NHTSA Complaint #10205481 — 2003 MINI COOPER

MY 2003 MINI COOPER WITH THE CVT TRANSMISSION BEGAN MAKING A RATCHETING NOISE FROM THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAR WAS TOWED BACK TO TOWN, AND AFTER TALKING TO THE DEALER, IT WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER. I WAS TOLD IT NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION: $7,200.00. NO REBUILD AVAILABLE. IT HAD JUST TURNED 90,000 MILES, DRIVEN BY MYSELF (RETIRED) AND MY WIFE; VERY EASY DRIVING. THIS WAS OVER HALF THE VALUE OF THE CAR, SO WE DROVE IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP THAT WE WERE AWARE OF FOR A SECOND OPINION. ON THE TEST DRIVE AT THAT SHOP, THE TRANSMISSION "BLEW UP" AND LOCKED UP EVERYTHING ON THE STREET. THE STEEL BELT IN THE TRANSMISSION HAD COME APART, DESTROYING EVERYTHING INTERNALLY. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY OR A BUSY STREET, IT COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. UPON RESEARCHING THIS TRANSMISSION, I FIND THAT THIS PROBLEM IS NOT AT ALL UNCOMMON. I BELIEVE MINI SHOULD BE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THESE EARLY MODEL CVT TRANSMISSIONS, WHICH OBVIOUSLY HAVE SOME MECHANICAL DEFECTS BUILT INTO THEM. *TR