. Has the engine been replaced? If yes, I think I would be happy enough with that outcome. I might push for an extension on warranty or something like that to account for the trouble you've had.


I think I'm right in saying that the engine replacement would get a 1 year warranty on it's own as normally parts supplied by BMW automatically get a 1 year warranty period (or that was what I was told when I had my problems...) :yes nod:

[bullet]

Hi,
I can really sympathise with you. I have had problems with cars in the past and it is a stressful business.

Can I just ask. Has the engine been replaced? If yes, I think I would be happy enough with that outcome. I might push for an extension on warranty or something like that to account for the trouble you've had.

the engine has been replaced,i asked mini for an extended warranty on the car due to the list of problems that ive had with it within 530 miles of purchase,they refused saying that as the car already has a warranty that will suffice,but if i have further problems they will look at it again.needless to say several emails went back and forth between myself an heather bamforth (customer services executive for mini) but they refused to budge.all i have had for the trouble and worry is an email saying sorry from john mckinstry and i had to fight to get that.i have no faith in this car now at all and i never go out in it without having my mobile phone with me incase it breaks down again.after spending nearly 14 grand that is a ridiculous situation to be left in.

[KenL]

I hope you can gain some trust in the car as times passes and that it goes on to serve you well.

[bullet]

anyone want a mini?

[KenL]

anyone want a mini?

Further problems?

[bullet]

am wondering why anyone could be so unlucky with a car,i take great care of it,do very little miles and it still turns round and bites me on the ar*e.

[bullet]

havent been on for a wee while but the latest in the long running saga is that after the RECON engine was fitted it broke down in dundee city centre,this time anti freeze pouring from the car,again i phoned mini emergency services who took it back to john clark.So since purchase on nov 25th it has had to be towed away 3 times,needed a replacement engine and over 5 thousand pounds worth of work on it.since feb 3rd it has spent 4 weeks sitting in john clarks in bits,also since purchase i have covered only 800 miles (many of those were picking it up from dealers,delivery miles etc.so i havent done many miles in her at all which is understandable as ihave no faith in the car now with all the reliability issues there have been.its averaging 200 miles between breakdowns so for a car thats done only 28,000 miles thats ridiculous.ive been forced to contact lawyers now to get this sorted out and am fully prepared to take this to court.i bought this car as i have mobility issues(am disabled) but little did i know what lay ahead.

[Gismo]

Absolutely gutted for you, i cant think of anyone else who has had anywhere near the issues you have had and that includes the race cars :thud:
I honestly hope you get a speedy resolution

[stoney]

I feal for you mate hope u get it sorted ASAP

[Stewart]

Sorry to read that. It does put you off thinking about another MINI when there is a chance you could get lumbered with a problem car. Touch Wood I’ve had nothing apart from a sticky door handle and some condensation in one of the fog lights that makes me think I should just stay with the current low mileage Cooper especially over the what appears to be more problematic S…

Hope it all works out for you.

[MINIme:)]

this is so sad. I hope you can sort it out with the minimum of further pain.

[bullet]

im beginning to think am i doing something wrong here with this car?how could anybody be so unlucky in a short space of time? im feelin basically ripped off,im not the most mechanically minded and i feel thats been taken advantage of a bit here.the car now sits unused and covered up in a secure lock up.it only gets taken out for a short run maybe once a week to make sure the batterys not flat and the brakes are working ok.i certainly would not risk taking it out of forfar to be left stranded again.mini are not interested and say because it has still has a warranty i should be happy the parts are being fixed for free.ive never had problems with a car even remotely as bad as this before.

[ELFMAN]

Bullet, This is an absolute DISGRACE. Just caught up with this thread. Did you get the cause of the latest breakdown identified and sorted? :argh: :ragin:

I think you're quite right to get Legal with these people. You bought, in good faith, a £14K car from an 'authorised dealer' which obviously had a major engine fault, albeit unknown (or was it...?) at the time of purchase, as it would be very difficult to incur that sort of damage with the time and miles you had put on it. It took a fight to get the engine replaced (which should have been a straight no-brainer from a MINI Customer Relations point of view), and now you've been left stranded in a pool of Anti-freeze, which sounds at the very least like something vital wasn't tightened when the new engine was fitted. I'm raging and it's not even my car!!!!

The fact that, after all the initial hassles, you've been let down by the car almost immediately is a searing indictment of shoddy workmanship and the second-rate service you've received. It may be a 'Used Car', but it's a 14K 'MINI Cherished' and Dealer-backed (allegedly) used car, and you certainly shouldn't expect to be left up s**t creek in a puddle of engine fluid.

This is all the more shocking because of your personal mobility circumstances. You (as we all do) rely on your car to get you around in comfort and safety, and because of these repeated major faults you've lost faith in the ability of your car to carry out these vital tasks, so it's NOT FIT FOR THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH IT WAS PURCHASED! I'd be doing the legal thing, I'd even contact 'Watchdog' and any other Consumer Media shows AND let MINI know you're doing these things. Also don't be slow to flag up the NMS Forum where the failings of the system are being highlighted - and as Vidal said, use your Social Media resources too.

This level of (non) reliability is the automotive equivalent of the male Panda in Edinburgh Zoo - F***ing Useless! :frown:

[N16SHP]

Bullet, This is an absolute DISGRACE. Just caught up with this thread. Did you get the cause of the latest breakdown identified and sorted? :argh: :ragin:

I think you're quite right to get Legal with these people. You bought, in good faith, a £14K car from an 'authorised dealer' which obviously had a major engine fault, albeit unknown (or was it...?) at the time of purchase, as it would be very difficult to incur that sort of damage with the time and miles you had put on it. It took a fight to get the engine replaced (which should have been a straight no-brainer from a MINI Customer Relations point of view), and now you've been left stranded in a pool of Anti-freeze, which sounds at the very least like something vital wasn't tightened when the new engine was fitted. I'm raging and it's not even my car!!!!

The fact that, after all the initial hassles, you've been let down by the car almost immediately is a searing indictment of shoddy workmanship and the second-rate service you've received. It may be a 'Used Car', but it's a 14K 'MINI Cherished' and Dealer-backed (allegedly) used car, and you certainly shouldn't expect to be left up s**t creek in a puddle of engine fluid.

This is all the more shocking because of your personal mobility circumstances. You (as we all do) rely on your car to get you around in comfort and safety, and because of these repeated major faults you've lost faith in the ability of your car to carry out these vital tasks, so it's NOT FIT FOR THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH IT WAS PURCHASED! I'd be doing the legal thing, I'd even contact 'Watchdog' and any other Consumer Media shows AND let MINI know you're doing these things. Also don't be slow to flag up the NMS Forum where the failings of the system are being highlighted - and as Vidal said, use your Social Media resources too.

This level of (non) reliability is the automotive equivalent of the male Panda in Edinburgh Zoo - F***ing Useless! :frown:

Here here! Really sorry to read whats happened with the new engine, and as Euan has said, your not the first person on here to have problems with Mini and I'm pretty sure we'd all stand behind you and support you!! Hope you get this sorted and by all means take them to the cleaners...it's what they deserve!

[bullet]

thanks for your support everyone,im really worried as to what ive been sold here.as to the latest breakdown i was told it was a heater matrix clip initially and that it would have to come from germany so would take a week for repair,i asked for a printout of what was wrong,what needed replaced and how much it would have cost had it not been under warranty.when i picked the car up i found that they had to replace 2 hoses on the cooling system.the engine needed replaced originally due to swarf in it and extensive wear internally but customer services at minis opinion is that i should be happy i have a warranty and that it has served its purpose? doesnt fill me with any confidence.if anyone knows an address that i can email someone higher up in mini or bmw about this shambles please let me know.thanks.

[ELFMAN]

How about a letter detailing the whole sorry sequence of events, how your MINI ownership has turned into a nightmare and the worrying situation in which you now find yourself to MINI Plant Oxford Managing Director Dr. Jurgen Hedrich?

[bullet]

heard back from vardys edinburgh today,basically they refute my rejection of the car(its been towed away 3 times,needed a new engine,and only covered 850 miles remember) .In the letter was the usual mini reteric again that occasionally problems will occur and we trust that as the car has a warranty and the parts have been replaced free of charge that i should be happy, ?????.

[Stewart]

Your still unhappy obviously and understandable. Probably best to contact MINI direct and even trading standards. I know we have been through this all before on the forum and there is this whole set of circumstances\rules that the dealer has to adhere too or a car can be rejected. If I remember right they have to attempt to rectify the problems and the owner has to offer them the chance.

Ali could fill you in more after his Works was rejected. You’ve had a rough deal in my book and the car has hardly been used by yourself. MINI should own up to the car being not fit for purpose and acknowledge that they should try and source a similar car and then extend the warranty from pick up of said new car.

If the Dealer is confident that they have solved all the problems then they should be confident that if sold on they would not have any other problems. However the Dealer is always going to feel it has fulfilled its warranty part of the cherished bargain. Your always going to be at the mercy of the Dealership but it does no harm expressing your concerns to MINI Direct and any other body you feel fit that might help.

Pity the Dealer has not the balls to put it in writing that you’ll take the car back on condition that one more failure while under warranty and you can hand it back.


Good luck with it all.

[The Dogfather]

They won’t take it seriously until you drive the car to the showroom drop the keys off and tell them your solicitor will be in touch, a letter stating the problems you had and a demand for a refund within a reasonable time will be required as a warning, give them 14 days.

If you don’t get what you should then start legal proceedings. Forget about MINI CS they are useless. Your contract of sale is with Vardys and be prepared for a fight.

Trading standards might help to a certain extent but you’ll have to do this yourself. Personally I would have started this before the engine replacement.

[MiniSnaps]

heard back from vardys edinburgh today,basically they refute my rejection of the car(its been towed away 3 times,needed a new engine,and only covered 850 miles remember) .In the letter was the usual mini reteric again that occasionally problems will occur and we trust that as the car has a warranty and the parts have been replaced free of charge that i should be happy, ?????.


If the car is on HP then contact the finance company, as they are jointly liable with Vardy and tell them you are rejecting the car under the SOGA. If the finance company reject your claim all is not lost as you can then take the matter to the Financial Ombudsman.

Another avenue to investigate is whether Vardy are a member of the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI) as they offer a conciliation and arbitration service (http://www.rmif.co.uk/index.php?op=page&id=42).

Under no circumstances "drive the car to the showroom drop the keys off", otherwise Vardy will just dig their heels in and tell you to take them to court and, as the amount is over £3000, it won't be the small claims court and could be quite expensive and time-consuming and they'll have your car for all that time.

I would also suggest posting your story on the MINI UK FB page and keep repeating it regularly, adding photos of the letters from Vardy etc. If you want to take the story to the papers I'm sure I could be of some assistance in that respect - turning up and parking the car in front of their showroom and taking some pics might work wonders..........:smilewinkgrin:

[bullet]

If the car is on HP then contact the finance company, as they are jointly liable with Vardy and tell them you are rejecting the car under the SOGA. If the finance company reject your claim all is not lost as you can then take the matter to the Financial Ombudsman.

Another avenue to investigate is whether Vardy are a member of the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI) as they offer a conciliation and arbitration service (http://www.rmif.co.uk/index.php?op=page&id=42).

Under no circumstances "drive the car to the showroom drop the keys off", otherwise Vardy will just dig their heels in and tell you to take them to court and, as the amount is over £3000, it won't be the small claims court and could be quite expensive and time-consuming and they'll have your car for all that time.

I would also suggest posting your story on the MINI UK FB page and keep repeating it regularly, adding photos of the letters from Vardy etc. If you want to take the story to the papers I'm sure I could be of some assistance in that respect - turning up and parking the car in front of their showroom and taking some pics might work wonders..........:smilewinkgrin:

the car is not finance,i paid for it in full up front,what a glowing tribute for peter vardy minis excellent customer service,especially to disabled customers....

[The Dogfather]

I think Bullet is at the point he now has to take them to court, and yes it will have to be the full court proceedings, there’s no other option as Vardys seem adamant that they won’t offer a refund/replacement.

There was talk that the government would raise the Small Claims Court limit from £5k to £15k but it appears that has happened yet.

[bullet]

i cant even understand there justification for there stance,there hasnt even been an offer of a goodwill gesture from them for all the trouble that this has caused me.......christ i havent even had a courtesy call from them about the car,ridiculous.:frown:

[MiniSnaps]

If you haven't seen it this (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01g89jh/Dont_Get_Done_Get_Dom_Series_6_Citroen/) BBC programme on Iplayer (I apologise in advance for the fact it is hosted by Dominic Littlewood :smilewinkgrin:) is worth watching.

Whilst it pertains to a new, rather than pre-owned, car it still contains some information that would appear salient to this situation....

[bullet]

theres a glimmer of light that this whole shameful saga may be nearing an end.........:frown:

[N16SHP]

Whats the current situation?

[Gismo]

theres a glimmer of light that this whole shameful saga may be nearing an end.........:frown:Nice one, hope it all turns out ok in the end and that if you do get a replacement that you maintain your faith in the brand

[bullet]

car ar vardys being 'checked over'.the next few days should prove to be very interesting.:popcorn:

[Craig]

car ar vardys being 'checked over'.the next few days should prove to be very interesting.:popcorn:

Hope it all works out for you ;)

Having been there - it's very unpleasant and stressful dealing with this type of issue ;)

[bullet]

Hope it all works out for you ;)

Having been there - it's very unpleasant and stressful dealing with this type of issue ;)

its certainly been a tough time,i have always loved the mini and we have had several in the family over the years but the treatment i have received here has tested my loyalty to breaking point and i coudnt see myself recommending the brand to anyone else after this,such a shame.:frown:

[Craig]

I said the same back in 2007 :frown:

Like a mug tho I traded it for an R50 Coop then an R53 JCW. I relate it to being and Alfa/Ducati fan ;). You never loose the love :yes nod:

[N16SHP]

I said the same back in 2007 :frown:

Like a mug tho I traded it for an R50 Coop then an R53 JCW. I relate it to being and Alfa/Ducati fan ;). You never loose the love :yes nod:

Aye, the phrase "Your only really a petrol head if you've owned an Alfa" should be changed to "Your only a petrol head if you've owned an Alfa and put up with Mini Customer Services"

[Craig]

Aye, the phrase "Your only really a petrol head if you've owned an Alfa" should be changed to "Your only a petrol head if you've owned an Alfa and put up with Mini Customer Services"

Absolutely Neil ! :thumbs up:

[bullet]

Aye, the phrase "Your only really a petrol head if you've owned an Alfa" should be changed to "Your only a petrol head if you've owned an Alfa and put up with Mini Customer Services"

lol :thumbs up:

[bullet]

selling up,various little bits n bobs,check items for sale.

[MiniSnaps]

This wouldn't happen to be your car would it, bullet?

http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac282/selectivefocus1/d3951d8f.jpg

[bullet]

yep,good riddance:bigwave:

[MiniSnaps]

yep,good riddance:bigwave:

Normally PV enter cars at this price level with a (very basic) warranty, for some reason they don't appear confident enough to offer one on this.....:smilewinkgrin:

[MiniSnaps]

Car did £10400 (provisional sale/offer)

http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac282/selectivefocus1/81011c43.jpg

Did you have look under the oil filler cap before it went back? It's full of "mayonnaise" :hand:

[bullet]

lol,as i said before god help the next unfortunate owner of that car,says alot when vardys wont have nothing to do with there own bloody vehicle :frown:

[SCOOTERBUK]

What car did you get to replace the JCW?? Only read this post last night and I cant believe how you have been treated, hope your new car is treating you well.

[bullet]

am still looking,one things different from before,am VERY wary of dealerships which is understandable.here you can see what happens if something goes wrong and no one is willing to help.mini totally tried to distance themselves from vardys with this,just make sure you check the cars history out before you buy and also buying at a premiuim from a franchised dealership means nothing as to its quality.dont trust a word they say,i did and got burned....badly.

[Stewart]

Did this get a new Engine then or do you think they are just flogging it on with all the problems?

[bullet]

i was assured it was a new engine going in 3 times,then after installation they told me it was a recon that had been put in,it had a full and extended test 3 weeks ago in edinburgh and passed everything,minisnaps viewed it today and said it had mayonaise in the filler cap.i dont know what if anything vardys have done since they got it back,all i know is i didnt drive it after the recon engine was installed as it sounded terrible on a cold start which i was assured "all jcw sound like that".nightmare of a car.:frown:

[MiniSnaps]

Well, the car appears to have sold, although when I was in on Monday I caught a snippet of overheard conversation between two drivers that contained the words "Mini", "engine" and "brought it back", no idea if they were talking about this car, but......;)

[bullet]

was speaking to a vauxhall salesman,he said that many of there new cars that sit in there lineups have a mayonaise like build up on there filler cap,its due to lack of use he said so would probably have explained the same thing on the mini,since the engine was installed feb 10th its covered only 300 miles.it spent the last several months i owned it parked in my garage unused so it may not have indicated a serious fault,to repeat vardys carried out a full and extended inspection and road test of the car and it passed everything with flying colours,all i know is im glad to get rid off and wish the next owner more luck than i had with it.:frown: