ARGH!!! so mad at *** Dealership!!!
Discussion
So, we bought a very nice Mini Cooper from the above dealership last June; '03 plate, 1 previous owner from new, 55,000 miles, full Mini service history, Chilli pack or whatever its called, etc etc.
Now, after about 8 months and lower-than-average mileage, it's gone into the local Mini dealer for new brake pads as the light came on, only to have em call back and say it needs pads & discs all round (£440), 3 tyres (£375 - runflats) and new front suspension bushes (£341)!!!! The total bill would be £1156.
I've told em to do the brakes as we really need it on the road and can't keep takin too much time out of work... but obviously I'm not getting tyres from them, or the suspension bushes, as both those prices seem ludicrous.
Does anyone have any experience of gettin compensation out of the selling dealer in a similar situation?
The car came with the standard 12 month Mini warranty and MOT Cover, but obviously they exclude 'wear and tear' items such as pads & discs, and probably the suspension bushes too...
Thanks in advance, any and all advice appreciated.
Now, after about 8 months and lower-than-average mileage, it's gone into the local Mini dealer for new brake pads as the light came on, only to have em call back and say it needs pads & discs all round (£440), 3 tyres (£375 - runflats) and new front suspension bushes (£341)!!!! The total bill would be £1156.
I've told em to do the brakes as we really need it on the road and can't keep takin too much time out of work... but obviously I'm not getting tyres from them, or the suspension bushes, as both those prices seem ludicrous.
Does anyone have any experience of gettin compensation out of the selling dealer in a similar situation?
The car came with the standard 12 month Mini warranty and MOT Cover, but obviously they exclude 'wear and tear' items such as pads & discs, and probably the suspension bushes too...
Thanks in advance, any and all advice appreciated.
Title amended so it doesn't break the Name and Shame rules for the site.
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ehasler said:
Title amended so it doesn't break the Name and Shame rules for the site.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
You learn something new every day, never knew the rule existed. Fair enough. Thanks for not just deleting the thread. http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
I had a similar experience with a mini dealer regarding my alternator. In the end I took it to a local indie who did the job for less than half the price mini quoted, even after mini saying they would do the part as goodwill and just charge me for labour. Moral of the story, find a good indie and use them instead. I got all the discs and pads on my MCS done by my indie for under £250 last year.
The items quoted are wear and tear and are not covered in the warranty. Yes you could argue that you have only had the car 8 months and it shouldn't need new brakes, tyres and bushes in that time but you can't prove your driving style to them and they are there to make money at the end of the day. I doubt you would get far asking for a goodwill payment.
The items quoted are wear and tear and are not covered in the warranty. Yes you could argue that you have only had the car 8 months and it shouldn't need new brakes, tyres and bushes in that time but you can't prove your driving style to them and they are there to make money at the end of the day. I doubt you would get far asking for a goodwill payment.
Call me silly but tyres are something I usually try to check when buying a used vehicle. I don't think it's unreasonable to have to change a few consumables on a 7y/o car after 8 months of ownership.
It might have been worth pricing the parts and doing it yourself if the labour charge is making your eyes water, I swapped the front discs and pads on my Cooper for £170, I purchased the parts from MINI who beat a quote I got online. Only took a couple of hours one weekend.
I've also found BMW to be quite reasonable for tyres if you haggle with them, I booked mine for new tyres the other day and they matched the price that BlackCircles were offering.
It might have been worth pricing the parts and doing it yourself if the labour charge is making your eyes water, I swapped the front discs and pads on my Cooper for £170, I purchased the parts from MINI who beat a quote I got online. Only took a couple of hours one weekend.
I've also found BMW to be quite reasonable for tyres if you haggle with them, I booked mine for new tyres the other day and they matched the price that BlackCircles were offering.
Accelebrate said:
Call me silly but tyres are something I usually try to check when buying a used vehicle. I don't think it's unreasonable to have to change a few consumables on a 7y/o car after 8 months of ownership.
It might have been worth pricing the parts and doing it yourself if the labour charge is making your eyes water, I swapped the front discs and pads on my Cooper for £170, I purchased the parts from MINI who beat a quote I got online. Only took a couple of hours one weekend.
I've also found BMW to be quite reasonable for tyres if you haggle with them, I booked mine for new tyres the other day and they matched the price that BlackCircles were offering.
Yup, fair comment. The tyres aren't my main concern, it's the discs & bushes which I find to be taking the mickey. Unfortunately at the moment I don't have any space to do the work myself or I would It might have been worth pricing the parts and doing it yourself if the labour charge is making your eyes water, I swapped the front discs and pads on my Cooper for £170, I purchased the parts from MINI who beat a quote I got online. Only took a couple of hours one weekend.
I've also found BMW to be quite reasonable for tyres if you haggle with them, I booked mine for new tyres the other day and they matched the price that BlackCircles were offering.
Edited by _Absinthe_ on Wednesday 17th March 14:06
The light is on apparently, there's one sensor on the front and one on the back, so the fronts or the backs might still have quite a bit of meat left on them as it's unlikely that they both happened to go at the same time.
On mine there was still probably about 3-4k worth of life left on the front pads when the computer was claiming '0 miles left'.
I'd probably be tempted to try and argue the toss about the bushes, consumables or not it's the sort of thing you'd expect the MINI Cherished scheme to inspect.
On mine there was still probably about 3-4k worth of life left on the front pads when the computer was claiming '0 miles left'.
I'd probably be tempted to try and argue the toss about the bushes, consumables or not it's the sort of thing you'd expect the MINI Cherished scheme to inspect.
We bought a "cherished" Mini last month, any MOT advisories are meant to be sorted out..... unfortunately the Mini dealer carried out the MOT themselves and so of course a tyre with 1mm of tread before the wear indicator will not be an advisory 
I'm speaking with Mini HQ at the moment about it
I'm speaking with Mini HQ at the moment about it
Honda Dealerships quoted £172 / £148 and 139 for a RE040 Bridgestone Potenza 195/45/R17.
Independant Tyre fitter. £98.50p
same goes for the brake pads, £178+vat at honda as an average, and a set of DS2500's with some fluid would be less than £100, plus about half an hour... and thats an uprated part!
I rember being quoted 850 for a new powersteering pump+rack in my boggo KA. It was'nt worth that yet perfectly useable just a bit whiney.....
If its just in for a MOT get the work done else where and send it back for the service and dealer stamp.
Independant Tyre fitter. £98.50p
same goes for the brake pads, £178+vat at honda as an average, and a set of DS2500's with some fluid would be less than £100, plus about half an hour... and thats an uprated part!
I rember being quoted 850 for a new powersteering pump+rack in my boggo KA. It was'nt worth that yet perfectly useable just a bit whiney.....
If its just in for a MOT get the work done else where and send it back for the service and dealer stamp.
I am guessing that you and your wife purchased this as an approved used car? Thus, it met some fairly good standards set by Mini at the time. (if it was an approved car?)
I would argue that the disc and pad wear rates should of have been sufficient for a period of time before needing replacement?
You do mention 8 months but only below average miles? I know I used to manage c.25-30k in that period.
They should be able to tell you what thicknesess/wear was on those parts at the time.
Bushes.... definately wear ad tear. you could drive out of the showroom and smack a pothole and have some knackered bushes.
Tyres - your call, but the BMW delaer in W Yorks I use always beats the quotes ive had.
I do speak from experience, my Mini previously had similar quote done when its brake light came on... after a bit of stand off and me being firm they replaced them.
They also replaced the front sus arms under warranty after there warranty manager had a look at them and made the arguement to Mini warranty.
Stand your ground, and be firm, but not rude.
Does depend on the delaer though.
I would argue that the disc and pad wear rates should of have been sufficient for a period of time before needing replacement?
You do mention 8 months but only below average miles? I know I used to manage c.25-30k in that period.
They should be able to tell you what thicknesess/wear was on those parts at the time.
Bushes.... definately wear ad tear. you could drive out of the showroom and smack a pothole and have some knackered bushes.
Tyres - your call, but the BMW delaer in W Yorks I use always beats the quotes ive had.
I do speak from experience, my Mini previously had similar quote done when its brake light came on... after a bit of stand off and me being firm they replaced them.
They also replaced the front sus arms under warranty after there warranty manager had a look at them and made the arguement to Mini warranty.
Stand your ground, and be firm, but not rude.
Does depend on the delaer though.
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