2009 MINI COOPER Complaints

THE TIMING TENSIONER ON MY MINI COOPER S BACKED OUT, RESULTING IN A MASSIVE OIL LOSS WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS IS APPARENTLY A KNOWN ISSUE BY MINI, BUT NO KNOWN RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED AT THIS POINT. *TR

DURING MY COMMUTE TO WORK ON 9/27/12, MY CAR COMPLETELY DIED WHILE I WAS DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF THE FREEWAY. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE, WHERE IT WAS FOUND TO BE LEAKING AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF OIL. DURING INSPECTION, IT WAS ASSESSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN "JUMPED" AND CAUSED A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT THE CAR HAD 54K MILES ON IT AND THERE WERE ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING SIGNS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE (I.E. LEAKING OIL, ENGINE RATTLE, ETC...). FURTHERMORE, SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR IN FEBRUARY 2012, I HAVE PERFORMED REGULAR MAINTENANCE ON THIS CAR (NEW BRAKES, TIRES, ALIGNMENT, REGULAR SYNTHETIC OIL CHANGES) TO ENSURE IT STAYS IN GOOD DRIVING CONDITION. APPARENTLY, THIS HAS BEEN A FREQUENTLY REPORTED ISSUE WITH MINI COOPER AND THE PROBLEM COULD HAVE EASILY RESULTED IN A FATAL CAR ACCIDENT WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY! THE ESTIMATED REPAIR COST (WITH LABOR) FOR THIS FAILURE IS APPROX 10K!!! MINI SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS FAULTY CRAFTSMANSHIP. A 3 YR CAR WITH 54K MILES SHOULD ABSOLUTELY NOT NEED TO HAVE A NEW ENGINE REPLACED!!! *TR

NOTICED A LOUD RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AFTER A COLD START. THE NOISE WENT AWAY AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT A MINUTE SO, IT WAS ATTRIBUTED TO THE SAME LOUD NOISE THAT MINIS MAKE AFTER COLD STARTS. HOWEVER, NOTICED THAT THE NOISE SEEMED LOUDER THAN NORMAL AFTER A COUPLE OF OTHER COLD STARTS AND DECIDED TO TOW THE CAR IN AFTER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (YELLLOW) CAME ON AND THE ENGINE WAS JERKY (AS THOUGH THE ENGINE WAS ABOUT TO STALL). DROVE THE CAR HOME WITH NO INCIDENT (ABOUT 5 MILES). I TOWED THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY AND WAS TOLD THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDE(S) BROKE AND DISINTEGRATED INTO THE OIL PAN. ENGINE POSSIBLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. A QUICK SEARCH ONLINE AND ON THIS SITE SHOWS THIS HAS HAPPENED TO A LOT OF MINI OWNERS (SINCE 2008) AND COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED. WHY AREN'T THERE RECALLS YET???? *TR

CAR STOPPED ACCELERATING AS I WAS DRIVING (TWICE THIS HAS HAPPENED - IN A BEND IN THE ROAD--VERY SCARY). ALSO, AROUND THIS TIME, COULD NOT START UP THE CAR--CAR ENGINE WAS ATTEMPTING TO TURN OVER BUT WOULDN'T UNTIL ABOUT MY 6TH ATTEMPT. I NEVER HAD PROBLEMS STARTING MY CAR BEFORE. I MIGHT ADD THAT RECENTLY, BEFORE I HAD THIS PROBLEM, I HAVE NOTICED THAT MY VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE THE FAST PICK UP THAT IT USE TO. *TR

THE CAR HAS NEVER REGISTERED THE CORRECT MILES PER HOUR. THE SPEEDOMETER REPORTS HIGHER THAN ACTUAL MILES PER HOUR BY AS MUCH AS 10%. I'VE COMPLAINED MANY TIMES TO THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME TO GET USED TO IT. THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD FIX AND I WOULD HAVE TO BUY A NAVIGATION SYSTEM IF I WANTED TO KNOW HOW FAST I WAS REALLY GOING. I ASKED IF THEY AFFECTED MY ACTUAL MILEAGE AND THEY SAID NO, BUT I AM SUSPICIOUS TO THAT. DEALER IS DOWNTOWN MINI 350 LAKE DESTINY DRIVE, ORLANDO, FL. *TR

THE LATCHES ON THE REAR DOORS FAILED AND WOULD NOT LATCH SHUT. HAD TO TIED DOORS DOWN WITH ROPE IN ORDER TO GET HOME. I WAS FORTUNATE THE LATCHES FAILED WHILE IT WAS PARKED AND NOT WHILE I WAS DRIVING; COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. MINI HAS THIS AS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN BUT CHARGED ME $233 TO FIX. *TR

WATER PUMP FOR TURBOCHARGER REPLACED IN MAY (RECALL) AND TURBOCHARGER WARRANTY EXTENDED VIA MINI OF AMERICA LETTER. TURBOCHARGER FAILED IN AUGUST, BUT MINI OF AUSTIN BLAMED FAILURE ON LACK OF OIL CHANGES. ALL OIL CHANGES PERFORMED BY THAT DEALERSHIP WHENEVER THE CAR TOLD US IT WAS DUE. CRAPPY RESPONSE FROM MINI OF AMERICA AS WELL. *TR

AFTER COMPLAINING REPEATEDLY TO THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT A RATTLING NOISE FROM OUR VEHICLE ENGINE AT START UP, THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND HAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED OUR ENGINE. THE MANUFACTURER REPEATEDLY CLAIMED THE NOISE WAS "NORMAL" ENGINE NOISE AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. NOW THAT NOT ONLY IS THE TIMING CHAIN BROKEN, BUT THE ENGINE HAS BEEN DESTROYED FROM THE SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE. THERE IS A PETITION ONLINE (CURRENTLY OVER 800 SIGNATURES) FROM MINI OWNERS CLAIMING TO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AT LOW MILEAGE AND SIMILAR EXPERIENCES DEALING WITH MINI OF NORTH AMERICA IGNORING THE ISSUE. HTTP://WWW.MINICOOPERSPEED.COM/MINI-COOPER-COLD-START-KNOCKING-NOISE-ISSUE-2007/. *TR

PURCHASED USED VEHICLE IN JUNE 2012. ON TODAYS DATE, UPON COLD START VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING KNOCKING NOISES AS IF LIFTERS WERE INVOLVED. AS CAR WARMED UP NOISE BECAME LESS APPARENT, BUT PROMPTED ME TO TAKE TO LOCAL MECHANIC. MECHANIC ADVISED THAT TIMING CHAIN NEEDS ADJUSTING/REPLACING AND NEEDS TO GO TO DEALER (AN HOUR TRAVEL). UPON PERUSING WEB INFO ON VEHICLE AND YEAR, THIS ISSUE APPEARS TO BE A PREVALENT MAFUNCTION IN THIS VEHICLE CAUSING MAJOR ENGINE FAILURE. *TR

ON JULY 25TH, APROX 9:00PM. MY DAUGHTER (DRIVER) HAVE JUST ARRIVED FROM COLLEGE INTERNSHIP AND ARRIVED BOYFRIEND FAMILY HOME (12-15MI TRIP). UPON TURNING OFF THE ENGINE AND GETTING OUT OF THE CAR SHE SMELL BURNT AND SAW SPARKS AND FIRE THROUGH THE CAR FRONT GRILL. BOYFRIEND CAME AND OPEN THE HOOD AND NOTICED THE FIRE. THE BOYFRIEND'S FATHER CAME AND USED DRY CHEMICAL EXTINGUISHER TO PUT FIRE OUT. REPORT WAS MADE TO MINI COOPER. I CAME LATER AND NOTICE SEVERAL WIRES BURNT. THE CAR WAS TOWED (7/25, 7/26 EARLY MORNING) AND IS TODAY (8/7/2012) AT MONTGOMERY COUNTY MINI COOPER ROCKVILLE, MD, AWAITING INSPECTION BY BMW ENGINEERING. THE CAR STILL PENDING REPAIR. I TOOK PICTURES LAST SATURDAY (8/4). THESE PICTURES ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. *TR