Mine popped out driving it out of the dealership the 1st time. I though maybe I just wasn't used to the clutch yet. The next time I drove it popped 5 more times. Then 2 more on the way to the dealer.


I estimate 25-30 times, but the dealer says it can't duplicate the problem???



This is my 3rd MINI since 2012, all stick...I think I know how to drive a manual transmission and yet they are implying it's the way I drive.

 

Implying that "it's the customer's fault" is a classic mark of a bad dealer (bad for you). I would urge you to take the car to a different dealer if possible. If/when you get better treatment you can contact Mini USA and tell them about your experience, ask for a customer survey to complete regarding the service departments of the respective dealers. For years we only had Mini North Scottsdale in AZ (which has been excellent to me btw). Now There's Mini Tempe (and Tucson) which I think keeps them honest.

 

Got mine at N. Scottsdale too and the service department has been decent so far, even if they are incapable of getting my dash speaker to stop rattling. When I had my last problem 3 mechanics were there, unprompted, and all very interested in eliminating my issues.

 

That's weird, I had a speaker rattling too (or buzzing with bass notes, sounded terrible), it was the 6" bass (lower door) on driver's side. I just emailed my MA about it, he got me a SA, and they ordered the speaker and replaced it without listening to it (along with the black roof stripes that were fading badly, I sent pix-I had them removed). Did they replace the dash speaker already? Parts for the F56 may be harder to come by than my Gen II car.

 

Don't want to hijack the thread but they keep writing that the speaker is fine, just the insulation stripping that is coming loose.

 

I got the call from my dealer...The transmission will be replaced. They were never able to duplicate the problem, but I documented every "pop out" plus printed out this and other forums about similar problems. Hopefully I'll get a good tranny this time.

 

Well looks like mine is having this problem with 6k miles. Really upsetting a car with only 6k miles might need a transmission.

 

Are you talking about the huge air vent on top of the dash? There's no dash speaker AFAIK.

Are you sure it's the vent that's rattling? Mine had a similar noise, but it was actually the rear view mirror windshield mount/base. Try putting your hand on it while you're driving and see if the rattling stops.

 

Damn, I didnt know so many owners have been experiencing this problem....

Anyways, I have had this problem since DAY ONE.

However i have minimizing the occurrence of this problem by shifting harder when going in 1st gear. Well that took care of the problem ALOT, but there are few times that it still popped out of 1st.

But damn... replacing the trans.
The car is never gonna be the same after that lol.

 

The first person who posted this is in the UK I think. He got his tranny replaced the first few weeks after he got the car and I think he's been fine. He hasn't posted for a few months that I've seen.

 

There's certainly a speaker on my dashboard.

I can suppress the rattle by firmly pressing on the grille with my hand.

 

I'm curious about that speaker (which is only for the HK upgrade I believe): does it also serve as an air vent, or are those holes around the rim just for sound? I ask this because my car (I know, it's an R58) has a ventilation/heating duct in the center of the dash. It's not the windshield defroster vent, that's way up front. And I'd get the dealer to fix that rattle in the grille if you can't fix it yourself.

 

Yeah the ring around the speaker serves as a vent. One of my minor complaints has been that the auto climate control spots air out of that vent even in 110 degree weather. Kinda useless direction of cold air IMHO.

 

Oh no, mine has popped out of 1st gear a few times too. And I thought it was of me, since I'm new to driving a stick.

 

I bought mine off the lot. There are a couple things I wish I had (comfort access, auto headlights). But auto climate control I'm glad I DON'T have, especially the F56 system. Sounds like a PIA, and really, the manual controls are not that tough to use IMO.

 

I'm also glad I got the manual A/C control.

FYI, that vent is also there in non-HK cars, although it apparently does not include the inset speaker, just blank plastic:

 

My 2015 started popping out of 1st at 2K miles. Frequency increased by 3.5K. I am 3 hrs from the dealer. My dealer stated they have not seen the problem in other Mini's but have heard of it. They stated the would replace the transmission without even looking at my vehicle. The even picked it up and put me in a rental. I will be getting the car back tomorrow. They assured me that the new transmission has been re-engineered to remedy the problem. It is a big problem and very unsafe. I will assume the problem will permanently be fixed. Mini should probably recall all Mini's with this part.

 

Folks - are the people affected by the 1st gear "popping out" running the B48 (S motor) or the B38 (Justa motor) I wonder?

Does anyone know if the tranny is the same? I would assume so.

FYI I have not had any issues with the gearbox to date (17k miles).

Kind regards,

Charlie

 

Mine was a S started at 6k miles.

 

My Mini has been with the dealer for a week now for this popping out of 1st gear issue and for the foul smell ac issue. They fixed the a/c issue but they haven't been able to reproduce the popping out of first gear issue. It only happened to me 3-4 times. Do they always replace the transmission even if they can't reproduce it?

 

Foul smell A/c issue? Is that why it smells like vinegar in my car?

 

My new Cooper S with 1900 miles started popping out of first last week. Called the Mini service department and they informed me that the shifter cable on some cars have been routed wrong at the factory putting stress on the cable assembly during acceleration pulling it out of first due to drive train motion . Will be taking it in next week for them to look at it. Will post results.

 

2015 F56 with 19,000 miles, was popping out of gear then shifter started flopping around. The right shifter cable was broken, they replaced both cables and the shifter. Hopefully that fixed it. They had it 6 days.

 

Mine has just started doing this (four times in two weeks) ..... co-incidently right after the recall work for changing the crankshaft bearings!! Never did it before then.
It gives your hand a right whack when the gearstick pops out of gear! Thankfully I've never had anything behind me when it's happened, I wouldn't be too pleased if someone ended up rear-ending me :(
Waiting to hear back from my service manager. I hope it's not the start of something else.....

Turned out there was nothing wrong with my original crankshaft bearings and engine anyway ..... argh!

 

Just stumbled on this thread. I'm sure glad you guys did such a nice job of documenting these issues. I picked up a 2015 Cooper S about a month ago. Have less than 1500 miles on it, and was experiencing these same issues. At first, I thought it was just me not being used to the transmission, but after it happened a couple times each day pretty routinely, I figured I'd take it in.

I didn't know that this was a common issue. I told the service manager it's kind of like going to the doctor and being a bit relieved when they tell you, "yes, you're sick and not a hypochondriac."

Anyway, just wanted to share, I've had it back for a few days. They didn't worry about trying to replicate the issue, but rather, there is I guess a service bulletin out on this very issue. The issue, according to them, is not the transmission, but is actually "weak spring tension in the shifter tower, which occasionally allows shift lever to pop out of first gear."

Had the car back for a few days now, and all appears well. Drove in rush hour, stop and go traffic and had no problems at all.