Vehicle's switch controlling headlights was left in the "parking lights on" mode inadvertently (it opened terminal 15 per mini). car would not start less than 12 hours later. mini reports that this "damaged the battery beyond repair" and said it was not subject to warranty replacement because the user had operated the switch. if this happened for many mini owners, people would be stranded and left in a dangerous condition. furthermore, this is clearly something mini is choosing to ignore and classify as user error when it is a defect. mini charged $600+ plus dollars to replace the battery, reprogram the vehicle and physically install the new battery. the dealer rep said he has personally seen 6 other vehicles this year alone with the same problem.
The vin [xxx] is not recognized on nhtsa or safecar website. manufacturer and dealership have my old address (not provided by myself) in their system. general helpline representatives told me to contact manufacturer. manufacturer referred me to dealership. i called your general number again last week and the woman disparaged me and laughed at me. no one will help me fix this safety (communication) concern. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr
Car pulls to the right and is wobbly while in motion, especially more unstable in wet conditions and mini cooper says it is an uneven torque issue related to the electrical/gas engine and cannot be fixed. i have driven the car for 11 months and they still haven't replaced the vehicle with a safer vehicle or even talked with me about what they are willing to do to correct the defect. the dealership and bmw have ignored me after several attempts to resolve the matter.