2008 Mini Cooper

TIMING CHAIN & TENSIONER MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS 85,000 MILES AND I HAVE HAD TO SPEND $3500.00 TO CHANGE THE TIMING CHAIN THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE MAINTENANCE FREE, AND LAST TEN YEARS AS PER THE OWNERS MANUAL AND SERVICE MANUAL. CAR STOPPED SUDDENLY ON THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE, VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THIS IS NOT RIGHT THAT I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR A CAR THAT ONLY HAS 85,000 MILES, AND WAS SERVICED REGULARLY. HUGE SAFETY ISSUE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER AND ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT SOMETHING WAS LOOSE IN THE ENGINE AND THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000.

IN SEPTEMBER, 2013, MY 2008 MINI COOPER HARDTOP, WITH THE N12 ENGINE, HAD THE TIMING CHAIN FAIL UNDER OPERATION. THIS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO STOP, AT HIGHWAY SPEED, AFFECTING STEERING, BRAKING AND ALL ABILITY TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE OUT OF TRAFFIC. TWO VEHICLES BARELY AVOIDED MY DISABLED VEHICLE. I CONTACTED MINI USA AND THEY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACTORY DEFECT IN THE TIMING-CHAIN TENSIONER THAT CAUSES THE TIMING CHAIN TO FAIL. I PAID OVER $8000 FOR A REPLACEMENT N12 ENGINE. WITH LESS THAN 10,000 MILES ON THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE, IN JULY, 2016, THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED AGAIN. THIS TIME THE VEHICLE WAS CROSSING A BRIDGE AND THERE WAS NO PLACE TO TRY TO PULL OFF. THE SITUATION WAS VERY DANGEROUS AND LEFT MY FAMILY VULNERABLE TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I CONTACTED MINI USA AGAIN, AND ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE ADMITTED TO THE TIMING CHAIN DEFECT ON THEIR N14 ENGINE, IN THE S SERIES VEHICLE, THEY STILL REFUSE TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THE N12 ENGINES IN WHICH THE TIMING CHAIN FAILURES ARE MORE NUMEROUS. THIS DEFECT CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO BECOME INOPERABLE AT SPEED WHICH IS UNSAFE IN THE EXTREME. MINI USA NEEDS TO ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL FOR EVERY VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH THE N12 ENGINES.

TAKATA RECALL?? THE SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR MALFUNCTIONS - 3 WARNING LIGHTS - ALWAYS ON. TOOK MINI INTO DEALERSHIP FOR THIS PROBLEM ON 9/17/15. THEY DIAGNOSED: J# 1 511MZOTHERDIAG GENERAL DIAGNOSIS VEHICLE NEEDS RIGHT SEAT WEIGHT SENSOR REPLACED. PART NEEDS TO BE ORDERED - $1493.47 PART COST - CUSTOMER ADVISED. NEITHER BMW/MINI CORPORATE OR THE DEALERSHIP CAN SAY WHEN THE REPLACEMENT PART WILL BE AVAILABLE - NOR CAN THEY GUARANTEE OCCUPANT SAFETY - AIRBAGS MAY NOT DEPLOY THERE IS AN ACCIDENT. THE MILEAGE ON THE MINI IS 26,959. WHEN IS THIS VEHICLE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL? AND WHEN WILL THE PARTS BE AVAILABLE TO FIX IT?

SRS COMPUTER AND SENSORS ARE FAILING. NO ACCIDENT, NO FLOODING JUST FAILING SENSORS AND COMPUTER. MINI CLAIMS THIS IS A "MAINTENANCE" ITEM, YET THERE IS NO DOCUMENTED MAINTENANCE PROTOCOL FOR THESE ITEMS. VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 100K MILES AND AIR BAG SYSTEM COMPONENTS ARE FAILING. HENCE WE DON'T KNOW IF THE SYSTEM WILL WORK OR NOT AND THE VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS OUR STATE INSPECTION.