I purchased a brand new (11 miles) 2014 MINI Cooper S Hardtop in May. This was my absolute dream car. Ever since MINI hit the US in 2002 I remember telling myself I would own one. Well 12 years later I’ve purchased my MINI and so far it’s been a total disappointment. I never imagined the (my) MINI would have so many issues. First of all, the drivers side door has some type of malfunction where the key-less lock and unlock button on the handle has to be pressed at least five times for it to work, the passengers side seat belt dinging sound goes off randomly when there is no one in the seat, the drivers side seat’s railings are not aligned and the seat will not return to it’s original position automatically, and most disturbing of all there has already been some type of auto start/stop malfunction that the dealership could not replicate and the warning so they could not diagnose, the seat railing has ordered but the parts are coming from Germany and will not be here for a month and a half, my door handle has been replaced but the issue has not been resolved. WHAT can I do??? I’ve waited so long to purchase the car of my dreams and it’s been a total mess. It’s absolutely beautiful on the outside, but I’m sad every time I drive it and every time someone compliments it because I know all the issues I’m having to deal with.
Keep a record of all attemts to fix the items and check lemon laws in your state. I’m sorry for your problems. The mini was not rated well on Edmunds or Consumer Reports.
Buyer’s remorse…not uncommon after a big purchase. Give 'em 2 months to fix everything and you should have the car you wanted. (I’m assuming the car is drivable in the meantime.)
I know two people own Mini’s. And neither are very happy with their vehicles.
Both are trying to get rid of their Mini’s. But the reliability ratings of the vehicle has become well known that they can’t get anyone to even come look at the vehicles.
Tester
That’s the trouble with dreams. Too often reality brings with it things that dreams don’t.
Check your state’s “lemon law” statutes (if your state has a lemon law). Generally they’ll require that the vehicle have been undrivable for specific periods, but check your anyway. You might get lucky and find some resolution there.
Don’t take any of the problems personally. It’s only a machine. If someone compliments you on it, you might think about telling them your story as a warning… or just to unburden yourself. The problem is not because of anything you did, it’s because of the manufacturer’s bad judgements. You have nothing to be embarrassed about.