We have classified the 29 complaints from 2003 MINI Cooper about POWER TRAIN into the following categories.
While in motion, car began to become jerky while excelerating, than the transmission disingaged. no gear would work thereafter.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. the contact stated that the gear shifter failed to move when attempting to operate the vehicle. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 158,000.
Transmission. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. the contact stated that the transmission warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the entire transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 59,000.
On 08/13/2014, i was driving my 2003 mini cooper, came to a stop light and when the light changed, i went to start out thru the intersection and lost all power-i managed to get it thru about the time the light had turned red, again! i coasted to the curb, put it in park, sat there for a few minutes and tried, again, to take off. it seemed to be fine, this time,( except for some take-off jerking, and rpm's spiking).drove 42 miles then came to a one way stop sign at the intersection of us hwy 40 & us hwy 56, when traffic cleared i went to cross the intersection and my car jerked and died!!! i had to be pushed out of the intersection while cross traffic had to stop & wait on me! no warning lights came on, in fact, i questioned whether or not they even worked. it's now at the dealership, where i purchased it, used, on 07/29/2014, getting diagnosed. *tr
Driving in 2nd gear (manual transmission) and the car brakes everything locked up skidding to an immediate, violent stop that squealed the tires and made smoke, oil everywhere on the road, engine still running fine. scary, could not even push the car off the road because it was stuck in gear. warranty company towed it to a mini dealer in valencia, ca. two weeks later, they granted warranty work however, the price tag is $4000!! warranty only covers $2000 so i have to get another used transmission! i see where there is a recall on all automatic transmissions 2003-2007 because of a class action law suit against mini cooper. isn't it possible the same thing wrong with the automatic transmission is also happening with the manual transmissions? i can't afford this even with the warranty and i certainly don't want to risk putting another faulty transmission that locks up, what if i was doing 65? i'd roll and be dead, that's what! this car is unsafe and i feel the new, approved transmission is the only answer. this isn't about money, it's about the fact the car locked up with no sign or warning whatsoever. though, if there is a recall i would like reimbursed for the costs or however that works, thank you for your time. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr
The car would not easily shift gears. when i brought it to the mini cooper dealership, i was told that all of the transmission fluid leaked out of the transmission. the transmission is "sealed", so the transmission fluid cannot be checked or changed. i was told that i needed to replace the transmission and clutch. the car should not have a sealed transmission if it can develop a leak so easily.
The transmission in my car failed when i was trying to go through a green light. there were no prior warning signs that the transmission was going to stop working. i was left stranded in the middle of an intersection because of this. i was nearly hit several times because of my location. when i spoke to the mini dealer they told me that this was a know problem and there was nothing they could do about it and that this was a known problem with this type of transmission. *tr
Mini cooper with a cvt auto transmission: i noticed that the engine would "rev." up when i step on the gas pedal, and the car would not accelerate. i pulled over and shut of the engine, than restarted the engine and moved ahead. later the "slipping" happened again and again; at all speeds and with a cold or hot engine. in addition, this problem has occurred while traveling at highway speeds 55+mph, and this requires coasting over to a breakdown lane to avoid a collision. the condition still exists and i am trying to locate an independent repair shop to diagnose the problem and hopefully rectify the problem at a reasonable cost. mini cooper dealers are asking between $5000 to $9000.00 to repair/replace the transmission. i have reason to believe that mini knew about this problem as early as 2005. aside from doing warranty repairs no attempt has been made by mini to notify owners and/or offer to repair/replace these faulty transmissions. *tr
The vehicle for months would make a small jump forward when putting in reverse. then the transmission would make a grinding noise when in drive. the car would feel spongy in drive when first starting off in the morning and at full stops.
Mini cooper broke down in the middle of a busy intersection during morning rush hour traffic. left my wife stranded. problem is the defective cvt automatic transmission. the belt broke in transmission. found out online of all the people who are having the same problem. repairs to cost between 6000 and 9000 dollars. several class action suits filed already. what needs to happen before bmw recalls and repairs problem? does someone need to die when one of these inferior transmissions lets go? *tr
Mini cooper broke down in the middle of a busy intersection during morning rush hour traffic. left my wife stranded. problem is the defective cvt automatic transmission. the belt broke in transmission. found out online of all the people who are having the same problem. repairs to cost between 6000 and 9000 dollars. several class action suits filed already. what needs to happen before bmw recalls and repairs problem? does someone need to die when one of these inferior transmissions lets go? *tr
Auto transmission cvt failure. i'm the original owner of this 2003 mini cooper with only 58,000 miles and this car is just sitting in my garage. the mini dealer wants $9,000 to r&r the trans. i can't afford to fix. i feel bmw / mini should be ashamed of them selves. last year the mini dealer charge me over $2,100 to r&r the steering pump when the car had under 50,000 miles on it. bmw / mini should have to pay up or replace these cvt trans. t/y *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, a loud noise emerged from under the hood. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis where it was stated that the cvt transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 58,000. .... updated 10-17-13 *bf
Cvt (auto transmission) needs replacing. mini cooper quote is $9,000 to replace. mini dealer knows that there' s many complaints with these cvt (auto trans.) *tr
I purchased a 2003 mini cooper from a private party in the dallas,texas a few years ago. i just received the dreaded news today that my transmission is going out and it will cost me $6000 to repair. according to mini this vehicle has already had the transmission changed during the warranty period so this would be the 2nd transmission for this car. the repair is equivalant to the purchase price of the vehicle 2 or so years ago. i can not afford to pay this price and understand this is a common occurence with this year vehicle so it would seem that a recall would need to be issued. otherwise i have to attempt to sale this car and take a loss. *tr
While driving on the freeway, on a slight incline is when i noticed the rpm was high and the speed reducing. (along with some crackling, rough noises from the front end of the car) i let off the gas pedal (lowered the rpms), tried to accelerate but the car wouldn't regain speed the car eventually reduced driving speed to 30mph with rpm at 5. i moved over to the shoulder of the freeway and waited for help. with a child in car. transmissions should not fail on a vehicle at 50,000miles. very scary situation. i hope this issue with this make/model/year vehicle is addressed. that issue could seriously harm alot of people i have read too many similar stories online. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while driving approximately 30 mph, the contact noticed a chattering noise and suddenly the vehicle would not accelerate. the contact also stated that he was a mechanic. after inspecting the vehicle, he noticed that the transmission would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. prior to the transmission failure, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. after inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the power steering pump and cooling fan would have to also be replaced. the approximate failure mileage was 106,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle became resistant to acceleration attempts. the contact heard a banging noise coming from under the vehicle and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostics. the mechanic advised that the transmission would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 55,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while driving 70 mph, the vehicle started losing power. the accelerator pedal was being depressed with no response. the vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and was able to be drivin home at a low rate of speed. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the repairs were performed. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 86,353. ...updated 04/26/16 *bf updated 12/11/2017*js
We have a mini cooper coupe 2003 with only 30,000 miles on it in mint condition where the belt for cvt transmission disintegrated without any warning leaving me stranded in the middle of a busy highway and placing me at risk for injury. we had provided good maintenance for the mini by changing the transmission oil when we first purchased the vehicle at 8000.00 miles and then at 15000 miles with high grade synthetic oil at $100.00. transmission shop working on our car inquired about parts from bmw and was told they do not sell parts for that transmission and if you want it fixed you have to purchase a new transmission in a box for $6,000.00. i feel that this is not an option if the transmission is only going to last 30,000 miles. who can afford such a disposable car? *tr
We purchased a 2003 mini cooper just weeks ago from a private party. almost instantly the power steering went out while my daughter was driving. luckily she wasn't in heavy traffic on the la freeway. we were told by the service center that we needed a new power steering pump. we purchased this and had it installed for approx.$1200.00. however the electric power steering pump fan still would not shut off when the engine was turned off, so this issue was still not resolved. immediately following this repair my daughter was driving on the freeway at 60 mph when the car suddenly jerked and slowed to a stop. luckily my daughter was in the right hand lane and could pull over on to the side of the busy freeway.(still no power steering working)the car was towed to the mini dealer. they diagnosed that the cvt transmission needs to be replaced, at a cost of $7150 approx. and this is before they can even diagnose the steering fan electrical problem. from all the complaints on this website about both of these problems, mini needs to take responsibility! we don't know what to do, as the repairs are much more than the cars value and the mini service manager states that the new cvt transmission only has a 2 year warranty. if this is a defective transmission, why should we pay for another one. as of today my daughter has to walk/bus to school and the mini sits.we are interested in the class action suit. *tr
2003 mini cooper. consumer states problem with vehicle transmission *tgw the consumer stated her daughter was driving on the los angeles freeway when the transmission abruptly and suddenly failed. the vehicle had to be towed and various repair shops stated it would cost $ 9,3000 to repair because mini didn't sell the cvt transmission anymore because they were defective and prone to failure. the consumer has since donated the vehicle. *jb
Loud noise in transmission - leads to transmission failure while driving many complaints indicating this happening while in traffic are on a couple websites - main site: http://newmini.wordpress.com/2008/01/08/mini-cooper-transmission-problems/ also many on: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/mini.html
I own a 2003 mini cooper with a cvt automatic transmission, transmission and front differential filed at 58000 miles lucky for me i was not on the interstate or busy traffic as a serious accident could have occurred. mini usa are totally aware of the problem and stopped putting this defective part in newer model vehicles. they will also not stand behind their product and are unwilling to rectify it. there are hundreds of people with this same issue concerning this transmission but for whatever reason there is still no safety recall. i hope it is not going to take someone to be killed or seriously injured before anything is done. also the bushings on the drivers side a frame are bad wch in my opinion is a serious fault and could be extremely dangerous. cost of replacement is 7,000+ these cars are rolling death traps in my opinion and someone needs to be held accountable. *ln
2003 mini cooper automatic cvt transmission failed abruptly and unexpectedly.
My 2003 mini cooper has had total transmission failure (cvt transmission) at only 46,129 miles. failure was total and sudden and vehicle is undriveable without new transmission. the dealer quoted me a cost of $10,055.44 (parts $6,943.28, labor $2,700 + tax). this cost is more that the vehicles' current value. i have been told that only a new cvt transmission can replace the faulty one, and even then that transmission may again fail as they are such terrible transmissions. the car will not take any other transmission option. the dealer basically laughed and said, "i don't suppose you have an extra $10,000 laying around," when he told me the cost of the repair. the dealer has offered no assistance in lowering the cost, but basically said "tough luck" and taken no responsibility. the car is useless and unfixable at this cost. a recall should be done as consumers have been sold a failed transmission, and the safety of this car's transmission is totally faulty. *tr
My 2003 mini cooper has almost caught on fire several times, replaced transmission, electrical harness, power steering pump, a/c hoses and a/c service, wheel bearings, injection plugs etc....... i still cannot find the real problem why is causing a short, it has almost caught on fire several times, this car has been the most dangerous car i have ever own, i have never spend so much money on trying to fix any vehicle, right now i'm about $11,500 in costs of repairs, this is a crime to the consumer, i have been reading about a class action lawsuit that is in progress, i hope and pray that we get justice from the maker of mini. *tr
It started with loud noises and rpm jumps to between 5 and 6 when accelerating. it now makes unbelievable sounds when trying to go beyond 50 mph. i took it to a local mechanics and he told me the transmission is gone and it has to be replaced. bmw does not sell parts. it would cost me about $5400 at least for a rebuilt transmission. this car has only 55000 miles.
The transmission in my 2003 mini cooper died at 59,000 miles. i had to replace the transmission, same as numerous other mini cooper owners have, at a cost of about $7,000. i was told that the cvt transmission in the 2003 mini coopers were defective and nothing could be done to repair it. mini cooper has not responded to the numerous complaints by its consumers and has not offered to help pay for the replacement transmission cost. *tr
The cvt transmission on my 2003 mini cooper has failed rendering the car not drivable. the transmission has always been quirky, but i was assured by the dealer that it was working properly. the transmission slips drastically and makes a very audible whirring sound. the only option for repair is a complete new part install at the dealer cost of $8,800. i have read hundreds and hundreds of identical stories about the cvts on mini coopers as well as the power steering pump. it seems from research that this part commonly fails and replacing with a defective part at a cost near nine thousand dollars is absurd and disgusting. it is cost prohibitive to keep my car operating and i feel as though i have, as well as thousands of other mini owners have been sold a defective product worthy of recall. *tr
Transmission failure and power steering failure on 2003 mini cooper (automatic) at 43,000 miles. original owner, no psp problems until a month ago when suddenly locked up while driving. once restarted the problem stopped. just tried to sell the car back to the dealer who then opted out of the sale after inspection as they said it needed a new transmission ($7,000+). both of these issues seem common when i searched on the net; both should be recall issues. *tr
Mi mini cooper 2003 got transmission problems ,need a part that they call ,actuator motor,,is no way to find that piece ,need a new transmission for 8000 $ dollars. many mini coopers have the same problem nobody can do a recall to bmw. *tr
2003 mini cooper with failing cvt transmission. this transmission was discontinued by mini and subsequently is failing at less than 100k miles. the transmission failure is abrupt and can possibly leave the passenger/s stranded in oncoming traffic. consulted with mini of greenville , sc this week and they stated that they are not responsible for the failing transmissions and cost to replace is approximately $8000. when asked if they would accept the vehicle for a trade they stated they would only give $1000 for the vehicle on a trade. i have read multiple posts from irate owners who are having to deal with the premature failed transmissions. with the increased focus on vehicle safety mini should be held accountable for these premature failures. *tr
Sudden and unexpected failure of automatic transmission on 2003 mini cooper. *tr
Transmission cvt failure. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while driving approximately 25 mph the transmission began to slip gears. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the failure was related to the transmission which required replacement. the transmission can only be replaced by an authorized dealer, but there are no authorized dealerships in the state. the mechanic estimated the replacement cost of the transmission between $8,000-$9,000. the vehicle has not been repaired for the malfunction. the failure and current mileages were 76,500. the vin was unavailable. updated 01/12/10 *bf uddated 01/14/10.*jb
Transmission failed on 2003 mini cooper while driving on highway. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for diagnostics, where the technicians stated that the transmission had an internal defect and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 77,648.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. the contact stated that the transmission will shift into the drive gear. the vehicle was taken to a local repair facility, and a technician concluded that he needed to replace the cvt transmission, at an expense of $ 8,300.00. no repairs were made. the manufacturer was notified, but no assistance was provided. the failure and current mileages were 88,000. updated 10/21/09. *lj the repair shop discovered the cvt drive belt had shredded which sent metal through the transmission. there were no parts available, the only option was full transmission replacement. updated 10/20/09
2003 mini cooper. 5 speed manual transmission. car transmission flew apart while driving. *tw
My car will suddenly only go about 5 mph. this has happened several times. we have taken it to the mechanic and he thinks he has it fixed and then it happens again. now they are saying it needs a new transmission for $8,400. they can't rebuild one, they can't buy a rebuilt one. the car has low miles and the transmission shouldn't be going out. i believe mini coopers have a flawed transmission and the company continues to put more flawed transmissions into cars and we the customers are getting '!@#$%. *tr
I have a 2003 mini cooper with automatic cvt transmission and have had recurring problems with the cvt since i purchased the vehicle. below is a summary of service visits, replacement of the cvt in 2007, and the current status of the cvt as inoperable. i have all invoices detailing work done. 10/9/02 - i purchased a new 2003 mini cooper with automatic cvt transmission from baron bmw in merriam, ks. 12/02 - mini usa sent me letter re: chassis #te13495 that some automatic cvt transmissions had been filled with the incorrect transmission oil and to schedule an appointment to have it flushed and replaced asap. 12/27/02 - baron flushed and replaced fluid. i also complained that the car had died two times and ran rough. mileage 1,760. 7/2/03-i took mini in complaining "when going from reverse to drive car has a hard lurch" and baron's invoice states "test drove car and found it was very harsh going into gear and lurched when it was cold". 2nd auto trans concern was "car has almost died at low idles a few times". baron reprogrammed the car under warranty. mileage 6,465. 7/23/07-customer goodwill provided by baron mini and replaced the transmission at no cost although warranty was up. mileage 49,512. 9/11/07-i took mini in again complaining of rough idle and car wants to die at stops. mileage 51,167. 8/13/09- mini was having a hard time shifting out of 1st gear. it would only drive 15-20 mph at up to 3,000 rpms. i called baron and was told the current transmission had a two year warranty (which made this complaint 2 years and a few weeks past warranty) but it was possible mini would cover repair/replacement. they did not. baron flushed and filled the transmission fluid and said it runs better but it is not fixed. they recommend replacing the cvt again. i have not had the cvt replaced (for the 2nd time). mileage 75,558. *tr
Our mini cooper repeatedly stalled while in heavy traffic resulting in several near death experiences. no fault code or check-engine light ever appeared. upon taking the car into the dealership, while under warranty, the problem and our concerns were dismissed without remedy. finally, after being in the mountains on windy roads a clicking noise began. since no fault or check-engine light appeared, we assumed the cause of the noise to be from something minor and opted to drive the car to the nearest mechanic, a five mile drive. shortly before arriving to the mechanic, the mini unexpectedly became quite difficult to control. luckily we were able to get off the freeway, upon which the transmission completely stopped working ' requiring the car to be pushed to the mechanic. again, no check-engine light came on as a warning and no fault codes were stored. bmw's mini cooper cvt transmission poses a significant safety hazard to drivers. research indicates bmw is aware of the defective transmission, which explains why bmw opted to no longer use the cvt transmission in later models. thank you for taking the time to rectify the situation to keep mini owners & other drivers safe. ours is just one of many similar experiences we've recently learned of while researching the dismal track record of bmw's cvt transmissions in early mini coopers. *tr
Transmission failed with no warning or symptoms. *tr
I bought a 2003 mini cooper and about a week and a half ago, the clutch hydraulic system has sprung a leak. upon inspection of the hydraulics, the mechanic noticed that the clutch control rod was moving in a funny way. he says that they will have to drop the transmission to see the actual problem and that removing the transmission alone will cost me 1000.00 dollars which i do not have at the moment. the car only has 67,000 miles on it and the clutch went without any warning. also, i am told that if the clutch does need to be replaced, it will cost me 1800.00 dollars, which again, i do not have. *tr
Automatic transmission on my 2003 mini cooper blew out without any warning. the car would not move. the car had just about 37,000 miles on it and was regularly maintained at the dealers shop. *tr
2003 mini cooper transmission failure. replacement cost approx 7500.00 this is a known defect and there is a multitude of problems associated with this. i bought mine used. no disclosure of it during the sale. it should be at least be flagged for the consumers protection. dealers, manufactures will not even discuss it. it is a horrible situation to be in. *tr
I bought a new 2003 mini cooper with a 3 year 36k warranty 6/26/03. while under warranty and receiving recommended maintenance through the dealer, the car required repair of the driver's seat which was frozen in the reclined position. shortly after the warranty expired, and 10,481 miles after a dealer maintenance check, the brake light indicator began flashing. i took it immediately to the dealer. i was told the entire brake system needed replacement for $886.60. at the same service visit, i was told the front struts needed replacement to the tune of $1600. my male friends who are mechanically inclined and/or engineers said that one would need to be doing stunts in a car to need that kind of repair at 50,293 miles. it was not clear why the indicator only tells when brakes are totally shot, or why the most recent service check had not shown worn pads and disks. later, at 53,007 miles, the driver's side window failed and that cost $497.51 to replace. at 62,516 miles the air conditioning system died which cost $1173.58 to replace. the automatic door lock on the driver?s side does not work and lord knows how much that repair will cost. now at 69k, the manual transmission needs replacement. my present mechanic (cheaper and more reliable than dealership) says the replacement of the transmission and clutch with a remanufactured system will be >$4000. this is an outlandish amount of repair and repair cost for a $19,000 car with 70k mileage. i have had 2 previous hondas that were cheaper than the mini and never needed a clutch or transmission. my son drove my $14,000 '95 honda civic until last month and it had 200k miles. i will never buy another mini, or bmw for that matter, based on this experience. i will be sure to discourage others from buying one. i hope a class action suit is formed. *tr
My automatic transmission (cvt) broke while pulling away from a stop sign. car was well maintained, dealer service only. mileage was only 54k. *tr