My wife drives a ’07 MCS and it is her “baby” but here is a shocking little story that should be of some interest for anyone who has the “electronic shift” package. My wife a veteran teacher of 30 years and leave for school every day at 6:15. Once a week she stops at the QT to fuel up and she treats herself to a big cup of coffee with all sorts of “stuff” in it. She usually uses her special mug but one ill-fated day she forgot her mug and opted for the big QT styrofoam cup (a very bad choice). It turns out that the MINI cup holders have some little rubber “grippers” in em that if the cup is flimsy (well yes super-heated styrofoam) will pull the bottom right off of the cup. The ensuing flood of brown goo filled both cup holders and proceeded to fill the floorboard. Big mess right but little did we know that the brown goo also weeps thru the cup holder mounting holes runs along the top of the shift mechanism and is funneled directly into the mechanism filling it to the brim. You see the shift mechanism is sealed on the bottom but open on the top so it makes a perfect vessel to hold any liquid that seeps thru the “cup holders”. It took a day or two for the liquid to boil down to sludge and do its damage but once it did you could not get the vehicle out of park without pulling up the shifter boot and pulling the interlock defeater. Still not knowing what was going on we took the vehicle to the dealer and told them that something was wrong with the shift mechanism and they laughed and said “mam you spilled coffee didn’t you”. So $1200.00 later we had a new shift mechanism (you have to take the car apart to replace it) and taped up cup holders. We were not laughing and we don’t use the cup holders! MINI - cup holders hold cups and cups hold liquid DUH!!!!

 

Wow, that is scary. Good thing I only use mine for change.

 

Sorry to hear of your costly experience - but thank you for the heads up - my wife does the same thing with her/our MINI.

 

Is this concern relevant to 2013 Hatchbacks? Thanks

 

Not sure, but there have been some Countryman owners who've experienced this.

 

Seen this same issue with other brands of cars as well. Soda spills kill shifters.

 

Sounds like an expensive cup of coffee.