NHTSA Complaint #10241119 — 2003 MINI COOPER

BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2003 BRAND NEW AND HAD COMPLAINED TO THE SERVICE DEPT WHEN IN FOR REPAIRS THAT THE TRANSMISSION FELT ODD. IT WOULD JERK AT LOW SPEEDS, BETWEEN 5 AND 10. THEY SAID THIS WAS NORMAL FOR THE CVT AND IT SHOULD GO AWAY ONCE THE TRANSMISSION WAS ACCUSTOMED TO THE WAY I DRIVE. IN 2006 MY HUSBAND WAS GIVING BLOOD IN MANCHESTER, NH AND WHILE HE WAS DOING THAT I WENT TO THE MALL FOR A FEW HOURS. AS I WAS RETURNING TO PICK HIM UP I CAME TO A YELLOW LIGHT THAT I COULD NOT MAKE IT THROUGH. I STOPPED THE CAR, LIKE NORMAL NOT A HARD STOP, AND HEARD A CLANK NOISE ALMOST AS IF I HAD HIT SOMETHING IN THE ROAD. THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR TO GO AND NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN EXCEPT MY RPMS WOULD GO UP. I WAS ON A SLIGHT HILL AND BEGAN TO COAST BUT I WASN'T SURE IF I WAS COASTING OR IF THE CAR WAS JUST GOING REALLY SLOW, UNTIL I STARTED IN AN UPHILL AND THE CAR STOPPED. I TRIED TO TURN OF THE CAR AND TURN IT BACK ON, CRAZY LOGIC THAT SOMETIMES DOES THE TRICK, AND THERE WAS NO CHANGE. I PUSHED THE CAR INTO A DRIVEWAY AS I WAS ON A 2 LANE ROAD AND BLOCKING TRAFFIC AND CALLED AAA TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO MINI OF PEABODY. WHEN THEY CALLED ON MONDAY THEY SAID THAT THE CVT HAD FAILED, THEY FOUND THE CHAIN AND LINKS IN THE OIL PAN AND THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I ASKED HOW MUCH THE REPLACEMENT WOULD BE AND THEY TOLD ME PARTS AND LABOR WOULD BE $7700. WHEN I WAS TOLD THAT I TALKED TO THE SA ABOUT THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEY'RE CVT'S AT 60K MILES. HE SAID HE WOULD TALK TO THE MANAGER AND CALL BACK. HE CALLED BACK AND SAID THAT HE TALKED TO THE MANAGER AND SPOKE WITH MINI USA AND THEY WOULD COME HALF THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENT BRINGING IT TO $3850. I WENT TO PICK IT UP AND IT FELT LIKE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CAR. THERE IS NO JERKINESS AT SLOW SPEEDS SO I'M CONVINCED THAT I HAD A DUD TRANSMISSION ALL ALONG. *TR