NHTSA Complaint #10652572 — 2009 MINI COOPER S

I WAS DRIVING MY MINI COOPER ON I-95 WHEN THE I NOTICED A VERY STRONG BURNING SMELL AND THE CLUTCH WAS GIVING ME DIFFICULTY CHANGING GEARS. AS I WAS GETTING OFF I-95 THE GEARS WERE NOT RESPONDING AND THE CAR BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN. I GOT OFF I-95 AND JUST MADE IT TO A MAIN BLVD. WHEN THE CLUTCH GAVE OUT AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. I COULD SEE THE CARS IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR COMING AT FULL SPEED AND HONKING AT ME TO MOVE OUT OF THE OF THE WAY. I CALLED 911 AND ASKED FOR A PATROL TO SPOT TRAFFIC AND THEN TRIED TO GET OUT OF THE CAR TO ASK FOR HELP BUT ALMOST GOT RAN OVER BY CARS PASSING BY. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GET EITHER HIT OR KILLED. TWO MAN IN A VAN STOPPED AND PUSHED MY CAR OUT OF THE WAY UNTIL THE TRUCK STOPPED. THE POLICE CAR NEVER SHOWED UP. A WEST PALM BRAMAN MINI COOPER SERVICE MAN WAS DRIVING BY AND TOLD ME THE CLUTCH WAS COMPLETELY BURNT OUT AND TO TOW THE CAR TO HIS FACILITY. I DID AND MINI COOPER REFUSED TO FIX IT EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE AWARE OF THE DEFECT AND THE MANY COMPLAINTS. THEY TRIED TO TELL ME THE CLUTCH WAS WORN OUT BUT THE CAR ONLY HAS 13,000 MILES, THEY ALSO TRIED TO BLAME IT ON AGGRESSIVE DRIVING OR THAT I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO DRIVE A STANDARD TRANSMISSION. I TOLD THEM I DRIVE VERY SLOW AND HAVE BEEN DRIVING STANDARD TRANSMISSION MY ENTIRE LIFE. THEY JUST REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE MANUFACTURING DEFECT. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT SOMEONE LOOKS INTO THIS SO THAT NO ONE HAS TO FACE THE SAME DANGER I DID OR EVEN WORSE, BE KILLED. *TR