2007 MINI COOPER Complaints

2007 MINI COOPER S. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFECTIVE POWER STEERING HOSES AND OIL PAN GASKETS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE STEERING HOSE AND OIL PAN GASKET FAILED AT THE SAME TIME.

TURBO OIL FEED PIPING FAILS AT CONNECTOR. BANJO TYPE FITTING ON TUBING FAILS ON CONNECTION ABOVE TURBO, SPILLING OIL ON TURBO UNIT. PRODUCES SMOKE AND A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. *TR

AS WITH ALOT OF OTHER MINI COOPER S MODELS FOR THIS YEAR, MY TIMING CHAIN STARTED TO RATTLE, THE DEALER REPLACED IT UNDER WARRANTY, NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE, THE WATER PUMP HAD BEEN REPLACED, FUEL PUMP REPLACED, THROTTLE BODY REPLACED AND THE LIST COULD CONTINUE. NOW THE CAR HAS 98,234 MILES ON IT AND IT IS SITTING AT THE DEALERSHIP WITH A BLOWN MOTOR FROM BAD #3 CYLINDER, LEAKING HEAD GASKET, AND VALVE ISSUES. THIS CAR HAS SEVERAL DESIGN FLAWS THAT THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT OWN UP TO. FOR A CAR WITH A PRICE TAG OF OVER $32, 000 MADE FROM BMW, YOU WOULDN'T EXPECT ANY OF THIS. *TR

I OWN A 2007 MINI COOPER S, THAT I PURCHASED BRAND NEW IN JUNE OF 2007. I IMMEDIATELY FELL IN LOVE WITH THE CAR AND KNEW THAT THIS WOULD BE THE LAST CAR I WOULD EVER OWN. IT IS A $31,000 CAR THAT I HAVE BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS MADE EXPENSIVE ($560/MONTH) PAYMENTS ON FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS. ABOUT TWO YEARS INTO OWNING THIS CAR, I NOTICED WHEN IT WAS COLD OUT THAT MY MINI WOULD GET WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS "THE DEATH RATTLE". WHEN I CALLED RALPH SCHOMP MINI (WHERE I HAD PURCHASED IT), THEY TOLD ME THAT THE NOISE WAS NOTHING THAT I HAD TO WORRY ABOUT AND THAT IT JUST HAD TO DO WITH COLD WEATHER. A YEAR AFTER THAT MY MINI WOULD STRUGGLE TO GET MOVING, I THOUGHT IT WAS A BATTERY PROBLEM, AGAIN THE MECHANICS AT RALPH SCHOMP MINI TOLD ME NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT, AGAIN JUST COLD WEATHER. A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, I NOTICED THAT MY CAR WAS ACTING UP SEVERELY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THEN A COUPLE DAYS LATER IT WENT OFF AND IT SEEMINGLY STOPPED HAVING ISSUES. ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THAT, IT STARTED ACTING UP AGAIN AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. I ATTEMPTED TO TAKE IT TO ANOTHER AUTO PLACE TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED, BUT IT WAS NON-CONCLUSIVE, AND THE SYMPTOMS ONLY GOT WORSE. I HAD MY MINI TOWED BACK TO RALPH SCHOMP MINI, AND THEIR DIAGNOSIS RESULTED IN SAYING THAT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER MALFUNCTIONED AND HAD COME LOOSE WHICH DID SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE AND THAT I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. AN ENGINE SUPPOSEDLY BUILT TO LAST AT LEAST TO 250,000 MILES ONLY MADE IT UNTIL 52,000 MILES AND WILL COST ME AS MUCH AS $8,000 TO REPAIR. MY WARRANTY EXPIRED LITERALLY SIX MONTHS AGO, AND I AM ONLY ABOUT THREE MONTHS AWAY FROM HAVING HER PAID OFF. IN LOOKING UP THIS ISSUE ONLINE, MANY OTHER 2007 MINI OWNERS HAVE ALSO HAD THIS ISSUE. I AM INCREDIBLY DISAPPOINTED IN THE ENTIRE SITUATION, AND WOULD ENCOURAGE A RECALL TO BE ISSUED ON 2007 MINI COOPER S. *TR

A CAR STOPPED SHORT IN MY PATH CAUSING ME TO BRAKE HARD AND STALL. SINCE I DIDN'T APPLY THE CLUTCH DURING THE EMERGENCY STOP I PRESSED THE CLUTCH PEDAL TO THE FLOOR IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE ENGINE. WHEN IT FAILED AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS I HAD IT TOWED TO MINI OF BALTIMORE. THEY TOLD ME IT HAD NO COMPRESSION AND THAT THE EXHAUST CAM HAD JUMPED 180 DEGREES OUT OF TIMING. THIS SOUNDS LIKE A TIMING BELT TENSIONER PROBLEM THE SERVICE MANAGER GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF $2800. AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH I FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM BUT MINI WON'T ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS COMMON PROBLEM. *TR

WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, THE ENGINE SEIZED AND STOPPED ABRUPTLY DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE OIL SUCTION PUMP. THE PUMP FAILED INTERNALLY AND DUE TO THE DESIGN THAT TIED IT DIRECTLY TO THE OVERHEAD CAM, IT CAUSED THE CAMSHAFT TO SEIZE, STRETCHED AND BROKE THE BOLT CONNECTING THE TIMING GEAR AND CHAIN TO THE CAMSHAFT, WHICH THE FELL INTO THE LOWER ENGINE AREA AND CAUSED FURTHER ENGINE DAMAGE. FORTUNATELY, THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT OCCURRED IN A RELATIVELY SLOW TRAFFIC SITUATION AND THE CAR WAS SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AND PUSHED OFF TO THE SIDE. DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE WAS SUBSTANTIAL AND CONSISTENT WITH MULTIPLE OTHER REPORTS OF SIMILAR FAILURES. THIS IS A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW (IN MY OPINION AS AN ENGINEER) IN THAT THE SHEAR POINT BEING ON THE CAMSHAFT INSTEAD OF THE PUMP CAUSES INSTANTANEOUS ENGINE FAILURE WITHOUT WARNING AND COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS CRASH OR INJURY. IN ADDITION TO THIS FAILURE, THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE OIL SYSTEM THAT MAY HAVE TRIGGERED THIS PUMP FAILURE. MINI HAD ALLEGEDLY PERFORMED SOME 'VALVE CLEANING' APPROXIMATELY 6,000 MILES PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, HOWEVER THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY SUCH 'CLEANING' WHEN THE ENGINE WAS OPENED. I HAVE EXTENSIVE PHOTOS OF THIS ENGINE AS IT WAS DISASSEMBLED, SHOWING THE PUMP, BOLT AND OTHER PARTS AND WILL BE HAPPY TO SHARE THOSE. *TR

WAS DRIVING BACK FROM VACATION, AND UPON GETTING OFF THE HIGHWAY WE HAD NOTICED A LOUD RATTLING WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE. BROUGHT THE CAR TO A MECHANIC WHO SAID THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER HAD FAILED, RESULTING IN THE TIMING CHAIN TO BE LOOSE AND DESTROY THE RAILS IT RODE ON. UPON LOOKING INTO THIS ISSUE FURTHER, DISCOVERED THERE IS A TSB OUT ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AND MANY OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM, BUT IT IS NOT A RECALL YET. *TR

RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION WARNING CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. DEALER SAYS CLOCK SPRING FAILED COST 1300 TO REPAIR NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY OR A RECALL AND THE CAR AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IF NOT REPAIRED. TOYOTA HAS RECALLED MY 2005 TRUCK FOR A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH THE AIR BAGS IS THIS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE FOR BMW / MINI PLEASE INVESTIGATE. THANK YOU *TR

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY; ENGINE ROUGH ON START UP; SOUNDS LIKE RATTLING CHAINS WHEN SHIFTING; MINI SAID OUR OIL WAS TOO LOW SUBSEQUENTLY DESTROYING OUR TIMING CHAIN; TECH WAS AMAZED THAT THE CHAIN GUIDES WERE SHORN OFF AS WELL; MINI DOES NOT HAVE A CHECK OIL INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE CONSOLE; WE CHANGE OUR OIL EVERY 5000 MILES EVEN THOUGH MINI RECOMMENDS EVERY 15000. SO, WE HAD TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN ON A 5 YEAR OLD CAR WITH LESS THAN 44,000 MILES. COMPLAINED TO MINI CORPORATION AND PROCEEDED WITH CONFLICT RESOLUTION EXPERT. MINI DENIED OUR CLAIM BECAUSE OUR OIL WAS LOW AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. REPAIR COST $1,950.83 AND WE ARE STILL MAKING A CAR PAYMENT ON THIS NEWER VEHICLE. RESEARCHED SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET AS WELL AS TALKING WITH 3 ACQUAINTANCES WHO OWN A MINI. WE ARE FORTUNATE WE CAUGHT THIS ISSUE BEFORE WE HAD TO REPLACE OUR ENGINE. ACCORDING TO THEIR WEBSITE, BMW/MINI FINDS OIL USAGE AT 1 QUART PER 1000 MILES AS ACCEPTABLE. IF THAT IS THE CASE, THEY NEED TO INSTALL A CHECK OIL INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE CONSOLE AND CHANGE THEIR MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE FROM 15000 TO 3000 MILES. *TR

TRAVELING WITH NO WARNING, THERMOMETER LIGHT CAME ON, TURNED YELLOW TO RED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, PULLED OVER AND CALLED DEALERSHIP, ADVISED THERE WAS RECALL ON WATER PUMP FOR OVERHEATING, HAD CAR TOWED IMMEDIATELY; DEALERSHIP REPLACED RECALLED WATER PUMP (EXTERIOR), BUT PAID $600.00 FOR THERMOSTAT; LEFT DEALERSHIP AND ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WITHIN 30 MINUTES,HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED AGAIN; NOW CAR RAN HOT AGAIN, NO ANTIFREEZE IN CAR, REFILLED AND LIGHT WENT OFF, 1.5 DAYS LATER SAME OCCURRENCE BUT ENGINE SMOKING,VERY BADLY, TOWED AGAIN TO DEALERSHIP, NOW STATES IT IS WATER PUMP #2 (INTERIOR) , AND TIMING CHANGE WHICH WAS ALREADY SUPPOSEDLY PERFORMED ON CAR, NOW STATING I MUST PAY FOR WATER PUMP, TENSIONER ON TIMING CHANGE, VALVE SENSOR, AND VALVE COVER GASKETS ANOTHER $1000.00, ALL OF WHICH PERTAIN TO THE SAME OCCURRENCES OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I CALLED MINI COOPER CALL CENTER AND THEY ONLY REFER YOU BACK TO DEALERSHIP, STATING THEY HAVE NO TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE AND ARE UNABLE TO ASSIST ME, THEY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE RECALL ITEMS. WOW I THOUGHT THIS PROBLEM ONLY BELONGED TO A SAAB I PREVIOUSLY OWNED AND ELIMINATED FOR SAME REASONS.. ! *TR