Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||||
| 2320005 | 05/09/2005 | 10016682 | Transmission noise diagnosis. *sc | 09/27/2005 | |
| 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 | |
| 230105 | 10/01/2005 | 10017779 | Rattling/grinding noise coming from the transmission area when in neutral during a cold start. my '05 cooper with 5-speed getrag. *tt | 11/29/2005 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 12/03/2012 | 41230 | 1 | |
| At low miles the transmission has to be replaced. no fore warning just gone. i'm trying to drive and at 10 mph i'm revving at up to 3000 rpm's. this should def not be happening! i'm fuming being that i have to now replace the transmission when i have not beaten on it or anything to make this happen. so far my experience with bmw has not been good. i would have been better buying anything else. *tr | |||
| 09/09/2012 | 83000 | 1 | |
| I had a little whining sound when i pushed on the clutch. everything worked fine even with the whining sound. i started driving to the mechanics and my car completely shut down. the transmission came completely apart. all the teeth are gone from the second gear with no warning. i have already spent 2000.00, now i will have to either spend another 3000.00 for a new transmission, or trade in my car at a horrible loss and i will be upside down on the next car. i read that there were class action lawsuits against mini/bmw over the transmissions. i was hoping that i would find a recall on here. *tr | |||
| 09/09/2012 | 83000 | ||
| I had a little whining sound when i pushed on the clutch. everything worked fine even with the whining sound. i started driving to the mechanics and my car completely shut down. the transmission came completely apart. all the teeth are gone from the second gear with no warning. i have already spent 2000.00, now i will have to either spend another 3000.00 for a new transmission, or trade in my car at a horrible loss and i will be upside down on the next car. i read that there were class action lawsuits against mini/bmw over the transmissions. i was hoping that i would find a recall on here. | |||
| 09/18/2012 | 92607 | 1 | |
| The transmission on our 2005 mini had been slipping but we could not afford to have it fixed. my daughter was driving to various local shopping plazas applying for jobs. she could not have been driving over 45 mph because that was the maximum speed one could drive without the transmission slipping out of gear. the car began to make a whirring sound and smoke. she pulled into a parking lot and safely parked. the engine continued to smoke and all of the transmission fluid leaked onto the ground. we had the vehicle towed to our home and it now sits in our garage while we continue to pay for it and insure it. *tr | |||
| 09/18/2012 | 92607 | ||
| The transmission on our 2005 mini had been slipping but we could not afford to have it fixed. my daughter was driving to various local shopping plazas applying for jobs. she could not have been driving over 45 mph because that was the maximum speed one could drive without the transmission slipping out of gear. the car began to make a whirring sound and smoke. she pulled into a parking lot and safely parked. the engine continued to smoke and all of the transmission fluid leaked onto the ground. we had the vehicle towed to our home and it now sits in our garage while we continue to pay for it and insure it. | |||
| 09/10/2012 | 74450 | 1 | |
| After driving one evening a short distance to the store and feeling a strange pulling of the car but not really moving as fast as it should, i took it to be checked out at the mini of the lehigh valley. i was told that it was a faulty transmission but that i could still continue to drive it short distances. this cost $138. so after a couple of short trips to work, i was on my way home on monday september 10th when it started to shut down, it was revving very loudly but only moving at about 20mph at the most. i had to pull over many times due to anxiety, fear and causing an accident. i had to find a back way home because i could no longer drive on any of the main roads since it was obvious that i was going to get hit from behind! *tr | |||
| 06/21/2012 | 49500 | ||
| The car suddenly would not accelerate after stopping at a stop sign, a very serious situation. the motor was running, however, the car would not move. i had the car towed to the dealer who informed us today that the cvt (transmission) had to be replaced at a cost of $7000. we are aware that there are numerous complaints on line regarding mini cooper cvt power trains in 2002 - 2006 mini's and that there are apparently class action law suits in california and new jersey as mini cooper apparently is refusing to issue a recall. it does not seem within reason that a car with less than 50,000 miles should have the transmission go out. also, in that there are substantial similar complaints from others and class action law suits pending, this does not seem to be an isolated incident. i strongly believe that mini cooper should admit that its cvt power train is faulty and issue an immediate recall. thanks for your attention to this complaint. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 04/15/2010 | 87000 | ||
| I have noticed for the last 2 years that my car has been learching. in just the last week i have noticed that when i get to about 55-65 mph, my rpm's are around 4000. i take my foot off the gas and the rpm's increased. i had some minor work done on the auto-sequential transmission in 2010. i had broken the line and has been welded back in and had no major problems aside from the learching until recently. all factory parts are still on the car. transmission has not been replaced. i am outside my warranty. | |||
| 10/01/2009 | 47000 | 1 | |
| 2005 mini cooper automatic cvt transmission failed at only 47,000 miles. when taking my foot off of the gas, the rpm's would rev up as the car slowed down. then my check engine light and ep (transmission) warning light came on and the car would no longer shift above second gear, making the car practically undrivable. this vehicle has always been serviced promptly and well maintained through mini cooper dealerships. my factory warranty expired 6 months ago. the interior belt or chain on the transmission has completely come apart and the entire transmission needs to be replaced. mini cooper estimates $7600 to replace this transmission! *tr | |||
| 03/12/2009 | 62000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. while driving 25 mph, the vehicle jerked and made rattling and popping sounds. the vehicle shut off and the contact pushed it to the side of the road. the key could not be removed from the ignition and the vehicle had to be towed to the dealer. she was informed that the transmission failed and would cost $7,000 to repair. the contact will call the manufacturer for assistance. the failure mileage was 62,000. | |||
| 11/01/2008 | 47500 | 1 | |
| During november of 2008, i broke down 4 times. the first time was on 11/1 (when i had an appt to have my ailing car looked at on 11/3). i made the appt for 11/3 on 10/30 when i was on a highway and the car began bucking like a mechanical bull. obviously, i did not make it to the appointment. i had it towed to the dealership on 11/1 after breaking down in the middle of a busy intersection while trying to make a left hand turn. the diagnosis was i needed a new battery, valve cover gasket, and transmission. i was good-willed the transmission by otto's bmw because i was over my warranty in time and not mileage (passed 4 years, but not 50000 miles). i paid $386 to fix the first two items. the next day, i got my car back. on 11/8, i broke down again while pulling out of a driveway. i realized on my way to my destination, i destroyed two streets and my family's driveway with my transmission fluid. i was irate, and the dealer towed it in. they said the trans cool line disconnected. i had my car back in a couple days. on 11/23, i broke down again in the middle of the street. the car's ems and check engine soon lights came on. the car would restart, but then shook viciously and then conked out when it was put in gear. mini towed it in again. they couldn't verify the concern and said it drove off the flatbed fine, and yet i couldn't get it to move again 24 hours after breaking down. mini kept the car for approximately three days to ensure they were thorough in their efforts. on 11/30, i broke down again on my way to have the car detailed to prepare it for sale the following day. i had to call out of work on 12/1 to wait for mini's tow company to come retrieve the car for the forth and final time. the service advisor said it was acting up real nice when they got it off the flatbed this time. by this point in time, i was having panic attacks behind the wheel of any car because i was so paranoid and didn't feel safe. why has no one recalled the mini? *tr | |||
| 07/12/2005 | 4000 | 2 | 03/19/2005 |
| My 2005 mini cooper s automatic suddenly stopped twice for no apparent reason while driving. car was only 4 months old, about 4000 miles on car. i was actually in motion, and the car just stopped moving! i had to turn off the car and restart it. eml and check engine lights came on once the car stopped. the check engine light stayed on for a few days, then went off, so i assumed it was a fluke and nothing to worry about (otherwise i assume the light would stay on). the second time it happened was exactly the same scenario as the first. i have since learned that mini is calling this limp mode, but i had never received any recall notification from mini, or anything indicating that they knew about this problem. however, the did know, based on what i have read of others who complained to them about the exact same problems!! yet mini apparently did not notify dealerships, because the first one i called had no idea what the problem was which i described, and wasn't going to take me for service until 2 weeks later. i called a second dealer who immediately knew the problem, and said it was a voluntary recall. still i had not heard anything from mini usa. i took my car in and it was fixed in an hour--they reprogrammed the dme. this is a safety issue! i still haven't heard anything from mini about a safety recall for this problem! maybe they didn't notify me because i had it taken care of already, but had this happened on the freeway, rather than in my neighborhood, i could be dead now! why isn't mini notifying owners who purchased the 2005 automatics!! why aren't they issuing a recall? are they waiting for someone to be killed? *jb | |||
| 07/14/2005 | 2 | ||
| I had my brand new 2005 mini cooper s automatic for less than one month when it stalled in the middle of the street - the engine just stalled out or went into what i've been told is limp mode. luckily, the street wasn't crowded and i was able to coast to the side of the road. but what if i was on the freeway???? i've subsequently found out many people have had the same problem and bmw knows about it, but hasn't been able to fix the problem correctly. i believe this is a huge safety issue! bmw said it is a software problem and they have made updates, but i don't believe it has been corrected. i am still afraid to drive on the freeway for fear of becoming a statistic! bmw should at least notify all mcs automatic owners of the potential hazard! *jb | |||
| 07/03/2005 | 2000 | 3 | 04/29/2005 |
| On 3 different occasions after traveling a few hundred yards or so our mini would suddenly lose power and go into a limp mode as we move from either a stop sign or traffic signal. this would cause the vehicle to stop in the intersection causing a potentially hazardous condition. the vehicles ses check engine light also comes on. we have taken our vehicle in for service three times to get this defect addressed. mini states that it is a known problem with the current software. i now have a third version of the software, but we are afraid to drive the car to test it out. i hope either mini or the nhtsa will post a recall on this dangerous condition. *jb | |||
| 06/16/2005 | 2250 | 1 | 05/10/2005 |
| Started vehicle in the evening when leaving work then drove out onto the street and the vehicle stopped. the throttle would not do anything and the car wouldn't move. the dealer said a temperature sensor told the computer it was out of range and sent the automatic transmission into a limp mode. after pulling over and restarting the car it was possible to drive it home, but the service engine light was on. the vehicle was only 1 month old. the dealer has replaced two map sensors and an electronic throttle motor, but it's not supposed to be fixed until they correct the software. there are 7 mini cooper s automatics with the same problem at this dealer and many more throughout the u.s. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | |||
| 12/25/2007 | 50000 | 1 | 04/02/2005 |
| I complained to mini cooper dealership about noise coming from underside of the on multiple occasions. they were never able to find the problem and the last time i complained they blamed it on worn tires. at 52,000 miles i noticed a high pitch squealing from under the car when i had the clutch pressed in. when i brought it to mini service, they said that clutch material probably got caught in the fingers of the clutch. they said that since my warranty was up (over at 50,000 miles) and that this was a friction material issue, the cost of the repair ($2,200 - $2,800) would be my responsibility. since this cost was so high and the early failure so far outside of normal expected duty time, i refused the service. since there are many reported cases of early clutch failure and flywheel field upgrades, i contacted mini usa and asked for my issue to be reviewed as a warranty issue. they would not agree to cover the repair, but said i would have to pay at least $700 to check out to even consider this as a warranty. they would not allow me to bring the car to an independent shop for review. since independent shops charge about half the amount for clutch replacement, i wanted that option in case mini refused to cover any costs. the mini cs reference number for this issue is 2000736002924. on 12/25 (christmas day) my clutch failed completely. since mini is not willing to give any material support to this issue, and there are many other cases of early clutch failure reported i opened this complaint to see if nhtsa could help resolve this problem. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | |||
| 10/06/2005 | 2500 | 1 | 06/20/2005 |
| Front wheel rubbing noises at low speed when turning hard left or hard right. mini dealer told me that the noise is normal, nothing was done. *jb | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||
| 07/01/2010 | 110000 | ||
| Transaxle on the mini cooper failed. unit contains sealed bearings (so i'm told), that are not serviceable. therefore, i had to buy a complete new unit at a cost of $3,000 ()included $900 labor). i understand this is not an uncommon failure for minis, and that mini and bmw are refusing to work with consumers to address this problem. however, they have apparently changed the design, recognizing the poor design of the original unit. | |||
| 10/07/2008 | 77000 | 1 | |
| My 2005 mini had aprox. 77,000 miles on it when i had drove for about an hour, pulled into my driveway, heard a loud noise, and when i got out i saw a piece of the transmission casing laying on the ground and all the fluid drained out. there are 95 mini owners that i know of who have had 1 or 2 transmissions replaced after only a few years of use. mine cost me 5,000 dollars and loss of use for 2 months. mini was aware of the faulty transmissions and continued to sell them. i really believe there needs to be a reckoning. *tr | |||