Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||||
| SI M24 01 08 | 06/01/2008 | 10025846 | Mini: r55, r56 (cooper, cooper s) with f21 asin 6-speed automatic transmission - incorrect gear display. *pe | 09/10/2008 | |
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||||
| SI M21-03-08 | 06/01/2008 | 10025903 | Mini- r5 & r56 (cooper; cooper s) with getrag 6 speed manual transmission: complaint of an intermittent no-crank, no start situation. the clutch switch module has not been secured in the correct position on the clutch master cylinder. * | 09/15/2008 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 06/18/2011 | 76020 | 1 | |
| I was yielding to make a left turn on green. the car was in neutral. it was a relatively hot day. when i went to go i shifted into gear and immediately found it difficult to turn. as i furthered down the road to my event and was ushered into the parking lot by traffic control, the power steering diminished more and more as i drove on. by time i got to a parking space, i could just barely turn into my spot. a few hours after the event i turned on my car and it drove as normal again. after this powersteering failure i had a power steering fluid flush done. it has been a bit over a year since the first time it happened, but in the past two weeks i've lost my power steering about ten times. it's always when i'm at a slow speed or stopped. usually shutting the engine on and off again will solve the problem but once it did not. i left the car alone for a few hours and when i went to drive it again it was like normal. it has not always been hot when my power steering fails. i keep my car in a garage so it is seldom baking in the sun. when the power steering goes, it feels as if the car is gripping back and gets progressively worse as i continue to drive. i am not an aggressive driver and i live in a flat area where driving is a simple task. *tr | |||
| 11/01/2008 | 1 | 04/01/2008 | |
| 2004 mini cooper with motor mount, electrical, flat tire sensors issues. cvt transmission replacement recommended. *tgw one day while driving on the highway, the vehicle just stopped; dead no power. the consumer stated the vehicle is sitting in the garage un-drivable because she doesn't have the $8,000 to replace the cvt transmission. *jb | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 07/29/2011 | 87000 | ||
| I have a 2004 mini cooper with 87,000 miles on it. there were no events leading up to the total cvt transmission failure that took place last friday 07/29/11. i was entering into a large intersection when the car started bucking and rattling. i just made it into a hess station parking lot (thank goodness there was one there) when it wouldn't go any further. i had it towed to a local transmission shop and they said that the trans was dead and i was going to need a new one. they informed me that there aren't any rebuilt options and the new trans is going to cost me $5000 + $1200 for labor. i have done a bunch of research on these cvt transmissions and apparently they have been a huge problem and bmw/mini haven't done anything about it. i think it is a disgrace that this continues to happen and cost people thousands of dollars. something needs to be done asap!!!! | |||
| 01/10/2011 | 58000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini copper. the contact was driving 55 mph to pass another vehicle and the transmission went out on the vehicle. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer several times prior to the transmission failing and was told that they needed to only use premium gasoline. the contact made the change and a few months later, the transmission has failed. the failure mileage and current mileages was 58000.rl | |||
| 05/12/2010 | 62000 | ||
| Have a 2004 mini cooper with 65000 miles total and only 6200 miles in last 20 months and car serviced regularly. automatic transmission has now started to not shift properly and mini service reprogrammed transmission but problems have reoccurred and again mini wants to reprogram transmission. if this does not work, transmission will have to be replaced at cost of $6500.00. there is no repair or rebuilding of this transmission. there are hundreds of reported problems with this transmission but bmw has not acknowledged any problem. | |||
| 05/10/2010 | 117000 | ||
| Transmission failure made car stop in traffic | |||
| 07/10/2008 | 80000 | 1 | |
| My 2004 mini coopers transmission failed at 80k miles with no warning. luckily i was in a parking lot and not on the highway, where i could have been killed. the cost of replacing the tranny was $7,000. mini usa was useless when i pleaded with them to help me. after reading about all of the other complaints with the cvt trans, i can't believe there was no recall. i will never buy a mini again. i still owe $11,000 on the car and cannot afford another. *tr | |||
| 09/24/2009 | 21000 | 1 | |
| Purchased a 2004 mini cooper a year ago, with a mileage of 17,000 miles. after driving about 4,000 miles, the car broke down and was sent to local mini dealer to get it fixed. continuous variable transmission was diagnosed wrecked, and dealer offered a replacement (only solution) with a re-furbished cvt transmission for $9800. after negotiation, i had mini cover the parts and i paid labor. but i have seen on so many forums that all cvt transmissions are failing so i wonder why there have been no recalls. my cvt failed when the car had 21,000 miles! *tr | |||
| 10/01/2009 | 74000 | 1 | |
| Our 2004 mini cooper (cvt) automatic transmission needs to be replaced. the car has only 74,000 mile on it. *tr | |||
| 11/09/2008 | 68000 | 1 | |
| Transmission gave way. *tr | |||
| 09/12/2004 | 2 | 1 | 08/18/2004 |
| I was driving normal. i was making a left turn on my 2004 mini cooper (automatic transmission) the car move a little and all of a sudden the car stalled. the car behind me was honking and i quickly shift to n and tried starting and the car started. my car has only 1650 miles. i called mini the next day and customer service rep told me that there is no recalls or issues known to mini at this time. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | |||
| 03/12/2008 | 56700 | 1 | 05/24/2004 |
| Total transmission failure at 57,000 miles. warranty just ran out, quoted price to replace transmission, clutch, pressure plate and throw out bearing $7,000 minimum. dealer refuses to accept any responsibility. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||
| 04/01/2011 | 60000 | ||
| 2004 mini cooper with 60k miles. transmission failed and was advised by mini cooper dealer needs replacement, makes whining noise at higher speeds. have not driven car since april 2011. can not afford $5k replacement cost. | |||
| 07/18/2009 | 110000 | 1 | |
| 2004 mini cooper non s , transmission failure due to a midland transmission. *tr | |||
| 05/03/2008 | 51234 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 03/12/2008 | 56700 | 1 | 05/24/2004 |
| Total transmission failure at 57,000 miles. warranty just ran out, quoted price to replace transmission, clutch, pressure plate and throw out bearing $7,000 minimum. dealer refuses to accept any responsibility. *tr | |||