In the earlier days of the new Mini Cooper, if the car was fitted with two pedals it was more than likely equipped with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). These gearless automatics look amazing on paper as there is no power loss due to shifting and an engine should always been operating at its most efficient rpm because of the limitless ratios. Off paper however, the technology isn’t without its kinks and thus, Mini is being sued over the older CVTs and their affinity towards breaking.
The most recent court case comes out of Florida but according to an Autoblog article, this isn’t the first time the automaker has been sued due the transmission. Last year, a class action law suit was filed in California to obtain compensation for damages. The plaintiffs are owners who were forced to spend between $6,000 and $9,000 for repairs or sell their broken Coopers out right with a heavy loss. By no means an isolated incidence, numerous owners have made complaints regarding the sudden failure of their CVT transmissions while some are even having trouble getting help from certified dealerships.
Source: Autoblog.com
