NHTSA Complaint #10227127 — 2004 MINI COOPER

FOR ABSOLUTELY NO REASON THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILED AND LOCKED UP CAUSING ME TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AT 40MPH. NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AS I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE SLIDE. HOWEVER I HAVE SPOKEN TO BOTH DEALER AND MANUFACTURE AND THEY BOTH ADMIT THE TRANSMISSIONS IN THESE VEHICLES BOTH AUTOMATIC AND MANUAL ARE WEAK AND CAN CAUSE FAILURE AT ANY SPEED WHICH WILL RESULT IN LOCKUP OF THE FRONT TIRES. NUMEROUS REPORTS FROM OTHER MINI COOPER OWNERS SHOW THE SAME. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED IN THIS VEHICLE 3 YEARS AGO FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. NOW IT NEEDS REPLACED AGAIN. THE ONLY REPAIR IS TO PUT A REBUILT UNIT IN PLACE WITH THE SAME WEAK GEARS. MINI NO LONGER WARRANTIES THE REPAIRS AS OF 2008 BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS. I GOT LUCKY BUT I CARRY MY 3YR OLD SON WITH ME MOST OF THE TIME AND THIS DOES NOT FEEL LIKE A SAFE VEHICLE CONSIDERING OUT OF NOWHERE WITH NO WARNING THIS FAILURE COULD OCCUR AGAIN. BOTH MINI USA, BMW HAVE BEEN VERY UNHELPFUL IN THE MATTER UNLESS I'M WILLING TO PAY OVER $1000 TO HAVE IT TOWED TO A MINI COOPER DEALER JUST TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. *TR