NHTSA Complaint #10179306 — 2002 MINI COOPER

I PURCHASED A PRE-OWNED MINI COOPER WITH 34,000 MILES ON IT. 5-SPEED TRANSMISSION. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE, I NOTICED A "STUDDER/HESITATION" ON TAKE OFF FROM A DEAD STOP IN FIRST GEAR. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC TO DEMONSTRATE THE PROBLEM. ON THE TEST DRIVE, THE CAR MADE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE AND ALL GEARS FAILED. THE CLUTCH AND GEAR SHIFT FELT NORMAL, BUT NO GEAR WOULD ENGAGE. THE CAR WAS ROLLING BACKWARDS DOWN A HILL INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. IT WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL MINI DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED. AT THAT POINT THE CAR HAD 35,000 MILES ON IT. BECAUSE IT WAS 4 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY, MINI REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. I FOUND NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS OF THE MIDLAND TRANSMISSIONS BEING REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS INFORMED THAT MY CAR RECEIVED THE NEWER GETRAG TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THE MIDLANDS WERE DISCONTINUED IN 2004 IN FAVOR OF THE MORE RELIABLE GETRAG TRANSMISSIONS. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITH VERY LITTLE WARNING. IT WAS A DANGEROUS AND CATASTROPHIC FAILURE THAT RESULTED IN A CAR THAT SUDDENLY WOULD NOT MOVE IN TRAFFIC. *JB