NHTSA Complaint #10205854 — 2003 MINI COOPER

2003 MINI COOPER TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 70,000 MILES, 4 YEARS. MINI USA AND BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF THIS FAILURE AND REFUSE TO TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE PARTS, CLAIMING IT'S A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CAR. SMELLS OF DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES TO ME. NOT TO MENTION A MONOPOLY-- THERE ARE ONLY TWO DEALERSHIP IN DALLAS/FORT WORTH THAT SERVICE MINI COOPERS, BOTH TELL ME THAT THE COST WILL BE BETWEEN $6K-9K TO REPLACE W/LABOR COSTS. PEP BOYS AND OTHER INDEPENDENTS WON'T OR CANNOT TOUCH IT BECAUSE IT'S A MINI COOPER AND ONLY MINI AUTHORIZED DEALERS SUPPOSEDLY HAVE SPECIALTY SOFTWARE/PARTS TO PERFORM JOB. THIS IS A RACKET, MINI AND BMW NEED TO STEP UP AND STOP SELLING DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS AND REPLACE THIS AT THEIR COST AND STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT AND FAULTY AND DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURING. THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR MANY FIRST GENERATION MINI'S AS I HAVE LEARNED FROM MY RECENT ON-LINE RESEARCH. BMW/MINI HAS CHANGED THE TRANSMISSIONS ON THE MINI 2007 MODEL -- WONDER WHY?? THEY ADVERTISE THAT THIS CAR IS A SAFE, DEPENDABLE AND LONG LASTING CAR, BUT TO THE CONTRARY, LOOK AT THE LIST OF PROBLEMS PEOPLE ARE REPORTING WITH THEM. GOD HELP THEM. *JB