Scratch & Sniff(le)

I mentioned another MINI Cooper drama in yesterday's post...

I have to say for a car that has brought me so much happiness, it has also brought its fair share of misery too.   Barring a dead battery (or two), my two previous cars over 15 years were pretty incident free... but not even two years with my Cooper we've had the windshield ding, the accident, the "get stuck in the middle of nowhere in 107 degree weather because they did something wrong when fixing the car" incident, the out-of-state speeding ticket (which btw is resolved... but took a lot of time, worry, effort and $$$ for what the actual ticket fee ended up being)... and now we add another chapter...

As we headed back to the Cooper for our drive home from Vegas, my Cooper had been "keyed" (I think that's the term for it)... the scratch started at my driver's side door and continued all along the side with, the above pictured, final swipe at the back of the car (aka "the boot").

Yesterday, I mentioned that I didn't think it was all that bad... however, that was before my trip to the body/paint shop for an estimate.  I guess it depends on your definition of what "bad" is... but I don't think it qualifies as "good" that I now have a $1600 scratch... that is going to have my Cooper back in the shop for 7 business days.

Needless to say, I am pissed.  While I would have been ticked over say a door ding, at least that seems like something that "happens"... but having the car being deliberately vandalized is just infuriating.  I have heard that Coopers have been "targets" (of course, I read that after I ordered mine!), so I guess now I know firsthand!

But this won't stop me from driving to car to certain places... that only emboldens the enemy, those who hate my freedom to drive and park my Cooper wherever I damn want!

While my parents think a perpetual black cloud follows them around, I try to maintain a more positive view... however even I am starting to think "What the frick next with this car?!"

Comments

[Alexander]

That's why we all carry horrifically overpriced comprehensive insurance, no? After seven months of ownership my Coop's still running fine (knock on wood). I *am* thinking about getting that 6 year/100,000 mile extended warranty before the OEM one runs out, however. Just in case.

[Rick]

My wife was the victim of a hit-and-run, backended on the interstate, a couple of weekends ago. $1600+ and Jeeves (our 2003 Cooper) won't be back on the road til at least the end of next week.

But yeah, driving one can make a bad day better.

[Justin]

This doesn't have to do with your story, but I just got my MINI Cooper S about 5 months ago, and when it rides over ridges and bumps on the road, the interior is VERY noisy. Do you have the same problem?