2007 MINI COOPER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COPPER S. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V008000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE PARTS NEEDED FOR REPAIR WERE ON BACK ORDER UNTIL APRIL 13, 2012. THE CONTACT MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE THAT DATE, BUT CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE LATER STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND TOWED TO A MINI SPECIALIST WHO DETERMINED THAT THE ELECTRIC AUXILIARY PUMP FAILED. THE FAILURE DESTROYED THE ENGINE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

PASSENGER AIR BAG DISABLED LIGHTS (DASH AND ABOVE REAR VIEW MIRROR) ARE ON INDICATING NO PASSENGER IS PRESENT (THUS DISABLING THE PASSENGER AIR BAG SYSTEM) EVEN WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL IS OCCUPYING THE SEAT. I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW AND BOUGHT THE SUPPLEMENTAL BMW WARRANTY WHICH I WAS TOLD EXTENDED THE SUPPLIED WARRANTY FROM 4 YEARS/50,000 MILES TO 6 YEARS/100,000 MILES AND COVERED THE ENTIRE VEHICLE BUT WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED I WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. AND THE PRIOR YEAR MODEL OF MINI (2006) DID HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM ADDRESSED AND THE WARRANTY EXTENDED TO 10 YEARS RELATING TO THE SAME SENSOR FAILING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AND DETERMINED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 34,481.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE DEALER SERVICED THE VEHICLE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V008000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) ONE DAY PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE REMEDY HOWEVER, FAILED TO PREVENT THE VEHICLE FIRE. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND THE FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 59,000.

TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE COMMONLY REFERRED TO BY MINI OWNERS AS "THE DEATH RATTLE". THE DEALER CLAIMS THE ISSUE IS CAUSED AS A RESULT OF BEING 1.5 QUARTS LOW ON OIL. BUT DOZENS OF OTHER OWNERS ARE REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEM WITHOUT BEING LOW ON OIL. I SUSPECT THE LOW OIL LEVEL IS A COVER ALLOWING THE MANUFACTURER TO NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM. NO OIL INDICATOR LIGHT IS TRIGGERED AT THAT LEVEL. MINI IS TAKING ACTION ON THIS ISSUE BUT HAS STOPPED SHORT OF ISSUING A RECALL. AS SUCH, THOUSANDS OF MINI OWNERS RISK SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THEIR ENGINE AT SPEED AS A RESULT OF POTENTIAL TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. FURTHERMORE, MOST OWNERS HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR (BETWEEN $1,200 - $1,700) TO PREVENT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. THIS IS A DEFECT. IT REQUIRES CORRECTIVE ACTION BY THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD LOSE POWER ABNORMALLY AND WOULD SPORADICALLY STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SPARK PLUGS FAILED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A FAILURE WITH THE TIMING CHAIN ASSEMBLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 65,000.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, I SLOWED DOWN, AND I HEARD CLUNKING ROCK LIKE NOISES. MY CAR ROLLED TO A STOP. MY MECHANIC HAS VERIFIED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN IS BROKEN, WHICH IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL AND SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN. THE MINI COOPER FORUMS HAVE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM IN 2007 MINI COOPER S MODELS. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. MINI HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL, BUT THEY NEED TO. IMMEDIATELY. *TR

COLD START ISSUES AND EVENTUAL "CHECK ENGINE" TRIGGERED BY DEFECTIVE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. DEALER REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. ADDITIONAL PROBLEM WITH EXCESSIVE HEAT FROM ENGINE CAUSING WARPING OF PLASTIC HOOD SCOOP (3RD REPLACEMENT). *TR

AFTER NUMEROUS TRIPS TO GARAGE TO DETERMINE WHY THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS COMING ON AND CAR SIGNALING BY WAY OF ALARM FOR ME TO SEE SERVICE DEPT IMMEDIATELY AND AT LEAST TWICE HAVING BEEN TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE AND FOUND MYSELF STRANDED WITH EXTREMELY LOW LEVEL OF ANTIFREEZE, BMW SERVICE DEPT RECOMMENDED A CHANGE OF HEATING THERMOSTAT. SAID THEY HAD SEEN THIS NUMEROUS TIMES. I TRUSTED THEM AND SPENT $550.00 ONLY TO START HAVING THE PROBLEM AGAIN 3 WEEKS LATER. NOW I'M TOLD BY MINI DEALERSHIP I NEED A RADIATOR, BUT GUESS WHAT, IT'S OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS CAR LIVES AT THE GARAGE AND I CANNOT TAKE IT ON A TRIP WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY. BMW REFUSES TO COMPENSATE FOR WHAT I BELIEVE IS AN ERROR IS DIAGNOSIS. *TR