2008 Mini Cooper

ON 15 AUG 2015 I PURCHASED A 2008 MINI COOPER 2D HATC WITH 122,629 MILES FOR $6,325 WITH NO WARRANTY IN STANFORD, NC FROM KARAS AUTO SALES, INC. ON 27 OCT 2015 THE MINI COOPER BROKE DOWN WHILE DRIVING AND PULLED IT OVER BESIDE THE ROAD. THE WRECKER SERVICE TOOK THE MINI TO A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKE AND THERE WAS MAJOR ENGINE DAMAGE AND THE REPAIR BILL WILL BE FROM 8K TO 10K IN REPAIR COST. MINI HAD APPROXIMATELY 125K MILES ON IT. I'VE HEARD OF A LOT OF COMPLAINTS WITH THOSE MINIS WITH THOSE SAME ISSUES HAPPENING ANYWHERE FROM 30K MILES TO OVER 100K MILES FROM 2007-2010 MODELS. NOTHING ELSE HAS BEEN SPENT ON THE CAR FOR REPAIR. I'M NOT WASTING ANYMORE MONEY ON THAT JUNK MINI COOPER. IT'S TO LATE FOR THE LEMON LAW TO BE APPLIED. CAN ANYTHING GET DONE SO THAT I CAN IMPLEMENT A LAWSUIT AND RECEIVE ANY MONEY FOR THAT FROM BMW OR AND THE DEALER OR IS IT A WASTE OF TIME? THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY IN DICKSON, TN MY 2008 MINI COOPER LOST ALL POWER WITHOUT WARNING. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THIS WAS DURING AN ICE STORM. WE HAD TO WAIT HOURS ON THE SIDE OF A HIGHWAY WITH NO HEAT, AND VEHICLES STRUGGLING TO STAY ON THE ROAD, UNTIL A TOW TRUCK DRIVER FROM AAA WAS ABLE TO PICK US UP, SAYING HOW LUCKY WE WERE TO HAVE NOT BEEN HIT. WHEN BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MINI DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS DUE TO LOW OIL LEVEL. THE INCIDENT OCCURED IN FEBRUARY, MY OIL WAS CHANGED ON DECEMBER. UPON REPAIR FROM MY INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO A FAULTY TIMING CHAIN THAT COLLAPSED. I HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE THAT MINI COOPER IS AWARE OF THE TIMING CHAIN DEFECT, AND IN FACT SENT OUT A SERVICE BULLETIN BUT HAS DONE NOTHING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. ON BEHALF OF CURRENT MINI DRIVERS AND POTENTIAL BUYERS I URGE YOU TO LOOK AT THIS ISSUE IN HOPES OF PREVENTING POTENTIAL INJURIES OR DEATHS.

"DEATH RATTLE" NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT AS REPORTED BY MANY OTHERS ON ONLINE FORUMS. NOW ENGINE IS THROWING CODES INDICATING CRANKSHAFT OUT OF POSITION. OBVIOUS RELATED ISSUE TO A DEFECTIVE TIMING BELT OR TENSIONER. TOLD BY DEALERSHIP NOT A COVERED REPAIR, ALTHOUGH I'VE READ THAT SIMILAR REPAIR HAS BEEN COVERED BY MANUFACTURER FOR OTHERS AND FOR OTHER MODELS. AS THIS VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN BY MY YOUNG DAUGHTER, OUT OF STATE, I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT A COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE WHILST SHE IS ON THE HIGHWAYS IN THE MOUNTAINS WHERE SHE LIVES, WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES. PLEASE CONSIDER THIS ISSUE AS A SERIOUS POTENTIAL LIFE SAFETY ISSUE, AS A FAILURE AT HIGHWAYS SPEEDS COULD CERTAINLY ENDANGER NOT ONLY MY DAUGHTER, BUT THE LIVES OF OTHERS ON THE HIGHWAY. THANK YOU.

LOW MILEAGE 2008 VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING LOUD NOISES FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT. DIAGNOSED AS TIMING CHAIN/TENSIONER FAILURE. APPEARS TO A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. ESTIMATED REPAIR COST OVER $2000. MECHANICS SAY NOT "IF" BUT "WHEN" THIS WILL HAPPEN TO ALL 2008 MCS. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE REPAIRED ON A RECALL. VEHICLE CANNOT BE DRIVEN SAFELY UNTIL REPAIRED; DELAY WILL RESULT IN TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. *TR

THE DEALER INFORMED ME MY OIL FEED LINES TO THE TURBO WERE LEAKING AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED SOON. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH FOUND THE COUPLINGS THAT ATTACHES THESE LINES TO THE TURBO ARE DEFECTIVE. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THE DEALER SAYS THERE IS NOT A RECALL AND WILL COST APPROX: $1500.00. THE DEALER INSTALLED A TURBO SHIELD TO HELP WITH THE HEAT THAT IS CAUSING THE LINE TO PREMATURELY FAIL. WITH SO MANY EFFECTIVE SHOULDN'T MINI BE FIXING THIS ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWN A 2008 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE STARTED THE ENGINE AND BEFORE SHE COULD SHIFT INTO GEAR, THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD TAPPING NOISE BEFORE IT STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000. UPDATED 10/18/16*LJ UPDATED 10/27/16.*JB