Orange Empire Auto Center

I purchased a 2003 Mini Cooper from Orange Empire on 7-2006. After a couple of months, the car started acting up at 50-55 mph, it hesitated. I took it to a shop and they couldn’t find the problem. If you’re a Mini Cooper owner, you will understand where I’m coming from. Not any shop can diagnose these vehicles. I kept driving the car, but the problem persisted and I took it back to Orange Empire on the 7th month owning this vehicle. They kept the car for 2 days. They took it to Mini dealership to have it checked. When I got it back, the car was magically running fine again. I drove it without problems for almost a year and then the problem came back. I took it to a nearby shop. They stated that the transmission was the problem.  Since then, I have goggled and researched a lot of about this problem. Dealers can get away by flushing, changing the oil and resetting the transmission. 

I called the dealer again and they refused to do anything about. Their favorite phrase is, you bought it “as-is” and suggested that next time I buy an extended warranty on a used vehicle. They sold me a car that had a bad transmission and they know it, they just don’t like to repair used cars they buy for retail. Instead they make them look presentable for purchase and screw buyers over.

Check out their BBB complaints, they always have a comeback for every situation.  I put in all my savings into this purchase and got ripped off. No one deserves this, no one! I would have NOT purchase 25k vehicle with a bad transmission. No one in their right mind would.  We “consumers” trust that vendors will be honest and sell us decent vehicles.  This vehicle was not inspected at all and of course I am no mechanic and couldn’t have possibly known that all this needed to be replaced.  The car needs a new transmission, front/rear struts, power steering suction and return hose, marker light bulb and the replacement of the upper engine torque mount. 

I should have had warned others buyers earlier t