2013 Mini Cooper

2013 MINI COOPER PACEMAN BASE AUTO. 05/30/2016- WE EXPERIENCE INSTANCES WHERE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE MAINTAINING SPEED AFTER RELEASING GAS PEDAL WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION ON CITY STREET, HIGHWAY, CITY STREET GOING DOWNHILL. DURATION OF THE PERIOD OF CONTINUED ACCELERATION MAINTAINING SPEED TYPICALLY LAST 1 TO 3 SECONDS. WE NOTED THAT THE OCCURRENCE OF THESE INSTANCES BEGAN RECENTLY AFTER ANNUAL SERVICE IN 05/2016. WE INQUIRED IF VEHICLE HAD RECENT SOFTWARE UPDATE. DEALER CANNOT DIAGNOSE ANY DEFECT. DEALER CITED ADAPTIVE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT (ECU). DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED OTHER CUSTOMERS HAVE CITED THE SAME ISSUE WE ARE EXPERIENCING. DEALER RESET ECU UNIT. WE INQUIRED IF TRANSMISSION FLUID SERVICE WOULD RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. DEALER OFFERED TO PERFORM TRANSMISSION FLUID SERVICE AT OUR EXPENSE. NOTE VEHICLE STILL UNDER NEW CAR WARRANTY. DEALER ADVICE WHEN INSTANCE OF ACCELERATION OCCURS TO PRESS THE BRAKE. DEALER ADVISED US TO CHANGE DRIVING STYLE. WE CONFIRMED ALL REMEDIES AT DEALER LEVEL EXHAUSTED. WE CONTACTED MINI USA FOR ASSISTANCE AND INQUIRED IF TRANSMISSION FLUID SERVICE WOULD RESOLVE THE PROBLEM, REQUESTED MINI USA WORK WITH DEALER TO COVER EXPENSE. MINI USA CONTACTED DEALER. MINI USA DECLINED TO COVER TRANSMISSION FLUID SERVICE EXPENSE. MINI USA REFERRED US BACK TO DEALER SERVICE MANAGER FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE AND CLOSED INCIDENT. MINI USA OFFERED TO HAVE REGIONAL REP MEET WITH US WHEN AT DEALER IN 09/2016. WE ACCEPTED OFFER TO MEET. 09/14/2016 WE CONTACTED MINI USA ABOUT MEETING WITH REGIONAL REP. MINI USA HAD NO RECORD OF OFFER OR REQUEST. WE INFORMED MINI USA ALSO EXPERIENCING SAME ACCELERATION ISSUE IN 2013 MINI COOPER COUNTRYMAN BASE AUTOMATIC. ANNUAL SERVICE FOR THIS VEHICLE IN 05/2016. WE ASKED IF PROBLEM IS ECU SOFTWARE RELATED. FOR THE RECORD WE INFORMED MINI USA THAT THEY HAVE DEEMED VEHICLE SAFE TO DRIVE.

I DROVE AN AUTOMATIC 2013 CERTIFIED MINI COOPER OFF THE LOT WITH 33K PRIOR MILES. AFTER LESS THAN A WEEK, AND AFTER ONLY DRIVING A TOTAL OF 254 MILES, THE ACCELERATOR FAILED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. I DID NOT LOOSE ALL POWER, THE GAS PEDAL JUST QUIT RESPONDING WHILE I WAS DRIVING. ALL OTHER SYSTEMS IN THE CAR SEEMED FULLY RESPONSIVE/OPERATIONAL WITH EXCEPTION TO THE ACCELERATOR. THE ENGINE DID NOT REV AND THE CAR DID NOT RESPOND TO THE ACCELERATOR EVEN WHEN IT WAS PUSHED FULLY DOWN. MY CAR WAS MANUALLY PUSHED OUT OF THE INTERSECTION/TRAFFIC WITH HELP BY THE PERSON BEHIND ME. AFTER SAFELY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I TURNED OFF THE CAR. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES I RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE GAS PEDAL WAS OPERATIONAL. THE FOLLOWING DAY I DROVE THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER WITHOUT INCIDENT. THEY RE-CHECKED THE CERTIFICATION ITEMS AND WERE NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THEIR ERROR READERS DID NOT DETECT ANY CODES. PERPLEXED- THEY SENT THE INFORMATION TO THEIR TECHNICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT. THE ENGINEERS CLAIM THAT IT IS A NEEDED SOFTWARE UPDATE THAT CAUSED THE ACCELERATOR FAILURE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE ENGINEERS ARE ASKING THAT THE MINI SERVICE DEPARTMENT UPDATE THE SOFTWARE AND DRIVE A BIT TO TEST THE VEHICLE. THE SITUATION THAT THE NEEDED SOFTWARE UPDATE CAUSED IS DANGEROUS. I HAVE SEEN POSTS FROM OTHER MINI COOPER DRIVERS WHO HAVE/ARE EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE- YET THERE ARE NO RECALLS OR KNOWN SERVICE BULLETINS FOR THE HAZARDOUS PROBLEM. I DID NOTIFY MINI USA (CORPORATE) OF THE ACCELERATOR FAILURE. NOTES: THE CAR WAS VERY RECENTLY FULLY SERVICED/CERTIFIED WITH NO KNOW PROBLEMS, I HAD FUEL, I WAS IN DRIVE, THE CAR WAS IN MOTION, I WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN IN A RESIDENTIAL INTERSECTION, I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF ACCELERATING WHEN THE GAS PEDAL FAILED TO RESPOND FURTHER- I WAS IMMOBILIZED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION.