I don’t know if this is just a trait of all Getrag boxes, but as far as I’ve always understood, Getrag boxes are one of the best out there.

Regarding crunching on reverse, how about waiting for the revs to drop before selecting reverse!

The Technician agreed that there was a fault and offered to replace the gearbox – which I refused. I demanded a new car and after much arguing, the Mini garage eventually gave in and replaced the car with a new 06 plate mini cooper. Great! or so I thought…this replacement car then began to experience the same gearbox rattle.

I was offered a full refund as the garage could not guarantee that the third new car would not have the same fault…talk about no confidence in the Mini product. I then bought a third Mini with my refund at a different Mini garage in the hope that the problem had been sorted. Took it home this week and its making the same noice.

I recently purchased a second hand April 2002 manufactured MCS with 64,000 kilometres (39,768 miles) on the clock. After 2 weeks I noticed a rattling noise audible after I turned off the radio and air conditioner through the front passenger firewall (near the gearbox and clutch areas) when the car is in idle, but disappears when the clutch is pushed in. I also noticed that gear shifting between first and second is hard and a bit of noise is generated, but the shifting is fine and smooth for higher gears plus reverse.

In the third week I had two episodes of the rattle becoming quite loud through the passenger footwell firewall when pulling into the driveway in first gear. I took the mini to an experienced technician (20 years specialising in minis) in week 4 and he advised it’s the first time he has come across this noise in the new MCS (he has serviced the old and new Mini Cooper, Cooper S and John Cooper Works models and hadn’t come across this noise). After spending 30 minutes investigating and revving the car in idle while manouvering the clutch, he concluded that there is a gearbox fault (not a clutch fault) and believes a faulty gearbox bearing is the culprit. He stated that the gearbox needed to basically be stripoed and rebuilt with a service kit from BMW Germany which could take six weeks to import to Australia.

I then took the car to BMW Service (the car is no longer under BMW warranty) and they concluded that after speaking with MINI regional service support that the gearbox noise is “characteristic” of the MCS, as is the light clunk noise is coming from within the dashboard but didn’t think it was worthwhile pulling the dash apart to investigate what he described may be an ordinary characteristic car noise. BMW advised me to bring the car back in if the (gearbox / clutch?) noise gets louder or the car’s performance is affected.

Now in the sixth week of ownership, over the past three mornings during cold start, there is a loud knocking noise from the clutch / gearbox area while in idle which can be easily heard over the supercharger when listening under the wheel arch, with its frequency increasing and decreasing in line with the engine revs. The noise diminishes when the clutch is depressed or when starting to drive, but still can be heard under the wheel arch afterwards (although quieter) when idling. Have contacted the car dealer’s mechanic and he believes it could be either: 1) a faulty gearbox bearing; 2) characteristic gear “chatter” (where the gear teeth rattle against each-other), or 3) Gearbox oil grade / quality / level. BMW previously advised that the gearbox oil is basically a life-time item and doesn’t need to be changed. The mechanic mentioned that the noise should not be occurring given the car’s mileage, but needed to check which model gearbox is on the car and hopefully will be thoroughly checked out next week.

My Mini also experiences a light spring/clunk-like noise from the front of the cabin that occurs every time that the mini reaches 20 kilometres per hour (about 12.5 miles per hour), then another noise around 60 kilometres per hour (37 miles per hour). Only experienced from driving after cold starting, it doesn’t happen when the car is running – stopped in idle, then accelerated. Has anyone else also experienced these noises?

Hopefully I will have more conclusive news over the next week or so on the rattle noise!

I have had the same problem as mentioned above.

We bought the car back in 2004 and it was one of the first ‘facelift’ minis with the new getrag gearbox.

After complaining, we had a revised clutch fitted, which did NOT cure the clunking. BMW told us there was no more they can do, and it is considered ‘normal’

I now see mention here of a ‘revised’ getrag gearbox that addresses this problem ? Is that correct ? When did this become available ?

For the record the clunking noise only affect ‘facelift’ minis with the 5 speed getrag gear box, NOT the Cooper ‘S’ or the pre-’facelift’( Mid 2004 ) Mini’s