2008 MINI COOPER Complaints

THE 2008 MINI COOPER S STARTED MAKING THE INFAMOUS "DEATH RATTLE" NOISE. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHO SPECIALIZES IN IMPORTS. HE CHANGED THE OIL, WHICH WASN'T DUE FOR ANOTHER 2,000 MILES, AND HE CHANGED THE OIL FILTER. THE NOISE CONTINUED SO HE ADDED OIL STABILIZER TO ENSURE THAT OIL WAS BEING FILTERED. THE NOISE STILL PERSISTS AT START-UP, AND GOES AWAY AFTER THE CAR WARMS UP FOR A COUPLE MINUTES. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME I'D HAVE TO GET THE TIME CHANGING BELT REPLACED TO FIX THE "DEATH RATTLE," WHICH IS A COMMON THING IN MINI CARS. *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

FOUND LARGE OILY MARK UNDER PARKED CAR. TURNS OUT TO BE THE THERMOSTAT HOSE LEAKING DUE TO CRACKS BECAUSE OF BEING MADE OF PLASTIC. THIS IS A KNOWN DESIGN ISSUE BY MINI/BMW THAT COULD CAUSE AN ENGINE TO OVERHEAT PRODUCING A FILE OR BLOWING THE ENGINE. THIS SHOULD COME UNDER A RECALL. CHECKING ONLINE, YOU CAN SEE THAT IT WAS SUCH AN ISSUE LAST YEAR, THAT DEALERS WERE NOT EVEN ABLE TO GET PARTS FOR WEEKS DUE TO THE NUMBER OF FAILURES. CALLING THE DEALER, THEY READILY ADMIT IT IS A HUGE PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE TO REPLACE LOTS OF THEM. OF COURSE, IT IS $600 A POP FOR THE FIX. DUE TO THE LARGE COST AND ADMITTED DESIGN FLAW, THESE SHOULD ALL BE PLACED UNDER A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE IS BADLY HURT. ALSO ANYONE THAT HAS HAD TO HAVE THIS FIXED SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THAT EXPENSE. *TR

I WAS A VICTIM OF THE "DEATH RATTLE" FROM THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILURE. LUCKILY FOR ME, I RESEARCHED THE NOISE WHEN I FIRST HEARD IT AND WAS ABLE TO GET IT FIXED BEFORE IT DESTROYED MY ENTIRE ENGINE (ALTHOUGH MINI REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS). BUT OWNERS WHO ARE NOT AWARE OF ISSUE MAY KEEP DRIVING THEIR CAR TO THE POINT OF FAILURE WHICH COULD LEAD TO A FATAL CRASH. IT IS A POORLY MANUFACTURED PART THAT IS CREATING THE PROBLEM WHICH CAN BE EASILY FIXED. *TR

WHEN YOU START THE CAR IN THE MORNING WHILE ITS COLD AND START DRIVING, YOU HEAR A RATTLING NOISE IN THE ENGINE WHICH COMING OUT OF THE TIMING-BELT AREA. IT STARTED 5 DAYS AGO. *TR

MY MINI HAS A FAULTY OIL SUPPLY LINE GOING TO THE TURBO CHARGER. THE DEALERSHIP HAS KNOWN ABOUT THESE FAULTY LINES FOR SOMETIME. INSTEAD OF REPLACING THE LINE WITH A BETTER DESIGN THEY HAVE INSTALLED HEAT SHIELDS TO PREVENT THE HEAT FROM BURNING UP THE O-RING IN THE FITTING ON THE LINE. THEY INSTALLED ANOTHER HEAT SHIELD ON 2/21/14 OVER TOP OF THE OIL LINE TO PREVENT THE HEAT FROM BURNING UP THE O-RING THAT IS ALREADY BAD. NOW THEY INFORM ME THAT SINCE THE HEAT SHIELDS ARE IN PLACE I NEED TO PAY TO HAVE THE OIL LINE REPLACED WHICH COST $805.00. I THINK THAT MINI COOPER SHOULD HAVE RECALLED ALL THESE VEHICLES AND REPAIRED THE FAULTY OIL LINES SINCE THEY HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FROM 2007 MODELS TO 2011 MODELS. THIS IS A BAD SAFETY PROBLEM UNDER THE HOOD BECAUSE WHEN THE OIL GOES TO LEAKING ON THE TURBO CHARGER WHICH IS REALLY HOTTER THAT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD IT CAUSES EXCESSIVE SMOKE FROM COMING OUT OF UNDER THE HOOD AND COULD CAUSE A LARGE FIRE FUELED BY MOTOR OIL PUMPING OUT ON TOP OF TURBO CHARGER. ALLOWING THE DEALERSHIPS TO PUT SHIELDS OVER TOP OF THE BAD OIL LINE NEEDS TO BE STOPPED. THEY NEED TO FIX THE PROBLEM THAT EXISTS FOR FREE AND NOT TRY TO COVER UP THE PROBLEM AS THEY DID ON MY CAR AND THEN TELL ME THAT THE OIL LINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THE WARRANTY RUN OUT. THEY WERE WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM THEN AND NOW BECAUSE OF THEM PUTTING HEAT SHIELDS ON TO PREVENT THIS PROBLEM.THE OIL SUPPLY LINE SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND THEN THE SHIELDS PUT ON. THANKS, HOPE TO SEE A RECALL VERY SOON. *TR

STRETCHED TIMING CHAIN SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL, BUT RECALL IS ONLY ON THE TYPE S MODELS. *TR

TURBO CHARGER FUEL SUPPLY LINE IS LEAKING ON MY 2008 MINI COOPER S. THE DEALER SUGGESTED A REPLACEMENT COST OF $750. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND THE LEAK IS HAPPENING DUE TO POOR DESIGN. THE LEAK MAY CAUSE FIRE DAMAGE AND MIGHT CAUSE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE CAR. *TR

CAR HAS HAD ISSUES WITH CVT TRANSMISSION. YESTERDAY I WAS TOLD THAT IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AT URGING OF OTHER MINI OWNERS IN THE SAME SITUATION, I AM REPORTING PROBLEM TO YOUR AGENCY IN HOPES TO HAVE BMW RECALL THE CARS AND REPLACE THE FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS. *TR

TURBOCHARGER OIL FEED LINE LEAKING. THE PART IS POORLY DESIGNED AND ACCORDING TO THE RESEARCH I'VE DONE PRONE TO FAILURE. THE PART IS NOT COVERED BY THE CPO WARRANTY AND THE DEALER WANTED $1400 TO REPLACE IT. I REPLACED IT MYSELF WITH A BETTER DESIGNED AFTERMARKET PART. I THINK MINI SHOULD COVER THE COST OF REPLACING THE PART WITH A BETTER DESIGN. *TR