2007 MINI COOPER Complaints

CAR MISFIRED AND HAD BACKFIRED; CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK CAR RIGHT TO DEALER , THEY TOLD US IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND DOING NOTHING BUT CHARGING CUSTOMERS FOR THE REPAIR. THE TIMING CHAIN AND TIMING TENSIONER HAS A DESIGN FLAW THAT IS RECOGNIZED BUT NOTHING DONE. IF FULL FAILURE ON ROADWAY CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC ISSUES TO ME AND OTHERS . *JS

TIMING BELT TENSIONER FAILED RESULTING IN SLACK IN THE TIMING BELT. FINAL RESULT WAS THE TIMING BELT SLACK CONTACTED PLASTIC CHAIN GUARDS WHICH BROKE OFF AND LODGED INSIDE THE ENGINE. AFTER BEING TOWED TO MINI SERVICE, THEY RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE ENTIRE ENGINE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE CRITICAL TIMING CHAIN FAILURE LED TO PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE. THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF SMOKE AND I HAD INITIAL CONCERN THAT THE CAR WAS GOING TO CATCH ON FIRE. I WAS LUCKY THAT THE INCIDENT DID NOT OCCUR WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AS I WOULD HAVE BEEN STUCK ON THE ROAD WITHOUT ANY POWER ENDANGERING MYSELF AND OTHER DRIVERS. MINI IS WELL AWARE OF THE ISSUE WITH THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER, BUT HAS FAILED TO PROACTIVELY ADDRESS THE ISSUE. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MINI EVEN HAS A BAG FULL OF BENT RODS AT HIS DESK THAT HE SHOWED ME AND TOLD ME HE HAS HAD MULTIPLE CARS COME IN WITH THE SAME ISSUE. *JS

6/2011, VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING LOUD RATTLING NOISE AFTER STARTING UP IN THE MORNING AND DURING ACCELERATION WHILE DRIVING. TOOK IT TO LOCAL MINI SERVICE CENTER AND WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR, NOISE WAS RELATED TO TYPE OF GAS BEING USED (IF NOT CHEVRON OR SHELL, GAS COULD CAUSE NOISE IS WHAT I WAS TOLD). 4/2011, NOISE BEGAN TO GET WORSE. SCHEDULED SERVICE APPOINTMENT WITH SAME LOCAL SERVICE CENTER FOR MAY 7TH, 2012 (A MONTH OUT FOR FIRST APPOINTMENT) AS WELL AS TO ADDRESS A RECALL ISSUE RELATED TO RECALL CAMPAIGN 12V-008 ELECTRIC AUXILIARY WATER PUMP. WORK NOT COMPLETED BECAUSE ON 4/13/12, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AND THEN VEHICLE STALLED OUT AND WOULD NOT RESTART. AFTER LOCAL REPAIR SHOW DIAGNOSED, FAILURE WAS FOUND TO BE WITH TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILING CAUSING DAMAGE TO ENGINE. SOLUTION=REPLACEMENT OF ENGINE AT A COST OF $6,300. MILEAGE AT TIME OF FAILURE WAS 62,218. REPAIRS NOT COVERED BY MINI AS VEHICLE IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY. REPAIRS NOT COMPLETED. RECALL NEEDS TO BE ISSUED TO HAVE THIS COMMON AND KNOWN FAILURE FIXED. *TR

VEHICLE SERVICED REGULARLY FOR MAINTENANCE. PRE-INCIDENT ZERO WARNING VIA ON-BOARD SENSORS/INDICATOR. LAST MAINTENANCE PERFORMED AT 52K. VEHICLE HAD 56K MILES AT TIME OF INCIDENT. INCIDENT OCCURRED IN THE MORNING: TIMING CHAIN SNAPPED UPON START UP. DUE TO THIS FAILURE THE ENGINE WAS DESTROYED REQUIRING A COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT. A SERIOUS ISSUE REQUIRING A RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN DAMAGED THE ENGINE, RENDERING IT INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INSPECTED THE ENGINE AND ADVISED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000.

TIMING CHAIN FAILURE CAUSING $1800 DAMAGE. WAS TOLD IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND COULD'VE BEEN REPLACED PRIOR TO THE DAMAGE AND SAVED TIME, MONEY, AND POTENTIAL DANGER. THANKFULLY NOTHING HAPPENED TO HARM ANYONE. KNOCKING NOISE, SMOKE, ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, RUNNING POORLY. HAS BEEN FIXED NOW. *TR

ON COLD STARTS, IT HAS BECOME A DOCUMENTED ISSUE THAT 07-11 "S" MODELS HAVE AN ISSUE WITH A HORRIBLE RATTLE UPON STARTING. THIS CAN BECOME A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE FOR MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE. THIS IS DUE TO A TENSIONING MECHANISM WHICH ALLOWS TOO MUCH TRAVEL IN THE TIMING CHAIN. THIS CAN ALLOW THE CHAIN TO JUMP OR BREAK WHICH CAN CAUSE A COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. THE FIX INVOLVES REPLACEMENT OF THE TIMING CHAIN AND A REDESIGNED TENSIONER. BMW ACKNOWLEDGES THIS ISSUE, BUT WILL NOT HELP OUT MINI OWNERS EVEN AT A REDUCED RATE. WITH JUST A SHORT SEARCH ON THE INTERNET, IT IS EASY TO FIND THOUSANDS OF OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE AND ARE ASKING FOR HELP TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE, WITH NO LUCK. *TR

I BROUGHT MY MINI IN FOR THE ELECTRICAL WATER PUMP RECALL ISSUE AND I EXPLAINED THERE WAS A TICKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND TO PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THERE WERE ANY ISSUES. THEY CALLED AND SAID IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN AND THE COST WAS SUBSTANTIAL. THIS IS A LARGE PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AS I NOW KNOW AFTER SEEING NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS. PLEASE HAVE A RECALL ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM AND NOT HAVE OTHER OWNERS HAVE TO PAY FOR A SERVICE THAT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND VERY DANGEROUS TO OCCUPANTS AND OTHER DRIVERS SINCE THIS CAN CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT AND THE POTENTIAL TO HARM MORE THAN THE VEHICLE OPERATOR. *TR

I BOUGHT THIS 2007 MINI COOPER S PRE OWNED ABOUT 1 MONTH AGO. THIS CAR HAD APPROX. 32000 MILES ON IT WHEN I PURCHASED IT. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR A FEW DAYS I NOTICED A BURNING SMELL LIKE RUBBER OR PLASTIC. I COMPLAINED TO THE MAN WHO SOLD THIS CAR TO ME AND HE HAD THE TURBO WATER PUMP REPLACED THROUGH THE RECALL DUE TO OVERHEATING. HEAT IN THE MOTOR REACHING MORE THAN 225 DEGREES CAN DESTROY MANY OTHER PARTS ON THIS CAR! NOW AFTER THE TURBO WATER PUMP REPLACEMENT THE CAR CONTINUES TO SMELL LIKE BURNING PLASTIC AND HE SAYS IT MUST TAKE A WHILE FOR THE ODOR TO LEAVE THE CAR. TWO WEEKS LATER THE CAR BEGINS LOOSING POWER AND ACTS LIKE IT HAS NO CLUTCH. I AM AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER AND HAVE OWNED MANY CARS WITH MANUAL GEARS. THIS CAR IS NOW IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS, A BURNED OUT CLUTCH, AND COULD EVEN BE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS THAT ARE VERY PREMATURE AND SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR MAKE AND MODEL CAR. WHY CAN'T SOMETHING BE DONE TO HELP THOSE WHO WERE CHEATED BY OWNING SUCH A TROUBLESOME CAR. THIS CAR ALSO HAD THE TIMING CHAIN REPLACED A VERY LOW MILEAGE! *TR

TIMING CHAIN BROKE AT 80000K AFTER REPLACING TENSIONER AT 60000K FROM OIL LEAK. ALSO REPLACED WATER PUMP & THERMOSTAT DUE TO CAR OVERHEATING. NOW AT 82000K HAVE A BURNT OUT VALVE. BIG PROBLEMS ON MY MINI COOPER S '07. *TR