2008 MINI COOPER Complaints

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

DRIVING MY 2008 MINI COOPER S AT 70MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND DIED. THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILED CAUSING THE MOTOR TO BLOW UP AND THE TIMING CHAIN POPPING THROUGH THE VALVE COVER, THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER IS UNDER A FACTORY INSPECTION NOTICE, I NEVER RECEIVED A NOTICE TO INFORM ME OF THE PART FAILURE. NOW THE ENGINE NEEDS REPLACED. *TR

LOUD ENGINE NOISE COMING FROM CHAIN TENSIONER AT STARTUP. SOUNDS LIKE DIESEL ENGINE. ALSO HAPPENS DURING COLD ENGINE START. *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

TURBO OIL SUPPLY LINE IS LEAKING OIL ON MY 2008 COOPER S, THE DEALER HAS RECOMMEND REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF $900. I INITIALLY TOOK THE CAR IN FOR A RECALL TO INSTALL A HEAT SHIELD ON THE SAME OIL LINE, SOME ONLINE RESEARCH (INCLUDING MANY OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS HERE) HAS SUGGESTED THAT THE LACK OF A HEAT SHIELD HAS CAUSED THIS FAILURE, YET IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. YET ANOTHER UNFORTUNATE DEFECT IN THE MINI DESIGN, I'VE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH THE TIMING CHAIN/TENSIONER DEBACLE. *TR

I CAN'T TELL EXACTLY THE MILEAGE OF THE CAR BY THE TIME THE ALARM POP UP, BUT IT WAS ABOUT 64K AS SPECIFIED ABOVE. AT THAT TIME THE PASSENGER AIR BAG ALARM COMES "ON" THE CAR WITH A PASSENGER SEATED. IT ALL STARTED INTERMITTENT BUT AFTER A WEEK THE LIGHT REMAINS ON ALL THE TIME, ALONG WITH THE WARNING "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF". BOTH LIGHTS (THE ALARM AND THE WARNING) REMAINS ON ALL THE TIME. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE SERVICE DEPT. AND AFTER 117.00 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC, THEY CONCLUDE THAT THE "SENSOR MAT (OC3) SIB 657506" (WHATEVER THAT IS) WAS BROKEN AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT. THEY ARE CHARGING A TOTAL OF $2,608 FOR PARTS AND LABOR (INCLUDING TAXES). AFTER THIS TROUBLE AND A STRETCHED TIMING CHAIN THAT WAS DIAGNOSE WERE COVERED THE THREE DAYS THE CAR SPENT AT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, I ASKED MINI OF AMERICA TO CALL ME BACK, BUT AFTER SOME E-MAILS BACK AND FORWARD, THE. *TR

BOUGHT CAR FROM DEALERSHIP AFTER A LOT OF RESEARCH ON ISSUES WITH THESE CARS AN COMPLAINTS. BROUGHT VARRO MINI DEALERSHIP AND ASKED ABOUT TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER AND WAS TOLD MINE WAS FINE EVEN THOUGH THEY NEVER OPENED UP COVER TO INSPECT CHAIN OR TENSIONER. HAVE BEEN BACK THREE DIFFERENT TIMES WITH MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH TIMING CHAIN/TENSIONER HORRIBLE RATTLE. MINI SAYS THERE IS NO KNOWN DEFECTS WITH TIMING CHAIN/ TENSIONERS EVER BROUGHT UP. I THEN WAS TOLD BY MY BROTHER THAT HE I TAKING HIS MINI IN FOR A SERVICE ACTION ON THE TIMING CHAIN/TENSIONER, TURBO HEAT SHIELD, THERMOSTAT HOUSING. WE HAVE EXACT SAME CAR, SAME BUILD DATE, AND ROLLED OUT FROM SAME FACTORY BUT MINI STATES OURS ISN'T COVERED UNDER THE SERVICE ACTION EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE THE EXACT SAME CAR AND EVERYTHING. AND MY BROTHER IS ALSO OUT OF WARRANTY BUT THEIRS IS GETTING FIXED FREE. PLEASE HELP. I AM AWARE OF THE FREEMAN-SKEEN CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AND HAVE FILE A COMPLAINT WITH BBB SO I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO FIND LEGAL HELP SINCE THEY DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO NHTSA COMPLAINTS. *TR

IT HAS OIL LEAKS AROUND TURBO LINE WHICH THE OILS MAKE SMOKES AS THE OIL DRIP CONTACTS WITH DOWN PIPE. THIS MAY RESULT IN SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE CAR. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY MINI THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP THAT SPECIALIZES IN MINI'S. THE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THE CRANKCASE VALVE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND IT IS BUILT INTO THE VALVE COVER. UPON INSPECTION THE MECHANIC ALSO DISCOVERED MY TIMING CHAIN IS ALMOST RUINED ALSO. I HAVE BEEN HEARING THE TIMING CHAIN RATTLE UPON START UP. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILED (CVT). VEHICLE HAS LOW MILES AND COST TO REPAIR IS OVER $8,000. *TR