ConsumerWatch: Mini Owner Complains Of Holdups Fixing Clutch

CONCORD (CBS SF) -You buy a new car, you expect it to be trouble-free - at least for a few years. But, that wasn't the case for a local Mini owner, who said the clutch on his 2012 Cooper gave him trouble from day one, and said Mini didn't exactly rush in to fix the problem.

"It never really felt right to me," said Drew, who didn't want his last name used. "I would have trouble getting it to go into gear."

Drew said things went from bad to worse within days when the car started smoking while he was driving it on an incline. But when he called his local Mini dealer to complain he got a surprising response:

"She (the dealership employee) told me it was my fault," said Drew.

Frustrated, Drew called ConsumerWatch, and volunteer Chuck took over.

"Don't subject yourself to the first response when it comes to a warranty issue," said Chuck.

After several ConsumerWatch calls to two dealerships, Mini of Concord agreed to fix Drew's car for free.

Mini Response:

The clutch is a wear and tear item; and despite the fact our investigation of the involved parts did not indicate a mechanical failure due to a defect in parts, materials or workmanship, the company repaired Drew's vehicle at no charge to him."

At this time, we are not able to comment further in regards to general inquiries.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)