NHTSA Complaint #10284244 — 2003 MINI COOPER

OUR MINI COOPER REPEATEDLY STALLED WHILE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC RESULTING IN SEVERAL NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCES. NO FAULT CODE OR CHECK-ENGINE LIGHT EVER APPEARED. UPON TAKING THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP, WHILE UNDER WARRANTY, THE PROBLEM AND OUR CONCERNS WERE DISMISSED WITHOUT REMEDY. FINALLY, AFTER BEING IN THE MOUNTAINS ON WINDY ROADS A CLICKING NOISE BEGAN. SINCE NO FAULT OR CHECK-ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED, WE ASSUMED THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE TO BE FROM SOMETHING MINOR AND OPTED TO DRIVE THE CAR TO THE NEAREST MECHANIC, A FIVE MILE DRIVE. SHORTLY BEFORE ARRIVING TO THE MECHANIC, THE MINI UNEXPECTEDLY BECAME QUITE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. LUCKILY WE WERE ABLE TO GET OFF THE FREEWAY, UPON WHICH THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING ' REQUIRING THE CAR TO BE PUSHED TO THE MECHANIC. AGAIN, NO CHECK-ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AS A WARNING AND NO FAULT CODES WERE STORED. BMW'S MINI COOPER CVT TRANSMISSION POSES A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD TO DRIVERS. RESEARCH INDICATES BMW IS AWARE OF THE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION, WHICH EXPLAINS WHY BMW OPTED TO NO LONGER USE THE CVT TRANSMISSION IN LATER MODELS. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION TO KEEP MINI OWNERS & OTHER DRIVERS SAFE. OURS IS JUST ONE OF MANY SIMILAR EXPERIENCES WE'VE RECENTLY LEARNED OF WHILE RESEARCHING THE DISMAL TRACK RECORD OF BMW'S CVT TRANSMISSIONS IN EARLY MINI COOPERS. *TR