problems with r90s

[mgemie]

Anyone on here ever had problems with MINI's R90s? I've had mine for probably about 9/10months and 3 of the four have weird corroding/staining on the mirrored rim... Two of them have slight kerbing (dont ask!) but the staining is present in areas without kerbing... i feel i should complain to my dealer but they'd probably just say it was due to kerbing - would the complaint hold since this staining is present in non-kerbed areas AND wheels that don't have a scratch on them? How long from buying can i claim faulty product? In the past i've heard people claiming fault issues withR90s...

help / opinion / comments plz ppl...

[AndyP & Lenore]

Hi Marc,

We had trouble with our R99's. On delivery one of the wheels had a browny/gold/dirty/etc stain running around a small section (5cm) of the rim, very close to the tyre. We complained about the mark and the dealer tried to get it off but couldn't. So we said we wanted the wheel replaced (it was 2 weeks old), but the dealer said that they wouldn't be able to replace the wheel after two weeks!

Very calmly and politely I reminded the service manager of the Sale Of Goods Act 1973 (amended 2003). Goods must be ..... free from minor defect.... etc.

They said they would see what MINI said.

Two weeks later MINI replied saying "never heard of that fault before.. good luck!"

To cut a long story short (and this is more a story for a different thread), the wheels was replaced.

However, a week later we noticed the same marks appearing on two other wheels. Meanwhile the dealer had managed to remove the marks from the original (replaced) wheel. So they got to work on the other wheels and managed to remove the marks, to a reasonable degree. The marks are still just noticeable if you peer very closely between the wheel rim and the tyre edge. But you need to know you are looking for it to see it. If it spreads or gets worse in any way, the dealer has agreed to sort them for proper. But the dealer is still completely bemused as to what caused the stains.

Hope this helps.

[Wul]

Marc - i'm sure Euan posted about this very problem and now he's sold his mini!!! the wheels are defective imho! get yo ass to yo dealer!!!

[euan]

I did have the same problem. I'd kerbed mine slightly so there was no way they were going to do anything to replace them, however some of the stains were on the inside of the rim where the bolts held the two pieces together.

As an aside, I saw my old car yesterday at the dealers where they had cleaned them up. They have polished the rims to a mirror finish and they are still blotchy and look very nasty and cheap, so be wary if they offer to do that to them.

I'd talk to the dealer about it. I was a bit stuffed as I'd bought the car in Edinburgh and now live in Wimbledon so don't really have a relationship with the dealer.

[mgemie]

RE: euan -

I haven't gone to my dealer about this r90 prob before now as i knew they'd prob just say it was the kerbing and refuse to do anything. My MINI is in at the dealers getting its Eibachs and Blueflame exhuast fitted on thursday so they're going to investigate them then - i'm not getting my hopes up but we'll see...

[euan]

If I were you, I'd kick up a bit of noise - these are not cheap wheels, some of the damage is away from any kerbing, so that rules out the kerbing as a cause (although, it probably didn't help).

I was really annoyed about it as they really are not cheap and it's not what you expect, so i wouldn't accept a fob off. I knew I was likely selling the car so didn't follow up as much as I should have.

[mgemie]

Heard back about ma r90s and long story short BMW aint gonna replace... The main reason they gave for this was the kerbing (Similar to your story Euan). They were saying that the kerbing had damaged the lacquer on the mirror-finishd part of the rim and let water & dirt in etc that had caused what i referred to as 'corrosion'. The small stains/marks elsewhere on the rim were (apparently - according to them) where stones had chipped off the rim leaving marks behind in the lacquer.

i was thinking of getting new alloys anyway...the r90s were great but after 9months and their infamous price tag i can say that i probably wouldn't have bought them if i'd thought carefully about it...(and not impulsed bought!! lol)

what do people think of the boss xl300 10spoke 18" rims? (in this month's GoMini on the blue softtop?) I quite fancy a set of them - anyone know anywhere that sells them?

[euan]

I have to admit, in retrospect, I thought exactly the same as you - wouldn't have got them if I knew the hassle with them. However, they still look great (when clean and without chips!)

I cannot believe that BMW/MINI can get away with this though. Stone chips chipping the lacquer and letting the corosion start? Not impressed on this one - it's a 2K alloy and it seems to be that if there are any problems they wash their hands of it.