2007 Mini Cooper

WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, THE ENGINE SEIZED AND STOPPED ABRUPTLY DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE OIL SUCTION PUMP. THE PUMP FAILED INTERNALLY AND DUE TO THE DESIGN THAT TIED IT DIRECTLY TO THE OVERHEAD CAM, IT CAUSED THE CAMSHAFT TO SEIZE, STRETCHED AND BROKE THE BOLT CONNECTING THE TIMING GEAR AND CHAIN TO THE CAMSHAFT, WHICH THE FELL INTO THE LOWER ENGINE AREA AND CAUSED FURTHER ENGINE DAMAGE. FORTUNATELY, THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT OCCURRED IN A RELATIVELY SLOW TRAFFIC SITUATION AND THE CAR WAS SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AND PUSHED OFF TO THE SIDE. DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE WAS SUBSTANTIAL AND CONSISTENT WITH MULTIPLE OTHER REPORTS OF SIMILAR FAILURES. THIS IS A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW (IN MY OPINION AS AN ENGINEER) IN THAT THE SHEAR POINT BEING ON THE CAMSHAFT INSTEAD OF THE PUMP CAUSES INSTANTANEOUS ENGINE FAILURE WITHOUT WARNING AND COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS CRASH OR INJURY. IN ADDITION TO THIS FAILURE, THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE OIL SYSTEM THAT MAY HAVE TRIGGERED THIS PUMP FAILURE. MINI HAD ALLEGEDLY PERFORMED SOME 'VALVE CLEANING' APPROXIMATELY 6,000 MILES PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, HOWEVER THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY SUCH 'CLEANING' WHEN THE ENGINE WAS OPENED. I HAVE EXTENSIVE PHOTOS OF THIS ENGINE AS IT WAS DISASSEMBLED, SHOWING THE PUMP, BOLT AND OTHER PARTS AND WILL BE HAPPY TO SHARE THOSE. *TR

TRAVELING WITH NO WARNING, THERMOMETER LIGHT CAME ON, TURNED YELLOW TO RED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, PULLED OVER AND CALLED DEALERSHIP, ADVISED THERE WAS RECALL ON WATER PUMP FOR OVERHEATING, HAD CAR TOWED IMMEDIATELY; DEALERSHIP REPLACED RECALLED WATER PUMP (EXTERIOR), BUT PAID $600.00 FOR THERMOSTAT; LEFT DEALERSHIP AND ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WITHIN 30 MINUTES,HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED AGAIN; NOW CAR RAN HOT AGAIN, NO ANTIFREEZE IN CAR, REFILLED AND LIGHT WENT OFF, 1.5 DAYS LATER SAME OCCURRENCE BUT ENGINE SMOKING,VERY BADLY, TOWED AGAIN TO DEALERSHIP, NOW STATES IT IS WATER PUMP #2 (INTERIOR) , AND TIMING CHANGE WHICH WAS ALREADY SUPPOSEDLY PERFORMED ON CAR, NOW STATING I MUST PAY FOR WATER PUMP, TENSIONER ON TIMING CHANGE, VALVE SENSOR, AND VALVE COVER GASKETS ANOTHER $1000.00, ALL OF WHICH PERTAIN TO THE SAME OCCURRENCES OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I CALLED MINI COOPER CALL CENTER AND THEY ONLY REFER YOU BACK TO DEALERSHIP, STATING THEY HAVE NO TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE AND ARE UNABLE TO ASSIST ME, THEY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE RECALL ITEMS. WOW I THOUGHT THIS PROBLEM ONLY BELONGED TO A SAAB I PREVIOUSLY OWNED AND ELIMINATED FOR SAME REASONS.. ! *TR

2007 MINI COOPER. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH FUEL LINE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED SHE NOTICED A VERY STRONG SMELL OF GAS INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE NEXT DAY, THE SMELL WA WORSE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HER LOCAL MECHANIC TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC, THE FUEL LINE HAD BEEN WORN THROUGH FROM IMPROPERLY INSTALLED HEATER HOSE CLAMPS, WHICH WAS AN ORIGINAL INSTALLATION FROM THE FACTORY. OVER TIME, THE CLAMPS RUBBED THROUGH THE FUEL LINE, WHICH LED TO GAS LEAKING FROM THE FUEL LINE, AND SPRAYING ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE CONSUMER STATED THE FUEL LINE HAS SINCE BEEN MODIFIED ON LATER MODELS. *JB

MY PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT CONTINUES TO GO ON AND OFF AT RANDOM INTERVALS (IE. REGARDLESS OF SOMEONE BEING IN THE SEAT, DRIVING CONDITIONS, ETC). THIS STARTED ONE DAY WHEN I TURNED MY VEHICLE ON AFTER NORMAL OPERATIONS. THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM WITH MINI COOPERS MADE AFTER 2005, THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS SAFETY PROBLEM. *JB

UPON STARTING MY CAR IN THE PARKING LOT AT THE END OF A WORK DAY, AN INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON IN MY 2007 MINI COOPER INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG. MY MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG (CODE 93A8 STAGE 1). HE RESET THE LIGHT AND THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED A FEW DAYS LATER. HE CHECKED THE CODE AGAIN AND IT WAS THE SAME. AS A RESULT, HE CONTACTED THE NEAREST MINI SERVICE CENTER. ALTHOUGH THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG CONNECTION, MINI CHARGES ABOUT $600 TO REPLACE IT EVEN THOUGH NO ACCIDENT HAD OCCURRED, NO HARD STOPS, NOTHING TO TRIGGER THE AIR BAG. UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS FIXED, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE COMMONLY REFERRED TO BY MINI OWNERS AS "THE DEATH RATTLE". THE DEALER CLAIMS THE ISSUE IS CAUSED AS A RESULT OF BEING 1.5 QUARTS LOW ON OIL. BUT DOZENS OF OTHER OWNERS ARE REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEM WITHOUT BEING LOW ON OIL. I SUSPECT THE LOW OIL LEVEL IS A COVER ALLOWING THE MANUFACTURER TO NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM. NO OIL INDICATOR LIGHT IS TRIGGERED AT THAT LEVEL. MINI IS TAKING ACTION ON THIS ISSUE BUT HAS STOPPED SHORT OF ISSUING A RECALL. AS SUCH, THOUSANDS OF MINI OWNERS RISK SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THEIR ENGINE AT SPEED AS A RESULT OF POTENTIAL TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. FURTHERMORE, MOST OWNERS HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR (BETWEEN $1,200 - $1,700) TO PREVENT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. THIS IS A DEFECT. IT REQUIRES CORRECTIVE ACTION BY THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2007 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 30 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED TO OVERHEAT. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED ANTI-FREEZE. THE DEALER ADDED ANTI-FREEZE TO THE VEHICLE BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES BEFORE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE THERMOSTAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE THERMOSTAT WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,000.

I HAD THIS CAR SERVICED ABOUT 4 TIMES DURING THE 4 YR WARRANTY PERIOD. JUST AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD, THE CAR WAS CHECKED FOR BRAKE JOB AND I WAS INFORMED THAT THE WATER PUMP LEAKS. I THINK THE COOLANT PROVABLE WAS LEAKING PRIOR TO EXPIRATION OF WARRANTY BUT I WAS NOT INFORMED. I BOUGHT 3 CARS IN 2007 (HONDA AND LEXUS) AND NONE OF THEM HAS THIS ISSUE. 1. ENGINE COOLANT LEAKS. REPLACE WATER PUMP. 2. ENGINE HOOD LATCH WON'T OPEN. FAILED REMOTE LATCH. THE MINI COOPER ESTIMATE WILL COST ME $800 TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP. I ALSO OVERHEARD FROM ONE OF THE MINI OWNER LAST SAT, 26NOV2011 DURING MY VISIT TO THE DEALER THAT HE ALSO HAS THE SAME ISSUE LEAKY WATER PUMP. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2007 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE VEHICLE ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED TO THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THERE WERE THREE VEHICLES PARKED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE CONTACTS VEHICLE THAT SUSTAINED DAMAGE. THE PARKING GARAGE WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ALSO SUSTAINED DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.