Remind me why I drive a MINI again?

Can't shift out of park. Was acting weird earlier, made a quick stop and now stuck.

 

Oh dear! I assume this is a manual transmission?

 

Don't complain too much. I bought a standard so that does not happen but they are now replacing the gearbox cause it won't stay in first!
Hey at least we have cars. Most are stuck in "no-man's land".

 

If this is an automatic transmission and the gear selector lever is "stuck", usually in Park, it is most likely a software issue. I have heard of this with another F56 and there is no update at this time but forthcoming. The vehicle "thinks" that a door is open or the vehicle is unsafe to move so it locks out the gear lever preventing you from driving off. To manually "reset", with the vehicle off open the driver door and leave it open for about 5 minutes, close the door, start the vehicle and the gear selector should release. Sounds crazy ... I know.

 

Yep.. Auto. The last time I reversed it got stuck in neutral for about 60 seconds so it may be something more. Btw mini roadside was less than impressive.

 

Oh crap whats going on now?
I have a manual too, i been experiencing 1st gear popping out.

 

I find it hard to believe that in all of MINI's testing of these vehicles, none of this stuff showed up. Are NAM folks a really tiny very unlucky percentage of buyers or what? You don't think they actually knew about stalling, popping out of gear, getting stuck in neutral, etc. ---- and just had to get them to market anyway? Deadlines ya know.

This will be my first MINI (when it is sprung from jail) and the vehicle I'm replacing was in the shop only once (for an O2 sensor) in 11 years. I don't want to get cold feet, but this is making me a little nervous.

 

Very few people ever start threads saying their car is running fine because it's not interesting. People share bad new on forums looking for help and advice. I guarantee there are vastly more people having no problems than those having problems.

At least that's what I'm hoping with mine in prison as well.

 

Very true. I feel like NAM folks though could be representative of the silent majority (but I hope not - hope it really is just a small percentage of cars with issues). I'm not slamming NAM by any means. It's the only way I find stuff out (dealer doesn't tell me much/anything). My slam was to BMW/MINI in that they must have known there were these issues. Their test mules couldn't have all been perfect and then suddenly as soon as the cars get in the wild they start stalling and stuff and requiring software tweaks.

 

That has been my experience with BMWs over the years. No one posts good news, and there are far more good news cars than bad.


My F56 S Manny Tranny is now almost 3 months and runs flawlessly. Just had an "extra" oil/filter change done to remove break in oil. I grin every time I drive that car.

 

Tiny but vocal. 99% of MINIs have no issue but when the enthusiasts do, we're vocal about it. If we didn't feel passionately about the car...There would be no community so it's a dual edged sword.

Boring cars don't break down!

 

Waited two hours for a two. Repeatedly shut it off and back on..never could shift. 25 min tow and it works flawlessly at the dealer. Effin A.

 

If it makes anyone feel better, I have an Automatic MCS. Picked it up in April and have about 7000 miles on it. Zero issues.

 

Those of us who bought the 2014 models are BMW's beta testers.

 

My two cents... an Electric Blue 2004 MCS, 106K miles, tons of mods and no major problems. Had a unresponsive driver window once fix'd it with the fist pound just above the speaker and a flat tire. Other than that it's been one of my best cars. I'm 61 and have had quite a few cars over the years. And it is true 99% of satisfied customers are the silent majority.

 

It doesn't matter how many great flawless cars are out there when your car sucks.

 

It happens. And first year cars are always the worst. The '15 GTI's are stuck on dealer lots because of "something in the steering that breaks" and parts unavailable to fix them. "we got two kits, fixed the one car we'd already sold, and holding the second if we sell another." The 500L is also held hostage on dealer lots - knee airbag won't deploy if the seatbelt isn't connected.

So out of 4 dealer visits this weekend, at least the mini's could be driven (and broken on that drive!)...

 

Perhaps the first model year of a new generation may not have been the most wise decision. Anyone purchasing any vehicle of a new generation should be prepared for unknown issues, recalls etc. If I was to guess, your previous 11 year old ride was mid-model life.

Thankfully we have a great community here at NAM to share experiences and can help troubleshoot & share problems.

Hopefully when your ride(s) are sprung there will be some software updates so you don't have to go through what others have.


Good luck everyone!

 

I have had my car since May 1st Automatic MCS and have had no issues. (Knock, Knocking on wood). I have almost 4,000 miles on mine. I agree that most people do not post if they are not having issues. We have nothing to complain about and most of the time I feel like a jerk stating that.

Hope that your car is good to go now that the dealer has looked at it!

 

Year 2 Toyota. Previous to that were a couple mini vans that didn't matter when in the cycle: transmission fail on one and engine fail on the other. Oh, and a Jeep Wrangler that was fun to drive but you could set your watch by the recalls, so no stranger to less than reliable vehicles, but sure enjoy when you don't have to worry about them. Been waiting for almost 3 years to buy a MINI. Didn't want to wait any longer. Father died unexpectedly so life is too short + tomorrow isn't guaranteed = willing to brave the first year car. (Just don't relish the thought of losing power at highway speed on a 4-lane or stalling in an intersection.) BTW, he didn't care for Mini's but he was coming around. His last words to me about it were, "Get the red one." So I did.

 

Quick update: Got the MINI back from the dealer, MINIWuff was dead on, known software bug, will be fixed in November.

Got a similar workaround to the above if it happens again.

 

What is the workaround that was suggested to you?

 

Is this a trick just on MINI or a common method on some other brands as well?
I'm surprised you came up with it so fast!

 

I would imagine that this is MINI specific (or maybe MINI/BMW). I know someone with an F56 that this happened to. Here is the actual tech report for his vehicle:

Pts: 0.00 Lbr: 0.00 Other: 0.00 Total Line A: 0.00
Story: 1568 vehicl won't release out of park. unable to duplicate
concern. connected battery charger 12.4v. performed vehicle
test found no related fault. advised concern. performed
multiple drive cycle. created puma case for information. was
advise new software updated available in november. current
temporary fix until new software is release; is to shut off
vehicle, open/close door let vehicle sit for 5mins then
restart and remove out of park. Puma case # XXXXXXXX

Hope this helps. I have been trying to talk him down from all of this - he feels he bought a lemon or piece of junk and I have been trying to explain that this is minor in the greater scheme of things ...