We were returning in our '07 MC with a load of luggage and two dogs. It was a Friday night and we stopped for dinner in northern Florida on our way back home to Ohio. When trying to start the car after dinner, inserted the key, pushed the start button and nothing happened. Ended up calling MINI Roadside Assistance and having it flat-bedded to the nearest dealer with Saturday hours 2 hours south in Orlando (a closer dealer in Jacksonville did not have Saturday service).

We loaded the dogs and ourselves into the cab of the tow truck and headed south. The driver did not have GPS and we used my wife's Droid trying to find the dealership, using the guide that came with the MINI. Unfortunately, the dealer had moved from downtown to a suburban location. so we got a tour of Orlando in the middle of the night. We took a cab to the only hotel we could find which took dogs and then a cab to the dealership the next morning. The experience at the dealership (Orlando MINI) was super. They are dog-friendly (gave the dogs water) and quickly got us back on the road. MINI will supposedly reimburse us for the cab rides and hotel room.

The problem? A service bulletin regarding a clutch interlock switch that plugs into the master cylinder under the dash. Here's details:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-bulletin.html

Bottom line -- have your dealer double-check this switch! We have had our car serviced a number of times and apparently this was never done.