My clutch was slipping really bad sometime in February and it took my mechanic a month to fix it. It's a pain in the ass to replace because of how tight everything is in the engine compartment. I thought the initial cause of the premature clutch failure was due to bad driving habits but I think it has to do with the pressure plate. Shortly after my clutch was replaced I discovered that the clutch wasn't completely disengaging and took it to a transmission shop. They diagnosed the pressure plate as the culprit. I continued to drive on a bad pressure plate and now I'm in need of a new transmission along with the new pressure plate, which is going to cost $3,600!

Clutch problems seem to be a recurring theme with this car, but one that Mini, as a company, refuses to acknowledge and persistently pushes back to the consumer. I've made similar postings to other sites in recent days, but am absolutely adamant about spreading the word here. So forgive the redundancy if you've come across similar comments of mine elsewhere. Here goes:

At about 19,000 miles, the clutch on my 2005 Mini Cooper S convertible began groaning during takeoff (ie, while moving from a full stop into first gear). I mentioned this to the dealer in San Francisco during an appointment to fix a non-related issue, and she later informed me that the clutch was in fact wearing and would soon need to be replaced. She added, much to my surprise, that my warranty would not cover it. Terms of the warranty cover clutch replacement only after 30,000 miles.

I took issue with this and, after posting to an online forum, was contacted by a Mini National Customer Service rep, who agreed to look into getting me full coverage.

Despite his best efforts, the end result was this: Mini agreed to cover 50% of the cost, but only on condition that I agreed up front to shoulder the other 50%.

Their reasoning was this: if a clutch needs replacement within 30,000 miles, it must be due to driver abuse.

This knocked my socks off. What a leap in logic!!! From my standpoint, if a clutch needs to be replaced within 30K (or just 19K in this case), it's a pretty clear indication that the clutch itself is deficient or defective in some way. To provide some background here, I am 37 years old and have owned stick vehicles exclusively since I first got my license 21 years ago. I have never, ever, ever gone through a clutch in less than 70K, and have seen them last well beyond 100K on vehicles that I've owned. There is no way that the problem I'm experiencing is due to abuse on my part, and the mere suggestion is just absurd and proof of this company's refusal to stand behind its product.

Many other postings on consumer affairs (http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/mini.html), Edmunds.com (http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0f65bf/0) and other sites corroborate my experience. The stories are almost always the same as well (ie, experienced clutch driver with no past problems suddenly needs new clutch at ridiculously low mileage. Mini blames driver, refuses coverage....)

Even worse, I have spoken to two mechanics (from BMW) who have confirmed that these cars have clutch issues. My service adviser at Mini in San Francisco even admitted as much, but insisted that she was unable to fix the problem under warranty for me because her hands were tied by corporate policy. So, in the end, the dealer is bound by corporate, and corporate passes the blame right back to the consumer. What a fantastic (and criminal) business model!!!

Needless to say, I will not be purchasing or recommending any other Mini's. I've also decided against taking the company up on their 50% offer. Though that may sound absurd, my local mechanic wants $1200 to do the whole job. Mini quoted me $1800 for the work, $900 of which I would owe. I will gladly pay $300 extra to see an honest man perform an honest day's work before I'll see another nickel of my hard-earned pay in the hands of these clowns.

To those of you wondering "Should I buy a Mini Cooper?". The answer, sadly, is no, no, no, no.