2008 MINI COOPER Complaints

EVERY TIME I COLD START MY 2008 MINI COOPER CLUBMAN S THERE IS A VERY LOUD KNOCKING NOISE, THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL BUT I WORRY ABOUT THE STABILITY OF THE ENGINE TIMING. *TR

TIMING CHAIN 2008 MINI COOPER S FAILURE. LOUD KNOCKING NOISE FROM ENGINE. UNDER WARRANTY PARTS REPLACED. *TR

1. HESITATION DURING ACCELERATION; THIS MAY BE DUE TO CARBON BUILD UP. CAR WILL LURCH AND STUMBLE WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. THIS COULD BE A DANGEROUS PROBLEM WHEN CHANGING LANES OR GETTING UP TO SPEED WHEN MERGING. 2. TIMING CHAIN RATTLE DURING COLD START. CAR SOUNDS LIKE THE TIMING CHAIN IS HITTING METAL WHEN COLD. DEALER CLAIMS THIS IS NORMAL, BUT THE METAL ON METAL NOISE SOUNDS LIKE IT COULD CAUSE EXCESS PLAY TO DEVELOP AND POSSIBLY CAUSE ENGINE FAILURE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 65 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE A RATTLING SOUND AND STOPPED ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE TENSIONER GAVE WAY AND CAUSED THE TIMING CHAIN TO STRETCH. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 70,000. UPDATED 4/4/11 *CN

THE SEAT HEATERS IN MY 2008 MINI COOPER S GET WAY TOO HOT. THEY HAVE TWO TEMPERATURE SETTINGS (ONE IS HOTTER THAN THE OTHER) AND EITHER ONE GETS TOO HOT AND YOU HAVE TO TURN OFF THE HEATER. IF YOU DON'T TURN IT OFF IT WILL CONTINUE TO HEAT UNTIL IT BURNS YOU. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I AM CERTAIN THAT WITHOUT TURNING THE HEATER OFF THE PASSENGER COULD BE BURNED AND/OR THE WIRING TO THE HEATER COULD MELT OR CATCH ON FIRE. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH BMW/MINI AND THEY HAVE ATTEMPTED TO FIX IT VIA A WIRING HARNESS INSTALLED IN-LINE WITH THE HEATER TO CONTROL THE VOLTAGE, BUT THIS FIX DIDN'T WORK ON MY CAR. THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR A RECALL DUE TO SAFETY. *TR

I HAD A LOUD NOISE UNDER THE HOOD OF MY 2008 MINI COOPER S, FOLLOWED BY THE TIMING BELT BREAKING. I HAD IT FIXED TO THE TUNE OF $2000+. IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD IT BROKE DUE TO BEING DOWN 1 QT OF OIL. I HAVE HEARD THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT. *TR

ON 2008 MINI COOPER S, WITH APPROX. 12.5K, COMPLETE FAILURE OF TIMING CHAIN AND COMPONENTS. WAS JUST COVERED INSIDE OF DEALER WARRANTY, BUT EVEN THE DEAL ADMITTED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. ONLINE, OTHER HAVE REPORT THE SAME FAILURE IN LARGE NUMBERS. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL! *TR

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A RECALL ISSUED OR AT LEAST INVESTIGATED FOR ANY MINI COOPER 2007 AND UP WITH THE BMW ENGINE. THIS ENGINE HAS A FAULTY TIMING BELT TENSIONER THAT IS PRONE TO FAIL CAUSING SEVERE ENGINE DAMAGE. I HAVE A 2008 AND JUST LOST MY ENGINE DUE TO THIS TENSION FAILURE. AFTER SPENDING THE 600.00 DOLLARS TO HAVE MY ENGINE TAKEN APART AND DIAGNOSED, I WAS TOLD THAT BMW ALREADY KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT HAS NOT ISSUED ANY TYPE OF RECALL FOR IT. THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT IT WILL REQUIRE A NEW ENGINE SOME WHERE IN THE DOLLAR AMOUNT OF 14,000.00 TO REPLACE, UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME IF THE DEALER WILL COVER THE LOSS. THIS PROBLEM IS WELL KNOWN BE THE DEALER BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM AND CONTINUE TO USE THIS SAME ENGINE IN THERE VEHICLES. I WAS TOLD BY ONE OF THE WORKERS THAT BMW HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL BECAUSE THE PROBLEM DOES NOT POSE A DIRECT SAFETY RISK, ARE YOU KIDDING ME, GOING DONE THE HIGHWAY AND HAVING A TOTAL ENGINE LOSS IS VERY MUCH A SAFETY RISK. I AM SURE THAT MY COMPLAINT IS JUST ANOTHER DROP IN THE BUCKET BUT I HOPE AT LEAST HOPE SOMEONE TAKES THE TIME TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED. *LN

2008 MINI COOPER S. NO ENGINE MODIFICATION. LOUD KNOCKING NOISE ON START UP AND CONTINUES FOR ABOUT 5 MINS OF DRIVING AND THEN GOES AWAY. MILE IS UNDER 8900 MILES. *TR

WHEN STARTING THE CAR COLD (FIRST THING IN THE MORNING OR AFTER IT HAS BEEN OFF FOR A LONG TIME), THE ENGINE MAKES A LOUD RATTLING NOISE SORT OF LIKE A TRACTOR NOISE WHEN ACCELERATING. IT GOES AWAY AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES OF CONTINUOUS DRIVING, BUT SOMETIMES WHEN TURNING AND ACCELERATING AT THE SAME TIME, IT ALSO MAKES THE SAME NOISE.