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Hatchbacks MINI Cooper MINI Cooper Clutch & Transmission Questions
268 messages, Last post on Nov 20, 2009 at 8:18 PM
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Replying to: cosgrovet (Oct 10, 2006 2:40 pm) I had the clutch changed at 45,000 miles for the first time. Clutch lifespan can go out sooner depending how you drive the vehicle (Clutch yoke noisy and worn out clutch). Lucky I was covered under a 50K warranty when I purchased the car. A normal clutch in other car's can get a lot more mileage than 45K miles. I now have 48,000 miles on the car. Some of the most common problems I have experienced is with the Mini Cooper S (manual transmission) not of the routine kind of things of owning a car. 1) One of the first problems I had overheating problem with engine at 10,000 miles. 2) Rear latch on rear trunk never locked (needed replace latch). 3) Idiot lights on dash tire flat (Motor wheel rotation sensor) you hit a pot-hole it stays on very common and sometimes for weeks off and on. (Computer software glitches of some kind)Airbag idiot light stays on all the time now. The Mini dealer service told me eventually they will come up with a better software upgrade. I've learned to live with idiot light on the dash being on or off so don't be alarmed if you see them. 4) Cooling fan to engine kept turning never shut off then drains battery overnight. Mini dealer had to change both Cooling fans which they were very reluctant when its under warranty. 5) Brakes last 20,000 miles about on the front and 30,000 miles on the rear. 6) Clutch problem at 45,000 miles. 7) All Tires replaced. Yeah, we all have problems the Mini Cooper S but I would rather own a Toyota Corolla that I have as a second car with 250,000 miles and never had these kind of problems with only 48,000 miles. If I keep the car for another 50K miles will have the same problems again plus more. The tow truck driver who came to load my Mini cooper to the shop say most Mini's he towed are transmission problems and overheating problems.
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Replying to: gusp (Sep 20, 2005 9:30 pm) I drive my Mini Cooper S 2002 about 10,000 a year....so most of the time its parked and really has not much chance for a hot running engine. I happen to get on my Mini Cooper 2002 S 45,000 miles out of the clutch before it broke. I have had many Volkswagens in the past I got at least 95,000 miles out of a clutch. I drive a stickshift like you would think its an automatic transmission ride. The shifting is smooth and you never realize its a sticksift car since I had many clutch car's in the past. This car has more problems than a normal running used car you buy off the lot. I personally, would stay away from these cars until they make them much better and realiable. They just are not working on the problems that the first models had and now they still have the same problems on newer models. Buyer beware, its still an experimental car with lots of bugs to be worked out even in the latest models. |
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Hi - New to this site. My mini is 2002, automatic, with 43,000 miles. Warranty was up in August (just 4 months ago) and I noticed a sputtering sound recently. I took it in and the dealership told me the transmission is shot and will cost $7500 to repair! I took it to a non-dealer repair shop and they said they needed to replace the transmission with a brand new one b/c it was hard to say what's wrong with the transmission inside. Replacing is will cost me almost 1/3 of what I paid for it...I don't know what to do. Any suggestions/similar experiences? I'm leaning towards getting it fixed and then selling it. I just wonder if it's even worth getting fixed at all. Thanks, colleen ctm3267  yahoo.com
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Replying to: ctm3267 (Jan 03, 2007 11:47 am)
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Replying to: cosgrovet (Oct 10, 2006 2:40 pm) |
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We've taken our 2003 Mini Cooper S in to the dealer numerous times and reporting a strange loud sound every time we drove off or backed up. Every time they would say they could not duplicate the sound. Finally after being told I needed to come in and have the shop manager ride with me to see if I could point it out, they heard it. There is a awful sound everytime you take off or back up. The response from him was "oh that's coming from the clutch, it does that after awhile, we can tighten it but the sound may come back again." Every time I call dealer or check online there does not seem to be any recalls or similar problems with other Mini's. Anyone else experiencing this problem? |
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Replying to: cct1 (Jan 06, 2007 7:45 am) The transmission went out on my MINI too. Mine is a 2003, automatic, with 33,000 miles. I bought it used a few months ago. I was so excited about owning a car that was built this century! I still love the fuel efficiency (31 mpg SF down to LA) and the heated seats and fitting in tight parking spaces. Unfortunately I’m back to thinking of cars as a huge drain on my money and time. Short version: the transmission was replaced and covered under the warranty even though the warranty expired about a month earlier. SF MINI Dealership cost estimate was $5,000. They replaced a tail light free of charge and they provided a loaner car. I’ll post a longer version of the situation in a minute. Reading other posts on the forum makes me concerned that the transmission is just the first of many issues with this MINI. At this point it would not be cost-effective to sell, but the warranty won’t cover problems 3 months/years from now… Colleen/ctm3267 - If you’re reading this, I’m interested to know what you ended up doing? Thanks, Taj |
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In Nov 06, my husband and I bought a 2003 MINI, automatic transmission, with 33K miles. In January we noticed that the car would not go into gear unless we revved the engine about 10 times. Definitely not cool. About a month later it just would not go into gear, no matter what. Non-dealer repair shop first told us it was the transmission. Replacement cost estimate was $3,000, but I’m not sure if that included labor. We called up SF Mini dealership (where they had just completed the 30K mile tune-up). They immediately said they would take a look and if it was the transmission they would absolutely cover it under the warranty, since it had literally just expired. Short version: it was the transmission and it was replaced under warranty. Dealership cost estimate was $5,000. They replaced a tail light free of charge and they provided a loaner car. Longer, venting version: Looking back a few months/years from now I will probably only remember that we didn’t pay for the transmission. But since it’s still fresh…. The customer service was AWFUL: We dropped off the car after a 12 mile, $100 tow. After four days of no news and no returned calls, I finally got through. They said they hadn’t even looked at it yet. Service Rep#1 offered us a rental car for $25/day. We got a better deal on our own. I finally got through after about a week of no news and no response to multiple phone calls. Service Rep#2 said “oh no, I would have given you the loaner car at no charge” and “we can’t find the problem.” So we dropped off our rental car and picked up their rental car. After 3 days of no news and no returned phone calls, I got through. They said they found the problem. After four more days of no news and no returned messages, I got through to the receptionist in the late afternoon. The car had been ready for pick up all day. Summary: They had the car three weeks. We are out of pocket $260. We have a new transmission. I’m now considering 1) keeping the car and hoping nothing else goes wrong, 2) selling it and getting ????, 3) selling it and getting a new MINI with a bumper to bumper warranty and upgrading my road-side assistance plan. Any thoughts/comments/suggestions are welcome.
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Replying to: bbuc (Jan 12, 2007 1:44 pm) |
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Replying to: 03minidrvr (Feb 24, 2007 5:47 pm) But even after the transmission is replaced (w/re-built one), by reading the Forums here makes me worry. I, too hope nothing else goes wrong.... Any thoughts/comments/suggestions are welcome. |
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