2007 MINI COOPER Complaints

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AS IS FROM A SMALL LOCAL LOT JANUARY OF 2013, EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT AS PERFECT. I LOVE THE CAR. WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND LUCKILY I WAS ABOUT 10 MILES FROM HOME AND AT THE SPEED OF 35 MPH WHEN IT FELT LIKE IT WAS STUCK IN A GEAR (CAR IS AUTOMATIC) THEN I NOTICED MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I REMAINED AT THE SPEED OF 35MPH OR LOWER BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE ANY CHANCES. THEN MY BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON WHICH MADE ME THINK I HAD BRAKE ISSUES. I PARKED IT LIFTED THE HOOD AND IT WAS EXTREMELY HOT AND YOU COULD HEAR THE FANS RUNNING EXTRA HARD. WE TOOK IT TO A LOCAL GUY TO LOOK AT IT AS HE TOLD US HE JUST HAD A MINI IN WITH SAME ISSUE WEEKS BEFORE AND AAA CAME TO TOW IT TO HENDRICK MINI IN CHARLOTTE. THEY THOUGHT IT WAS VALUE STEMS AND ETC FIND OUT A FEW HOURS LATER NOT THE CASE I NEED A WHOLE NEW TRANSMISSION. THE CAR IS A '07 WITH ONLY 54K MILES ON IT IN PERFECT CONDITION. MAKES NO SENSE. MINI/BMW US HAS HEARD OF MY COMPLAINT AND HAS TOLD ME THERE IS NOTHING THEY WILL DO TO MAKE IT RIGHT. IF YOU ASK ME FROM EVERYTHING I'VE READ ONLINE THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL AS EVERYONE HAS HAD THE SAME ISSUE. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE AND I CAN'T AFFORD $9K TO PAY FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. I LOVED MY MINI COOPER BUT AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW I'M CAR LESS AND LEFT MAKING PAYMENTS ON A CAR I CANNOT EVEN DRIVE AND IT IS SITTING IN THE SHOP ON HOLD FOR THE TIME BEING. MINI/BMW NEEDS TO REALIZE ALL OF THE CUSTOMERS THEY ARE LOSING OVER THIS. *TR

WITHOUT WARNING OR CAUSE, THE TIMING CHAIN & TENSIONER FAILED, WHICH RUINED MY ENGINE. JUST THE TIMING CHAIN COSTS $2000-$3000 TO FIX, BUT SINCE MY ENGINE IS GONE AS WELL THAT NUMBER IS MORE LIKE $6000-$7000. THIS IS A 2007, AND SINKING HALF OF THE VALUE OF THE CAR BACK INTO IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE. THIS IS A HUGE ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH. IT IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURER ISSUE AS OTHERS HAVE ALSO REPORTED THIS ISSUE AT VARIOUS MILEAGE STAGES. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A WINDY ROAD WHEN WITH NO WARNING MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND FORCED ME INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL AND MOVE TO THE SHOULDER. WHEN I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTED IT, THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING, BUT STOPPED AGAIN AT MY HOME. THE IGNITION KEY WAS EXTREMELY HOT TO THE TOUCH WHEN I REMOVED IT. *TR

I'VE BEEN A LOYAL MINI COOPER CUSTOMER FOR YEARS NOW BUT RECENTLY MY CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I GOT IT TOWED, AND THEY SAID MY TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER CAME OFF AND LITERALLY SLICED SOME PART OF THE ENGINE. THERE HAS BEEN TALKS ABOUT A "RECALL," BUT THEY HAVE NOT MADE IT OFFICIAL BECAUSE IT WILL COST THEM MILLIONS TO DO SO. MINI COOPER DID CONFIRM THAT THERE WERE DEFECTED TIMING CHAINS AND I KNOW SOME DEALERSHIPS CHANGED THE TIMING CHAIN FOR FREE BECAUSE OF THIS KNOWN DEFECT. MINI COOPER DID NOT INFORM ME ANYTHING AND NOW I HAVE TO EITHER PAY 5000 DOLLARS TO GET A USED ENGINE OR SELL MY CAR. I WORK FULL-TIME AND NOW I DON'T HAVE A CAR TO DRIVE TO WORK. *TR

ONE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. I TRIED TO REPLACE IT, BUT THE PLUG SOCKET HAD A SHORT IN IT. THE BULB, SOCKET, AND WIRING HAD TO BE REPLACED. 6 MONTHS LATER THE OTHER LAMP FRIED THE SOCKET. THE APPROXIMATE COST OF REPAIR IS ABOUT 300 PER HEADLIGHT. *TR

I'VE BEEN A LOYAL MINI COOPER FOR YEARS NOW BUT RECENTLY MY CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I GOT IT TOWED, AND THEY SAID MY TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER CAME OFF AND LITERALLY SLICED SOME PART OF THE ENGINE. THERE HAS BEEN TALKS ABOUT THE "RECALL," BUT THEY HAVE NOT MADE IT OFFICIAL BECAUSE IT WILL COST THEM MILLIONS TO DO SO. MINI COOPER DID CONFIRM THAT THERE WERE DEFECTED TIMING CHAINS AND I KNOW SOME DEALERSHIPS CHANGED THE TIMING CHAIN FOR FREE BECAUSE OF THIS KNOWN DEFECT. MINI COOPER DID NOT INFORM ME ANYTHING AND NOW I HAVE TO EITHER PAY 5000 DOLLARS TO GET A USED ENGINE OR SELL MY CAR. I WORK FULL-TIME AND NOW I DON'T HAVE A CAR. *TR

I TOOK MY MINI S IN TO THE SHOP FOR BRAKE MAINTENANCE, TO BE TOLD THAT THE TENSIONER HAD FAILED AND THE TIMING CHAIN KIT HAD TO BE REPLACED. UNNECESSARY TO MENTION, THIS IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. AFTER DOING MUCH RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THAT THE TENSIONER IN THE MINI HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR QUITE SOME TIME, SOME SITES HAVE QUOTED SINCE 2007. HAD I NOT TAKEN MY CAR IN FOR A COMPLETELY UNRELATED ISSUE, MY TIMING CHAIN COULD HAVE BROKEN, RESULTING IN A THROWN ROD AND A BLOWN ENGINE, WHICH CAN BE INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS. THIS TENSIONER IS A DEFECTIVE PIECE WHICH CAUSES SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE TIMING CHAIN AND AREA COMPONENTS WHEN IT FAILS. DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS ISSUE AND THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS SEEN ON THE WEB, A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL SHOULD BE MADE. *TR

TOOK VEHICLE IN TO MINI OF THE WOODLANDS TO HAVE RECALL WORK DONE TO THE VEHICLE AND WHILE IT WAS THERE HAD THEM DO A DIAGNOSTIC TO ENSURE CAR WAS IN GOOD SHAPE. WAS TOLD THAT IT NEEDED A NEW TIMING CHAIN AND THAT I SHOULDN'T DRIVE IT. WAS TOLD TO TOW IT HOME OR LEAVE IT WITH THEM AND THEY WOULD FIX IT FOR CLOSE TO $2500. THE CAR HAS 37,000 MILES. REALLY? FEEL LIKE THERE'S A NICE SCAM GOING ON WITH A PRODUCT THAT HAS OBVIOUS DEFECTS WITH THIS TIMING CHAIN ISSUE. THERE ARE COMPLAINTS ALL OVER THE INTERNET. NO VEHICLE SHOULD NEED A NEW TIMING BELT WITH THIS LOW OF MILEAGE. MINI NEEDS TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

ON 2/4/13 HAD MY CAR TAKEN TO GLOBAL IMPORTS BMW/MINI DEALERSHIP ON 5925 PEACHSTREET IND.BLVD.ATLANTA,GA. (THE CYLINDER HEAD COVER HAD TO BE REPLACED,WAS LEAKING, I PAID $1291.45 FOR THE SERVICE). I PICKED UP MY CAR ON 2/5/13, ACCORDING TO THEM IS WAS GOOD TO GO. STARTED HEADING BACK HOME, WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT POPPED UP AGAIN, THE CAR STARTED SMOKING,SHAKING,IT WOULD NOT DRIVE HIGHER THAN 40MILES., GOT OFF I-75 IN MACON GA, CALLED ROADSIDE SERVICES, HAD CAR TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP MENTIONED ABOVE FOR REPAIRS. THEY KEPT IT FOR A WEEK. THEY CALL ON 2/20/13 TELLING MY THE CAR WAS READY FOR PICK UP. I RETURNED TO ATLANTA THE FOLLOWING DAY 2/21/13. THEY CHARGED ME FOR SERVICE $3,991.57 . HEADED BACK TO FLORIDA ON 2/23/13, AND NOT EVEN HALF WAY, ON I-75, THE ENGINE LIGHT POPPED UP AGAIN, THE CAR WOULD NOT HIGHER THAN 40MILES, HAD CAR TOWED TO THE MINI OF SOUTH ATLANTA DEALERSHIP IN UNION CITY,AND IM AWAITING TO HEAR FROM THEM WHEN TO COME AND PICK UP MY CAR. WHEN THE RECALL WAS FIRST ANNOUNCED,I TRIED TO CONTACT BMW/MINI HEADQUATERS, THEY TOLD ME I WILL RECEIVE A LETTER IN THE MAIL REGARDING THE RECALL,WHICH I NEVER RECEIVED. I NEED HELP FORCING THESE PEOPLE TO BE RESPONSIBLE, FIX MY CAR OR IF NOT REIMBURSE ALL THE MONEY I HAVE INVESTED IN REPAIR (NOT ONLY IN ATLANTA BUT IN FLORIDA AS WELL). PLEASE I NEED YOUR ADVISE. A VERY FRUSTRATED MINI COOPER S DRIVER . *TR

TURBO CHARGER OIL FEED LINE - VERY POOR DESIGN CRIMPED TUBE WITH AN O-RING SEAL FAILED IN VERY HOT ENVIRONMENT AND CAUSED LARGE OIL LEAK ONTO HOT CATALYTIC CONVERTER. STOPPED CAR BEFORE FIRE STARTED. DEALER WANTED $1,300 TO INSTALL A NEW $50 OIL LINE OF THE SAME POOR DESIGN. EVERY SINGLE 2007+ MINI COOPER S HAS A SIMILAR OIL LINE - THEY ARE ALL FAILING AT FAIRLY LOW MILEAGE - NO EXCEPTIONS. MINI SHOULD REDESIGN THIS PART AND ISSUE SAFETY RECALL AND RE-IMBURSE THOSE THAT ALREADY PAID TO REPAIR OIL LINE. *TR