Mini Cooper Warranty

[ilialex]

Hi, my sister having issues with her Mini Cooper bought in 2010, she has about 70k on it and recently the car just died. The dealership towed it to take a look, and a week later told her that engine needs to be replaced. I'm just wondering if that's how the warranty works, if that's a 2010 car and the engine dies, shouldn't they just replace a car? That's a major component to replace, and I'm just not sure how if it will be done to factory specs?

[bulaian]

I'm pretty sure they'll just order a new engine and install it, rather than replace the whole car. The engine will be covered under warranty by the manufacturer.

The engine will be made and sent from the factory so it should be up to factory specs.

I doubt you would ever get a new car unless there was a defect and it died within a few days of you picking up the car.

[jdmXSI]

On the bright side, it's better to have happened now because her warranty would expire in 10,000kms unless she purchased extended warranty. Now she will have 2 years extra warranty on parts and labour. To answer your other question, She could trade it in if she like but the dealer or MINI Canada wouldn't take it back.

[ilialex]

Yeah, it's better that it happened before the warranty expired, but at the same time, when you have something like this happen with insurance they would usually write the car off and give you a cheque.

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by ilialex
when you have something like this happen with insurance they would usually write the car off and give you a cheque.

:facepalm:

If the car was in an accident and had serious structure problems it would be an insurance write-off. An engine is an easily replaceable part, and probably <$3,000 (for the manufacturer), no where close to "write-off" status.


Originally posted by ilialex
I'm just not sure how if it will be done to factory specs?

What kind of "factory specs"? They get an engine delivered, remove the old one, install the new one. Simple as that, and probably less than a days work for one mechanic.

[Redlyne_mr2]

It's an easy job on the Mini and the good news is she'll have a brand new engine from the factory. This is a positive if anything.

[ilialex]

I think the new engine is about $7k, plus labor, so total costs could be around $10k. Obviously it's a good thing that they are replacing the engine, but in my view it’s just not the same anymore. When they build new minis at a factory, that's all they do - put in new engines, but at a dealership, I doubt they have a lot experience with it, so inherently more prone to error.

[Zhariak]

Whoa whoa whoa, hold up a second...

Why would she get a new engine? Most engines replaced under warranty are rebuilds, etc... Same thing with Tranny's, etc...

Does Mini do something different then most other manufacturers?

[Scat E46]

Originally posted by ilialex
I'm just wondering if that's how the warranty works, if that's a 2010 car and the engine dies, shouldn't they just replace a car?

It's people like you I just don't understand. I deal with people like you all time (regarding different warranty, mind you, not vehicle).

How are you entitled to an ENTIRELY NEW car, when you have driven it for 2 years and put 70,000KM on it? Please tell me your logic.

It's now a USED car. What is the dealership going to do? Take a huge loss?

Your engine died. It is under warranty. That is what warranty is for. They fix the problem and off you go. The problem being the engine.

:facepalm:

[ercchry]

just be happy it wasnt a jeep... 6 months of oil consumption tests (used a quart/tank of gas) and they still didnt do anything

[zipdoa]

Was this a Cooper S? My girlfriends is consuming MASSIVE amounts of oil, has the dreaded cold start diesel rattle, and is generally sounding unhealthy.

I know the turbo engines they have in the Mini's are having serious issues with timing chains, oil consumption and death rattles.

[Redlyne_mr2]

Originally posted by Zhariak
Whoa whoa whoa, hold up a second...

Why would she get a new engine? Most engines replaced under warranty are rebuilds, etc... Same thing with Tranny's, etc...

Does Mini do something different then most other manufacturers?
Sorry, verbage is important. It's a brand new rebuilt engine using brand new oem parts. really the only thing they recycle is the cast for the block (unless it's cracked) and the head minus the internals but then even all of that is machined which makes it brand new as well.

OP, I wouldn't worry about the engine swap, it's an easy process that gets done all the time by the dealer. If it was my car it's not the engine replacement that would scare me, it's the hard to diagnose electrical gremlins.

[JZS_147]

Originally posted by Zhariak
Whoa whoa whoa, hold up a second...

Why would she get a new engine? Most engines replaced under warranty are rebuilds, etc... Same thing with Tranny's, etc...

Does Mini do something different then most other manufacturers?

Typically they replace the whole assembly, then send the core back to a factory which has the contract to re-man parts for the manufacturer, then it's stocked as a re-man assy.

[ilialex]

If a major component like engine fails, in my view there should be some sort of choice for the owner, do you want to get it fixed, or may be let the dealership have the car, fix it and sell it, and for the owner to purchase a new one with a credit given for the old. I'm not saying that a car should be just replaced to a brand new one. There should be a choice.

[Disoblige]

Originally posted by ilialex
If a major component like engine fails, in my view there should be some sort of choice for the owner, do you want to get it fixed, or may be let the dealership have the car, fix it and sell it, and for the owner to purchase a new one with a credit given for the old. I'm not saying that a car should be just replaced to a brand new one. There should be a choice.
Yeah you have that choice. They'll fix it for you, and you can sell it to them and buy a new one with the "credit" :thumbsup:

[ilialex]

Originally posted by zipdoa
Was this a Cooper S? My girlfriends is consuming MASSIVE amounts of oil, has the dreaded cold start diesel rattle, and is generally sounding unhealthy.

I know the turbo engines they have in the Mini's are having serious issues with timing chains, oil consumption and death rattles.

It is a cooper s, but she didn't have any of these issues.

[ilialex]

Originally posted by Disoblige

Yeah you have that choice. They'll fix it for you, and you can sell it to them and buy a new one with the &quot;credit&quot; :thumbsup:

Well, they should just deal with all of this, there is a reason you buying a brand new car.

[CanmoreOrLess]

Originally posted by ilialex
If a major component like engine fails, in my view there should be some sort of choice for the owner, do you want to get it fixed, or may be let the dealership have the car, fix it and sell it, and for the owner to purchase a new one with a credit given for the old. I'm not saying that a car should be just replaced to a brand new one. There should be a choice.

It is not a new car, it a used car. The engine went tits up, they are making good on the warranty and this is the extent of the contract.

Is this the first time you have bought a new vehicle? My furnace in my new house needed to be replaced under warranty. Should I expect a new house?

What line of work do you come from where you expect a brand new car, or all your money back? The dealer will gladly buy your Mini... at the shockingly low price it is worth after depreciation. And on a Mini it will be worth what 50% of the new price. There is your option, with the new motor warranty you might have a better value now.... enjoy the two years of stress free living followed by the fear of a 6-8K bill if the next engine dies off warranty.

I'll give you $600 bucks for the bucket of bolts and iffy engine.

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by ilialex


Well, they should just deal with all of this, there is a reason you buying a brand new car.

Yes, you buy a brand new car for WARRANTY, lol. Which is why she's getting a new engine under said warranty.

You've seriously got to be trolling here.

[Disoblige]

Sense of entitlement, gotta love it.

[ilialex]

Originally posted by CanmoreOrLess


It is not a new car, it a used car. The engine went tits up, they are making good on the warranty and this is the extent of the contract.

Is this the first time you have bought a new vehicle? My furnace in my new house needed to be replaced under warranty. Should I expect a new house?

What line of work do you come from where you expect a brand new car or all your money back? The dealer will gladly buy your Mini... at the shockingly low price it is worth after depreciation. And on a Mini it will be worth what 50% of the new price. There is your option.

That's not what I said. I don't expect a new car and a full refund. There should be a fair option, with per km usage adjustment of some sort, not shocking low price. How many failed engines do they have, considering the car is almost worthless without an egnines, imho they should build it into the warranty.

With your house: you shouldn't get a new house if your furnace broke, but if it was some fort of crack in the foundation, which would cause flooding problems later, then may be you should. Apples to apples, compre furnace to a heater, not an engine.

[ilialex]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok


Yes, you buy a brand new car for WARRANTY, lol. Which is why she's getting a new engine under said warranty.

You've seriously got to be trolling here.

May be you buy it for warranty. Some people buy it, so that they don't have to deal with repairs and engine replacement, etc. You can always buy thrid party warranty on a used vehicle.

[Tik-Tok]

I have no words, lol.

[Disoblige]

Originally posted by ilialex


May be you buy it for warranty. Some people buy it, so that they don't have to deal with repairs and engine replacement, etc. You can always buy thrid party warranty on a used vehicle.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QpeiDHuq_4I/TI-Y4t_3oqI/AAAAAAAAAIY/3mFMDQkV1zM/s400/dig.png

[bulaian]

Originally posted by ilialex

That's not what I said. I don't expect a new car and a full refund. There should be a fair option, with per km usage adjustment of some sort, not shocking low price. How many failed engines do they have, considering the car is almost worthless without an egnines,
imho they should build it into the warranty.


They do have it built into the warranty, that's why you're getting a new engine out of it.

There is a fair option of you trading in your car(based on the condition it's in and how many KM you've driven) to then purchase a new 2012 Mini S. I'm sure the dealership would gladly take in your old one for you to upgrade to a new one.

[Hakkola]

This is one of the more ridiculous things I've read here. She should be more than happy with having the engine replaced. Expecting a new car? Wow. Unreasonably high expectations.

[Tik-Tok]

The battery on my 2 year old phone isn't keeping a very good charge. I demand a new phone!

[ilialex]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok
The battery on my 2 year old phone isn't keeping a very good charge. I demand a new phone!

The battery? Compare an engine to a processor. I had an iphone replaced, when the silent switch broke off, and they replaced it with a new one, no questions asked.

[ercchry]

Originally posted by ilialex


The battery? Compare an engine to a processor. I had an iphone replaced, when the silent switch broke off, and they replaced it with a new one, no questions asked.

you know why? cause you cant simply replace components in a sealed electronic...

how little you know about automotives is really shining in this thread... just trust us, you are wrong

[CanmoreOrLess]

Originally posted by ilialex


That's not what I said. I don't expect a new car and a full refund. There should be a fair option, with per km usage adjustment of some sort, not shocking low price. How many failed engines do they have, considering the car is almost worthless without an egnines, imho they should build it into the warranty.

With your house: you shouldn't get a new house if your furnace broke, but if it was some fort of crack in the foundation, which would cause flooding problems later, then may be you should. Apples to apples, compre furnace to a heater, not an engine.

After the Mini is repaired, trade it in on a Saab, Saturn or Hummer. That is what I would do.

[jdmXSI]

Originally posted by ilialex

With your house: you shouldn't get a new house if your furnace broke, but if it was some fort of crack in the foundation, which would cause flooding problems later, then may be you should. Apples to apples, compre furnace to a heater, not an engine.

If you want to compare apples to apples then you should be reffering to the frame of the car when comparing to the foundation of the house.

As everyone else said, get your sister to the sales person she had purchased the car from and have them do a trade appraisal if you want her out of the car that bad.

[dr_jared88]

Originally posted by ilialex


The battery? Compare an engine to a processor. I had an iphone replaced, when the silent switch broke off, and they replaced it with a new one, no questions asked.

If you were dealing with the manufactures warranty, chances are you were given a refurbished phone in return.

And comparing cracks in your foundation to an engine replacement isn't really apples to apples either. But if that's what you want to use as a comparison, you wouldn't get a new home because of foundation cracks either. They would repair the foundation just as is being done with the car.

[ilialex]

Originally posted by ercchry


you know why? cause you cant simply replace components in a sealed electronic...

how little you know about automotives is really shining in this thread... just trust us, you are wrong

Sure you can. There's lots of iphone repair shops nowdays. They just don't want to ruin your experience of owning an iphone. It's their fault it broke off, and they remedy it by giving you, the same model without a defect. The fact is that it is a defect and you just happen to get it.

[zipdoa]

What was the issue that caused the engine to fail? I have a feeling it has something to do with the oil consumption/timing chain issues/cold start noise.

[ilialex]

Originally posted by zipdoa
What was the issue that caused the engine to fail? I have a feeling it has something to do with the oil consumption/timing chain issues/cold start noise.

They don't know what caused it to fail, all they say it was a catastrophic fail.

[ilialex]

Originally posted by dr_jared88


If you were dealing with the manufactures warranty, chances are you were given a refurbished phone in return.

And comparing cracks in your foundation to an engine replacement isn't really apples to apples either. But if that's what you want to use as a comparison, you wouldn't get a new home because of foundation cracks either. They would repair the foundation just as is being done with the car.

If the cracks caused structural damage to the house, they would.

[benyl]

Originally posted by ilialex


If the cracks caused structural damage to the house, they would.

No they wouldn't. They would repair it just like the engine.

You know your iPhone was a used/refurbished replacement right? You didn't get a brand new one. haha

I think liberal return policies have made people expect just a little too much.

[CapnCrunch]

Originally posted by ilialex


If the cracks caused structural damage to the house, they would.

They'd fix the structural damage, not give you a new home.

Seriously, stop trolling. :rofl:

[JZS_147]

Originally posted by ilialex


They don't know what caused it to fail, all they say it was a catastrophic fail.

This thread is a catastrophic fail

[SOAB]

i can't believe there are people out there that are this stupid. :banghead:

[Xtrema]

:facepalm:

I can expect that for someone with less than 1,000km or less than 1 month. But 2 years and 70K later and you still expect a new car replacement? Woah.

Just be glad that you got a brand new engine before your warranty is up @ 80K. If it blew up 10K later, it's $6K out of your own pocket.

[bmeier]

imagine what dealerships have to put up with on a daily basis... and they always get a bad rap.

this is completely standard procedure.
I have a business that does warranty consulting at the dealership level and this is standard practice. if its a crate reman engine then you are 70k kms ahead. i doubt they are rebuilding it at the shop and are just swapping in a reman unit from the mini factory.

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by JZS_147


This thread is a catastrophic fail

Are you kidding me? This thread is full of win. I don't actually laugh out loud about online stuff very often, but this thread delivered.

[Scat E46]

You never answered my question on the first page.

But I guess after seeing three pages of your really bad examples and reasoning, there is no point.

Some people are just born thick.


This is the problem with Customer Service - if you tell the customer how it is, I become the "asshole". Hate it.

There should be a military style "freedom to speak freely" to the client. I need it.

[schocker]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok


Are you kidding me? This thread is full of win. I don't actually laugh out loud about online stuff very often, but this thread delivered.
This thread provided my amusement for the day, A++

[Disoblige]

Originally posted by Scat E46

This is the problem with Customer Service - if you tell the customer how it is, I become the &quot;asshole&quot;. Hate it.
No way around it man!

There's bad service, and there are just as many bad customers :thumbsup:

[CanmoreOrLess]

Well it needs to be said:

Post pics of your sister and please tell us you are the smart one in the family.

[cloud7]

I am interested in knowing if it a common problem (engine failure) on Mini Coopers?

[zipdoa]

Originally posted by cloud7
I am interested in knowing if it a common problem (engine failure) on Mini Coopers?

Look around on google. Lots of issues with the Turbo 1.6L Prince engine. Cold start noises, timing chain issues, carbon build up, excessive oil consumption

[frizzlefry]

Dude, she should be happy. New engine. I would think it added value to the car. When selling she can say "This is worth more than other mini coppers, new engine muthafuckah!" If she is miffed about it she can sell it for more than it was worth a month ago. I had a 2004 A6 S-Line and it developed some bad lifter ticking noises at 95k. Rather than dick around diagnosing the issue, plus the fact I kinda wanted a new car, I sold it and got a 2009 A3 3.2. Had Audi said "Yeah the engine is screwed but good news we will put in a brand new one for you" I would still be driving it with a big ass smile on my face. Rebuild and new parts installed in current engine = :( Brand new engine = :D

[jonnycat]

Originally posted by ilialex
If a major component like engine fails, in my view there should be some sort of choice for the owner, do you want to get it fixed, or may be let the dealership have the car, fix it and sell it, and for the owner to purchase a new one with a credit given for the old. I'm not saying that a car should be just replaced to a brand new one. There should be a choice.

You have these choices. There is no rule or law saying you cannot trade a vehicle in that needs a motor replacement. Your sister could have walked directly to the sales dept and made a deal on a new car.

You could get it fixed for free, and trade it in anywhere else too.

http://images.memegenerator.net/instances/280x280/10065441.jpg

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Originally posted by CanmoreOrLess


After the Mini is repaired, trade it in on a Saab, Saturn or Hummer. That is what I would do.

This!