2004 MINI Cooper Transmission Problems

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IN 2004 MINI COOPER FAILURE AT 98K MILES. COST TO REBUILD QUOTED AT $5K-$8K. *JB

NHTSA ID

10461779

Incident

Jun 11, 2012

Mileage

98,000 mi

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!!!! *TT

NHTSA ID

10417195

Incident

Jul 29, 2011

Mileage

87,000 mi

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. *TR

NHTSA ID

10415319

Incident

Apr 1, 2011

Mileage

60,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COPPER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 55 MPH IN ORDER TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND MADE IT DIFFICULT TO INCREASE SPEED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES PRIOR TO THE TRANSMISSION FAILING AND WAS TOLD TO ONLY USE PREMIUM GASOLINE. THE CONTACT MADE THE CHANGE AND WITHIN A FEW MONTHS, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 58,000.

NHTSA ID

10376570

Incident

Jan 10, 2011

Mileage

58,000 mi

HAVE A 2004 MINI COOPER WITH 65,000 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 RECURRED 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. *TR

NHTSA ID

10331094

Incident

May 12, 2010

Mileage

62,000 mi

TRANSMISSION FAILURE MADE CAR STOP IN TRAFFIC. *TR

NHTSA ID

10330202

Incident

May 10, 2010

Mileage

117,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

10299826

Incident

Jul 10, 2008

Mileage

80,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

10290600

Incident

Sep 24, 2009

Mileage

21,000 mi

OUR 2004 MINI COOPER (CVT) AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR HAS ONLY 74,000 MILE ON IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10286043

Incident

Oct 1, 2009

Mileage

74,000 mi

2004 MINI COOPER NON S , TRANSMISSION FAILURE DUE TO A MIDLAND TRANSMISSION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10277323

Incident

Jul 18, 2009

Mileage

110,000 mi

TRANSMISSION GAVE WAY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10269424

Incident

Nov 9, 2008

Mileage

68,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

10227127

Incident

May 3, 2008

Mileage

51,234 mi

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

NHTSA ID

10220990

Incident

Mar 12, 2008

Mileage

56,700 mi

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

NHTSA ID

10090897

Incident

Sep 12, 2004

Mileage

2 mi