2008 Mini Cooper

I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE MINI DEALERSHIP AFTER I HEARD A NOISE FROM THE ENGINE AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. FROM ONLINE DESCRIPTIONS, I SUSPECTED IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER. I CONTACTED MINI CORPORATION AND OPENED A REPORT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ABOUT A WEEK LATER AND I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER NEEDED REPLACED. IT WAS A $3500 FIX. THE DEALERSHIP CONTACTED MINI TO SEE IF THEY WOULD COVER THE REPAIR AND THEY REFUSED SAYING THE VEHICLE HAD TOO MANY MILES. THEY CHANGED THE OIL AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF. ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER MY SON WAS AT A RED LIGHT, STOPPED AND THE CARS STALLED. WE HAD IT FLAT-BEDDED TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE TIMING CHAIN HAD SNAPPED AND THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $5700. I JUST SAW WHERE MINI ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER AND I CONTACTED THEM BUT THEY HAVE NOT REPLIED. *TR

THE CAR STARTS VERY ROUGH ESPECIALLY IN COLDER WEATHER. I WAS TOLD BY A MINI DEALERSHIP THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DUE TO LACK OF OIL, WHICH IS NOT THE CASE AS THE OIL WAS JUST CHANGED. ALSO WHEN IN TRAFFIC COMING TO A STOP THE CAR WILL DROP IDLE AND STALL OUT. THE CAR WILL STALL IN NEUTRAL OR WITH CLUTCH FULLY PRESSED IN. RESEARCHING ONLINE AND WATCHING SOME VIDEOS, IT SEEMS MUCH LIKE THE TIMING TENSION/CHAIN ISSUES KNOWN BUT NOT YET HAVING MUCH DONE WITH THEM. IT WOULD BE NICE IF BMW/MINI WOULD SORT OUT THE ISSUE ESPECIALLY IF ITS A DESIGN FLAW. KINDA DISAPPOINTED AS ITS NOT THAT OLD AND HAS FEWER THEN 50K MILES ON THE ENGINE. *TR

THE SENSORS ON THIS CAR WERE NO GOOD. IT DID NOT INFORM ME THAT THERE WASN'T ANY OIL OR COOLANT I'M THE CAR. I ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR TWO WEEKS AFTER WE DISCOVERED THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT INSPECT OR SERVICE THE CAR LIKE THEY PROMISED. ON 9/10, THE CAR TURNED OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND WOULDN'T TURN BACK ON. TWO MECHANICS HAVE TOLD ME THE CAR IS NO GOOD AND I AM NOT AT FAULT FOR THE DEFECTS. THE ENTIRE TIME THE CAR WAS IN MY POSSESSION, THE SENSORS DID NOT WARN ME ABOUT ANY SERVICES THE CAR NEEDED. I HAVE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORWARD WITH THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE DEFECTS. I RETURNED THE CAR, ASKED FOR A FULL REFUND, AND THEY HAVE YET TO DO ANYTHING TO HONOR MY WISHES. *TR

AT LESS THAN 33,000 MILES THE ENGINE BEGAN MAKING A LOUD CRANKING NOISE. OIL WAS VERY RECENTLY CHANGED, BUT CHECKED THE LEVEL ANYWAY AND FOUND IT WAS DOWN ABOUT 2 QUARTS. ADDED OIL AND ENGINE NOISE WAS REDUCED. DROVE A FEW HUNDRED MORE MILES AND ENGINE NOISE RETURNED. OIL WAS AGAIN LOW. TOOK CAR TO OUR MECHANIC AND THEY DIAGNOSED TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER PROBLEMS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE CRITICAL TIMING CHAIN FAILURE CAN LEAD TO PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE FAILING TIMING CHAIN CAN ALSO CAUSE THE MOTOR TO FAIL. OUR MECHANIC IN CONSULTANT WITH THE MINI DEALER INDICATES THAT THE ONLY WAY TO ENSURE THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT LEAD TO ENGINE FAILURE IS TO REPLACE THE CURRENT ENGINE WITH A NEW ONE THAT HAS THE TIMING CHAIN ISSUES RESOLVED. WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO HAVE THIS REPAIR DONE AND IT WILL COST APPROXIMATELY $7000 AS THE VEHICLE IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN WIDELY REPORTED IN OTHER COMPLAINTS IN THIS DATABASE AS WELL AS ACROSS MANY MINI OWNER FORUMS. IT APPEARS THAT A RECALL ORDER SHOULD BE ISSUED. *TR

DEAR [XXX], I AM WRITING TO YOU IN REGARDS TO MY MINI COOPER VIN# [XXX]. FIRSTLY, I AM AWARE OF TWO RECALL NOTICES, ID# [XXX] AND ID #[XXX]. I BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF THESE RECALLS BUT TO DATE HAVE NOT RECEIVED A LETTER. SEVERAL TIMES I INDICATED THE SENSORY WARNING CAME ON WITH ENGINE MALFUNCTION. THIS CONCERNS ME, BECAUSE SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE, I HAVE HAD CATASTROPHIC FAILURES BEFORE 45,000MILES. I HAVE BROUGHT IT TO THE MINI SERVICE CENTER FOR THESE FAILURES, INCLUDING: REPLACING SPARK PLUGS, FAULTY COIL PACK, FAULTY LATCH, BRAKE REPLACEMENT, CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE, ON-BOARD COMPUTER REPLACEMENT, TOTAL REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION AND CURRENTLY, THE SOLENOID VALVE REPLACEMENT WHICH IS NOT YET FIXED. I HAVE ENCLOSED COPIES OF MY INVOICES FOR THESE PROBLEMS AND SERVICE VISITS. [XXX], THE TECHNICIAN AT MINI OF CAMARILLO, STATED THIS LAST PROBLEM (THE SOLENOID VALVE) APPARENTLY IS RELATED TO THE VANOS ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON/OFF WITH CAUTION MESSAGE ENGINE MALFUNCTION CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I TOOK IT OUT FOR A TEST DRIVE WITH HIM IT STILL HAD THE SAME EXACT JOLT THRASHING BACK AND FORTH MOTION HARD ENOUGH IT IS FELT ON THE SEAT. [XXX] AT MINI OF CAMARILLO INFORMED ME IN ORDER TO REPAIR THE IGNITION COIL AND REPLACE THE SPARK PLUGS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED AT THE CALABASAS SERVICE CENTER I HAVE TO PAY A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY IN ORDER TO FIX THIS CURRENT PROBLEM. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS SINCE THE TIME I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE ON MAY 24TH THE CAR STILL SHAKES VIOLENTLY WHILE EXITING OUT OF THE FREEWAY AND ON FREQUENT STOPS. THESE CONTINUED MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH MY MINI COOPER HAVE REQUIRED IT TO REMAIN UNREPAIRED AND OUT OF SERVICE AT THE MINI SERVICE CENTER NOW FOR A WEEK TO BE MECHANICALLY SAFE TO DRIVE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

MINI COOPERS YEARS 2008 AND 2009 HAVE A ISSUE WHICH I BELIEVE IS KNOWN BY MINI USA, BUT THEY HAVE FAILED TO INITIATE A VOLUNTARY RECALL. THESE VEHICLES HAVE A TIMING CHAIN THAT CAN PREMATURELY FAIL (IN MY CASE AT APPROXIMATELY 25,000 MILES). IF THE TIMING CHAIN FAILS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN, IT WILL CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO SLOWLY COME TO A FULL STOP. IN THE EVENT THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN IN A HIGHWAY, THIS STOP COULD CAUSE A SEVERE ACCIDENT THAT POTENTIALLY CAN INVOLVE MANY VEHICLES. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE, BECAUSE MOST MINI OWNERS WOULD NOT EXPECT A TIMING CHAIN TO FAIL SO PREMATURELY. *TR