2014 MINI COOPER Complaints

2014 MINI COOPER S HARDTOP MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAIL. THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY DROPS OUT OF 1ST GEAR WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP, CAUSING THE CAR TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. THIS FIRST OCCURRED ON NOV 17 AND HAS OCCURRED WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY TO NOW HAPPENING ABOUT 9/10 TIMES THE CAR IS STARTING FROM A STOP. THIS MAKES THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN TRAFFIC, MERGES, AND ON HILLS. NOTE, THIS CAR HAD A DEALER REQUIRED PROGRAMMING UPDATE ON OCTOBER 26 2014. *TR

THERE WAS NO ONE SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, BUT MY IPOD WAS ON THE SEAT. A "FASTEN SEAT BELT" WARNING WENT OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER 30 MINUTES WHEN THIS HAPPENED. WHILE DRIVING, I REMOVED THE IPOD FROM THE SEAT, BUT THE WARNING DID NOT STOP. BECAUSE IT WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY POSSIBLE TO PULL OVER, I HAD TO IGNORE SAFETY LIGHTS AND CHIMES UNTIL I COULD PULL OVER. ALTHOUGH THIS FALSE WARNING HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WITH LIGHT OBJECTS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, IT DOES NOT HAPPEN CONSISTENTLY. THE DEALER INSISTS THE CAR IS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, AND SUGGESTED I LEAVE THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT FASTENED. I THINK THIS BEHAVIOR IS A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE (1) IT IS A SOURCE OF UNPREDICTABLE DRIVER DISTRACTION; (2) IT ENCOURAGES DRIVERS TO DEFEAT A SAFETY WARNING BY LEAVING THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT FASTENED; AND (3) IF THE SEAT SENSOR CAN'T DISTINGUISH BETWEEN AN IPOD AND A PERSON, HOW CAN IT GIVE THE PROPER READINGS TO THE AIR BAG SYSTEM IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. *TR

NEARLY RAN OUT OF GASOLINE BECAUSE THE GAS GAUGE IS NOT ACCURATE. AT AN INDICATED 1/2 FULL, THE CAR IS DOWN OVER 9 GALLONS AND THE TANK HOLD ABOUT 12.5 GALLONS. USING THE GAS GAUGE THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL HOW MUCH FUEL REMAINS IN THE TANK. *TR

LEG BURN FROM HOT EXHAUST PIPE WHILE UNLOADING ITEMS FROM TRUNK. LEANED AGAINST REAR BUMPER WITH BARE LEG. *TR

ON TWO OCCASIONS (7/19/14 AND 7/29/14), THE ENGINE CUT-OFF, PUTTING THE CAR IN "ACCESSORY MODE." ON BOTH OCCASIONS, I WAS DRIVING ON A FLAT ROAD, AT LOW SPEED. THERE WAS NO ABILITY TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT COMPLETELY STOPPING, PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK, AND RESTARTING THE CAR. AS A RESULT OF BEING IN ACCESSORY MODE, I HAD NO POWER STEERING AND WAS ONLY ABLE TO GLIDE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. A MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE CAR'S SCREEN: "TRANSMISSION NOT IN PARK, VEHICLE MAY ROLL." I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE 3 MONTHS AGO. I AM VERY CONCERNED, AND I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR. IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN ON A HIGHWAY, THERE WOULD CERTAINLY BE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, AS I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER. AS EVIDENCED IN THE GM IGNITION SWITCH CASES, WHEN A CAR IS SWITCHED INTO ACCESSORY MODE WHILE DRIVING, THE AIRBAGS ARE DEACTIVATED AS WELL. SHOULD THIS HAPPEN ON A BUSY ROADWAY/HIGHWAY, AND THERE IS AN ACCIDENT, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL THAT IT COULD BE FATAL. *TR

ON TWO OCCASIONS WHEN DRIVING, THE AUTO START AND STOP FUNCTION SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, WHERE I HAD TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK & RESTART IT. HAPPENED ONCE ON A FLAT SURFACE AND ONCE ON A DOWNHILL SLOP AT A STOP. ALSO, I'VE ONLY HAD THE CAR ONE MONTH AND THE DRIVETRAIN LIGHT CAME AND THE MINI SERVICE REPAIR SAYS IT WAS FAULT #20A503 WITH THE WATER PUMP. PLEASE ADVISE! *TR

GEAR SHIFT COMPLETELY BECAME DETACHED AT SPEED. TWO MAGAZINES HAVE HAD SAME ISSUE. THIS COULD EASILY CAUSE A FATAL ACCIDENT IF IT HAPPENED TO SOMEONE THAT ISN'T AS CALM AS MYSELF. CONSUMER REPORTS JUST HAD THIS SAME ISSUE HAPPEN. AFFECTS 2014 MINI COOPER HARDTOP MODELS, CHASSIS CODE F56. HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERREPORTS.ORG/CRO/NEWS/2014/06/2014-MINI-COOPER-S-SHIFTER-COMES-OFF-WHILE-DRIVING/INDEX.HTM. *TR