http://www.bradherman.net/MINI/cvt.html

Well after my car died again last night I decided to make this page. In the 6 weeks I have had my 2003 CVT it has died 2 times. I want to get a list of people and there problems with the CVT's so MINI Corporate will take notice and get some more people to work on these problems.

This also means I can't go on the Julian Run this weekend with Clover and the rest of the SoCal MINI's

So if you have a CVT please fill out the form (even if you have not had problems) I will compile the data into a public database for people to see the amount of problems people are having. You can select to hide your personal info from the public DB.

Let me be clear about this, I still love my MINI, there is nothing that drives like it on the road but I am just very very tired of these constant problems. My car has been in the shop for over a day for each car payment I have made.

Thanks for your time,
Brad "Technomage" Herman
2003 MINI Cooper CVT

November 2003 build. Took delivery Dec. 10th, 2002.

Stalled twice (once while switching from Step to normal drive and once in reverse).

"Fixed" by MINI service dept (they said it was a loose? sensor).

It drove okay for a couple more weeks, now I'm getting the shudder/almost stall thing when I come to a stop.

The car is also very jerky at low speeds, although MINI service said that this is normal. I plan to bring her in and request the software upgrade very soon.

Yeah, I'm planning on the software upgrade for the low-speed shudder, but haven't had any serious problems.

hey technomage,
i tried to submit the form but it didnt work, should i just email what i wrote?

GREAT!! Just what I need to hear! People STILL having problems with their MINI's, requiring days in the service department. The MINI is to be my first new car. The LAST thing I want is constant head aches like I've had with both of my used cars. I don't care if the thing is under warranty, these bugs should be worked out by now!! Others would think I was nuts buying a new car that had so many problems! Can you say Ford Focus??

Thank God I haven't ordered my MINI yet, still time to decide whether the WRX's just the better car despite not having the cool factor.

Bill

Also, put your build week in the Comments section if you know what it is.

HARMINI & PittsburghMark, Did you submit that to the form? Thats exactly the kind of info I need. I want to get into from working CVT's, broken CVT's, Minor Issues, Major Issues, ect...

wgb113,
The form is a html form but if you don't have your machine to setup to send e-mails from clicking on links it wont work.
so if the for dosn't work for you please e-mail me the same info as is on the page to
minicvt@mail.com

Thanks

the form worked fine for me.......thanks for compiling the data for us CVT owners.

The form didn't work for me. Sent it via email.

I was just told it will take 5 DAYS to get the parts that they think will fix the car. Basicly they couldn't find the problem so there last resort is to replace the whole engine wireing harness.

Stalled a total of FIVE times so far! Has spent a total of 20 DAYS in the shop!

mine has stalled a total of 5 times this week alone! god damn right?
i need to bring in the car, but it hasn't acted funny aside from the occasional stall.
i haven't been able to part with it.....i need it to get to my job daily.
i made a service call and am awaiting a response, i can't leave the car with them if they don't give me a loner.
this does suck, i feel all of you cvt people!!

I may go get my deposit back and get a WRX. I can't believe that almost three months into the second year of production they're still having such major problems with this car. Like others I'll be using the MINI to get back/forth to work everyday and can't afford to have it in the shop once a month. I thought since BMW was backing this car it wouldn't fall into that "British car stereotype", you know, nothing but problems. Apparently it has. This is all VERY disappointing.

Bill

wgb113: I'm not going to say that there aren't any problems with the car. BMW or not, 2nd model year or not, this is still a NEW model that will have bugs. I admit that it would seem as though they should have eliminated most of them by now. 2minis has always contended that BMW is notorious for the number of problems in their cars (he posted a lot of data that I can't find at the moment) - much like Microsoft with their buggy software.

But....

I will remind you that you are reading comments from a VERY SMALL percentage of CVT owners.

I will point out that an extremely high percentage of these same owners tell you in the same post as they mention their problems that they still LOVE their car.

I will also say that in the 8.5 months (12,000 sMiles) of ownership of my CVT I have had only very minor issues. It is my daily driver. I have never gotten stranded (well, I would have MINI Roadside Assistance anyhow).

One other thing to keep in mind when reading any comments about problems or issues: How often do people go out of their way to say anything when everything seems "normal?" If things aren't breaking and things work as you expect - why would it occur to you to tell someone? People generally only voice their thoughts when they have extreme experiences - terrible or wonderful. In most cases, you are reading the extremes, not the norm.

Taking that one step further.... The MINI owners here are noticeably fanatical about their cars - they love them to death! Now, when you consider that high amount of delight, just imagine the reaction to even the smallest issue - overeaction. Not only are you frequently reading about the extremes, but in the world of MINI, the extremes include even the little stuff.

I understand your need for a reliable car. If that is your #1 priority - get a Honda. I'm not going to stop you. I just wanted to try make sure that you read these comments in a more balanced perspective.

>>I may go get my deposit back and get a WRX.

Good luck getting your (non-refundable) deposit back. Others have had a hard time.

Call me crazy, but I don't mind that I have to tweak my baby to get her running right. I love the whole MINI experience. A service trip to the dealer lets me check out the other MINIs on the lot, shop for swag, and chat it up with other owners or soon to be owners.

Mini2Go has said it well. We (fanatics) report any and all problems and still LOVE these cars to death.

I'm trying to keep all of this in perspective but both here and on MINI2 it seemslike there are still loads of problems: CVT problems, coolant leakages, cracked windshields, stalls, etc. that are all potential safety issues. I've talked this car up so much to family and friends since I put my deposit down 5 months ago that I'd feel like an absolute *** having to take it in for service once a month.

Not to mention the problems people are experiencing with service. From arrogant, stuffy service managers to techs that "can't find the cause of the problem" this is all very discouraging.

This is my first new car purchase and I want it to be a good one. Is that too much to ask? I do not have the vacation time/ flexiblilty in my work schedule to take the car to a dealer when it feels like not working the way it should. Why can other car manufacturers get major things like making sure the transmission works right from the outset. I read about the CD30, 31, 32, 33 fixes but problems with this CVT still haven't been addressed. Most people that have taken their MINI's in for service note that the problem comes back even worse within a week or so.

If this car weren't "cute" and "fun" would anyone stand for such issues?

I've got another month or so before I actually order my MINI as my dealer has not opened yet (which is another troubling point, nobody knows what THEIR service department will be like). I will continue to frequent the MINI forums and keep an eye on the problems everyone has and any fixes that might (hopefully) come through. I will continue to try and keep an open mind about this car that I LOVE but at the same time remain level-headed. After all, reliability AND fun can be had in other forms than a MINI, but nothing's quite as unique.

Now off to check on that "Who has NOT had problems with their MINI" thread.

Bill

>>After all, reliability AND fun can be had in other forms than a MINI, but nothing's quite as unique.

Two more quick thoughts:

1. I have only had my car in for service twice. The first time was for the scheduled 10K sMile service. The second time was only because they didn't have a part that needed replaced under warranty in stock to do it on the first visit. :smile: