2003 MINI COOPER Complaints

BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2003 BRAND NEW AND HAD COMPLAINED TO THE SERVICE DEPT WHEN IN FOR REPAIRS THAT THE TRANSMISSION FELT ODD. IT WOULD JERK AT LOW SPEEDS, BETWEEN 5 AND 10. THEY SAID THIS WAS NORMAL FOR THE CVT AND IT SHOULD GO AWAY ONCE THE TRANSMISSION WAS ACCUSTOMED TO THE WAY I DRIVE. IN 2006 MY HUSBAND WAS GIVING BLOOD IN MANCHESTER, NH AND WHILE HE WAS DOING THAT I WENT TO THE MALL FOR A FEW HOURS. AS I WAS RETURNING TO PICK HIM UP I CAME TO A YELLOW LIGHT THAT I COULD NOT MAKE IT THROUGH. I STOPPED THE CAR, LIKE NORMAL NOT A HARD STOP, AND HEARD A CLANK NOISE ALMOST AS IF I HAD HIT SOMETHING IN THE ROAD. THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR TO GO AND NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN EXCEPT MY RPMS WOULD GO UP. I WAS ON A SLIGHT HILL AND BEGAN TO COAST BUT I WASN'T SURE IF I WAS COASTING OR IF THE CAR WAS JUST GOING REALLY SLOW, UNTIL I STARTED IN AN UPHILL AND THE CAR STOPPED. I TRIED TO TURN OF THE CAR AND TURN IT BACK ON, CRAZY LOGIC THAT SOMETIMES DOES THE TRICK, AND THERE WAS NO CHANGE. I PUSHED THE CAR INTO A DRIVEWAY AS I WAS ON A 2 LANE ROAD AND BLOCKING TRAFFIC AND CALLED AAA TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO MINI OF PEABODY. WHEN THEY CALLED ON MONDAY THEY SAID THAT THE CVT HAD FAILED, THEY FOUND THE CHAIN AND LINKS IN THE OIL PAN AND THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I ASKED HOW MUCH THE REPLACEMENT WOULD BE AND THEY TOLD ME PARTS AND LABOR WOULD BE $7700. WHEN I WAS TOLD THAT I TALKED TO THE SA ABOUT THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEY'RE CVT'S AT 60K MILES. HE SAID HE WOULD TALK TO THE MANAGER AND CALL BACK. HE CALLED BACK AND SAID THAT HE TALKED TO THE MANAGER AND SPOKE WITH MINI USA AND THEY WOULD COME HALF THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENT BRINGING IT TO $3850. I WENT TO PICK IT UP AND IT FELT LIKE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CAR. THERE IS NO JERKINESS AT SLOW SPEEDS SO I'M CONVINCED THAT I HAD A DUD TRANSMISSION ALL ALONG. *TR

MY TRANSMISSION FAILED ON MY MINI-COOPER ONCE WHEN IT WAS IN WARRANTY AND I HAD TO PAY TO HAVE IT FIXED, ONCE AGAIN, AND IT WAS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY AND I PAID 3000$ TO HAVE IT FIXED AND ONCE AGAIN WHEN THE 2ND TRANSMISSION WAS IN WARRANTY AND MINICOOPER FIXED IT. THIS CAR WAS A LEMON AND MINI NEVER ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *TR

ON 9/2/08 I BROUGHT MY 2003 MINI COOPER TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE. I WAS HEARING A NOISE FROM THE FRONT THAT CLOCKED AT LOW SPEED. I THOUGHT IT WAS A BAD CV JOINT AND ASKED THE SERVICE WRITER TO VERIFY AND GIVE ME A ESTIMATE. WHEN THEY WERE DONE IT WAS DETERMINED THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION AND IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE ESTIMATE WAS $7613.00 PLUS TAX. I DROVE HOME AND SPENT SOME TIME RESEARCHING THE CVT TRANSMISSION IN THE MINI COOPERS AND FOUND WHAT APPEARS TO BE A HIGH FAILURE RATE. A LOOK AT SEVERAL FORUMS FOR MINI'S SHOWS POSTINGS OF PROBLEMS SIMILAR TO MINE IN COOPER MODELS WITH MILEAGES FROM 34,000 TO 113,000 ALL WITH CVT TRANSMISSIONS. THE REPLACEMENT COSTS WERE SIMILAR TOO. THERE WERE MANY COMMENTS FROM FORUM USERS TO AVOID BUYING A USED MINI COOPER WITH A CVT, "AVOID IT LIKE THE PLAGUE" WAS ONE COMMENT. MINI NO LONGER USES THIS TRANSMISSION. MAYBE THE FAILURES MADE THEM LOOK TO ANOTHER SOURCE, I DO NOT KNOW. I ALSO CONTACTED A PERSON WHO IS GATHERING NAMES, 50 SO FAR, TO FILE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST MINI TO TRY AND RECOUP THE MONEY SPENT REPAIRING A FAULTY TRANSMISSION. THAT IS JUST 50 PEOPLE WHO KNEW HOW TO CONTACT HER TO BE ADDED TO THE LIST. AS OF RIGHT NOW THESE PEOPLE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR AN ATTORNEY TO REPRESENT THEM. THERE MUST BE MORE, AND 50 TRANSMISSIONS IS ALOT OF MONEY. IF A INVESTIGATION IS DONE BY THE NHTSA AND A RECALL IS INITIATED THEN MAYBE THESE PEOPLE CAN BE REIMBURSED BY MINI. I FIND IT UNUSUAL THAT A TRANSMISSION SHOULD FAIL IN A VEHICLE WITH 81,500 MILES AND MOST COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ HAVE A AVERAGE FAILURE MILEAGE AT 60,000. MINIS WARRANTY EXPIRES AT 50,000 MILES. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. THE MINI DEALER HAS MADE A EFFORT TO SHARE THE EXPENSE WITH ME AND IN GOOD FAITH WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION FOR 1/2 PRICE. AS OF THIS WRITING I HAVE NOT MADE A DECISION YET. THE VEHICLE HAS A TRADE-IN VALUE OF $10,000, SO SPENDING ALMOST $4000.00 TO REPAIR A OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE PART IS CRAZY. *TR

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (CVT) FAILED. IT WILL COST $8000 (MINI/BMW DEALER QUOTE) TO REPLACE. I NOTICED THERE WERE MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET MANY RECOMMENDED TO FILE A COMPLAINT ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE. *TR

I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING BLOGS ABOUT MINI COOPERS GOING ON FIRE SINCE I OWNED ONE, AND I NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD HAPPEN TO ME. WELL, I HAD JUST GOTTEN BACK HOME FROM SCHOOL WHEN I SMELL SOMETHING LIKE WIRING BURNING IN MY CAR, SO I KILLED THE ENGINE AND OPENED THE HOOD. POWER STEERING STILL RUNNING AND SMOKING, SO I CALLED MY DAD TO HELP ME. HE DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND STOPPED THE EPS PUMP FROM BEING CONSUMED ON FIRE. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING, THE BMW-MINI FIRM SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND NOT LET THEIR CLIENTS SUFFER THE AFTERMATH. THIS IS SURELY A RECALL, NO ONE HAS DIED YET, THANKS GOD, BUT LET'S BE SERIOUS FOLKS. SINCE NEW PUMP AT DEALER IS $650.00 CALLED JUNK YARDS AND PART IS NOT READILY AVAILABLE AND IF AVAILABLE JUNK YARDS CHARGE VERY CLOSE TO A NEW ONE FOR A USED ONE. I WAS NOT ABLE TO ACQUIRE ONE ON MY STUDENT STATUS, SO I DON'T HAVE A VEHICLE TO GET TO SCHOOL; DAD HAS TO DROP ME OFF FOR NOW. *TR

ON AUG. 9, 2008, I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING ON MY 2003 MINI COOPER WAS EXTREMELY TIGHT WHEN I STARTED THE CAR. AS I DROVE IT, IT LOOSENED UP. THE NEXT DAY, AUG. 10, THE SITUATION WORSENED--EVERY TIME THE CAR WAS STOPPED, THEN STARTED, THE STEERING TIGHTENED. THERE WAS NO LOOSENING UP AT ALL. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A LOCAL PEP BOYS TO SEE IF ANYTHING COULD BE DONE. THEY DIAGNOSED A POSSIBLE PSP FAILURE. THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING AS ONLY MINI HAS THE SCHEMATICS FOR THIS REPAIR. I CALLED THE MINI DEALERSHIP IN PEABODY, MA FIRST THING MONDAY AND GOT AN APPT. FOR TODAY, AUG. 14. SINCE I HAVE NO OTHER VEHICLE, I HAD TO DRIVE THE CAR WHEN NECESSARY. SOMETIMES THE STEERING WAS FINE. OTHER TIMES, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE FAULTY PSP TODAY. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED A COMPLETE FAILURE. I'VE OWNED SEVERAL CARS WITH MORE MILEAGE ON THEM THAN THIS ONE (IT CURRENTLY HAS 60K AND IS FIVE YEARS OLD) AND NEVER EXPERIENCED ANY PSP PROBLEMS, NEVER MIND AN OUTRIGHT FAILURE. *TR

I OWN A 2003 MINI COOPER WITH 67K MILES ( OUT OF WARRANTY). TWO WEEKS AGO WHILE DRIVING UP A HILL TO MY HOME, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. I COULD BARELY MAKE IT UP THE HILL AND HAD TO CHANGE TO THE SLOW LANE AND PULL OFF THE ROAD. AFTER DOING MUCH SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND THAT MANY WERE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A MAJOR DRIVE CHAIN COMPONENT THAT SHOULDN'T GO OUT AT 67K. THE CVT TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO BE FLAWED AND ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE MANUFACTURER AS THEY DO NOT PUT THESE TRANSMISSIONS INTO THE NEWER MODELS. ALSO IT SEEMS, EVEN OUT OF WARRANTY MINI'S GET TRANSMISSIONS REPLACED; WITH THE OWNER ONLY HAVING TO PAY FOR LABOR IF THE OWNER CAUSES A "STINK" OR ALLUDES TO MAKING PROBLEMS FOR MINI. IF THE MANUFACTURER REALLY BELIEVED THE CVT TRANSMISSION WERE NOT FAULTY, I BELIEVE THEY WOULD STICK TO THEIR POSITION WITH ALL CUSTOMERS, INSTEAD OF MAKING EXCEPTIONS. MINI SHOULD BE ORDERED TO RECALL CARS WITH THE CVT TRANSMISSION. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME ONE DAY WHEN SEVERAL LIGHTS LIT UP IN MY CAR. I WAS SCARED BECAUSE THESE LIGHTS WERE: LOW TIRE PRESSURE, LOW BRAKE PADS, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT, & ABS BREAK LIGHT. I PULLED OVER AND SHUT OFF THE CAR, AND WHEN I TURNED IT BACK ON, THEY STILL WERE LIT UP. I AM NOT SURE WHAT CAUSED THIS AS I WASN'T DRIVING ERRATICALLY, JUST NORMAL. I STILL DO NOT KNOW WHY EXACTLY THEY ARE ON, HOWEVER I FIGURE IT IS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE COMPUTER. *TR

THE POWER STEERING PUMP STOPPED WORKING ALL OF A SUDDEN. I WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN IT WENT OUT, AND I FREAKED OUT. I COULD HARDLY TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND STARTED IT BACK UP, AND IT STARTED WORKING AGAIN. THIS HAPPENED FOR ABOUT A WEEK WHERE IT WOULD KICK ON EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, AND THEN IT WENT OUT FOR GOOD. I HAVE BEEN QUOTED FOR AROUND $1000 TO GET IT REPAIRED. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING AROUND WITH THIS ISSUE FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW. THE ONLY GOOD THING, IS THAT IT HAS GREATLY STRENGTHENED MY ARM MUSCLES... *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER S. WHILE THE CONTACT'S WIFE WAS DRIVING 60 MPH, THE WHEEL AND TIRE DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED AT THIS TIME. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE COST FOR THE REPAIR WOULD RANGE FROM $3,000 - $5,000. THE AFFECTED COMPONENTS WERE THE STEERING, BRAKES, SUSPENSION, AND SHOCKS. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES AVAILABLE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 30,000.