2010 Mini Cooper

I PURCHASED MY 2010 MINI COOPER HARDTOP IN OCTOBER OF 2010 WITH 2,446 MILES ON IT. THIS CAR CAME FROM A MINI DEALERSHIP. I HAVE DRIVEN THIS VEHICLE FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS WITHOUT ONE MECHANICAL ISSUE. TODAY I HAVE APPROXIMATELY 41,000 MILES ON THE CAR. ON THE EVENING OF FEBRUARY 16, 2015, I STARTED MY CAR TO LEAVE MY PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT AND A LOW OIL INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHED. LIVING IN A COLD WEATHER CLIMATE, I THOUGHT THE ENGINE NEEDED TIME TO WARM UP. AFTER LETTING THE CAR WARM UP, I ATTEMPTED TO LEAVE THE PARKING LOT AND THE CAR FAILED AS I WAS ABOUT TO MAKE A TURN ONTO A MAIN ROAD. MY HUSBAND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL MINI SPECIALIST WHERE WE WERE TOLD THE CAR WAS EXTREMELY LOW ON OIL DUE AN INTERNAL LEAK COMING FROM THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER SEAL. WE WERE TOLD THE LEAK HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR A WHILE; HOWEVER, THE FIRST INDICATION OF LOW OIL WAS ONLY MINUTES BEFORE THE CAR FAILED. THE CAR HAD BEEN TO A LOCAL MINI DEALERSHIP FOR REGULAR SERVICE LESS THAN A YEAR AGO. IN ADDITION THE MECHANIC FOUND COOLANT IN THE CYLINDERS AND IS UNSURE OF HOW THIS OCCURRED. THE MECHANIC FEELS IT COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A CRACKED ENGINE BLOCK OR CRACKED CYLINDER HEAD. ADDITIONAL TESTING WOULD NEED TO BE DONE ON THESE PARTS TO CONFIRM. AT THIS TIME, MY HUSBAND AND I ARE BEING TOLD THAT THE ENTIRE ENGINE NEEDS TO REPLACED ON A CAR THAT ONLY HAD 40,000 MILES ON IT. THE ESTIMATED COST WE RECEIVED WAS $10,315. THIS IS A TOUGH PILL TO SWALLOW CONSIDERING IT IS A "YOUNG CAR," IN OUR MINDS. WITH ALL OF THE ISSUES FOUND BY THE MECHANIC IT SEEMS AS IF THIS CAR HAD A FAULTY ENGINE FROM THE START. I HAVE CONTACTED MINI USA REGARDING THIS ISSUE AND HOPE THEY STAND BEHIND THEIR VEHICLES. *TR

WE PURCHASED A USED 2010 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE FROM SCHWARTZ MAZDA IN, SHREWSBURY, NJ ON DEC. 27, 2014. AFTER TWO SEPARATE MINI COOPER DEALER SERVICE DEPTS CONFIRMED THAT THE TIME CHAIN WAS BEYOND SPECIFICATION BY 6 MM AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, WE GOT NO WHERE OR SATISFACTORY RESOLUTION WITH THE DEALER TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN. WE FEEL THAT OUR SAFETY IS AT RISK AND SHOULD BE FIXED, AS EXPRESSED IN THE LIMITED WARRANTY OF THE VEHICLE GIVEN BY SCHWARTZ MAZDA. *TR

I HAVE A RELATIVELY NEW MINI COOPER (2010 HATCHBACK) WITH 51,000 MILES. RECENTLY, I STARTED HEARING A RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. UPON DOING A SEARCH ONLINE, I CAME ACROSS HUNDREDS OF OTHER OWNERS WHO EXPERIENCE THE SAME EXACT ISSUE - KNOW AS THE DEATH RATTLE, THE TENSIONER AND TIMING CHAIN COMES APART (A KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFECT) AND CAN CAUSE THE CAR TO EITHER STALL WHILE IN MOTION AND CAUSE CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE - AS THE CHAIN IS METAL. THE ISSUE HAS RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT ATTENTION AND EXTREME FRUSTRATION - LEADING MINI TO TRY TO SILENTLY ADDRESS THE ISSUE ON A ONE-OFF BASIS RATHER THAN ISSUING A VOLUNTARY RECALL. FOR CUSTOMERS WHO COMPLAIN (EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY), MINI HAS BEEN PAYING FOR HAVING THE TIMING CHAIN/TENSIONER FIXED. FOR THE HAPLESS CONSUMERS THAT DO NOT KNOW, EITHER THEY PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO HAVE THE VEHICLE FIXED OR FIND THEMSELVES IN AN ACCIDENT. MINI COOPER IS ALLOWING A KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFECT TO CONTINUE UNADDRESSED AND FOR THOUSANDS OF CONSUMERS WHO HAVE A RELATIVELY NEW VEHICLE COULD BE SUBJECT TO EXTREME RISK - IF THE TIMING CHAIN/TENSIONER FAILS DUE TO A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS REDDITT POST - PLEASE SEE THIS REDDIT POST: HTTP://WWW.REDDIT.COM/R/MINI/COMMENTS/2RVH26/MINI_DEATH_RATTLE/ - WHICH EXPLAINS HOW MINI HAS BEEN PAYING FOR CERTAIN REPAIRS TO SILENT THE CUSTOMERS WHO COMPLAIN THE MOST. THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE - IF MINI IS PAYING FOR REPAIRS OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY, THEY CLEARLY ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM/DEFECT BUT ONLY ARE RESOLVING THIS ON AN AD HOC BASIS - WHY SHOULD OWNERS WHO DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS "FIX" BE SUBJECT TO DRIVING A POTENTIALLY UNSAFE VEHICLE? *TR

RADIO NOT WORKING, FIRST THE CD PLAYER STOPPED WORKING APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH PREVIOUSLY. THEN THE RADIO STARTED TO GO IN AND OUT OF SERVICE. SOMETIMES WORKING AND THEN NOT WORKING. IT HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN, THE REPLACEMENT COST IS 1000.00. WHEN THE INCIDENT FIRST STARTED WAS AT ABOUT 41,000 MILES AND WHEN I TOOK IT IN WAS 45,000 MILES. *TR

MINI COOPER 2010. STARTING/STALLING ISSUES. CAR DOESN'T START. IT HAPPENED A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO AS WELL. CAR HAS BEEN TOWED 1 AND BROUGHT TO PRESTIGE MINI IN NJ (CAR DEALER) FOR SERVICE 3 TIMES. AFTER REPLACING BATTERY AND AN ENGINE SENSOR, THE PROBLEM PERSIST. THE CAR WILL BE TOWED AGAIN TODAY (JAN 30, 2014) FOR FURTHER COSTLY REPAIRS. I HAVE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND MAINTENANCE ON THIS CAR BUT EVEN WITH THAT, THE COST OF REPAIRS AND TOWING ARE NOT COVERED. THIS IS A VERY POOR, UNRELIABLE CAR (MINI COOPER 2010). RESPONSIVENESS FROM PRESTIGE MINI IS ALSO VERY POOR. SERVICE MANAGER DOESN'T RESPOND TO CALLS OR RETURN VOICE MAILS. VERY POOR SERVICE. *TR

ENGINE SEEMED TO BE LACKING POWER INTERMITTENTLY DRIVING TO WORK. FELT SOMETHING WAS WRONG, BUT NO INDICATOR LIGHTS DISPLAYED SO I CONTINUED DRIVING. NOTICED HEATER BEGAN BLOWING COLD AIR, YELLOW WARNING LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING ENGINE WAS BEGINNING TO OVERHEAT. WITHIN 10 SECONDS, RED WARNING LIGHT REPLACED THE FIRST LIGHT (ENGINE OVERHEATING!). CONTINUED ON UNTIL I COULD SAFELY STOP. CALLED WRECKER TO TAKE TO REPAIR SHOP. FOUND COOLANT & OIL HAD EXPLODED FROM ENGINE WITH VISIBLE CRACK IN THE PLASTIC HOUSING. THANKFULLY, CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. MINI DEALERSHIP HONORED THE WARRANTY. STATED THE VACUUM PUMP HAD FAILED CAUSING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE ENTIRE ENGINE. ENGINE IS BEING REPLACED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOOR LOCKS ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE DOORS FAILED TO OPERATE NORMALLY AND WITHOUT WARNINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,347.

I HAD JUST PARKED IN OUR GARAGE AND GOT OUT TO GET ITEMS OUT OF THE TRUNK OF THE CAR. MY LEG TOUCHED THE TAIL PIPE OF THE CAR AND THERE WAS IN INSTANT BURN TO THE CALF OF MY LEG. IT ONLY TOOK ONE SECOND. IT WAS THE SIZE OF A QUARTER AND SKIN WAS BURNED OFF INSTANTLY. IT IS QUITE PAINFUL. I TOOK A PICTURE OF THE INJURY AND I ALSO TOOK A PICTURE OF THE TAIL PIPE TO SHOW THAT IT STICKS OUT BEYOND THE BUMPER. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A POOR DESIGN IN REGARDS TO SAFETY. *TR

I RECENTLY HAD MY FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS CHANGED ON MY MINI COOPER IN MARCH OF 2013. WITHIN THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS MY CAR'S WARNING SENSORS FOR THE BRAKES HAS GONE OFF AGAIN. AFTER CYCLING THRU IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE REAR BRAKES NOW NEEDED CHANGING. I RECENTLY TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO MY SERVICE SHOP WHO GENERALLY DOES MY REPAIR WORK AND THEY ADVISED ME THAT MY LEFT REAR BRAKES WERE FINE - NO MAJOR PAD WEAR OR ROTOR DAMAGE - HOWEVER THE RIGHT SIDE CALIPER WAS WORKING OVERTIME AND HAD WORN DOWN THE REAR INSIDE BRAKE PAD COMPLETEY WHICH IS WHY THE WARNING BRAKE SENSOR WAS ACTIVATED. MY VEHICLE HAS SOMEWHERE AROUND 48250 MILES & STILL UNDER THE 4YR/50000 MILE WARRANTY. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO REPLACE CALIPERS AT THIS STAGE. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO GLOBAL IMPORTS (SATURDAY 5/25/13) TO ASK THAT VEHICLE BE PUT ON LIFT TO INSPECT & WAS TOLD AFTER ONLY LOOKING UP MY VIN INFO IN THEIR COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT IT WAS LIKELY TIME TO REPLACE BRAKES AND HOW MUCH IT WOULD COSTS. I ASKED TO HAVE VEHICLE LOOKED AT TWICE - WHICH THE SERVICE REP WOULD NOT HAVE VEHICLE LOOKED AT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE COVERED BY BMW/MINI. I DO NOT DRIVE MY VEHICLE HARD AND MOST MILES ARE IN THE CITY GOING TO & FROM WORK AND HOME. SOME HIGHWAY MILES, WHEN TRAVELING. SINCE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE FROM GLOBAL IMPORTS ATLANTA IN MAY 2010 - THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEM AFTER PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND I'M WONDERING IF I WAS SOLD A LEMON. I'M BEING TOLD BY MY BRAKE SERVICE GUY THAT JUST TO REPAIR THE RIGHT SIDE (BRAKES, ROTORS, CALIPER & SENSOR) IT WILL COST ME AROUND $650.00 TO FIX. I DONT KNOW IF THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH ALL MINI'S AT THIS MILEAGE OR JUST MINE - I DOUBT WHETHER GLOBAL WILL DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS ISSUE BUT AT LEAST MY CONCERNS ARE DOCUMENTED FOR FUTURE MINI OWNER WHO MIGHT RUN INTO SIMILIAR ISSUE. *TR