NHTSA Complaint #10789662 — 2012 MINI COOPER COUNTRYMAN

UPON ENTERING AN EXIT ONLY LINE ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE END OF A 400 MILE JOURNEY, TRAFFIC BACKED UP AND CAME TO A STOP IN THE EXIT ONLY LANE. WHEN TRAFFIC STARTED MOVING AGAIN, MY CAR WHICH HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT FROM NEUTRAL INTO 1ST GEAR (OR ANY GEAR). I WAS STOPPED AND UNABLE TO MOVE WITH TRAFFIC MOVING 50-60 MPH BEHIND ME AND NEXT TO ME. CARS SLAMMED ON BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING ME AND ONE ALMOST HIT ME AFTER SLAMMING ON ITS BREAKS AND TURNING SIDEWAYS. IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST TERRIFYING EXPERIENCES I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED. A STATE POLICE OFFICE PULLED UP BEHIND ME AFTER ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES AND WAS ABLE TO PUSH ME TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE. THERE WAS A TERRIBLE BURNING SMELL AND CONSIDERABLE SMOKE FROM UNDER THE CAR WHICH INDICATED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE CLUTCH. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP WHERE I LATER LEARNED THE CLUTCH MATERIAL HAD DISINTEGRATED ENTIRELY AND THE FLYWHEEL WAS CRAZED AND BURNED FROM THE EXTREME HEAT. BOTH THE CLUTCH AND FLYWHEEL HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE COST TO REPAIR THE CAR WAS OVER $4000. THE CAR HAD 78,067 MILES ON IT AND PRIOR TO THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE CLUTCH THERE WERE ONLY 2 INDICATIONS OF A POTENTIAL CLUTCH PROBLEM WHEN THE TACHOMETER FLUTTERED WHEN SHIFTING INTO HEAR AT ABOUT 300 MILES PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT AND THEN ABOUT 25 MILES PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, INDICATING TO ME THAT THE CLUTCH WAS STARTING TO SLIP. OTHER THAN THAT, THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS OR OTHER INDICATIONS OF A PROBLEM. THE CAR IS ROUTINELY SERVICED BY THE DEALER AND WHENEVER THERE IS ANY INDICATION OF A PROBLEM. I DO NOT DRIVE CARS HARD. THIS CAR IS STILL ON ITS FIRST SET OF BRAKES AND ONLY ITS SECOND SET OF TIRES. I HAVE DRIVEN MANUAL SHIFT CARS FOR MANY YEARS AND KNOW THE SYMPTOMS OF A FAILING CLUTCH. I CONSIDER THE NEAR CATASTROPHE THAT I EXPERIENCED THE RESULT OF A MAJOR DEFECT IN EITHER THE CLUTCH OR THE WARNING MECHANISM.