Mini Cooper

In 2009, I brought it brand new. The engine light has been going on several times. Each time I take it into the dealer (thankfully it's still covered under warranty), they tell me that it's the type of gas I put in. Okay, fine. I bought the 91 octane gas and put in fuel injector cleaner as per their recommendation. This happened 5 times. Tomorrow, it's the sixth time. As soon as this repair is done (thankfully still under warranty), I will drive to the Mazda dealer and trade it in. There is just no excuse for this type of problem. After reading the entries on this and other sites, I guess I feel lucky that I have not spent thousands of dollars on repairs. I love my car ('09 Cooper S convertible). So much fun! But I have to let it go.

I am the original owner of a 2009 Mini Cooper and without warning - no lights, no other issues. My car died on the way to the Mini/BMW dealership. Funny, it happened there as I was going to return a product I purchased the previous day. It almost felt as if the truck next to me was pushing me around on the highway in his side draft. When I couldn't get gas to get around him into the turn lane, I started to get scared. As I got into the turn lane to exit the highway, the car started to lose more power and began to sputter. I coasted to a stop at the end of the ramp at the stop light and the car sputtered to a halt. I was unable to restart it through three lights and was on the other side of a divided highway from the Mini dealer.

After more restarts and a lot of angry drivers behind me, I literally coasted up to the service department at Dreyer and Reinbold Mini in Indianapolis, IN. I was shaken and scared as I have not had any luck finding employment out here in Indy since losing my job just eight months after purchasing my Mini and terrified at what this might mean. The service person was new, and much better than the previous person and in a calm, intelligent manner took me right in and took the car to be diagnosed. Two hours later, he revealed that there was coolant in the oil and needed $250 something to find out what was going on. I paid and they gave me a loaner. I have put some miles on my car as I am from outside of Philadelphia, PA and have made several road trips home since owning the vehicle. I also purchased the car from a Mini dealer in West Chester, PA as at the time, I absolutely hated the dealership and the dealers at the dealership my car is now getting serviced. As it was explained to me, it could be a blown head gasket, or a cracked engine - either of which would cost in the thousands to fix.

As I currently owe about $8,000 on the vehicle and have no income and am only 12 weeks out from graduating with a BBA in Management, finally, I am completely distraught! How could this happen? The vehicle has been serviced pretty regularly and I even pressured them to change the oil over 11k when the oil change light didn't come on. We've done it ourselves, taken it to a mechanic and to the dealer. No lights appeared on the dash. The vehicle is out of warranty now. I live in Indiana and have no way to get to class to finish my degree and no credit now after two years of unemployment to buy a new car. It is quite a drive to get anywhere and almost 30 miles to class two times a week. The last temporary job I had was 35 miles each way. I am terrified. The service person did mention to me that it may be this issue began before I ever possessed the car, like maybe the engine was faultily produced. That would be a godsend. But, really? What could I have done for this to happen at 74,000 miles? I drive like a grandma.

After reading many of the statements on the site, I feel that Mini is aware there are issues with the engine and the transmission. I am anxious to see what they have to say when they call to tell me what the reason is for the coolant leaking into the oil. If they do not take responsibility and repair it or replace it themselves, I will, and perhaps even if they do, I would like to take my place in whatever class action is pressed against BMW/Mini for my loss, inconvenience and aggravation. If they do not fix it on their own dime (as I did nothing and had no warning, no lights or otherwise that something could be wrong), I will not be making any more car payments to BMW. I will not beg, borrow and steal to keep a car I cannot utilize. They will be calling me tomorrow (Friday) most likely.

I purchased a 2003 Mini Cooper from Orange Empire. After 7 months of owning the vehicle, it started acting funny when driven more than 50 mph. It pulled back, hesitated. I took it back to the dealer where I purchased it and all they could recommend at that time was to have Irvine Mini Cooper check it out. So I dropped the car off at Orange Empire. They made the arrangement with Irvine Mini to have it checked. When I picked up the vehicle, they had reset the transmission and changed the transmission oil. This mickey mouse work only lasted for about a year and the same problem came back again.

Mini Coopers are very hard to diagnose or at least several of the shops I took it couldn't find the problem until I took it to a shop that was highly recommended. Their diagnosis was the transmission needed to be replaced. The cost is approx $8,000 which is outrageous. Since then, I have been following a lot of blogs reporting the same problem I'm having with Mini Coopers that were released in 2002-2005. I guess, BMW realized that the transmission in these models did not function to satisfaction and made changes from 2006 and above. But what about the rest of us that have bought Mini Coopers from 2002-2005? Are we stuck with such a high bill because BMW doesn't want to take responsibility? I'm highly disappointed and angry. The car oil or any repairs aren't cheap. I'm still paying for my car and on top of it, I have to pay for a bad transmission? Not fair. Please help the thousands of us that own these vehicles. Thank you for your time.

I bought a 2004 Mini Cooper used from Tony Harrington at Gates in South Bend, IN in Oct. 2009. This was my first Mini experience. I drove Mini with the sales guy and complained about some noises. He told me, "Its a Mini. That's what they do" and assured me the Mini was completely inspected inside and out and that Gates would never sell a car with known problems. Well five weeks later, that noise I complained about was the power steering pump dying and went out. I called Gates Mini and got no resolution at all. I started googling and saw that tons of people had similar problems, yet there were no recalls. I was very upset and disappointed. These little cars aren't cheap at all. The pump + labor through BMW was $1400+ but I found a local mechanic who did it for $983. That was a lot of money for this repair and it seems to me Mini should have issued a recall.

I purchased my 2006 Mini Cooper S brand new in January 2006. The car currently has 108,000 miles, which are mostly highway miles as I commute to a job out of state a few days a week. Since purchasing the car, I have had a myriad of serious and unsafe issues starting with the replacement of run flat tires within the first 2 years of owning the car. Those tires run $350 a pop and if you run over a nail, you have to replace the whole tire. They didn't warranty them back then, though I think they do now. For the first 65,000 miles, I did all my maintenance at the dealership, but switched to a National Auto Care chain as the dealer costs were 40% higher for the same work. I changed tire to regular tires with a warranty to stem the bleeding.

The latest issue began two weeks ago when I noticed the car was slipping between second and third gear when running for a while in stop and go traffic. The car shifted fine when cold. I brought the car in for a check up where I was referred to a National chain transmission repair shop where I was informed that my CVT would need to be re-manufactured at a cost of $6,000. I was also informed that my power-steering pump is leaking and the power-steering cooling fan is not working, so both need to be replaced. As much as I love this car, and even with these problems, I still do love the car, but I cannot recommend it because the premium price I paid for BMW engineering does not translate to reliability. These issues should not be occurring at this point in the car's life.

I will be without a car for another week, at least, because the valve joint they need to re-manufacture the transmission is on back order as they re-engineered a new valve joint, for the originals were prone to premature failure. One would think BMW would address this or work with their customers on a reasonable repair cost for this. Unfortunately, when I called the dealer I purchased the car from for assistance, they quoted me over $10,000 for the same repair. Needless to say, I will never buy a Mini or BMW ever again. I am aware of class action suits in NJ and CA regarding this issue, but I cannot find anything in MA. If there is, or if there is an attorney looking to start one, please contact me.

I bought my 2005 Mini Cooper S (automatic) brand new and now, 7 years and 85K miles later, it needs a brand new transmission at $10K! Are you kidding me, after only 85K miles? After reading the posts, this seems like a class-action lawsuit waiting to happen. Previous to this, I had a BMW 325i with 140K miles on it and it was 11 yrs old, before it started having severe issues. So disappointed in BMW/Mini.

The clutch in my 2005 Mini went out suddenly after less than 2K miles. The dealership replaced it after I raised hell. Now, the clutch in my 2007 Mini started going out - after only 55K miles! I've driven standard transmissions my entire life & never experienced this. My 1991 Nissan Sentra lasted 200K miles and my 1995 Mazda Protege lasted over 100K. Yet the dealerships always say the same thing - driver abuse. I called Mini. Sure enough, it's not covered unless it's "normal wear & tear," which they can't evaluate unless I put down $2K for them to tear down the engine to look at it. If they see any signs of damage that indicates beyond normal wear & tear, then I'd have to shell out the money for the repair, too. A clutch going out after only 55K miles is bound to show signs of defect, certainly beyond normal wear & tear!

After I read similar stories from others, I decided it wasn't worth fighting. So, I took it to a trusted mechanic and shelled out the $1100 to have them replace the clutch (a few thousand less than the dealership), since my car is still worth over $15K. But as long as I live in a hilly community and an area that I'm in constant stop-and-go traffic, I won't get another Mini. I love my Mini and have not had any other real issues with it, but I don't love it enough to have to shell out for a new clutch every few thousand miles!

I took my Mini in and complained that there was a humming noise coming from the engine and that the check engine light kept coming on. But every time I took it in, the dealer kept telling me that this was normal and that there was nothing wrong with the car. After awhile, the car kept getting worse and started making a knocking sound and losing power. I had it towed to the Mini dealer and they told me nothing was wrong with the car, turned the light out and sent me on my way. I am tired of Mini refusing to fix what's wrong with the car. This is a serious problem and needs to be dealt with.

I have had a problem with my 2005 Mini Cooper S, off and on, for about a year. The passenger side air bag light comes on in the dash and over the rear-view mirror. This was occasionally on, but when someone sat in the seat, it would register the seat as occupied. Then occasionally, it would come on, when no one was in the seat. Now, it is coming on and staying on, even with someone in the seat or not. I called my local Mini Dealer and spoke with a man in the service department. He knew exactly what I was talking about, but stated that there is no recall with this problem. It seems to me, that if enough people have this concern, Mini would have no choice but to issue a recall on this defective sensor. Especially, someone was seriously injured before.

I went to have a xenon bulb changed on my 2003 Mini and was told that the cheapest solution to my problem was to replace the entire headlight assembly. The total charge was over $1000. I did take the old headlight assembly. I have felt that whenever I go to the dealer for service, the extent of the repair and the cost seem way above anything I expected. I wonder if there is someone in the Mini organization that could look at the supposedly defective headlight assembly and tell me if in fact it needed to be replaced.

My 2005 Mini Cooper convertible that's purchased new has had and still has a myriad of serious problems. The dealer, Mini of North Scottsdale (Penske), never addressed these problems. These problems include: windows that do not completely close; windows that failed; CD player that does not eject the CD; and others. The warranty, as interpreted by this dealer, means nothing. Repairs are not made, even after multiple appointments. One telltale indication on the quality level of the Mini Cooper is that Consumer Reports lists this as a "too be avoided vehicle."

I bought my 2005 base Mini convertible with around 35K miles on it. I bought at a BMW/Mini Dealership where it was first purchased. I was told I would be the second owner and that all services were performed there since new, including the first power steering failure. OK now, the certified vehicle they sold me had a throw-out bearing noise the day I bought it. I heard it at night with top up and windows up. Same thing with the power steering; it was failing when I bought it. I am sorry, but how can a BMW/Mini tech certify such vehicle? They had had to know it had these issues. Not to mention, the seat memory function was also broken from the day of purchase. All the issues were done under factory warranty. I also bought mercury platinum extended warranty.

Now moving on, around 50K, the throw-out bearing noise is back big time. Power steering is noisy again. Once again, there's warranty on the throw-out bearing. No luck with power steering; I had to keep bringing it back and was declined every time until it actually started going out while driving! No power steering! It was replaced at that time under warranty, and the new pump was so silent at first. I was thinking hmm I'm still upset they sold me a certified car with major money issues but this time the power steering is fixed good.

The vehicle now has approximately 75K. All services are up to date, including resealing the oil pan and the third valve cover reseal. But what the salesperson never told me was that the interval for resealing the oil pan is every 40K as normal maintenance! And the clutch is shuddering; throw-out bearing is about to fail, getting really, really loud knocks with clutch out squeals if I push it all the way down. I have to push it down and let up around 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch to stop the squealing, but it's still making noises always. So the clutch components are no longer under warranty. Great.

And the power steering that was so quiet a short time ago has a crazy loud noise again and the fan is staying on after the vehicle is shut off. I can make it stop by turning the key on and off a few times. I should be covered for this power steering unit with a deductible through Mercury, but they seem to ask for mega diagnostic tear down money. It's like pulling teeth to get them to even act human. I will do that for the power steering, because it's bad and I know it will be covered. (crosses fingers)

I was told that the noise of the clutch components may be internal in transmission, so I should authorize a lot of money, so they can tear down the transmission and see. Really?! it's the throw-out bearing again. I'm not authorizing that obvious leap of faith/ripoff. Did I mention I have records from the first month I owned the car about it not going into reverse unless I for up to 3 full minutes mess with the shift left through all gears and let clutch out in each gear and a little trick I learned while being honked at because I wasn't backing up fast enough?

The trick is hold the lever towards reverse and ever so lightly release the clutch pedal a tiny bit. It will go into reverse that way, and it may do so with super sweet sounding ultimate "grind," which it does all the time even when not forced to use an awful trick to get it moving backwards.

The last time I brought it in, the service writer, who's always so full of tech wisdom, actually duplicated the problem. The service writer could not get the vehicle into reverse, and after fiddling a while, it went in with an "ultimate grinding experience". But now, this tech savvy writer has forgotten everything, and it seems all that schooling (self-proclaimed) and BMW-awarded service training has slipped the highly trained uber techy service writer into saying that he wrote on the repair order 'duplicated in service drive." But I still have to pay $1000 plus for tear down to prove to Mercury what I have been telling them has been happening since it was under factory warranty! I could duplicate it everyday, every time they said "cannot duplicate."

Well, they could have if they drove around more till they did duplicate it for "not long" rather than sitting in their service bay shifting the lever around! Both window regulators are starting to fail. I loved this car. It's fun. it looks great, but I would not recommend one to my worst enemy. Oh, that's BMW/Mini. Hmmm. Well, you know what I mean. I will never recommend BMW or Mini without saying "They drive great, but you're gonna pay."

I tell people if they must have a BMW or Mini and don't mind being in the shop a lot, lease it. Never buy anything from BMW! They are literally spot on to provide you with the ultimate repair bills as soon as warranty is out. BMW is criminal in this kind of treatment of their customers! I mean, really, it's pretty well-established. The clutch components suffer from poor/weak/cheap design and parts. It's 2012, and BMW still doesn't even offer a superseded part number for clutch components; no upgrades for you!

This is the absolute end of my time with BMW. They can keep their cars, until they fix what's wrong and stop covering up long-standing design flaws. Oh my God, some give them Japan's phone number or even GM for that matter for a little updating on their still being filled with really bad electronics from silly connectors long obsolete to flat out... Really, you haven't stopped those light from flashing yet! Which ones you say? I say pick anything. BMW electronics and Mini are in need of some updating.

Let's say bye BMW/Mini. Never again. I can't wait to get rid of this nightmare that could have been so nice a car if they finished it. Too late trading it in on anything nice, even nicer not made by your dishonest bloated overrated company that smiles at you while lying and... I can't wait for my Lexus or Acura or Infinity. I just can't wait. Own up to the problems. And at least, if you're going to charge for a repair that is due to your cheap poorly placed parts in a nice car, offer a fix. It's called a fix! You know, like when you don't sell a Mini owner the same ** part. Why just fix it!

My 2007 clutch had to be replaced on February 2012. I had to replace the valve cover, gasket, and hose at 37,500 miles. It cost $718.00. Then in March at 40,000 miles, I have to replace the timing chain at $2200.00 and a thermostat at $675.00. I have to pay out of my pocket for all the repairs since February 2012. I think that Mini does not built a car to last longer past 35,000 miles before you have serious problems. I am getting off the car and buying an American-made car. I have contacted Mini, and they said they're sorry and that they will not do anything to pay for the repairs.

I bought a brand-new BMW Mini Cooper D in February 22, 2012. After two days, in the morning (February 24, 2012), I got big problems. First, the driver door was not opened. Second, when I turned my car off, the engine continued to run and the bonnet was hot with smoke and has burning smell for more than 5 minutes. It happened 3 times within 3 hours on that day. This condition has happened again in March 8, 2012 and March 21, 2012. Third, the window was opened by itself (I mean, I didn't do anything to open the window.) four times from February 24, 2012 to March 5, 2012.

I have visited four times the AS center since February 24, 2012 (2.24-3.19) to fix the problems. But the AS center fixed only the first problem (The driver door was not opened.), and they changed the air conditioner compressor. Unfortunately, they failed to find out the reasons for other problems.

Those things are a shock for me. How come those things could happen to the brand-new BMW within two days of purchasing it? But more shocking for me is the response of Deutsch Motors in Korea. One of the customer center staff called me on March 19, 2012 and said in an unfriendly manner that the company is going to provide only an accessory made by Mini to compensate the inconvenience I had.

Yes, of course, I deserve to have some compensation for the cost of my time, mental stress, inconvenience, and mileages (about 120 km from my place to the AS center). But what I really need is confidence that I am concerned by the Deutsch Motors. I am a customer who is suffering with car troubles since I have bought it. But what the company just wanted is to close this case with Mini accessories that I even don't need. This is a very wrong attitude in handling customers. What do you think?

Our car had problems that we could detect before 38K so we took it to a local dealership. They claimed that they do not see any issues and paid for transmission fluid replacement. We have a MINI Cooper 2004 that could not be driven, has 40k on it, was garaged, maintained properly, problems were apparent, but all we could do was to take it to a local dealership that sold us the car. They suggested that we change the transmission fluid and other maintenance, which we agreed to. The dealership assured us that nothing is wrong. They "drove it over 100 miles and nothing was noted." We took the car home and had the same problems as before.

When we called, there was no other response but that they cannot find anything wrong. Yet the car was towed several times and the dealership denied anything needs to be "fixed." Unfortunately, at the time, we had experienced great personal tragedy and could not attend to a car or anything, just the bare essentials.

Finally, when we took it to another private small company, they told us about the transmission problems that not only plague MINI Coopers, but that dealerships are known for not assisting with this and deny any responsibility. The same thing happened when we tried to call the corporate office. There is a class-action suit in CA and NJ, but what about the other states? We cannot put out almost $8,000 for another transmission on our MINI. What can we do? What do others do?

faulty car that has brought us more headaches than we could ever imagined? Most of us saved years to get this car, as did our son. Most of us bought MINI as the dream car and depended on the MINI/BMW reputation. If anyone is able to put together a Web site and gather information from all owners from the U.S.A., I think that MINI would eventually have to assist us with the replacement of a transmission that they put in the car knowing that it does not work.

We would do our part, but do not know what or where to turn, it helps to write for others not to buy the car. How could we get together and have something done? The corporate offices deny any culpability and claim that they are not aware of any problems. Transmission is way too expensive to replace and it is not the only thing people complain about, yet, outside from California activism, we just complain and do nothing.

Does anyone have any suggestion? Someone with legal expertise? Someone who has experience with car mechanics? Someone who knows that it is possible to put pressure on MINI/BMW to request that they do something--given the years of knowledge of faulty transmissions?

It is a sad story. We thought this was a reputable company. I am over 70 and would not want to part with the car that belonged to my deceased son. Could anyone suggest what can be done? Please contact me at ** if you believe that we indeed could accomplish something together.

I bought my Mini 2 years ago this month. A year ago, my car was stalling so I brought it to the dealer to see what was wrong. They told me it was the quality of the gas that was causing the problem. I had asked if it could be the transmission and I was told no, the Mini has a sealed transmission and that's not the case.

Needless to say, a couple of weeks ago, I took it to the dealer once again with the same problem. $1,500 later, I was told it's the ball joints and spark plugs that were ruined. I pick up my car and it's far worse than what it was in the beginning. At this point, it was not drivable, so I returned the car to the dealer. I was then told it was my transmission and that I need to replace it and it would cost me $8,900. How ridiculous. I bought the car for $11,500, so how can a transmission cost more than half of my car? I'm so disappointed at Mini. I thought when I bought the car that was doing a great investment but obviously not!

I have a 2003 Mini Cooper, with only 44,000 miles. I have everything original, and have had extensive service and care since it was new. It never had track time, or abuse, only 2 sets of tires and original brakes. The car is a lemon, and BMW Mini knows it. I have contacted them about the following problems, and their answer is "this is normal operation", and the vehicle is out of warranty, sorry. The problems thus far, have cost nearly $18,000 in repair, and it's still not working as it was designed.

The following has happened: transmission failure/manual; 2 AC systems; 2 power steering systems; navigation system; radio failure; auto temp control failure; left high beam headlight stays on (I had to unplug it); internal lights and gauges are not working; and power steering leak. I am a disabled combat veteran, and would rather be back in war, than deal with this thing one more second. BMW Mini is junk. Never buy one.

I was so excited when the Mini came to the US and bought one of the first off the boat in SF. Little did I know the nightmares to come. My husband and I were US Park Rangers in the west when we started to hear a whirring noise coming from my Mini. We were about to transfer to a Eastern NP September 2009. We have always had the car serviced and people would remark how well we took care of our car and how it looked new!

The government moved us but we drove our vehicles to Virginia. The whir seemed more prevalent when arriving. It was quite upsetting, as we knew we were on a tight budget. I have not been working for a year due to illness. My husband starting doing investigation on the web and was reading about so many people with transmission problems. He got very upset when he saw the costs to replace it. He then wrote to a ask the mechanic online, paid his fee, and he also said it sounded like a transmission problem. We did not have the funds since we had to find a rental, put down deposits, etc.

Our daughter had a new baby who was premature and I offered to help while she went back to work for a month until he was strong enough for daycare. I kissed my husband good-bye as I headed to Florida. Little did I know that it would be the last kiss of our 38-year marriage.

He was so worried about the car and if I would make it. He called around to dealers to find out pricing of a new transmission and we were shocked! I found a nice mechanic, not a dealer in Florida to at least drive and confirm if it was truly the transmission. It was, I remember calling to tell my husband. It was nearly the end of the month and time to return. He did not want me to drive alone back to Virginia. He decided to have my son follow me home. Yes we were upset and worried about the costs but decided to at least get it back to the area. I tried consoling him on the phone that night, all was going to be Ok, and we would just have to take out a loan. It was stressful enough just moving and starting a new job. I was going to return home in 9 days. I never heard him so upset.

The following morning, my cell phone rang. I received the dreaded phone call. He was found dead in bed. My nightmare began. After many E-mails and phone calls to Mini USA, I was told they would surely look into helping me. Before they could give me any assistance, I needed to take my vehicle to Mini Sterling first for a diagnosis. She seemed compassionate. I needed to fly back to Florida and drive it back. It had been only one month since my husbands death and kept in contact with Mini USA to let them know my progress.

I spoke with a local Mini Dealer and they also seemed compassionate. I really thought I would be compensated for a bad transmission. There were so many articles and complaints online regarding faulty transmissions.

I made a appointment, they took apart my car, and I wound up paying full price less a 10% coupon discount off of the labor. It devastated me! I was led on that there might be help by both Mini USA and local MINI. My cost was close to $5,000. I was informed that it would be in my best interest to have the clutch done at the same time, even though it was not needed because in the future it would be costly. I was told it would cost thousands of dollars to have to drop the engine, transmission, etc to get to the clutch. I agreed. I knew, with no income it would be even more difficult in the future.

I had close to a nervous breakdown, had to meet with a therapist and was put on medication. This was too much for me to handle.

Lets now fast forward to the present regarding this costly transmission and clutch! I moved to Pennsylvania to be closer to my 90 year-old mother. A couple of months ago, I noticed that the car seemed to shutter when letting up on the clutch in first, second and reverse. I could not get it into the shop earlier since I am having health issues and my time is filled with doctor appointments and therapy. Finally, I looked at the warranty on the clutch and saw it would be running out in March and figured I needed to get it to a dealer ASAP.

Last week, I took it to PA mini, gave them all the invoices and told them it was under warranty. I get a phone call that day saying Sorry, it is your flywheel which is not under warranty and that will be $2,100! I am disgusted! I have been online. I have talked to mechanics and everyone says that it should be under warranty. Mini VA should have seen if there was any problem with the flywheel when they did the clutch and transmission. I was also told that a problem with the flywheel is caused by the clutch not working properly! I nearly had another breakdown. I am so disgusted. Does MINI never stand by their work? Do they always find something else to blame it on? Why do I think this way? Let me tell you about the last problem I had with their dealer in VA.

When I had the clutch and transmission done they also did an oil change, oil filter, and air filter. The very next time I went for an oil change, I used a local shop that worked on Minis. It was closer, I did not have to drive nearly one and a half hours and they were cheaper. This was a very reputable place. I sat and waited in their office. The mechanic came out and asked who did the last oil change? I said minii and he said, they stripped the oil pan screw. I was upset, immediately called Mini, spoke with the service manager and he said they probably stripped it. My guy said you don't strip a screw taking it out, only when you tighten it. Mini said bring it in. Then, my guy could not even change the oil filter. It was so tight. He did not want to break anything so I said just leave it. He physically showed me. His mechanic worked for 35 years and never had this problem.

I took it to Mini. I explained that I needed this done ASAP because I was just informed I had cancer and needed to drive to Florida's Cancer Hospital for Women. I also wanted them to check over the car that everything is in good shape.

Can you just imagine what happened? They said it was not their fault for the screw and that it happens after time and I need a new oil pan and gasket. The bill would be around $1,200! This was unreal. They said I also needed a shaft seal and element if I wanted to safely go to Florida. They said they checked out the car totally and that is what is needed. I felt they should replace the oil pan for free, they would not but did not charge me for labor on that job after really losing it! So I had them both done.

Now here is the kicker. When I went to MINI PA and found out about the flywheel they do a inspection. On the paperwork I received, they suggested a new crank seal and oil pan. Just what I had done! I told the manager that and he apologized and said he had not seen that I had it done but there were some dried oil drops.

Can you now see how I do not trust any of the dealers? I am out thousands of dollars and still have a car that needs a new flywheel. Is this the way an owner should be treated?

On 05 December 2011, I took my vehicle, a Mini Cooper JCW 2009, in to BMW Leo Haese Centurion. For a faulty clutch, I then received a quotation for R41 886.07 after telling me that the flywheel and turbo needed to be replaced. I went to the dealer and discussed the quotation as the vehicle is just out of the service plan. The workshop mechanic took me to my vehicle and showed me the turbo and said that the axle was lose and off center. Even after inspection on the turbo that was not the case, but still he insisted that it needed to be replaced.

After discussions with the dealership, they sent me a new quotation to repair my vehicle for R8261. They also informed me that they will still replace the turbo and that not all the parts are in stock. I ask them if I can get my car back the next day, so to use it. The next afternoon, they phoned me and informed me that there was a new problem with the steering column, but I can still use it and that it is safe to drive and only the hooter will not work. On arrival, I noticed that the sensor on the dashboard was also removed. On inspection of my vehicle I found that none of the safety features in the vehicle is operational as well as any of the controls on the steering wheel plus the wipers were constantly working. The next day, I took the vehicle back as it was unsafe for me to drive. I was not happy that the whole truth was not told to me about the state of the vehicle as I would have never taken it. How could they give me a vehicle that is clearly unsafe to drive?

On the 08 December, I paid the bill of R8261 and asked for the spare parts that were replaced on my vehicle, but they told me to get the parts, I must pay a further R2000 for it. My question is, why I must pay for my property. Is this the case or not? The sensor on the dashboard was not replaced as the part was not in stock and up to today, I have not received that part. On the 11 January, the turbo started to whine on the vehicle. I got an appointment on 16 January 2012 to book in the vehicle. I requested them to go with me to the vehicle so I could show them that the pipe from the air filter to the turbo was loose and that was not fitted properly and that I wanted them to remove a special wheel nut on the right back wheel. They told me that that will not be necessary for me to show them, they know what to do.

On picking up the vehicle, I noticed that the wrong nut was removed. After informing them, it took them one and a half hour to bring a nut and told me that that is the nut removed. At closer inspection, that was not the case and that the nut was still not removed. I already paid them R376.20 for the work done. I decided not to leave. Before the work was done at around 18:30, they told me that I must leave and that I must sign the job card which I refused. Then they asked me and not in a friendly manner to leave with I did.

On arriving at home, the turbo was still singing and I noticed that everything I asked them to do they did not do. Now, why must I pay for work not done and what did they bill me for? On the 01 February 2012, I took my vehicle for the Mini call back (water pumps) to Nelspruit BMW. They also inspected the vehicle and phoned that the turbo needed to be replaced, not understanding what was going on as the turbo was replaced less than 2 months ago. The workshop manager explained to me that when they, Leo Haese Centurion replaced the turbo, they did not fit the air intake pipe correctly and or the seal was pierced and broke off and went through the turbo, thereby damaging it. I now need to replace a turbo again that was not faulty in the beginning and was not installed properly.

9. Why would I ever want to go back or recommend someone to go there?

My vehicle broke down on the 20 Feb 2012 in Nelspriut. After inspection of the vehicle's turbo, we found that the piece of pipe was in the turbo fans and that the pipe that was damaged. I phone Leo Haese Centurion. After talking with them, they told me that whey will not help me in this matter.

I am standing before you for help in this matter as I do not know how I will be able to resolve this problem and I am disgusted at Leo Haese for their treatment of me, a paying customer. They really put the name BMW, which in the past stood for service par excellence, in disrepute. I hope you at BMWSA can help me in this regard and right the wrong that was done to me

2005 mini. In August 2011 at 74,000 miles the electrical fan stayed on after work the next morning the battery was dead and the dealership wanted 5k to do the repairs of the power steering pump/fan, radiator fan, and new battery. I could not afford that so the car sat in the driveway until I decide to attempt the job myself. Well $500 later, and two weeks. I completed everything the dealer ship said was wrong. EBay man's best friend new radiator fan $180, Rebuilt pump (send yours in the rebuild yours) $250, new battery $85 advanced auto parts.

January 2012 the transmission starts to slip. Seems like it is going from second to third gear. Seems to be getting worse. For as expensive as these cars are you think they would be a little more reliable. All the reports I read online say the same thing these issues all start between 70-80k. Come no MINI / BMW fix these on your dime, you know there is problem quit sucking our pockets dry while you are getting stacks of cash from people buying these cars and paying these ridiculous repair costs.

I bought the car new in March 2004. I had it serviced by the dealer only. The power steering went out last year. Expensive fix. And just last week, the transmission went out. How can they charge $8k for repairs on a car worth $8k! I had less that 70k miles on the vehicle. I thought I was buying a BMW-backed product! I loved that little car.

Nothing but a junk transmission gone on 70.000 mile and cost me $4800.00. 2 months later, engine gone which cost extra $5500.00. Nothing but the junk.

I loved driving my Mini Cooper, but could not take the chance of it breaking down out of warranty. I bought a 2008 Mini brand new. with the only mileage on it was my test drive mileage. I was back at the dealership within the first two weeks, because the windows would go up and down, of their own accord, and didn't always do so when I wanted them to. This problem took three tries to fix. It seems Mini likes you to return several times for each problem you encounter, before they're willing to authorize the fix that will actually solve the problem. The gearshift was my next replacement. I took the car in numerous times, because the low tire pressure light came on every other day. That problem never was really fixed, and I owned the car for almost four years. I won't even go into what a pain the tires and their cost is, nor the fact that I had to rent a car for two days, because I had trouble getting the run flats for it. The check engine light would keep coming on, and I was continually told that I should just drive it that way, because they weren't finding anything wrong with it.

As it turns out, it was the engine after all. Mini finally had to replace the valves, head gasket, timing chain, 02 sensor, and whatever else went along with that (after telling me the light was on because my oil was low, so they'd do an "early" oil change on it). This was all before the 30,000 mile mark. About six weeks ago, the check engine light came on again. I got the same old story "oil was low, we'll do an early oil change", and "we think there's something wrong with some kind of air intake sensor", which is then replaced. Two weeks later, the check engine light came on, and when I took it in, I tell them it's idling rough on start-up, and when I have my foot on the brake at stop lights, and it's starting to make the same noise it did when they had to replace the valves. This time I'm told, before they even put it on the machine, that they'd noticed one of the cylinders wasn't firing right, and they'd check that a little more closely (why can't they just fix things the first time? Over the last four years, I've spent at least three weeks of my vacation time sitting in their waiting room, and they've given me "loaners" four times in four years).

So, they cleaned out the carbon buildup in the cylinder, and put on a new tensor/tensioner (beats me, I know little to nothing about cars, so I hope I'm explaining things correctly) on the timing chain. I drove it home, and it's still idling roughly. The car actually shakes when you're sitting with it idling. I finally decide that with only 200 miles left on the 50,000 warranty, I need to buy a car that will hopefully be much more reliable. I now own a Subaru, and I am truly hoping that the curse of my Mini is history. It's really unfortunate that the Mini has so many problems. It is the most fun car to drive ever! I did notice that after my last "fix", I did not get the usual email inquiring about the service I received. I did, however, get a call shortly thereafter, asking me how the service was, and when I stated that I felt needed to get rid of the car, the comment was made from the salesperson that generally her customers trade their Mini in on a new one, after two or three years at the most. I wonder why that is. Apparently, this car is not made to drive for more than two or three years? Fortunately for me, except for time and aggravation, this car did not really cost me anything out of pocket. If your Mini is starting to have problems, even little ones, you might want to start thinking about getting rid of it soon.

I have a 2006 Mini Cooper. The engine wouldn't turn over. They charged me $359.00 in Oct 2011 and said the battery was shorted out. In Feb 2012, the same thing happened again. They said it was the battery cable and it would cost me $454.00. Since the original problem wasn't the battery I asked, if they would deduct the $359.00 I had already paid. They said they wouldn't.

The fan kicked in the day I bought it in 2009, just after leaving dealer. Little did I know, it was in need of servicing then. $4,300 in repairs in under a year and still the vehicle overheats. Fan, water pump, thermostat, reservoir tank, all were done and now it's going to be serviced yet again at local Mini dealer. They say the parts are warrantied but what part fails after eight months of regular use? The closest repairs are two hours away. I continue to rely on my insurance towing to get the car to be serviced as the vehicle will not make it there safely.

I cannot recommend this brand to any one walking on a Mini lot nor can I express a positive remark about my experiences to family or friends. BMW should listen to all of the blog entries and issue a manufacturer's recall on the entire line up. Faulty fans, transmissions and water pumps isn't enough to convince you to shop elsewhere? Then try your luck but there are plenty of warnings. A lot of disgruntled customers' blogs had been available prior to my purchase. Had I read any of them, I would have steered away in a more reliable vehicle.

Approximately around September of 2010, I began to notice my Mini experiencing shifting issues. Around 70,000 miles, the engine would lurch into gear, seconds after failing to change gears effectively. At times, the car would suddenly drop out of gear while driving. I began taking my car into a BMW/Mini certified shop in Austin, TX. After much trouble shooting and emptying my pockets to the mechanics my Mini Cooper's condition only worsened over a few months, and suffered complete transmission failure in July 2011. I sought other opinions on transmission replacement, rebuild options, with each shop giving me similar stories, and huge prices to fix my vehicle, averaging around $10,000. My vehicle has not been fixed or altered, and stands as it did the day of the transmission failure. It was towed from the shop to a safe place, where it sits today. My vehicle is no longer under warranty, and it looks like there are many others out there who have had similar circumstances. Class action lawsuits are in the works in California and New Jersey, for premature transmission failure. Why has there not been more light shed on this, as a national issue?

I'm an original owner of a 2008 Mini Cooper Clubman out of warranty. I took the car into a repair place because the engine light was on. It was diagnosed with a bad turbo, even though I changed the oil every 5-7K with the designated synthetic oil. This was a hard pill to swallow at $3400.00 but it was the best option considering I owe 17K on the car and it's only worth 17K with a good turbo. So I said okay on the repair. The shop called me on the day it was supposed to be done and said they had bad news. When they went to get the car started, the timing belt busted when it turned over and the engine is toast and needs to be replaced. So, any ideas out there? I've read about peeps with issues in the turbo and the timing belt.

Do not buy a Mini Cooper! I have a 2006 Mini Cooper with 47,000 miles and the automatic transmission has gone out! I was told that you cannot buy parts; you have to replace the transmission at the cost of $7500! Shame on Mini Cooper for being aware of transmission problems and not standing behind their product!

I had the steering go out at about 50k miles. The dealer wants over $1200.00 to fix it. The doors won't open from the inside. You have to roll the windows down to get out of the car. If the power fails, you will die because you can't get out.

2009 MiniCooper JCW, silver and black. Love the car, but...

The first clutch linkage had a problem at just over 9000 miles. It was making a noise when I engaged the clutch and accelerated. I took it in. The service dept. at my Mini dealer where I bought the car said the clutch had been "abused" and that the clutch had to be replaced. The service technician sent me a picture of the clutch linkage, saying "the linkage had been "glazed" because the fluids inside the casing got so hot.

I drive the car to and from work. I don't race it. I've driven standard on Mazdas, Pontiacs and Audis. The least distance a clutch lasted with driving in my 20s (read: probably drove much harder then) was 30,000 miles. Today, the same issue started to happen to the replacement clutch. I have 20k miles on the car. Now, the service dealer will not do anything unless I guarantee to spend $2000 to check out the car. They say if they determine that the clutch wore out because of my "abusive driving" then I will owe them $3400 to replace it.

I called BMW of North America. They connected me with a Mini representative who would do nothing without my commitment to spend the $2000 for a "diagnostic." Amazing. These guys are putting clutches out there that fail in under 20K miles every time. Nice business, if you can get away with it.

My 2006 Mini Cooper S convertible has the same transmission issues as others here. Very dangerous to drive. Hesitates and then slams into gear and lurches forward without warning. I have been without a vehicle for about 6 months. I was hoping to get a rebuild on the transmission through a third party, but was turned down for most of the financing. My situation has changed since I purchased the vehicle and I am no longer in a full-time paid position because I am traveling back and forth 3000 miles two to three times a year to care for parents who recently lost their mobility.

Now, I find myself in a similar situation because of a car company that did not care about putting out a quality product and denies the problem. What they didn't tell me when I shelled out the 36,000 for their vehicle 6 years ago was that in 3 to 5 years the car will theoretically be totaled and there is nothing you will be able to do about it. I would not have bought the car. One of the reasons I bought the car was that I thought BMW was a good make. I was familiar with their motorcycles. When I first bought the car, I raved about it to everyone who asked. I can no longer recommend Mini Coopers to anyone, and I'll let people know whenever I can not to buy their vehicles. There should have been some kind of back up plan for the failed CVT transmissions. It is not like it is a $2000 fix. It is a $6,000 to $9,000 fix, and even a new or rebuilt one is the same situation. No guarantees, really.

2012-01-16, today, approximately 22,000 drivers of a Mini Cooper S, the Mini John Cooper Works, from the years 2006 to 2011 in Germany have to go back to the garage. The reason for the recall: a faulty circuit board on the water pump that is responsible for the cooling of the turbocharger, resulting to overheating or even fire. The vehicle owner will be contacted by the manufacturer and ask for free replacement of the faulty component. This message has been in the news section of Motor-Traffic.de with the slogans. Mini calls back 22 000 vehicles in Germany - released on 2012-01-16.

I will never purchase another BMW vehicle. My husband won't let me due to their failure to take care of my mini and it's obvious engineering flaws. I currently own a 2006 Mini Cooper S convertible. It's a love (my car)/ hate (its transmission! ) relationship. After attempting to get BMW to take care of what is clearly their responsibility, I was told that I needed to pay a mere $9000 to replace my transmission. My car currently performs the way others have described: refusing to change gears, then slamming into gear with the squealing of tires.

I purchased a 2009 Clubman S as a certified pre-owned vehicle. The dealer never processed the proper paperwork to actually get the car warrantied through Mini. Mini refuses to cover the car. The dealer has given me a letter stating that they will cover any repairs, which would normally be covered under a CPO warranty. However, I paid an increased price for this car, and that value is not, nor has ever been with the vehicle, since it is not a CPO vehicle. Mini USA refuses to certify the car, and other than the letter I have received from the dealer, there has been no attempt to correct my situation, which was the result of the dealer not completing and submitting the proper paperwork with Mini.

I feel that they have profited from their mistake, at my expense. No attempt to properly rectify situation or refund the increased price, which was paid for a CPO vehicle, that the CPO process was not completed. Mini USA refuses to certify the car, even though the CPO inspection was completed prior to the sale of the vehicle, and the Federal Warranty notice clearly states the vehicle is being sold as a CPO vehicle, with a warranty. Complaints have been filed with the Attorney General's office of Ohio, in which the dealer has stated they made a mistake in not completing the required paperwork. The AG office is attempting to put a value on a CPO car vs. a non-CPO car.

If I didn't like the car type, I never would have bought it. But it has been a nightmare to work with BMW on fixing something that is clearly their fault. BMW refuses to provide a satisfactory solution with a recall on a known flaw in the thermostat gasket on 2006 Mini Coopers. Thousands of consumers in United States, and even more across the world, have spent thousands of dollars and countless hours to find/fix radiator fluid leak through both dealers and special mechanics only to find out that the original gasket starts to leak through ever so slowly.

A drop here and there at about 20,000 miles (more or less) due to the cheap mesh material. Because it leaks ever so slightly, the fluid falls, blows, drops down onto various parts of the engine and throughout the engine compartment. Even though the company, dealers and specialized mechanics are well aware of this known issue, they take full advantage of the consumer by pretending to speculate that it is caused by a leak in a hose or the radiator itself or some other issue, all of which allow these individuals to charge outrageous amounts to fix or replace parts that down need it.

Most places have a minimum labor cost just to look at it. Add the unnecessary parts with additional labor on top of the base cost and you drive away without fixing the issue, only to return again and again until they finally bring up the real issue and charge you yet again to fix something they knew and should have fixed all along. It is a known issue for crying out loud. If they just fixed that, the parts themselves are less than $50. Add a minimal labor cost and you are still under $200 total. But no, BMW has systematically ignored the issue in an effort to sell parts, charge labor, and collect vast amounts of unnecessary dollars because it make them more money. The truth is, after the 2006 models, BMW intentionally changed the design to a poly urethane gasket. No recall, no recourse, no satisfaction! BMW should recall these or reimburse the wasted costs created by those that represent their firm. Thieves!

I own a 2006 Cooper S convertible. I just read the blog on 12/9/2011. I have experienced exactly the same. I have taken the car into the Mini dealer at 12,000, 24,000, 32000 and 47000 for the same issue, each time to be told that the computer shows no fault found. I have serviced the transmission and had Mini Cooper service look at it again at 94,000. The car has been kept in excellent condition. The car will surge and the tachometer dial will move then the car grabs and shifts hard, sometimes making the tires squeal. I have had an independent mechanic drive the car to agree that there is an issue with the transmission.

This is a manual transmission with the steptronic paddle shift capability. After having the transmission serviced, driving the car home and the transmission would not shift out of the gear. It was in and would not move forward other than a 5 to 7 mile idle. This happened while driving in rush hour traffic.

Since owning my 04 Mini Cooper, I have had to replace the automatic window control, the sport shifter, the whole gas line system, and a few other things on it. The gas system was the latest and greatest fix in the world of my Mini Cooper. I have had my car at the dealership in Dallas and Fort Worth, TX. They of course, after much haggling, fixed the issues with my car. The gas system was fixed in Kentucky only after my car decided that it was going into limp home mode and break down completely in Indiana. That was tons of fun. I am now thinking that my timing chain and tranny are starting to go. Granted my car has 109,000 miles on it - she is barely broke in. I love my car, but the issues and constant being in the shop for repair are starting to take its toll on me and my pocketbook.

My name is Chuck Conway. I'm investigating consumer complaints regarding the premature failure of BMW Mini Cooper CVT automatic transmissions. If you're interested in possibly joining a class action lawsuit and would like to share your experience, please email me at **. Please include contact information (phone number, email address and state of residence).

My 2005 cooper had been making a ticking noise for a while. I changed my front tires because one of my tires was wearing incorrectly and this didn't solve the issue. I decided to take the car the the Mini Dealer in our area and have them diagnose the problem. They found that the noise was coming from the transmission. Well, I was dumbfounded because my car is at 89K miles and a manual Transmission. So I thought "how could my tranny be going out?" I called 1-800-ask-mini and asked for assistance and help in regards to the transmission going out and I also needed a new passenger seat mat because my airbag warning light was on and this means the seat mat is messed up.

Brent from Mini said he would call me back in a few days to investigate. The mini repair called me back to let me know that they would be able to offer me 15% off the price for the seat mat and they never referenced the transmission.

A few days later, my car actually broke down. I have spent over 3K to replace my transmission. The mechanic showed me the core which has a nice little hole bored through the metal. The upper part of the transmission was blown out by what ever it was that was digging through the metal. Nonetheless... the transmission problem I had was truly a defect and I would like to know how I can get Mini to take some sort of ownership for the problem.

I own a 2007 Mini Cooper S. It's had all regularly scheduled services done at dealers (Phyla, PA; West Chester, NY; and Darien, CT). Now the car has about 50,000 miles on it (December 2011). In June 2011, with about 38,000 miles, the engine started having rattling sounds during cold starts. I brought it to an authorized Mini dealer (West Chester) and they found nothing wrong. Two weeks later, the sounds got worse, and the dealer checked the Mini. They said the timing chain guide (plastic) had cracked in pieces and scattered though the engine and oil pan. The dealer replaced timing chain, timing chain tensioner (broke too!), and guide. It's been less than 6 months (December 2011), and the same sounds are coming back!

There is obviously a timing chain mechanism design flaw (just Google Mini Cooper timing chain problems). Mini should correct this on all affected vehicles. Mini is responsible for their design mistake regarding a substandard timing chain box.

2008 JCW Mini Cooper S convertible with 33,175 miles. Clutch has gone out twice; the throttle twice. It brakes once. It was an unknown problem where they pulled the engine. I went to trade it in. When it was new, it was $39000. Less than three years later, they will only give me $14,000. They know what the car facts are. I got $14000 two years earlier on my 2002 Cooper S that was 6 years old.

I have had this car since September 2010 and have been feeling very unsafe in this vehicle over the past couple of months. It currently has 12,000 miles but it is not accelerating properly. The car hesitates between 20/mph and 30/mph. The tachometer quickly moves to the middle of the dial, and then the car jumps or bucks into the desired speed. I took it for service but the technician could not replicate the problem and said that it is handling as it should. They want to send me home in this death mobile. The car's computer system says it is ok so no one cares that I'm experiencing a real threat to my life on a daily basis and unable to drive on my city streets safely or on the freeways going to work.

Since I'm under lease, I am totally stuck having the option to pay it off or give it to someone else. I cannot imagine putting someone else at risk the way they are to me by completely disregarding my concerns and complaint.

I bought a 2003 Mini Cooper new and it had been a great car up until 70,000 miles. The automatic locks stopped working, the car would overheat when idling, but the biggest issue is the transmission went and I was told it would cost approximately $8,300 to replace. This is just wrong to have a transmission go at 70,000 miles. From what I have read this is a common occurrence. I was expecting a decent trade in value but now my car is worthless. I'm very disappointed. The only reason I gave 3 stars is because I did enjoy the car for the time I was able to drive it.

I bought a 2010 Clubman S in December of 2009. Since the beginning, there have been lots of problems: tons of rattles inside, the windows stopped working twice, the A/C made a huge whining sound, there are clunks from the engine area that no one can figure out where they are coming from, the check engine light came on randomly twice and the car went into limp mode (at the dealer nothing wrong was found), pieces of outside trim were installed poorly, the sunroof won't open on hot days without pushing it with your hand, the brakes sometimes feel shaky when making sudden stops (not ABS, or if it is then it's the worst ABS I've ever experienced) and the inside of one of the club doors popped off.

This car is made incredibly cheaply, and the problems I have had are echoed by some other Mini owners I've met and all over Mini message boards. I spent $32,000 on a poorly made piece of junk, awesome! Both Nick ** and South Bay Mini have not taken responsibility for some of the problems, sometimes saying things like, "Well, the MINI is a quirky car." If quirky means made like junk, then yes, they're right.

To top it off: the handling is downright dangerous because of the torque and bump steer.

Fun to drive but made horribly, and way over-priced for the quality you get.

I am writing to express my extreme disappointment with the recent failure of the original clutch/flywheel in the above referenced vehicle. The vehicle was purchased new from Mini of San Francisco on February 17, 2007 and all scheduled maintenance has been conducted in a timely manner including a recent scheduled maintenance on September 15, 2011 (Mini inspection), a mere seven weeks before complete clutch failure. No comments or suggestions were noted by the mechanic during this scheduled maintenance that clutch wear was occurring or should be monitored.

The Mini Cooper was driven under extremely light driving conditions with an experienced manual transmission driver. The vehicle was typically only used for "motoring" trips on weekends. The previous manual transmissions driven were a 1986 Honda Civic DX (original owner 97,000 miles with one clutch replacement at 65,000) and a 1996 Honda Civic DX Hatchback (original owner with no clutch replacement as of 60,000 miles when car was donated). Furthermore, the driver was experienced in using the parking brake while resting on a hill to spare any unnecessary clutch wear. All maintenance has been performed by Mini of San Francisco and online service history is current per owners' lounge website.

The driver had never experienced a complete clutch failure with no prior warning signs. Furthermore, the driver had never seen a clutch fail under such light driving conditions so anticipated that it must be some sort of mechanical failure and immediately drove the vehicle to Mini of San Francisco. While the service department of Mini San Francisco provided excellent customer service, the driver conducted his own research into the situation while the mechanical review was being conducted and has noted that many other drivers of this vehicle have cited the same problem.

The driver seeks a response from Mini USA on this very disappointing early clutch failure, the occurrence of this situation within the specific model, and the manufacturer's guidance on extending the life of a clutch.

My 18-year-old begged me to buy a used Mini Cooper. I told him there was problems with their transmissions and he shouldn't buy one. But of course, I gave in, reminding him I didn't like it and thought it was a mistake. He and I signed for the loan (of a 2003 cooper with 70,000 miles) and he was a happy camper for 100 days. Then he backed out of the driveway and the automatic transmission went out. Needless to say, I got to say I told you so.

Now I called a dealer and talked with their service, only 8000 dollars to replace the transmission. My son doesn't know what to do, hard lesson for an 18-year- old but needless to say, I don't think he will ever buy a Mini or BMW product again.

I own a 2006 Mini Cooper convertible (mileage: 56,561). Since within the first year of ownership, I've had problems, but the car was under warranty, so I didn't pay as close attention as I should have to all the things that began going wrong or breaking down. However, that first year the entire computer/electrical system failed and my windshield developed a stress fracture. Every year there was something: the struts, the ball joints, the brakes, etc. I never knew what else would be the problem and it always cost a LOT of money to repair or replace (once the warranty wore out).

But now, this is the end. After already spending $1,852.13 on November 9, 2011, on a week-long repair process, I was forced to return the Mini because it was still performing poorly. One of the major problems that I described when I dropped the car off on Nov. 1 was still occurring: The car was hesitating between 20/mph and 30/mph, the tachometer needle would quickly move to the middle of the dial, and then the car would jump or buck into the desired speed. After an hour or two of examining m car (again), the mechanic called and said the problem is now the transmission. But the real shocker was the price$10,000 to replace it. I nearly fell on the floor. I was expecting to hear $1,200 maybe even $2,000, but $10,000. I asked him if he was smoking crack!

What's really annoying is that I'm sure the people at Westchester BMW/Mini knew from the beginning that the major problem was the transmission. However, they kept my car a week and replaced the thermostat/Hydraulic Suspension, replace leaking engine mount, replaced Drive Belts and Belt Tensor, fixed the broken convertible top, and much more. My gut says they scammed me out of $1,852.13. If I'd know from the beginning that the transmission was the real problem, at $10,000 a pop, why would I spend nearly $2,000 to fix other stuff? Something they were very much aware of they took my money, and now no one will answer my letters.

Broke down within two weeks of purchasing new car and had to be towed. Issues that were brought up on many occasions while under warranty were ignored or told were not unusual. Only to find that post-warranty, I am told the car engine is damaged and car is not worth fixing. This is German engineering? This Mini Cooper was garaged and serviced religiously. Either we got a Lemon or Mini Cooper is all marketing. Needless to say, I will never purchase another BMW car!

Yes! I am finally sending my Mini to the junk yard tomorrow with not even 100,000 miles on it! The first transmission blew up early on. Of course, like most of the others, I found the replacement cost insane. I found a replacement at a junky which I could afford. That lasted a few years and yes, that "blew up" too. I also had the mysterious misfire in cylinder 4 that you read about. My cooling system /radiator went down. My drivers side door wouldn't open unless you threw yourself against it. The back hatch wouldn't close properly, so it leaked. My drivers seat broke. I had a few broken windshields like you read about. The computer never worked right. What a nightmare!

I took my cooper in for a tire noise. I paid diagnostic fee of $120 to figure out that it was an almost flat tire. They refused to apply the diagnostic fee towards the installation of the new tire. Also, I was charged $70 to put in two light bulbs. Has anyone had this experience? I feel very ripped off.

I have a 2005 Mini Cooper and from the day I purchased it used, I've had issues. I took this Mini in regularly for any service it required, however, I've had to replace numerous things under warranty and now, items out of warranty. I only have 60k miles on it and I was told that I need to replace the transmission because it makes noise but in order to take it apart and look, you can't rebuild a mini transmission so a new one would need to be purchased. This is after $5,000 in other repairs out of pocket after the numerous repairs under warranty.

Now I have to fix the alternator as well, which just went out several days ago. Other parts that have needed replacing include an engine temperature sensor (3 times), the bottom plate underneath the car, the battery (twice), power steering, brake pads and bearings. I'm so sick of fixing things on this car! Never have had a car with so many issues.

The headliner has started falling. This started at around 53,000 miles in January of 2011. The age of the car at this time was roughly 5 years and 10 months. This car has been garaged for most of its life. I have had cars for much longer than this and these type of problems do not seem normal for the mileage or age of the car.

I took my car to Rasmussen Mini, where I purchased it, and they forgot to put the plug back in after changing the coolant. I took it back in because it was losing coolant. The same thing but I took it to another mechanic and he found a crack in the radiator. I was told by Rasmussen Mini that they have a problem doing the radiator and the overheating after the coolant ran out wasn't their fault because the plug wasn't replaced.

I emailed Rasmussen Mini people, ten or more times, but not one single answer. They don't seem to care after the warranty is off. If Mini's have trouble with the radiator, they should just come out and say so.

I bought a low mileage car, 76000 miles. I smelled something burning while on my way to work. Guess what, no power steering! People need to file complaints with the NHTSA to get a recall ordered before people get killed. It's dangerous for women to drive if the power steering quits in a turn.

I have a 2008 Clubman. Overall, I really like the car. I bought it used with less than 6K miles, at a really good price. I would like to get a new one, but there are issues that turn me off about Mini/BMW--the dealers/sales/service people are just taught to deny, deny, deny problems. My windshield looks like the surface of the moon. "It's the angle," they say. "Low to the ground," they say. I have had VW bugs in the old days with practically vertical windshields that were no further from the ground. They just put cheap, soft glass in the Minis, and it won't change.

Their computer people are idiots--why would anyone think that they should totally reset my radio settings every time I get out of the car? Insane! The sunroof has no shield. At certain sun angles, the light is blinding--not a thing you can do about it--very dangerous. The instrument panel can be totally unreadable if you wear sunglasses with polarized lenses--totally blanks out your ability to read without removing your glasses. It was utterly stupid, and again, dangerous.

I have to start by saying that the Mini of Fairfield County in Stamford has been great about dealing with my '09 Clubman. I purchased this car as a post cancer treat to myself, trading in a 95 Mazda MX6 that had not given me a lick of trouble for the 14 years I owned it. It drives great, is a lot of fun, and hauls an awful lot of stuff! I do wish I got a turbo, but perhaps I would regret the tickets I would have invariably gotten. From the start, the sunroof stuck and would not open when parked in the sun. It went in several times. And now I just resign myself to pushing it up during the first hot spells of summer. One of the most frustrating problems was the car not starting. I push started the car the first time and dropped it off at the service department over the weekend. But it started when the mechanics showed for work on Monday.

I talked to the service department. I stated that at times it would not start (no noise, nothing when the button was depressed). But since no warning indicators flashed, they were at a loss. Over the next year, the car was towed in 4 times for not starting. The first three times it was okay by the time they got to it. The final time, I picked up the car after a week of being in service. The very next day it failed to start. When I dropped the car off that day, I also left both sets of keys and told them I didn't want the car back. They actually found the faulty wire that time and it has started ever since (almost a year now). Now the problem is leaking. First, the water in the spare tire well, now under the passenger side mats and on the driver side, is causing a soggy seat belt. It has been in twice or more for leaking. I live in CT. It rains. Get over it. Occasionally, I go to the car wash, get over it. And, here's the kicker: I do park outside. This car needs to get over it!

I cannot agree more with previous poster. I have a 2003 Cooper S with 97k miles. I have not touched clutch or transmission. I have only machined front rotors, no work on rear, change brake pads every 30k, change oil, rotate and align regularly. Over the life of the car, I have replaced the power steering pump, heater core, front and rear bushings, and a computer issue with ABS/traction control system. That was it in over 8 years total.

Your Cooper is a fantastic car, if you drive it properly and maintain it regularly. It is a foreign sports car and as such, it's going to cost you a premium to get maintenance done. Parts are generally more expensive than you'll find in a GM or Toyota. You should know that going in. Learn to drive properly and don't beat on it, maintain it regularly and most importantly, find a mechanic who works on minis because most local guys will not understand the car as well.

My car's power steering will intermittently fail while I'm driving. When I turn the car back on, it's fine again. I already had one pump since owning the car, number 2 will be next. When will Mini recall for this problem?

I have had two Mini Coopers, one the older model 2005, that everyone so loves to complain about, and the second a 2009 Mini Cooper S. I know several people that have Mini Coopers and love them. If you look on the internet, you will see countless websites for Mini Cooper fans; there is nothing wrong with Mini Cooper or BMW. These are singular issues.

I think it is unfair for consumers to complain about a company because they made a poor and/or ill-informed decision when buying a car.

Before purchasing a Mini Cooper, make certain that you will never have any need to contact their customer service, because they will do nothing. I received a letter in 8/2009 stating that the O2 sensor is showing a problem. The letter stated that it would be warranted for 10 years or 100,000 miles. My '05 Cooper had 58,000 miles. The O2 sensor failed this past July 2011. I had it replaced for $232.35 + tax. Mini refuses to pay for it. According to the customer relations supervisor, I was compelled to bring it to Mini for the service. On the letter, it states, "Please feel free to call the nearest authorized Mini dealer for an appointment." The supervisor stated that they cannot warranty labor done by a 3rd party dealer. I stated that I was not asking for a further guarantee, just the reimbursement for the Mini parts and labor, which was $232.35 + tax. It is not a huge amount of money. It is an amount which should have been covered.

My Mini Cooper Spontaneous caught on fire. Before all this happened, I took the car in for service. I stated to the service advisor that the car was not driving right. I said I'm sure that some services need to be looked at. My buddy ol' pal popped the key into the card reader and said, "Nope, nothing showed up. You're good to go." I exited with a smile on my face, never thinking twice. It could be that my mind was playing car games.

On Saturday, 8/27/11 (10:30 pm), the car was sitting in drive. I came home, parked the car and didn't hear or notice anything. On Sunday, 8/28/11 (4:00 pm), a police came knocking on the door. My car was on fire. The plantation fire department was in the process of putting out the fire. The cause was unknown. The fire department guy said, "From the looks of this incident, whats seems to cause this was the electrical fuse." The flames were shooting 8 ft in the air. The car is totaled. There's no engine. There's nothing left besides some of the interior cabin.

Power steering will intermittently fail while driving. When I turn the car back on, it's fine again.

Not today, though. I turned off the car and the power steering is still running. I can't get it to shut off. I called Bavarian BMW in Michigan and they said, "Just wait until it burns itself out. There isn't a recall but I can get you in here Monday to fix it for $1200."

Other people have had this issue and their car has caught fire. I'm worried.

Within the the fourth month of purchase, the radiator needed to be replaced and the warranty covered it. Upon 15K, the whole convertible top needed to be replaced due to inferior use of rubber or plastic for weather stripping (warranty covered it). The inferior run flat tires needed replacement at 15K and service admits that it was an inferior product. Since my warranty has run out (*Note: I'm at 40K on odometer), everything is falling apart. The transmission suspension has folded and service admits that it was due to inferior plastic issue. Also, the oil pan is leaking and automatic steering fluid is seeping out due to breakdown of rubber or plastic.

I bought my 2005 MINI convertible in March of 2006 with only 4,000 miles on it. At that time, it was still under warranty. Every summer, I would take the car to the dealership because the top would not go down. Last year, Rasmussen MINI paid to fix it even though it was out of warranty because I have had continual problems with the top. This year, it's broke yet again and MINI doesn't want to fix it because it's two years out of warranty. But the top has never worked right. I only have 28,000 miles on the car. I even called the corporate office, but to no avail. In fact, the girl named "Amy" was extremely rude.

I purchased a used 2005 MINI Cooper in October 2010 with less than 27,000 miles on it. I thought I was getting a good deal, especially with the low miles. Less than 100 days after driving it, the transmission went out. It now needs a new transmission costing anywhere from $5,500.00 for used to $9,000.00 for new. Seriously? As others have noted, MINI Cooper knows there is a problem with the transmission on the older models. Although they have changed the transmission in the newer models, they refuse to help with the older models.

I privately purchased a 2006 MINI John Cooper Works with very low miles of 11,000 and was still under warranty at the time. Within a period of owning this car, the gear box has locked up three times a year. The third time it happened, I took the car in to get the value of the retail price. I felt that I needed to sell the car because it was undependable. While they were test driving the car, it happened again. The clutch went to the floor and was stuck. They told me that the repair would be costly now that it's out of warranty. I would not leave owning this car so they made me an offer way below retail. I accepted the offer because I could not sell this car with integrity to a person without them knowing the problem. The bottom line is that I'm disappointed in the MINI Cooper. I take care of my cars and drive them for many years. This car was not dependable for a long time.

I am the owner of a 2006 mini Cooper and my car has 65,000 miles in it and needs a new transmission as well as a water pump, struts, oil gasket and other things. The quote I received totalled nearly $14,000 for all repairs, which is approximately what the resale value of the car is at this time if it were in good condition. I was only asking for help with the transmission, since they are asking close to $10,000 to replace it altogether as it cannot be fixed.

I have read up on many occurrences on the same nature of these cars manufactured between 2002-2006 and I was surprised when all they offered to me was either 20% off of a new transmission or $4,000 on a trade.

I will be making my last payment in September and I was excited about the possibility of trading up for a newer model. Instead, I will own a car that is technically negative in value. I have two sisters and a best friend who each own mini Coopers because of my enthusiasm for the car. They know my story and are just as disappointed to hear that the dealership would not even meet their customer's expectation but would rather lose a customer and possibly four. I guess it is out of their hands after they sell the car. In fact, I never even heard from the sales department again after the purchase not even a follow-up call.

In summary, over the five years that I have owned this car, if I were to pay for the repairs it needs now, I would be the proud owner of a Mini Cooper S that has cost me a grand total of $55,000 (this includes the cost of the car and all repairs completed and still needed). Please help. Thank you.

On 07 July 2011, I went out to my car and the right quarter panel window of my 2006 MINI Cooper Convertible was damaged. I called my insurance company and they took the car for an estimate. I was told that it was going to be in a shop for three weeks. Unfortunately, I couldn't leave it because I could not pay for a rental. I had lost my job and couldn't afford a rental so I settled. I was then told that I could get my window fixed at home. It would not be a problem, I thought.

I had three appointments for a window replacement and in all three times, no one showed. Nevertheless, I ended up calling Lauderdale MINI Service. I was informed that they had a window stock. I said, "Fine. I'll call you back." When I called back, they told me that they had the wrong part number so the window was not available. I asked if they could order me one. They said, "Sure. It will take a few days."

So, I continued to drive the car. After a week, my clutch went out and I had to get it towed to a shop. When the mechanic looked at it, they informed me that the hydraulic line base split into two. And when they called MINI, they were told that the part was on back order from Germany. I said, "Wow. You're kidding." So I called MINI service about the rental and I was told that it was up to the dealer. I had called and spoke to Jessica about the issue. I informed her that I felt like I shouldn't have to pay for a car rental because it's not my fault that the part is on back order. She told me to call MINI customer relations and there was nothing she could do. After I told her that I had already spoken with customer relations, I was passed the buck at least five times.

Now, I'm told by the mechanic that my battery is dead when I had just bought it two months ago. I have had a rental for three weeks and my car is going to cost well over $1,000.00. Still, I have no window because it is also coming from Germany. It seems like I am back to square one and I have no windows, no car.

When I called the service department, I spoke to a woman named Ann, who gave me all the information on my window. After a few days, she claimed that she never spoke to me so I'm still getting nowhere. I will never buy a MINI again. They are crooks.

I have a 2006 Mini Cooper with a manual transmission. The engine and clutch were just bought in 2009. But now, it already needs transmission repair or needs to be rebuilt.

I purchased a brand new Mini Countryman in May. It has now been in the shop four times for problems that have escalated in degree. Now it has brake issues. They have now had my car for six days this time.

I have sent many many e-mails to mini of Towson and mini of america and they indicate that the peeling of the coating on my rims is just "curb scratches". Well dealing with this type of answer indicates they DON'T care about there customers and maybe future customers.

Based on this I will not buy another $28,000 car from MIni who does not care

My 17 year daughter went to a local car lot, and fell in love with a 2004 Mini Cooper. She went to the bank on her own, and bought this car. Two weeks after having it, the oil pump went out. I say went out, I believe it had an issue when she bought it.

Our bad is, we own an auto repair shop, but she didn't let her dad check it before she bought it. She left the parking lot and I noticed a puddle under her car. When she came back there was no oil on the stick.

She called on the warranty (that the dealer had her purchase), but because she didn't tow the car 1/2 a mile back to the auto repair shop the warranty will not cover if the engine is knocking or locked up.

After getting it in the shop her dad noticed the oil light had been disabled from the dash and an oil sending gauge had been installed. The car had oil in it when she left or there would not have been a puddle. We were able to fix the oil pump and all the gaskets and sealed that were leaking. It seems to have been running okay; with the exception of mysteriously losing 2 quarts of oil after a week.

He's guessing a rod. So now she has $9000 in car payments, and may need a motor. Biggest piece of junk we have ever experienced.

For the parts to be on the high end (expensive), they sure didn't design a high quality car here.

I purchased a used 2002 Mini Cooper S from Mini of Knoxville with 70,000 miles. I thought I was purchasing a great car from a reputable dealer but it turns out that I was not. After just a day, the clock stopped working and a screw fell out of the lower dash trim a week later, and in the following month my windshield trim began pulling away.

Within the first month, my power steering pump went out nearly killing me and my wife. I tried to work through Mini USA and I was told to take it to a dealer who preceded to tell me that I had a whopping $3400 in repairs! I told them I just bought the car a month ago from them!

The car needed a P.S. pump ($1400), front control arm bushings, total shot ($900), crank pulley, balancer and belt which were warped ($500) and that the brake fluid and coolant were in terrible shape (remaining cost). Oh, and by the way, the tires were the wrong size. This is the way I was sold the car.

After fighting with the dealer, they replaced the pulley and belt and that's it. They told me "sorry, you bought a used car." Where is honesty? I thought we had a lemon law, it turns out not so much. I removed the p.s. pump and had it sent off and rebuilt for $225 and replaced it 30 minutes total. WHY is MINI so EVIL?

I had gone to the grocery store and was heading home when my car stopped. It was towed to bmw/mini in White Plains. They told me that the transmission is cracked and is not covered by warranty and will cost roughly $7,000.00 to fix.

My car is a 2009 with 27,000 miles on it and I did not hit anything to cause the crack. I will have to pick up my plates and let them keep the car. I am 26 years old, still living at home, and I do not have the money to fix this.

I bought a brand new 2006 Mini Cooper S convertible in April of 2006. I have brought the car several times to the dealer for maintenance and minor service while the car was under 36,000/3 years. I have complained three times before the 36,000 mile mark that the engine was loud from a knock/rattling I heard and each time, it was dismissed by the dealer as XYZ. Assuming they were the experts, I figured it was nothing. Well the knocking didn't get any better over time. The next time I brought the car to the dealer, it was two years later and the car had about 43000 miles on it. Keep in mind, I own two other cars, so driving this wasn't a priority. It was supposed to be my fun car. I hadn't returned to the dealer in two years because I thought the car was out of warranty and I can get oil changes cheaper locally. This time, when I went to the dealer, I brought this up again and told them specifically when the knocking occurs which they never asked when the knocking or loud engine sounds occurred. I gave them specifics and suddenly they were able to figure out what it was. Now that the car is out of warranty, it's the dual fly-wheel that knocks and its $3,500 to repair.

I was unhappy to hear about it because I brought it up when I bought the car but since I am not an auto mechanic, I didn't have the technical name of what it did. It also knocked the loudest when the car was cold. What pissed me off is that they acted like I was crazy. The worst part is they accidentally gave me a copy of a service bulletin from Mini corporate that addressed the dual fly-wheel problem from 2006 then revised in 2007 then again in 2009. The long and short of it, they knew about the problem and according to the service bulletin, it allowed for repairs at customer request.

I called Mini corporate and told them my story. They said that they would help but didn't because the car hadn't been brought to the dealer in two years. In the end, nothing was done because the car was over four years old (although under the 50,000 miles limit). I did not know there was a drive train warranty of 4 years/50,000 miles. I assumed it was 3 years/36000 miles. This is the number one reason I didn't go back to the dealer. To add insult to injury, the dealer told me that if I had come before the car was four years old, they would have helped me, but I did, several times. Had I known how inferior Mini cars were, I would have opted for the extended warranty or another manufacturer.

I have owned over ten cars and never had a problem like this. I do not have $3,500 sitting there waiting to fix a transmission on a new car, especially after paying over $30,000 for it. I asked the dealer to get me in touch with the regional person and I'm still waiting three months later. I asked the dealer for something in writing stating that they are not covering it and still waiting on that. The sad thing is that, I have had better experiences with less expensive vehicles by other manufacturers like Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, Chevrolet, GMC, and Mercury.

I just wanted them to honor the service bulletin they knew existed. I just wanted my car fixed for a known defect.

My automatic 2006 Mini Cooper with full option had many different problems from the beginning (e.g. A/C hose broke at week 1). But the transmission problem is really what angers me and makes me want to start thinking about legal steps. My car is 4 years and 7 months old with 75,000 miles yet the transmission is already broken. I still haven't paid off my car at this point and they are saying that the car is only worth $3,500. I guess they know Mini is **.

I am an owner of a Mini Cooper S 2006. I bought it used with less than 2,000 miles on it. It has been Mini maintained and now at less than 44k, the AC compressor has gone out. I, of course, am out of warranty and Mini wants 2,900 to repair and/or replace it. I think this is wrong as it appears that many of the 2006 Minis have the same problem. Why they won't issue a recall is crazy.

I brought a brand new 2003 Mini Cooper in 2002. I noticed when I got to 43,000 miles, my gear was hard to shift between 2 and 3. I took my mini back to the dealer in Eastpoint, Mi at the time they have relocated to Shebly Township, MI because it was under warranty. It was replaced.

The second time the same thing happened again at 80,000 miles. I was told it's because of the way I drive, which is a bunch of crap. I drove to Florida before this happened and had to have it repaired in Florida, which was a headache and cost me $3,600 dollars to fix. Now my mini is at 160,000 miles. Let's see if this crap happens again. If so, I'm selling it!

I have had my Mini Cooper since May 29, 2010. I have always driven and taken good care of it. One day in May 2011, my car stopped driving. I had it towed to my house, which led to having it re-towed to the dealer.

While I waited for them to give me the OK, it took a week or so for them to tell me that I drove it in the rain of some sort or the water entered the engine through an intake valve . I could not believe that they called this an act of God and that they do not want to honor the warranty. I never drove the car through any large puddles nor did I do any thing to endanger my car in any way. I argued for weeks on this and now all that BMW (who owns the car) claims is that it's out of their hands.

So I am now stuck holding the bag. The company is BMW on Tarrytown Rd in White Plains, N.Y. I was shocked. Now the only thing to do with this problem is to continue my quest for justice. I am paying off this car and no one cares.

My Mini Cooper S suffered a transmission failure. The car is a 2005 year model with 91K miles. I purchased it brand new. The transmission cannot be repaired; it can only be replaced. There is no re-build kit from the manufacturer that would reduce the cost of the transmission repair. I have been researching the transmission failures on the internet, and this appears to be a common problem. BMW has known about the problem, but has not had a recall on the transmission. The newer models have a new style transmission. The failure is not due to lack of maintenance. The unit is sealed and there is no maintenance schedule from the manufacturer (BMW).

I bought a new 2005 Mini Cooper S straight from Hassel BMW in Freeport Long Island. This car has been a nightmare to deal with! So many trips to the service center and now to an independent repair shop as it is out of warranty. From faulty fuel pumps at 15,000 miles, 2 sunroofs replaced, rattles inside the cockpit coming from the dashboard that the dealer could not find out where they were coming from, window motors replaced (they need to be replaced again as windows make constant noise and sometimes get stuck) passenger side seat stays in a locked position may need a new rack, power steering pump failure at 45,000 miles, almost drove into a wall keeping the car on the road.

I complained to Mini USA and they were of no help. I had to pay out of my pocket for repairs. I had to replace the power steering fan as well, the alternator went on the car just last year, the mechanic suggested the pulleys be replaced as well as a new belt and the battery needed to be changed as the old one was weak. Now, recently the car is making a rattling noise which my mechanic thinks it may be a timing chain issue which means all of the components associated with it need to be replaced and if this does not solve the issue, the cause of the rattle may be a faulty supercharger, all of which is not under warranty.

All these services and repairs on a car that has 62,000 miles is just horrible. I expected a lot more from BMW,. I am seriously thinking of selling this piece of crap and get whatever I can get for it and I will never buy another car from this company.

Right at 100,000 miles, everything stopped working. The service dept. at the Mini dealer treated me like a third rate citizen. Just 150 miles after extended warranty expired, my transmission took a dump. This car is a money pit and will, most likely, be junk before it's paid off. Mini needs to be sued and held accountable for all the trouble that people have suffered by purchasing these lemons. Horrible!

I bought a 2005 Mini Cooper with a CVT that I was totally unaware of its disastrous flaws. I used it for hwy miles only. I am 52 years old and drive like an old lady. On Saturday, April 20th 2011, the transmission would not shift into the upper gears. The adaptations were reset but this did not work. (200 dollars). The BMW Mini Cooper technicians believed that it was the computer brain. So we replaced the brain and the battery for the correct voltage and this did not work (769 dollars). After replacing the computer brain, the system started giving fault codes saying that the transmission pulley was not functioning correctly. BMW Mini Cooper does not sell parts to fix the CVT nor are they available in the USA, and do they work on their own transmissions in the cars that they sell.

I come to find out that there are thousand of people who have experienced the Mini Cooper CVT problem with financial consequences that are devastating. I requested Mini to change the transmission to the new model so I could escape the CVT money trap. They have changed their transmissions and mounts so that the owner of these car that have the CVT are stuck with throwing them away or purchasing the $7500.00 rebuilt transmission.

BMW Mini offers no replacement parts for transmission shop in the USA and because they offer no rebuild parts, the CEO, CFO, and Board Of Directors of BMW Mini Cooper know you are trapped, and have deliberately designed this system because they know of this problem and will not offer the public a way out. By deliberate design, BMW Mini Cooper is committing the largest in your face fraud and is doing it publicly.

Most people don't know that BMW received a two million dollar import tax break when they started importing the Mini Cooper to the USA because it brought the mpg rating up to a specific level. Our US government has given this auto (BMW Mini cooper) maker two million dollar tax break to devastate its citizens. The legislative branch of our government are asleep at the wheel again or have been turning a blind eye to this assault.

I am upside down for $8600 in this car. As much as it make me want to vomit, I am trying to get Mini Cooper to give me the trade in value of the total cost of repairs of $9,100.00 towards a new Mini without the CVT. I can go and put down this kind of money on a new car, but I can't afford two payment and eventually, I would end up defaulting on one of the loans.

I almost lost my home because I live so far from work that without a car, I would lose my job which pay my mortgage. If you need me to testify or sign any affidavits to help you in suing these crooks or you know of any lawyers that have taken action against this corruption, I can help in any way. If any of you want to approach this from a legal matter, or have been notifying your senators or congress person, or need me to testify as to the corrupt business practice that BMW Mini Cooper is clearly demonstrating, please let me stand with you.

They knew then and know now that this transmission is defective and their conduct is reprehensible. If there is a God out there, may He take from the executive of this company in the same porting that they have taken from the average American family.

I bought a 2005 Mini Cooper S on April 17, 2010 with 95k miles on it. It is now, May 19, 2011, and it has roughly 115,000 miles. About 3 months ago, I drove it to class (about an hour drive), and I noticed that when I shut the car off, the fans would stay on. So after this kept happening, I took it to a mechanic who told me that the coolant system was 2 gallons low. He filled it up, and I had no problems for about 3 weeks. Then it happened again!

At least now, I know how to fix it. But it is annoying having to keep a gallon of water in my car and checking the level every day to make sure it isn't low. Overheating can cause all kinds of problems with an engine. I don't, if it's leaking or if the engine runs so hot that it evaporates. But a warning light saying low coolant level never comes on. The car's temperature gauge just overheats when stopped and cools back off while driving over 40 mph--very annoying!

Also, the service engine soon keeps coming on, and mechanics keep telling me it's probably the gas cap but could be other things. Wow. But other than that, it's a nice car. It gets 30 mpg which is great for a supercharged engine, and everything else works fine.

I was thrilled to purchase a 2003 MINI S in January. Then last week the power steering suddenly failed in a tight turn and at speed. I was strong enough to muscle it through but then without warning it sparked back on and I nearly hurled the car into a head-on crash! Wow, was I shaking when I go the beast pulled over to the curb. Local dealer says no recall. Web search pulls up hundreds of cases. Some with engine bay fires that totaled the car. I filed a complaint with NHTSA, called MINIUSA and got lip service. Now I have to fork out $1100+ and put this car I was starting to fall in love with and put it up for sale.

At 90k miles, my tensioner and timing chaining were ceasing up the engine, resulting in over $4,000 in repairs. Mini Cooper refused to cover this, even though it is a known issue. I was told that it was a known issue with the S model, not mine, therefore, they would not assist with the expense of repairs. It is obviously an issue! The dealership was kind enough to deduct 20%, so the end result was $3,460 bill for repairs.

Our mini cooper automatic transmission failed at 62,000 miles. According to the car mechanic it had a hole in it and therefore lost transmission fluid. He was able to rebuild it for $3000, but did not warranty it. Now at 86,000 and 1 year later it failed again, it is not worth repairing for $7500. Also the fuel tank failed and that was $900. We believe these transmissions should be recalled! The consequence is that the value is down to $1000 for parts only. We feel this should be a class action suit!

Power steering failed, transmission went out. BMW owners of Mini will not stand behind products

This is to let you know that I am currently waiting on a new OEM replacement for Part 16111500998 which is the fuel tank mounting strap for my '04 Mini Cooper S. The strap has rusted through and the tank which is a single tank but is situated transversely over the top of the drive shaft has shifted or dropped on the right side about 4+ inches. This is due most probably to the Calcium Chloride that is sprayed on the Massachusetts roads in winter instead of spreading of salt. This stuff is doing huge amounts of damage to cars and trucks. My car, despite being a 2004, has only 40,000 miles on it! The first of the two inline exhausts is also very damaged for the same reason I suspect. I am just logging this complaint just to get something on record.. No need for action for my part, but either the part or the CACL needs changing or both. Thanks, Anthony

I have never been more disappointed in an automobile than in the BMW's Mini Cooper. BMW, Bavarian Motor Works, is German hyperbole for quality when it really stands for scheiss. Google that, Mini owners. I purchased a new Mini Cooper in 2005 and have faithfully had it serviced by the Mini dealer as advised by the owners' manual. Repairs, up until recently, have consisted of normal routine maintenance such as tires, brakes, and the regularly scheduled oil changes. I faithfully adhered to the recommended maintenance checks.

In November 2010, the engine light kept coming on intermittently. I ended up spending almost $1000 on repairs for a variety of problems from belt replacements to fluids. In January 2011, with less than 80,000 miles on the car, I took it in because the engine light kept coming on. One of the pistons was misfiring, which resulted in my having to have the engine retooled costing me more than $2500.

Today, May 2011, I thought I was just buying two new tires. The Mini mechanic said that my fuel pump is leaking and that the bushings are shot which will all cost me another $2500. I don't know about you, but I could be making new car payments for far less than I am paying out in repairs.

I am now afraid to keep my 2005 Mini Cooper for I do not know what else is going to go wrong and how much it is going to cost. I am very disappointed in the lack of quality and the enormous expense associated with the Mini Cooper. It is time for me to part ways with the Mini and time for me to purchase a more reliable automobile. In six months, I have paid out more than $6,000 in repairs on a Mini Cooper that has less than 80,000 miles.

My power steering pump went out at 80,000 miles. It's the same problem scores Minis have had and still no recall, pathetic. The pump drained the battery and must be replaced. Dealership is charging $1200 as it is out of warranty.

I am submitting this formal complaint regarding complete lack of service and breach of industry standards by Mini Cooper Roadside Assistance (Mini) and Bostonian Towing Company in Alston, MA on March 15, 2011.

The events of this day are as follows: I was unable to start my 2010 Mini Cooper car due to an ignition problem, and as a result I was forced to leave my car on Boylston Street in Boston, MA. At approximately 7:00 am that morning, I called Mini Roadside Assistance and was told that I had to purchase this service of $99.00 for the year, even though my car was less than 1 year old and under warranty. The woman representative on the phone looked up my car by my VIN number so she should have been aware that I did not need to pay for roadside assistance because I was covered under warranty, but she charged me anyway. This process took about 30 minutes.

I then had to go to work (an hour outside of Boston), and was told I could arrange all this via telephone, and called Mini from work. I was told that they would send out a tow truck and have my car towed to Herb Chambers Mini dealer in Boston (where I purchased my vehicle). I then got a call from Bostonian Towing Co., the company called upon by Mini, and I was told by the man that my car was damaged on three sides and that it was a liability to tow my car unless I signed a waiver, or called Mini and gave them permission. I told him my car was not damaged when I left it, and that is merely parked there. The tow truck person told me I was lying. Please imagine the intense overwhelming stress I am experiencing at this point. An hour from work thinking my car is damaged.

I then call the insurance company to file a claim. I call back MINI and I got a rep on the phone who told me that he cannot tow my car and it won't be covered. He said they will not tow my car because they did not know what the issue was, and if it was the key it would not be covered. I told the person I wanted my $99 dollars refunded and the MINI person yelled at me on the phone. The MINI rep then conceded and called back the man at Bostonian Towing and told him I waived responsibility for any damage. The Bostonian Tow person called me back and said he would go and get my car. At this point in time, it is around 1:00 pm and this ordeal with the MINI started at 7:00 am.

At 2:00 pm the Bostonian tow person called me and told me my car is no longer there, that it must have been stolen or towed by the city. Now I am totally frantic, and I call the Boston tow lots, the police, etc. For two hours, I was calling everywhere and there is no record of my car. The Police said they could not have towed it because its illegal to tow from a metered spot so it must be stolen.

Luckily I was parked outside the Four Seasons Hotel, and the security guard there was nice enough to go outside to see if my car was there. The security guard informed me that not only was my car still parked there safe and sound, but that there was no damage to my car whatsoever. The only thing on my car was a pile of parking tickets! I was and remain horrified.

I called back MINI and try to arrange for a tow at 7:00 pm and I would be there. The MINI person said that they would arrange this and call to confirm the company with me. I said not to use Bostonian towing. By 6:30 pm I had never received a call from MINI saying that I had a tow confirmation, so I called back for the 30th time to discover they never made a call and arranged for a tow at 7:00. Finally at this point, 13 hours later, they set up an appointment and the tow person came at 8:00 pm and finally towed my car.

I have incurred emotional distress and innumerable parking tickets as a result of this event. I filed a complaint and a woman from MINI called me back and said she would send me a check for the parking tickets. I have never received a check or a follow up call. In addition, I have tried to follow up numerous times (from work) and I am kept on hold forever, transferred to the wrong departments, transferred to BMW, and so on not one person has helped me and there is no where to file a complaint.

This is horrendous customer service and completely unacceptable. I should never have endured this emotional distress, expense of tickets and paying for a service that is supposed to be free on a car less than a year old under warranty. To date, nothing has been done to rectify this situation. At the very minimum I would like my tickets reimbursed immediately. This is the minimum, and something should be done for the rest of this ordeal. I have told this story too many times to too many people.

I live in Chile and bought my second Mini Cooper in July last year (Cooper S). When it reached 5.900kms, a signal lit up showing some problem in the engine that required me taking it for maintenance. Gildemiester, the local distributor that also represents Hyundai, has had the car for almost 7 weeks now and still hasn't finished fixing the problem. They've given me partial answers and little information plus gave me a spare car in week 3 after my claims about service.

A mail to Gildemesiters management explaining my case for some attention wasn't responded and neither did they bother calling back. A shame that Mini has these problems - both technical and poor customer service - with all the money they spend in marketing and quality. Previously, my first Mini Cooper also suddenly lost power steering, making me almost crash into a curve. That time, the issue was managed by Williamson Balfour and was also resolved in more or less 6 weeks. As you can see, nothing has changed. Service is lousy!

My 2005 Manual Mini Cooper was always a great car until recently. I had always kept up on the service and oil changes but suddenly when I was driving there was a strange noise. I brought it to a mechanic after not being able to get an appointment at the Mini dealer near my house for three weeks. When we went to back out the car for a test drive the transmission locked up and a large puddle of oil or transmission fluid appeared under the car. It appeared to have tiny bits of metal in it.

The mechanic has worked on a lot of minis and said he had to switch out the transmissions on 4 in the last 2 months. I only have 45,000 miles on my car. It is going to cost me $3,500-$3,700 to have him rebuild it and frankly I am worried that this will just happen again. He said that we should not be using the synthetic oil because it is too thin. Frankly I am very upset. If there is a class action lawsuit I want to be a part of it. I contacted Mini and the news station but nothing yet. Why isn't there more information about this?

I bought a Mini Cooper S model in February 2007 from a private party. I recently passed the 50,000 mile engine warranty. The car, at 51000 miles, is no longer under full engine warranty. I received a check engine light and began hearing rattling sounds during cold starts. I brought it to an authorized Mini dealership (Mini of Mountain View, Ca and spoke with a man named Jesse. They had me call the 800 number they gave me. I called, spoke to a rep. who took down all of my information and told me she'd call me back. She called back today and told me that Mini would not be helping me in any way with the timing chain replacement, which is the problem.

At this point, I am extremely angry because Mini authorities told me that since I didn't buy the car from a Mini dealership and since I didn't do all of my maintenance at Mini authorized dealerships, that they were not going to take responsibility for their design flaw regarding the timing chain. Keep in mind that Mini sent a technical service bulletin to all its dealerships warning them about faulty timing chains in 2007 S models. It's obvious to me that Mini is clearly ducking responsibility for their design mistake regarding a substandard timing chain box.

I bought a used 2003 MC a few weeks ago. I drove it for exactly a week and 1/2. The transmission quit on me in the middle of the highway. I am 24 and work at Walmart. So, I can't exactly afford to fix this and pay my car payment (which I haven't even made the 1st payment on). I was wondering if you could give me some advice. My family doesn't have a lot of money. So, I am looking to get enough compensation to cover myself without going through a bunch of expensive lawyers. It has 107,000 miles on it. I've been researching this CVT transmission. It basically is faulty across the board. I paid $8000 for what I thought was a really good deal on my dream car. It would cost me that much or more to replace this transmission. And I can't even drive it anywhere. If you could reply to me by e-mail, I would love any advice you could give me.

This is not so much about the dealership as it is about the product. My 2007 Mini Cooper lost power steering. Thankfully, I was in a parking lot and not on the highway. I had to have it towed 45 miles to the dealership. This dealership was happy to repair it for $2,700. I had to replace the whole rack. I am very disappointed to learn that this is a recurring problem. My regular mechanic told me that there is most likely going to be a recall on the Mini because of this problem.

I bought a used 2003 Mini Cooper in June. It's throttle body went out the first month. The 5-speed manual transmission failed the next month, costing $3,000.00 to fix. Then the power steering failed. I got sick of paying to keep this junk car on the road, so I traded it but took a real beating on trade value.

I bought a used 2003 Mini Cooper in June. The throttle body went out the first month. The 5 speed manual transmission failed the next month ($3,000.00 to fix). Then, the power steering failed. I got sick of paying to keep this junk car on the road so I traded it (but took a real beating on trade value).

2008 Mini Cooper 56,000 miles. Turbocharger failed due to blocked oil supply line, caused from poor design. Car is 5600 mile out of warranty and BMW of Dallas wouldn't cover and was going to charge 4200.00 to repair. I'm repairing this for my friend due to high cost.

If you own a Mini Cooper, you should take your car to a repair shop to have the oil supply line changed, it will plug it's a matter of time. I modified the new oil supply line, I work on aircraft and all engine compartment flammable supply lines have a flame resistance sleeve over the line.I used this same theory and put this protective sleeve to protect the oil supply line from the heat that will cause coking of engine oil inside the line. Looks great and will last forever.

Poor engineering design of oil supply line. Mini Cooper should cover this repair and won't. They have a SI to place a small cover over the area in question after the turbo fails and will cost the consumer 4200.00. The cover cost 18.00.

Roughly 2 months later, I had to replace the entire steering wheel pump for the same reason, all a cost with labor at about $1,000. This is nuts. It's definitely a design flaw as the fan & pump are positioned in a vulnerable area. BMW put thought into the visual aesthetics of the exterior design but failed to design/engineer the mechanics to weather the elements. For $30K, I expect much more from a car & company. This isn't acceptable.

I have a Mini Cooper 2005 Base model - after only 45000km, the steering fan was completely corroded, as it's totally exposed to the elements, making the power steering fail abruptly during sharp, sudden turns & at times randomly, compromising control of the vehicle and potentially very serious consequences.

Roughly two months later, I had to replace the entire steering wheel pump for the same reason. All cost, with labor, at about $1,000. This is nuts. It's definitely a design flaw as the fan & pump are positioned in a vulnerable area. BMW put though into the visual aesthetics of the exterior design but failed to design/engineer the mechanics to weather the elements. For $30K, I expect much more from a car & a company. This isn't acceptable.

I brought my vehicle in for a transmission diagnostic at $150.00. I was told that the engineers on the East Coast needed more data to troubleshoot the problem so the technicians in Honolulu could determine the problem.

I was asked to cough up $300.00 more to determine if the problem was an electronic issue. If I paid $150.00 to have the car placed on the diagnostic system at the dealer, shouldn't it be diagnosed? The car has less than 60,000 and I drive 5 miles to work each day. I was told the island is rough on these cars and that is why there are problems. I was told that the dealership has not heard of any transmission problem in my Mini Cooper S. I bought the car when it had 50,000 from the dealer and feel this car had issues that they new about.

Is there a class action suit on this model? What are my rights when the dealer keeps asking for more money and I still do not know what the problem is? Please help.

I purchased a 2002 Mini Cooper with 34,000 miles on it. We owned it for a little over one year and with only 44,000 miles on it, the transmission went. Mini Cooper of Manhattan quoted me $5000 for the part and $4400 to install it (27 hours of labor?).

I called Mini U.S.A. about this and was basically told" Oh well, these things happen,Sorry". Here's a car with 44,000 miles on it and the transmission goes. Never again Mini Cooper. Buyer beware. My local mechanic told me not to buy it just for this reason. I should have listened to him.

The windshield on my 2003 Mini Cooper S with water-sensing wipers has cracked three times; always at the same spot in the top center, spreading out to the side. Last time it was replaced (at an independent window shop) they told me I should check with the dealer-something to do with defective design and/or manufacture. The car is now 8 years old with 170,000 miles but I'm taking it to the dealer to see if there might be a service bulletin covering this issue.

I parked my 2009 Mini Cooper S in a parking lot with a slight incline. I've parked there many times before. I left the car with the parking brake fully engaged. The car rolled out of the parking space and hit another vehicle causing extensive damage. The law enforcement officer and the owner of the other car both confirmed that the parking brake on the Mini was fully engaged, but did not hold the car. Watch out for faulty parking brakes on Mini Coopers. There are other similar warnings on this web site.

I recently filed a complaint against Mini of Ontario. I would like to retract the complaint. My situation is being handled in a most professional manner and to my satisfaction.

Bought my 2005 Mini used three years ago and it was still under warranty. Had it less than a year when it had an oil leak and had to have that fixed along with the clutch pads replaced since the oil had leaked there. Mini was aware of this problem (oil leak) and it was covered under my warranty. Replaced the horrible run flat tires with all season tires before 30,000 miles and had the front brakes replaced at 37,000 miles.

Now at 52,00 highway miles service engine, soon light came on and Mini says I have to replace the head and gaskets to the tune of $4500! They tried to blame me by saying I must have been putting bad gas in it. I have never had a car that was so expensive to maintain and dealer so crappy to deal with. Needless to say, I am out $4500 and will never buy another Mini Cooper and will most likely get rid of this one.

I had to have my 2005 Mini Cooper, with 46,000 miles on it, towed from Barstow, Ca. to Ontario because it went to "limp mode". I was traveling at 70 mph and lost power to 15 mph. I was told that the super charger belt needed to be replaced. Total bill was $3667.72. I took out a loan to pay for it.

On the drive back to Las Vegas where I live, I had to have it towed back to the dealer because a clamp was not put on correctly. Now, two months later, I get a service engine that soon lights on. I take it to Desert Mini of Las Vegas and it appears the problem has to do with the super charger belt. Possibly a clamp not being put on or done incorrectly. I feel that Mini of Ontario should pay for the labor charges, which I was told was about $300.00, since they did the original work and it was not done right. This car has cost us more than it is worth and I can see more repairs coming. Something should be done about the inferior craftsmanship and someone should be held accountable.

We own a 2005 Mini Cooper S Convertible and we've been experiencing some problems with our power steering for a few months now and they have recently become quite disturbing. We've been noticing that our power steering will go out and if we pull over and shut the car off for a few seconds and turn it back on then we seem to have power steering again for a while. The scary thing is when you're on the interstate and it goes out and it's not so easy to pull over and that has happened to us a few times commuting back and forth to Chicago.

Last night my husband drove it and when he stopped it sounded like a fan was running and he didn't think a lot about it (he figured it would shut off after it cooled down), but when he came back to the car to leave the battery was dead and he had to have it jumped. He drove back home and turned the car off and it sounded like a fan was still running. He raised the hood and it wasn't a fan running like he thought, it seemed to be something to do with the power steering and even when the car wasn't running, it still had power steering. My husband ended up unhooking the battery just to get it to stop running and we are not sure what we should do now.

My Mini has less than 35,000 miles. The battery had to be changed. With the new battery, all of a sudden it started making this humming/whirring noise. We had it towed and was told that the power steering was going to fail and could not cool itself down. We had to, obviously, have it replaced. With the recent news on Mini's and their possible power steering issues, I have to wonder if this failure was caused by the faulty parts installed.

I have 2003 mini cooper. I had my power steering fan replaced. Soon after, my power steering would cut out intermittently. This seemed to happen more often in the summer. My mechanic has not been able to diagnose the problem.

My 2003 Mini Cooper with 40,000 miles blew its transmission. It cost $7,400 to fix.

We have a 2007 Mini Cooper S, which at approximately 12000 miles had to have the clutch. This was done under warranty. Now at approximately 28000 miles, it needs another clutch, this time the estimated cost is $3800. We have been told that it is our fault. This could possibly be true, until you know the other facts.This is our fourth Mini Cooper since 2004. The first went to approximately 42000 miles, the second went to approximately 38000 miles, the third is the problem child and the fourth only has approximately 10,000 miles.

We also have in the family a 1989 Alfa Romeo Spyder with 54000 miles on the clock. If any car has a delicate clutch, it's the Alfa. The point being that we have a bad car with a company that does not stand behind its product. As long as we were buying Minis and not complaining, we were as good as gold but now that we have a problem, Mini/BMW does not want to know us. In fact they will not even return phone calls. A problem I noticed which is common amongst literally hundreds of other customers whom I have read about on the Internet. In short I will not be recommending the Mini/BMW Brand to anyone in the future nor will we be buying any more of their products.

Lastly, if anyone out there is considering a joint lawsuit, count us in.

I was driving my 2007 Mini Cooper S en route 75S on my way from Rochester to Atlanta. I got behind a very serious car accident and we were in stop and go traffic for over two miles. When I finally got back on the highway, the car suddenly started to "slip" when I accelerated at 65 mph. I could not figure out what it was, but it wasn't consistent. I made it to the hotel. I hoped that the problem was related to being stuck in traffic at 90+ degrees for so long and that the car would be okay. I got back in the next morning, a Sunday morning at 8:00 am. I wanted to get out there before there was a lot of traffic to content with and it is a good thing I did. I did not get a mile down the road when suddenly the car decelerated to 20 mph. I managed to get it off the road safely. I got out of the car and I could smell the clutch burning.

I am a 56 year old woman and was stranded on the highway in Kentucky all by myself. I called for roadside assistance. The guy arrived and told me that there was no Mini Cooper dealer for 200 miles and they suggested I have them tow it to Cincinnati. I don't know a soul in Cincinnati and I did not want to go back 200 miles. I called my daughter and she immediately left Atlanta to try to come and rescue me, although it would be hours before she would arrive. She had called her auto mechanic and he told her she could probably tow the Mini with her Ford Explorer. In the meantime, the state police showed up, very, very nice gentleman. I told him that I was not sure what to do and what my daughter had planned. I discussed it with him and the roadside service guys. The trooper told me that they actually thought my daughter might be able to tow it and that there was a U-Haul at the next exit just a little way down the road.

I had the roadside service people tow the car to the U-Haul and waited until 10:00 am for them to open. When they did, they informed me that we could not use a Ford Explorer to tow the Mini, that it was against company policy. Remember when there was all that trouble a few years back with Explorer tires and all of the lawsuits? Well, apparently, U-Haul got pulled into those lawsuits so they will not let you tow one of their trailers with an Explorer. However, they informed me that they could rent me a truck and trailer so I could tow my car myself. They called a 76-year-old guy to come and get my car up on that trailer and he did it with a hand winch all by himself. I was scared to death. I have been driving nothing but small cars for years and now I have a huge truck and trailer with my car on it to tow to Atlanta in 70 mph traffic.

I ended up behind another accident a couple of hours down the road. I had been hanging onto the steering wheel so hard my hands were numb. I went into a convenience store and got the truck filled up. Unfortunately, I could not pull it back out because of the way cars were parked. I wanted to sit on the curb and cry like the girl I still am. I got up and walked around the truck and trailer and could see the only way I was going to get out was to go the wrong way down a one-way exit and that is what I wound up doing. I finally arrived in Atlanta at 9:00 pm at night. I pulled into my daughter's apartment complex and she came running into the parking lot. We both expected that I would not make it. I was literally terrified I would crash that truck and my car.

The roadside people again arrived and towed my little car to my daughter's mechanic. After reading what happened to everybody else with clutch problems on their Mini's, I knew it was futile to even try to get the dealer to do anything and that it would be a $3000.00 job. I have 50,000 miles on my Mini and I am sure, just like everyone else, I would be blamed for that fried clutch. I have been driving cars with manual transmissions for 40 years, since the day I turned sixteen, and I have never ever had to replace a clutch. I did not have $3000.00 to pay Mini to fix the car so I had to trust my daughter's mechanic. I have been in Atlanta for five weeks. The car has turned into the nightmare from hell for our mechanic. He states that he has never had such a difficult repair job. He was working on it again on Friday, when something (I don't know what) gave on the car, hitting him in the head causing a severe concussion.

At this point, I don't know what I am going to do. It cost me $700.00 to tow the car to Atlanta from Lexington. I paid this guy for the parts and the car is still not done. I have not been home or seen my husband in six weeks. I may have to abandon the car and fly home. I may very well end up having to pay for a car for the next three years that I no longer have. I am going to buy another car when I can afford it, but it will never be another BMW product, not ever! I could post another whole long story about my daughter's BMW that would make you cringe at the financial consequences to all of us. I am going to buy a car that can be fixed in any city in the USA. Cute will not be a factor.

The problem is my MINI S. I did not believe that it would be a regret to own the MINI although I bought it because I believe it is a lifetime car. My car chassis#: TG07XXX - 2009 nearly one year full of maintenance and unsafe MINI experience. I will list some of the problems I faced: 1. SEAT BELTS did not work only after 2 weeks I bought a brand new MINI? (The top-class safety equipment - this is what you promised me with). 2. The lighter multiple problems (is it a brand new car? you tell me). 3. The convertible roof top unexpected frequent problem (do I have to get out of the car to help the MINI handicapped machine to close which supposed to be automatic). 4. Engine piston or engine failure (what else! do I have to wait to lose the gearbox and the car itself and surely my money).

I cannot say except where is the value of money and the high expectations you promised me your customer with (safety luxury state of the art car). I am really disappointed as during the whole last year, I did not enjoy this claimed luxury more than a month because of the frequent problems and the frequent visits to the useless service center.

I am counting on your customer centric thoughts of dealing with such complaint. Please find below my requests: 1. MINI international personnel to contact MINI Egypt to investigate the root cause of these problems (they confirmed that this is not a misuse) as I am sure of. 2. Full compensation for the whole period the car in service center. 3. Replacement with the same category during the service period (as my car is in the service center since a week now and I was promised to get it back twice however the service promise was broken). 4. Brand new car same model same color to avoid such problems after warranty period.

The car price in Egypt is around 74K USD which could buy a better car experience beside some court fees. I need someone that can listen as the service center here in Egypt either not capable or not listening, as I am doubting MINI is not a trust car that I can count on in my day to day usages.

Aside from other problems I've had with Mini that couldn't be fixed and I am able to live with, this one is not one of them. I am under stress every day wondering when it will happen next. My car windows go down by themselves, and my driver door unlocks! I brought it to the dealer, because he said the module needs to be reprogrammed. After he was finished, I asked if he has heard of this happening before, and said yes. I then asked if this can happen to me again.

He said yes to me again. This is not acceptable! I don't have a garage, I live in SO Florida and there is no such thing as a safe neighborhood. Why can't Mini Cooper fix the module. This is ridiculous. I have never sued anybody and I don't want the aggravation, but most of all, I don't want my car stolen or rained into! It's a 2007, with less than 13,000 miles. I loved it, until now. I can't afford to buy another car. I'm 73 years young, and struggling on my social security.

Physically, it's affecting me. I am not well. I have Lupus and Crohn's (both of which, brings on attacks). I have fibromyalgia, interstitial cystitis, 2 herniated disks,, arthritis, ileostomy from colon cancer, and more. The damage is what I am trying to prevent, and it's just not acceptable that it will, or can happen again. It's not a calming way to live with this at the back of my mind. I have my neighbors checking my car when they go to work. I'm out there at 2 AM, checking on my car. I should not have to go through this. I liked my car, and can't afford another. It is still like new.

The 2004 mini cooper transmission failed and upon investigation, this is a chronic problem with mini coopers (2002-2006). The internet blogs describe exactly what happened to my vehicle. Without warning the gears lock up and the cost to replace is more than the value of the car. This is a manufacturing flaw and these cars should be recalled! The transmission was changed in the 2007 models, but earlier owners are victimized. The car is useless and to replace it will cost more than the worth of the car. Luckily when the gears locked up we were driving in an area with no traffic. If this happens to someone in a busy highway it will result in a tragedy.

I bought my 2003 mini Cooper, new, with a CVT type transmission from Mini of Concord in CA. It has about 67,000 miles on the odometer, all easy miles: no hard driving. We really like our car and it is well maintained at all the proper intervals. A month ago, it developed strange noise that our mechanic, Transmission Discount Center in Vallejo, tells us is coming from the transmission and cannot be repaired and can either be replaced with a used "junk yard" transmission, a re-manufactured transmission or a new transmission. All of these alternatives range from a minimum of $5,000.00-$8,000.00. Our mechanic said that BMW has stopped using the transmission that our car uses and it is no longer under warranty.

This seems excessive expense for a car with only 60,000 miles on it and it is frustrating that there is no alternative or remedy provided by BMW/Mini. I called Mini of Concord and talked to Service Manager and he has no answer why a transmission should go bad at this low mileage. There are so many complaints and I am sure a good attorney can bring a class action suit against this company and win. $8000 to 10,000 to fix a car that is only worth about $10,000 in good working condition.

The transmission went out on my 2005 Mini Cooper, shortly after it was no longer covered under warranty. How convenient for them, as I had taken it in several times over the year regarding weird noises coming from all the different components of the car. They always told me that it was normal. Now I know that it is not. I wish they would have read more sooner, because now the Mini wants $10,000 to fix a car that is no longer running. These CVT transmissions are only known to last about 60k miles and there was never a recall?

Also, the power steering causing fires in them (one of the major noises that I complained of) and still no recall? They will not take any responsibility for any of these issues and they are nasty to deal with when it comes to these issues. I need help from someone about this matter. I still hold a loan with a $4,000 balance on a car that doesn't run! I have no transportation to work now. This has become an emotional upheaval in my life and I have wasted over $20,000 on a car that is no longer of any use to me!

Two of my grandchildren have burned their legs very badly on the muffler that sticks out on the Cooper.

I bought a 2003 Mini Cooper 2 years ago, in great condition, one driver. I drive 13 miles to work and back, highway driving with some non-highway. Last week on my way to the airport, my Mini would not drive after stopping at a red light. It acted like it was not in gear, getting gas but not going anywhere. I had it towed to the local shop and was told the transmission was shot. Now for the good news, no older transmissions so $9,000 was quoted to get new one. I have a CVT transmission and now I'm reading how much Mini cars have problems with this transmission. I can't understand how such a great company (BMW and Mini Cooper) can allow this to go on without offering a better solution. I now know they don't use these transmissions anymore. So, they must have known these would be or have been a problem. They should offer a low cost solution. Does anyone know if a class action suit has been put together for those of us dealing with this mechanical problem?

I bought a Mini Cooper vehicle for my son. Unfortunately, to get the parts that you need, you have to wait after a full payment has been done to the dealer. According to his statement, it is one month. Why? The damaged car is parked in the house. I have to provide other means of transportation for my son.

I have had several serious problems with our 2008 Mini Cooper. The company says these problems are normal! (water pump, head gasket, burnt valves). I asked for free extended mechanical warranty and they refused. I would never consider purchasing a BMW or MINI because of reliability and their attitude about auto problems.

The automatic transmission on my Mini failed w/o warning. Mini tells me it will cost $9,500 to fix it. My 2002 Mini is in great low mileage condition. The NADA Blue Book sets its value at $10,800. Mini offered me $1,000 if I traded it in for a new Mini.

In 2009, I was sold a 2007 Mini Cooper which was never owned by a consumer. It was used by BMW corporate executives and had 12,000 miles on it. Since purchasing the mini, we have had a lot of transmission problems. Most recently, they replaced the entire transmission along with many other parts. They had our car in service for over 30 days. Today, I am taking it in again because the transmission is still not working properly. Not having the car to travel to see her is causing a huge amount of emotional stress in our life. In addition, we feel that the car is not safe to drive to work so we are forced to use public transport which costs extra money. We have continued to pay car payments so it is not repossessed but feel we should be getting some of these payments back as well.

I just wanted to this bring to your attention. I have a 2002 Mini Cooper and I'm very displeased with the way that it handles. I've had my car 3 years and I've had more problems then one could ever care to have on their vehicle, plus, I have taken it in countless times for repairs. It cost me over 13,000 dollars for it to be fixed in the last 2 1/2 years. Right now, my driver side door won't open.

My transmission and clutch went last year at the same time. Sometimes, the windows don't open. I'm upset with the fact that BMW makes them and that's how they last. Don't you think you should make a good product to back your name on something. It's unsafe. The door doesn't even open, a safety hazard. What if the car caught on fire? I would be burnt. I think that something needs to be done about this issue.

I recently moved to Canada and have been working on importing my 2003 Mini Cooper. As you know, times are really tough in the states, as well as Canada. I really love my mini and hate to think about giving it up. The reason I potentially have to give it up is because I paid $900.00 for import fees and found out after I paid all of this money that I now have to pay an additional $500.00 in fees to get a recall letter from your company!

I can't afford this fee and my only option is to give up my car for which I struggled to pay off once the recession hit. I was very excited to learn about importing my car and having it forever if possible. My question is: Is there any other way to deal with this matter? and why do I have to pay so much for a letter? It seems I pay 500 to 700 dollars for anything I have to do with this car. I really want some advice if you can help.

My transmission blew and had to be replaced at 41k. Both seats broke and caused a dangerous situation for myself, daughter, and granddaughter. None of which Mini has tried to help with. The certified Mini cooper mechanics do not know what they are doing and this car has cost me over 5000.00 in repairs.

Like so many Mini drivers on this and other online forums, my 2005 Mini Cooper has a faulty CVT transmission that is now dead, after a mere 35,000 miles and very casual driving (8-10 miles per day). How can this happen? Manhattan Mini was nonchalant about the fact that a five-year transmission was suddenly inoperable, and then proceeded to quote me an obscene $10,000 price tag to replace it. Two independent estimates from reputable mechanics were $4,500 and $4,600, respectively. Can you say "gauge"?

2005 Mini Cooper with 74,000 miles, CVT broken. $7,000 for a reconditioned one from mini that will probably break again. When are they going to take responsibility for this blatant defect? Safety and reliability concerns + $7,000 expense.

I bought a 2003 Mini Cooper a few years ago fitted with a CVT automatic transmission. My vehicle has 57000 miles on it as it has been parked in my garage as I have transmission problems. Although the transmission has not yet failed, it is only a matter of time. When driving, it used to make a wrrrr sound. I sent it to Motorworx BMW in Minneapolis for service and mentioned the noise it was making. When I got the vehicle back, it still made the noise and was told it is normal. I also had to complain that although it was serviced, I noticed the coolant was empty and very little oil in the engine. Now when I drive the car, there is a loud banging sound in all gears while moving. Mini USA will do nothing as the warranty expired at 5 years and 50000 miles.

I have 2002 Mini Cooper with a CVT transmission. Like many others, it made the growling sound one day and died the next. My car has 148,000 miles. I have owned cars with over 259k and no trans problems. I always expected a product from BMW to last forever. Silly me. Who has $6000-$8000 to fix something that Ford or Chevy would have recalled? I will never buy another Mini product, not even a toy.

I am just adding my comments to the many already listed for the Cooper. It was the car I had always wanted, sporty, fun to drive, British Racing Green with tan leather. I have really enjoyed driving this car, owning it is, however, a huge problem. I purchased this car about 11 months ago from a private party. It had about 57,000 miles. At about 63,000 the problems began. In the last 35 months I have replaced the brakes including all four disks ($700), had the air conditioning fail ($1,300), and lost the clutch ($1600, and this wasn't an actual replacement, just a repair.).

Now, the driver's door will not unlock with the inside door handle and the passenger side door will not lock or unlock with the electronic switch or remote (it will with the inside door handle-- go figure). I have been living with this and would repair them myself except the door locks are not included in the service manual I have. Yesterday, the service engine soon light came on to indicate a problem with the emissions system and I am just at 67,000 miles. To top it all off, there is a crack spreading across the windshield.

Quite honestly, as much as I enjoy driving the Mini Cooper, I am afraid to take it out of the garage for fear something else will break. If I can ever get everything working for a day, it will be sold. I have a 2003 Ford Focus ZX3, purchased new, with 122,000 miles (mostly commuting on mountain roads) and we have not spent as much on its maintenance in seven years as we have in the Mini in under one. As much as I love to drive the 2003 Mini Cooper, our next car will be either another Ford or a Honda. Every Ford or Honda we have had has lasted for well over 100,000 and over 10 years without this many problems. I paid about $11,000 less than a year ago and it has cost over $4,000 for repairs, so far. I figure at least $1,000 more before I can sell it for, maybe, $10,000. So, it has cost over $500 per month to own a 2003 Mini Cooper.

The transmission went out again on our 2003 Mini Cooper after only 5 months. It had a one year warranty. The dealership refused to honor, thereby repair without charge, the warranty because they "could not figure out what went wrong with the transmission" so it must be "user abuse". It took them two weeks to examine the car and determine that they would not cover the replacement of the transmission. It cost $120.00 just for them to examine it the two weeks and to decide they would not fix it. That is separate from the towing.

I bought my 2003 Mini with auto transmission new, and at only 8 months, I really thought I had a lemon. The entire emission system (CA) burned out, then the entire power steering system; both were replaced under warranty. I loved the car, mileage, performance, etc. At 56,000 miles, the transmission is gone, and the estimates are $7,600-9,400 (Mini dealer highest est.) to replace with a rebuilt. I sold it for parts ($3,500). So far, I have 'unsold' at least 5 Minis, people who loved my car and wanted one for themselves, also, a couple of friends with Minis who are thinking of selling before theirs quit. Never again. Mini attitude was complete unconcern. If they had 'done a Nordstrom', been solicitous, sympathetic, offered us money off on a new one, we would have gone for it. There are currently dozens and dozens of Minis on the local dealer lot. I think this brand is doomed.

I purchased a 2003 Mini Cooper in October with 6700 miles on it. There had been a single previous owner, and all the regular service had been performed. I never expected the clutch and the transmission to fail after 5 months and 5000 miles just after I bought the car! Now I am faced with replacing the clutch and transmission. This will cost as much as the car is worth.

My 2002 Mini S with 60,000 miles had its A/C compressor give out. No recall from Mini, although there's a big problem with this. Next, power steering pump and cooling fan broke down. Again, many complaints about from other Mini owners. Again, the car has only 60,000 miles on it.

I wished I would have known about all these complaints before I bought my new 2010 Mini S. The car had 15 miles on it and I drove it home. After 50 miles the engine yellow warning light came on and the car started to idle very poorly, almost stalling. With my foot on the brake, the car would shake forward and back. I took the car into BMW service. After two days they installed on new high pressure pump. I picked up the car and after driving 6 miles, the same problem occurred, but this time there's no warning light. I drove the car a few more miles and the problem went away. Now the poor idle problem comes and goes. Has anyone else had this problem?

My Mini Cooper 2002 CVT transmission stopped working. I wish I had read a lot more before purchasing this car. It seems to be a common problem now that a lot of Minis on the streets are no longer under warranty. We had the car for over one year, serviced it according to the BMW manual, serviced transmission as indicated. However, one day, the transmission just slipped.

That was the end of it. The car had to be towed to the local BMW dealer for a repair estimate. To my surprise, the repair bill for the transmission was over $9000, which equals the value of the car. This problem with CVT transmission should be addressed once and for all by the manufacturer. Customers were used as guinea pigs for their new technology, but only at our cost. This is unfair. We all talk bad about Toyota cars, but at least they decided to recall the vehicles and fix them. Why is BMW acting different? Maybe because they build disposable cars, only designed to be used for 2-3 years, traded in and replaced for a new model. It is time for an attorney to take action on behalf of the hundreds if not thousands of people that had severe problems with their Mini Coopers.

I just purchased a 2010 Cooper S Cabrio. It's on order from the UK, expected arrival in May 2010. I have been so excited about this car. The test drive (both manual and automatic) was awesome. I guess I should have come to this site beforehand because I see lots of problems and unhappy drivers. Cross your fingers for me!

It's about a 2003 Mini CVT Automatic Transmission. Well, after buying my 2003 Mini in July 2008 from the dealer with 40,000 miles on it, I was as happy as can be. Two days ago, I noticed the Mini grabbing like the brakes were going on and off. Upon my return from work (8 minutes from home), I informed my husband of the problem. The next morning I asked to be driven to the Metro. Well, after 5 minutes of travel, the car began to lose power, the engine made some horrendous knocking noise and clunk! That was it, I know have a completely useless un-fixable transmission!

Now, in April 2010, after putting 15,000 miles on it, I am looking at 7 to 9 thousand dollars for a new transmission, over half of what I paid for the car and I still owe about 12 thousand on the car and of course I have no warranty. As if living paycheck to paycheck isn't enough, now I have a loan and insurance for a car I cannot afford to fix!

Anybody know if there is a Class Action lawsuit filed in regards to this transmission? Was there a recall? Is anybody taking responsibility? I still love my Mini, only now it's a 12,000 paper weight! Or better yet, perhaps I could cut holes in the floor, throw my dinosaur in the back and Flintstone it to work, yabba dabba dud!

I have a 2007 Mini Cooper S. I bought it with 15,000 miles and it now has 48,000 miles. I have a cold start problem. I left it with one dealer all day and they could not duplicate the problem, and since it was more than a two-hour drive (the locals could not fix the car), I could not leave it. So now that I am in L.A. for a week, I am leaving it with the dealer. What I did not know when I got this car is that besides several niggling problems like the a/c working intermittently, this car is congenitally expensive. The tires cost $800 and with similar driving habits, the tires on my previous car, a Toyota, lasted twice as long and cost less than half as much. The brakes last half as long as well and cost $400 for each back and front.

The car handles wonderfully and is fun to drive but requires a lot of disposable income and that you live near a dealer. The car has been a very pretty money pit and that is with many things done free at the L.A. dealer, Universal Mini, who so far, have been very good. I am going to sell it before the 50,000 mile mechanical warranty goes out. Also, because of my internet searches, I am not the only one with the cold start problem.

I spent all day at the dealer in Sacramento, CA finding out the problem was either the fuel pump or carbon build up on the valves, something I knew before I left home in Lake County. Because the dealer could not duplicate the problem, they could not determine which of the two possibilities were the problem so they could not fix the car without my leaving it for another day or two, which I could not do at the time. I asked them to fix both if they were not sure and they replied that BMW would not let them fix both items. I have never owned a newish car to have so many problems nor have parts like tires and brakes wear out so prematurely (and be normal) and I have owned over 50 cars in my lifetime.

My transmission went on my 2006 S manual at 20,000 miles, 3 weeks out of warranty. I brought it in 5 weeks earlier while still under warranty and told them that it was slipping out of gear. They said they could not replicate the problem. I realize now that they chose these words carefully. Five weeks and 1000 miles later, just out of warranty, it blew. They said the transmission fluid was dark and full of shards. Did they not check this last month? They told me $6000 to fix it. I blew a gasket. He called me back a few hours later and said Mini would provide the parts for free if I paid $1300 for labor. I thought this was rare, but there are forums out there with hundreds of people having transmission issues similar to this. There is even talk of a class action lawsuit. It was going to be $6000, but they offered to do it for $1300.

I purchased a Mini Cooper Convertible (2005) Model in 2005 from Niello BMW in Sacramento, CA. In just two short years, I have had to have the CVT transmission replaced (27,000 miles). At the time, although concerned, I wasn't too upset because it was still under warranty and therefore replaced for free. In November 2009, I had an accident as a result of a missing reflector at the end of a median (I climbed onto it). This resulted in some damage to the transmission pan (according to the invoice provided to me).

I contracted with a local auto body repair shop (Shanahan's Autobody, Sacramento, CA) to fix the damages, but they were unable to fill the transmission with fluid, so they had to tow it to the dealer, Niello BMW. Shanahan only guarantees mechanical repairs for 90 days, stating that sublet work should be guaranteed by those suppliers. Niello BMW replaced the transmission pan and filled the transmission according to the invoice. All seemed well until I started having problems with the transmission again (March 15, 2010), with no indication that the transmission was going bad, i.e. no indicator light came on. As a result, I had to have my car towed to the dealer. The dealer told me that I needed a new transmission. The car only has 43,000 miles on it, and already it is going to need a third transmission.

The dealer tried to reopen the insurance claim from the accident, stating they didn't know if the damaged transmission was a residual of the accident. The insurance company (21st Century Insurance) refused to reopen the claim, stating that replacing the transmission ($6,000-$8,000), plus the cost of the other work ($7,888.70) done on the car as a result of the accident would exceed the market value of the car. They recommended scrapping the car, a car that is in excellent condition, if it were not for the transmission. I understand the insurance company's position to a certain degree.

The question I have is who is responsible for paying for a new transmission? The dealership can't be sure the transmission was damaged during the accident and I can't be sure it was just another faulty transmission to begin with. The Mini Cooper 2005-2006 models are known to have transmission problems. In fact, I was contacted by a group of Mini Cooper owners who want to start a class action law suit. The economic impact is that after the accident, I decided to refinance my car and I also borrowed from the bank to help reduce some credit card debts. I had not had a pay raise in two years and needed a more manageable budget. Now, I have a car that is only good enough for parts, no transportation for work and I can't afford a new transmission. Even if I had the money to buy a new transmission, I'm not sure I'd want to buy another good for two years transmission.

Manual transmission failure. The clutch failed at 23000 miles and 36000 miles. The problem was blamed on the driver of the vehicle. Truth is, the parts are faulty and should be Mini Cooper's responsibility to repair! It cost $3092.00, paid by owner of the vehicle. Driver was left stranded twice in traffic and had to be towed. No injuries!

I have a 2005 Cooper S and I bought it new in April of 05 and in 8/06 the A/C went out. Also, I was able to open windows when pushed the button to unlock. In 2007 the glass door fell and broke. I had to buy a new one for about $600. On 2008 my passenger door won't open and that cost about $200 to fix. Sometimes the car will not lock or unlock. Last year, 2009, one of the bearings broke and with that it messed the belt and other stuff in the engine that cost me $800 plus to get all fixed.

Since November till now the car has shifting problems, like when I brake it kind of skids and jumps or jolts and when picking up speed it does not shift and in order to do that it jumps and then it shifts. It used to do it on the street but now even on the freeway. The other day as I was switching lanes it would not accelerate. I almost got killed by a big truck because my car did not pick up speed. I have taken it to the dealer and they "think" it is the transmission that will cause about $8000 and suggested me to buy a new battery because that can be the problem. I paid almost $300 with labor. That was not the problem. Who knows what the problem is; the mini dealer does not. I don't guess. I do not have money or the time to play the guessing game here.

Someone should take responsibility for these repairs. I thought it was just my car but now I see am not the only one. What it the US government doing to help us the consumers? Look at Toyota. People are risking their lives and they said nothing. How many people have to die to make car companies be liable to repair their bad cars? I love my mini but I can't afford repairs--they are outrageous. I have lost wages, sleep and almost lost my life this time. What about my sanity? I can't sleep thinking how am I ever going to pay for the repairs. I had to go my doctor. I am so depressed. This car was a gift from my husband for our 10th anniversary and he is no longer with me. This is the only thing he left me. I don't want to trade in for another car but I can't pay for repairs either.

I have a Mini Cooper 2003 for less than two years but I only been able to drive a few months at a time. Most of the time, it's at the mechanic for different reasons: suspension problems, ball bearings, oil pressure, passenger window doesn't work, wheel hub replaced, power steering pump noise, multi-rib belt, engine needed to be rebuilt due to crank shaft damage and this week finally transmission gone, all with only 62,000 miles. And I still have to make payments on the car.

After watching the Italian Job, the Mini Cooper became my dream car. After crunching the numbers in my budget, my dream became reality. I designed and ordered my 2006 Mini Cooper S. During the first week I drove it, it started revving on its own during peak traffic time. This should have been a sign but I was in denial. Since then, I've had problems with squeaking brakes, that service can't seem to fix. My air bag light stays on when I'm in the passenger seat, and it still revs up when I'm driving in traffic.

Every time I bring it in, the service guys can't seem to figure out what's wrong with it and I swear, I feel like I'm delusional because they can't find the problem. I've been there 3 times this week because they don't have loaners and I need my car to go to work. I brought my car in with 70 miles left on the gas tank and when it was returned to me, I had 43 miles left on it, service adviser said that they drove around and during traffic. But I know my car, I know that if you have the AC on and drove in traffic you'd use more than 27 miles. So I think they are just giving me the runaround until my car completely fails on me.

It's scary to drive because the last time I drove it during traffic, it revved up 3 or 4 times when I pressed lightly on the gas. I can't imagine what a horrible situation I would have been in if I pressed on the gas normally and zoomed in to the car in front of me or stall in that spot. I'm dreading the work that they'll have to do and how much it'll cost to fix it.

I bought a new 2005 Mini with auto transmission. The car is not driven a lot and are easy miles to and from work in a very rural area. In February 2010, with 40,000 miles on the car, the transmission went out. The dealership said it was a faulty valve that blew out causing the transmission fluid to leak out thus causing damage to the transmission thus needing a new transmission at a cost to me of $8100 because the warranty was only good for four years or 40,000 miles. They also discovered a faulty seal on the thermostat, which was already replaced once under warranty, that would cost $350 to repair. They further told me that the seal around the oil plug, which only they have touched, needed to be replaced and if it was done at the same time as the transmission it would only cost $350. So for $8800 or 45% of what the car originally cost me new, I could have my car, with only 40,000 miles on it, back in working order.

I just bought my used 2003 Mini Cooper 13 months ago. I had it serviced at the local BMW dealership for oil changes and regular wear and tear. I took very good care of this car as I felt it was an extension of my personality and was my dream car. On Feb. 18th, 2010, I was driving my normal route to work and stopped at red light. When the light turned green, I pressed on the gas to get going and was terrified of the noise it made. The engine revved to the red-line and jerked hard. After the jerk, I could feel the transmission grinding and could hear it. I drove another minute to my work's parking lot where I got out and inspected the car. There were no visible signs that anything was wrong but I could smell warm coolant. There was no warning, no lights, no vibrations in the wheel or pedals, and it seemed to be shifting fine before that.

I immediately called the BMW dealership I usually had it serviced at and took it up there. Within a couple of hours, they told me it was low on fluid and was leaking around the transmission. They said it would need to be flat-bedded to the nearest Mini dealership due to the fact that everything on Minis require "special tools". I had it flat-bedded to the Towne Mini dealership in Buffalo, NY on Saturday, Feb. 20th, 2010. I walked into the service center and told the service rep that I was there to drop off my 2003 Mini Cooper for its appointment. He asked me what was wrong and I said "there is a problem with my automatic CVT transmission". As soon as I said that, the rep jumped into a rant about how I shouldn't read online forums, because they only replace 2 automatic transmissions a year at Towne Mini.

They told me a technician would "take a ride with me". I responded that it wasn't a good idea, but they were the technicians so of course we ended up going. We got in the car and it started up fine like it had a thousand times before. But you could hear and feel the transmission under your feet stressing and eating away at itself. The technician popped it into drive slowly and lightly pressed on the gas. The car immediately red-lined and jerked forward into gear. We made it maybe 100 feet to the parking lot's stop sign.

When we went to pull out onto the main driveway, the car jerked again but this time there was nothing on the other end. The car simply revved and would not go into gear. We coasted for a second and then the technician applied the brakes. The technician giggled and said "Well, it's the tranny," which we already knew was the problem. So, the tech put my car in reverse and backed all the way to the spot I initially had the car. I got out and was told they would call me on Monday with a status report on what exactly was broken.

On Sunday, Feb. 22nd, 2010 with the dealership closed, I decided to research the Automatic CVT transmissions myself and found a staggering number of posts related to the faulty transmission. There were even posts from Mini owners that hadn't even gone over 35,000 miles on their new car, because the transmission needed to be totally replaced. I also found that Mini knows about this problem so the automatic CVT transmission is no longer available with the new Mini Coopers. And Mini currently has a lawsuit against the transmission in Canada. I researched for over 5 hours and printed out over a hundred pages of research on the faulty transmission.

On Monday, Feb 22nd, 2010 I called the dealership around noon to be told that my Mini was in need of a new transmission. I asked how much the transmission would cost and the service rep told me "usually around $6800 for just the transmission". I immediately felt my heart drop. I had nowhere near that amount of money. The service rep said he would give me a call back around 5 to tell me actual prices so I patiently waited.

Around 5pm I received a call to tell me that the transmission was going to be $6,825 and with installation it was going to be $9,380. Knowing that Mini has had troubles with the transmissions, I asked Towne Mini for the Mini-USA number and gave them a call. After telling the customer service representative about everything she told me that she would try to get "Mini Goodwill" to pay for the repairs, she said it would take 3-5 days to figure out whether or not it would be covered.

On Thursday, February 25th, 2010 after a couple of calls and a trip up to get my owner's manual out of my Mini Cooper, Mini USA decided it would not uphold its obligation to its customers and offered me no support. This leaves me to pay almost $10,000 for a transmission that is faulty. I'm at the point where I do not want them to replace the transmission. I want a full refund for what I paid on the car from Mini.

I have had many things with my 2003 Mini Cooper that I have been less than happy with over the years, usually related to the cost difference in service and parts over other vehicles, but hey, it is a Mini, so like it or not, you have to expect that. What I did not expect is that the transmission now needs to be replaced after just over 90,000 miles and only six and a half years after I drove it off the dealer's lot! I had been having issues starting in January 2010 where in many gears, the car was fine, but between 50-70 mph, the car would fight me if I either took my foot off the pedal or wanted to brake. Instead of slowing down, the RPM would rev from 3000 to 5000 or 6000 or more, unless I would do a series of pedal taps to get it to back down. Under 50 and over 70, the Mini Cooper was not exhibiting this issue.

I brought it to my regular mechanic three times while this was occurring and by the time they were able to tie the problem firmly to the transmission. They also said they couldn't do anything about it. The reason being that it is very difficult (some say almost impossible) to get replacement parts for Mini's CVT transmission in the US or to find anyone aside from a dealer to work on them and in general, the entire unit must be replaced.

But being as there are computer issues it could be, I called my dealer (Towne BMW/Mini in Williamsville, NY) the same day of my last mechanic visit and scheduled to bring it in for diagnostics. Well, after a test drive to show them the problem and an hour and a half in their back room. They gave me back a car that now grinds and stutters and which the RPM may shoot up to 5000 plus at any speed above being stopped or in park. They also gave me an estimate for replacing the transmission and TCU on my Mini (the latter of which they told me they switched with another faulty unit they had around for years that had a 'flutter' to see if the same problem would still occur, but I don't know if they switched it back, as this was supposed to just be to test the TCU) which came to $8267.71! That's more than my car booked at when I checked it's resale value online!

And PS, when I drove it back to Towne BMW/Mini in Williamsville after driving it for a block and complained that the car was now driving much worse than it was when I brought it in, the assistant service manager Mark H told me it was still safe to drive and should get me home and that the stuttering and other problems would stop after about 10 miles when the car's computer 'relearned'. I told him I couldn't go home. I had to go to work, which is past Niagara Falls NY over a forty mile round trip every day.

Mr.H told me it should still be fine for that and that after a bit of driving the car would act just like it did when I brought it in that morning, 2/23/2010, which was yesterday. Well, after a day of driving, it is still exactly the same as when I drove it off their lot, which means much worse than when I drove it in. My car does not seem at all safe to drive, it's unreliable but it is paid in full. My 2003 Mini Cooper is now a paper weight that cost me over $22,000. Seems like a lot of money to buy a car that is for all purposes 'junk' after six and a half years.

The clutch on my 2004 Mini Cooper just blew out. It was quite sudden. I have taken excellent care of the car since I bought it new. I am stunned. Mini says they can't do anything for me. I've read dozens of forums where many people have the same exact problem. They want 5k-8k to fix it depending on if I need a new transmission as well. I am so disappointed and angry. I bought a BMW made car because I believe in the brand. I guess I was mistaken. If only there was some recourse. I have read that class action lawsuits were tried and failed. Does anybody know how to get Mini to own up to their design flaws and compensate the people they took advantage of?

My 2003 Mini Cooper has an L-shaped windshield stress crack. The driver window no longer works. These issues have affected many other owners.

I had my 2007 Mini Cooper making noise but it went away after warming up. I thought it was because of the cold front he had. Then they yellow light came on to check the engine as soon as possible per the manual. I called BMW, they where booked for the whole week including Saturday. I advised the person about the issue and that I can only come in on Saturdays. So ,I made my appointment for 01/16/2009. I spoke to Ryan and he advised it might be that I'm using the wrong octane gas.

That Wednesday of that week, leaving home within 2 blocks my car was not moving so I went back and called Mini to pick it up. They told me engine parts melted and broke off, also the exhaust was damage and some brackets. The adviser Ryan said it could be because I ran the engine while overheating. I told him that I never got a warning light or any smoke from overheating. Then he said I might have missed shift and missed a gear. I advised Ryan I have been driving stick shift for over 10 years. He said he had to send it to Mini to check the computer.

About a week later, he told me the Mini tech told him it's because of downshift and going over the RPM's 6.7 when red line is 6.5 and that's why it won't be covered under my warranty. He advised to call Mini, I did and talked to three representatives. Last one was, Aaron, a regional manager he looked further into it and said the same thing - my fault. I have 39,000 miles, the warranty is 50,000 (4 years). I have read forums where they talk about the same issue and the problem was the cam chain tensioner.

My car is a 2009 Mini Cooper S. I bought it with 0 miles. I had my car only for seven months with 3,000 miles and I already need the transmission replaced. My car broke down on January 9, 2010. I wrote other complaint and forgot to put the year make of my car.

My Mini Cooper has only 3000 miles and need the transmission replaced. Saturday, January 9 my car broke down. The engine will start but when I tried to put in drive or reverse it won't start. Next day the towing truck took it to the dealership. Nobody called me until Tuesday. I called them every day to see what is wrong with my car. They told me that the Mini Cooper is closed until Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Jessica from Mini Cooper Concord called me and told me that my new car needs transmission replacement. I called different days and everybody was telling me that they can not help me because it is not their specialty. On Wednesday I went to get a loner car and I spoke with Viki the manager and I told her to replace my car because it broke down only after 3000 miles and she said she can not do that. Sshe told me to call Mini USA, but she doubts that they will replace my car.

So I called Mini USA and I talked with Cody. He was not too much help. After I was with him on the phone for 10 minutes trying to get a new car, he kept saying no because he does not think is a lemon car. I said, ok, then what are you offering me? He asked me what do you want? I told him I want extra 50.000 miles warranty on my car and a car payment; he told me I can not have both, and he will check with different managers to see what he can do.

On Saturday, my car was ready to be picked up when they called me. I told them I will not pick up my car until I have the answer from Mini USA about my extra warranty. So I called Cody 3 times and left him messages until finally he called me back and he told me that because my car was ready in a week and they replaced my transmission and gave a loner car; they don't think they need to do anything extra for me. He said he talked with Viki from Concord and other manager and that is what they decided.

Their service is bad and the cars are the worst cars ever. I will never buy a Mini Cooper again and I will tell everybody that I know what kind of cars these are. My car had only 3000 miles; just think about it. No help from them. I don't trust my car anymore. I don't think I should pay $500 for 5 years for a car that already broke down on me. It is not fair and I told those people from Mini when I bought this new car with zero miles I never thought it will break down only after 7 months from the day I bought it. Mini Cooper is bad.

The drivetrain on my Mini-Cooper S Manual is out at 85,000 miles, and the entire clutch assembly has to be replaced to the tune of $3500. Amazing! What a crappy car!

My 2006 Mini Cooper S (Supercharged) has an Eaton M45 Supercharger on it, as do ALL "R53" Mini Cooper S models. The car currently has 67K miles on it. Several weeks ago, the car started making a noise under the hood. At first, I thought it was a worn belt. It got worse and worse. I started searching around the internet for similar problems. I found out it was a failure of the supercharger.

What I found astounded me. It seems that this supercharger was manufactured with cheap seals. It was also manufactured with two oil check locations that no one knows about. Over time, these cheap seals go bad which causes the oil inside the supercharger to basically "evaporate". The leaks are not visible to the owner. Mini Cooper claims that the supercharger is "unserviceable" by the owner, makes no mention of oil needs and by the time you've heard the noise, it's too late. The only way to check the oil level (if you would be lucky enough to find out you can check it) is to completely remove the supercharger which means a major tear down of the components.

During my research, it has become apparent that this failure is very common. It almost appears as though the supercharger was designed to fail right after the car warranty expires (naturally). The consumer/owner has three choices, buy a new supercharger from Mini for $2,100, a "rebuilt" one for $1,600 or have the original rebuilt with better components for about $1,000. In addition, when the supercharger goes out, the water pump usually goes with it since the water pump is driven by the supercharger. This all adds up to a major repair bill no matter how you slice it. It's not a matter of "if" your supercharger is going to dry out and fry, it's "when". The car is still being repaired, but at this point, the cost (so far) has been about $1,500 and this is through a friend of mine who's a mechanic. This is just for parts. I'm estimating by the time I'm done, it will be over $2,000.

First of all I live in Austin and the closest dealership is in San Antonio, two hours away. 2003 Mini Cooper S with 32K miles. This year make and model are known for having power steering pump problems, and Mini is aware of it and not doing anything to fix it. The pump on my car has now failed for the second time, the dealership charged $125 to diagnose the problem and wanted nearly $2,000 to fix it. After asking for Mini to fix there problem, they offered a 30% discount how insulting.

While my car was at the dealership a large deep scratch (horizontal)happened and nobody will claim responsibility. They wanted me to drive all the way back to SA so they could see the scratch with no garanty that they would fix it. When you try to go to the next level of management they block you. Anyone above the local manager (District Manager) are unaccessable!

They have very poor customer service, and are insulting. They refunded my $125 diag fee to try and make me go away, and stop calling. I will never return to this dealership and do not recommend anyone use them. Thank goodness the new Mini service dealership here in Austin will be open in February of 2010.

My windshield cannot be fixed it has to be replaced at the cost of $350. As for the pump there is a company that will rebuild the pump for only $200 with a lifetime garanty for as long as you own the vehicle.

Purchased 2003 Mini Cooper with 4 year waranty requiring numerous warranty repairs. After warranty expired with less than 40K miles on a 6&1/2 year old vehicle, the A/C went out caused by a short requiring $1300 replacement of the compressor. Tires wore out too soon, brakes replaced twice totalling 1$1200.00. Windows will get stuck and not raise untill they decide to. Rear deck lid unlocks when only the driver's door should causing al sorts of rattling unless I close the deck lid after unlocking the driver's door. Hearing noise in the transmission now. Am now about to decide on trading it and returning to a Toyota Camry which gave me no problems at all. What's worse, I paid for my new Camry in cash, then traded it in for this cute Mini for my wife. What a bummer.

We will now have only one car to drive as we cannot afford another and will pay thousands of dollars a year for a car that will mostly likely end up in a junk yard!

I have a 2003 Mini Cooper with cvt transmission. The transmission failed at 41,000 miles. No warning; all at once the car would not go into gear. Because I have had many negative dealings with Universal City Mini dealership (Los Angeles, California) in the past (poor service, inadequate repair and denial of repair during warranty period, much bs from repair rep), I chose to have the transmission replaced by a competent independent shop. Price was $7,200. I am informed that the metal belt inside the transmission disintegrated.