2009 MINI COOPER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

WHEN I WAS DRIVING HIGHWAY, A RED WARNING LIGHT OF "LOW ENGINE PRESSURE" CAME ON, AND THE ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE NOISES. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO COME DOWN FROM THE HIGHWAY, AND SOON AFTER THAT, THE ENGINE STALLED COMPLETELY. IT WAS A VERY SCARY MOMENT. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP, AND THEY REPORTED, "SIGNIFICANT OIL SPLASH ON RIGHT SIDE OF ENGINE. ADDED 3 QUARTS OF OIL TO TRY AND START ENGINE TO DETERMINE IF ENGINE DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED FROM LOSS OF OIL. VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. VEHICLE SOUNDED AS IF CHAIN HAD JUMPED TIMING OR ENGINE DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED. RESEARCHED VEHICLE AND FOUND TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) RELATING TO SEAL ON TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILING AND CAUSING TENSIONER TO LEAK AND LOOSEN. MAY HAVE LOOSENED, CAUSING JUMPED TIMING AND POSSIBLE ENGINE DAMAGE. JOB REQUIRES EXTENSIVE LABOR AND SPECIAL TOOLS WE DO NOT HAVE. RECOMMEND SEEKING DEALER FOR FUTTHER ASSISTANCE. THE CAR WAS TOWED AGAIN TO A MINI DEALERSHIP. THEIR DIAGNOSIS WAS: FOUND OIL LEAKING OUT AT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER, OIL LEVEL LOW. CRANK BUT NOT START REMOVE VALVE COVER AND FOUND TIMING WAS OFF, RE-ADJUST TIMING, RETORQUED TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER, PERFORMED COMPRESSION TEST, 8 CRANKS FOR EACH CYLINDERS CYL 1: 60 PSI CYL 2: 55 PSI CYL 3: 35 PSI CYL 4: 30 PSI PERFORMED CYLINDER LEAK DOWN TESTS, ALL WERE BELOW 50%. USED SCOPE AND INSPECT INSIDE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS AND CYLINDER WALLS. FOUND DAMAGED AND CRACKED WALL CAUSED LOOSING COMPRESSION. NEED NEW ENGINE REQUIRED ALSO: WATER PUMP LEAKING AND CONTAMINAITED THE PULLY, FRICTION WHEEL AND DRIVE BELT THERMOSTAT IS LEAKING

DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE APPROXIMATELY 70MPH, SUDDENLY VEHICLE BEGAN RUMBLING. IMMEDIATELY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED AND THE CAR IMMEDIATELY STOPPED ACCELERATING. THE MOTOR KEPT RUNNING BUT WITH A CONTINUOUS RUMBLING AND ACCELERATOR WAS COMPLETELY INACTIVE. CAR WILL START BUT NO POWER OUTPUT, PRESSING ON THE GAS IS FUTILE.

THE PROBLEM OCCURRED WHEN THE TENSIONER FOR THE TIMING CHAIN NO LONGER APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE GUIDE RAIL. THIS CAUSES THE TIMING CHAIN TO FLAP AGAINST THE THE GUIDE RAILS EVENTUALLY BREAKING THEM. THERE WAS A NOISE THAT WAS CREATED HEARD DURING COLD START UP AND EVENTUALLY WENT AWAY WHEN THE ENGINE GOT WARM. THE ITEMS REPAIRED WERE A FAULTY CHAIN TENSIONER, TIMING CHAIN, CHAIN GUIDE RAIL, BEARING BOLT, BEARING BOLT GASKET, CRANK SHAFT SPROCKET, CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT, VALVE COVER GASKET, PERMATEX HYLOMAR GASKET MAKER, SERPETINE BELT, SOLENOID, AND VANOS. THIS ISSUE APPEARED WELL BEFORE BMWS SUGGESTED MAINTENANCE PERIOD OF 120,000 MILES, OR 10 YEARS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SENSOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000.

CAR HAD A RATTLLE WHEN COLD. HAD AN APPT. TO HAVE IT CHECKED ON 5/19. DROVE APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE. STOPPED AT RED LIGHT AND CAR JUST DIED. I WAS IN THE LEFT HAND LANE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED. DANGEROUS SITUATION. TIMING BELT BROKE. TOLD I NEED A NEW ENGINE AT A COST OF $6,000. HAVE SINCE READ OF MANY IDENTICAL PROBLEMS DESPITE A GOOD MAINTENANCE RECORD. SO FAR, MINI HAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED KNOWING THE TIMING BELT WAS DEFECTIVE DESPITE THE FACT IT HAS OCCURRED IN CARS ONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASED NEW.

UPON TH EENGINE HEATING AND COOLING THE PLASTIC GASKET ON TH EENGINE OIL COOLER CAN GET PINCHED, CAUSING AN OIL LEAK. MINI COOPERS IN PRIOR YEARS - 2002-2007 HAD THE SAME ISSUE AND MINI HAD A RECALL. IF I SPEND THE $1,800 TO GET THE REPAIR THE NEXT TIME THE ENGINE HEATS UP AND COOLS - THE GASKET COULD BECOME PINCHED AGAIN - THUS CAUSING A LEAK. MINI COOPER OF ATLANTA IS YES THIS COULD HAPPEN AND I WOULD HAVE TO GET IT REPAIRED AGAIN. MINI COOPER NEEDS TO ENSURE THE 2 PLATES OF THE METAL OIL COOLER ARE SECURE AND CANNOT EXPAND AND SHRINK - UPON ENGINE USAGE. THIS IS THE SAME MANUFACTURING FLAW MINI COOPER HAD IN 2002 - 2007 - SO WHY HASN'T MINI COOPER BEEN TOLD TO FIX THEIR PROBLEM - VERSES THROWING THE RESPONSIBILITY TO THE CUSTOMER?

ENGINE CEASED WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY. PREVIOUSLY TOOK CAR TO MINI DEALER WHEN ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS PROBABLY ON BECAUSE OF THE GAS CAP AND THEIR WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. *TR

RATTLING NOISE FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE. TOOK TO MINI, TIMING CHAIN WAS STRETCHED OUT. 2000K FIX CAR HAS LESS THAN 84K MILES. HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ABOUT 13 MONTHS AGO. SAID IT WAS THE TENSIONER BUT CHAIN WAS FINE. THAT WAS AT 64K MILES. IN 13MONTHS SPENT 3K ON THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

I TOOK MY MINI COOPER TO PASSPORT MINI IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY MARYLAND FOR THE HPFP FAILING WHERE THEY CHANGED IT AND THEN TOLD ME THAT THE TURBO OIL FEED LINE IS LEAKING AND THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD STRETCHED AND WAS GOING TO FAIL. AFTER I TOLD THEM THAT I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE HAD PROBLEMS AND COMPLAINED SOME THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD COVER 30% OF THE CHAIN REPLACEMENT AND A COMPLETE DETAIL OF MY CAR AND THAT THEY WERE BEING "GENEROUS". I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT I WANTED MY DEFECTIVE CHAIN FIXED NOT A CAR WASH. AFTER READING THIS WEBSITE I AM HOPING TO GET THE OIL FEED LINE REPLACED TOO. IT TO IS VERY WELL DOCUMENTED. IF IT GOES UP IN FLAMES WHILE MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER ARE IN THE CAR WHICH ONE OF THE EXECUTIVES AT MINI OR BMW WILL WRITE ME TO APOLOGIZE FOR THIS? THIS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR FOR A COMPANY. LAWYERS WONT HELP MINI WONT HELP BMW WONT HELP. NO ONE WANTS TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THE CONSUMER ANYMORE! ALL OF US DESERVE TO BE TREATED FAIRLY. THIS IS WHY WE HAVE GOVERNMENT, FOR TIMES LIKE THIS WHEN THE BIG COMPANIES RUN US OVER AND LAUGH AT US! *TR