2009 MINI COOPER Complaints

I STOPPED AT A GROCERY STORE ON THE WAY HOME FROM WORK AT APPROX. 6:30 PM ON 11/17/11. I PARKED THE CAR, TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND LOCKED IT. WHEN I EXITED THE STORE APPROXIMATELY 13-15 MINUTES LATER, I FOUND THE CAR A SMOLDERING SHELL SURROUNDED BY FIREFIGHTERS. IT APPEARED TO HAVE SPONTANEOUSLY GONE UP IN FLAMES. FIREFIGHTERS COULD NOT DETERMINE A CAUSE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT (CAR PERFORMED "NORMALLY" AND THERE WERE NO ALARM OR FLASH INDICATORS ON THE CONSOLE SUGGESTING A PROBLEM.) *JB

GROWLING- RUBBING NOISE AUDIBLE AT LOW SPEEDS. AIR CONDITIONING HOSE HAD COME LOOSE AND WAS "BURNING" ON OTHER ENGINE PARTS. DEALER SERVICE STATED THIS WAS A VERY UNUSUAL CASE. CAR HAD BEEN IN FOR TENSOR CHAIN REPLACEMENT FIVE DAYS EARLIER. *JS

CAR RATTLING AND SOUNDING LIKE A DIESEL FOR OVER A YEAR. DEALER SERVICE ADVISED TO CHECK OIL AND BE SURE OIL LEVEL WAS PROPER. NOVEMBER 2011, ALL OIL LEAKED OUT OF CAR ONTO GARAGE FLOOR. CAR TOWED TO DEALER SERVICE. THEY EXPLAINED OIL LEAKED BECAUSE A "PLUG" HAD COME LOOSE. DEALER REPLACED SEALING RING AND ADJUSTED THE CHAIN. I EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE ENGINE AND REQUESTED A DIAGNOSTIC BE DONE. SERVICE MANAGER REPLIED THE CAR WAS ALREADY PUT TOGETHER AND I WOULD NEED TO MAKE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT. CAR CONTINUED TO RATTLE LOUDLY. MADE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT DECEMBER 2011 AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE AND FINDING A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH TENSOR CHAIN. I INFORMED DEALER THAT I EXPECTED THE CHAIN TO BE REPLACED AND A COMPLETE ENGINE DIAGNOSTIC. DEALER REPLACED TENSOR CHAIN. CAR CONTINUES TO RATTLE INTERMITTENTLY. OIL IS CHECKED TWICE PER WEEK AND KEPT AT PROPER LEVEL. *JS

REPORTED BRAKE LIGHT ON TO MINI DEALER IN SACRAMENTO CA. SERVICE STATED THE BRAKES WERE OK, LIGHT JUST NEEDED TO BE RESET. LIGHT CONTINUED TO COME ON FIVE MORE TIMES. EACH TIME, I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THE SERVICE CONSULTANTS RESET THE LIGHT. DECEMBER 2011 AT 37,000 MILES REPORTED BRAKE LIGHT ON AGAIN. DEALER CHECKED AND REPORTED THAT I NEEDED BRAKES, UNFORTUNATELY, NO LONGER COVERED UNDER 36,000 MILE WARRANTY. WHEN I POINTED OUT THAT I HAD REPORTED THE BRAKE PROBLEM ON FIVE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, STARTING WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER THE 36,000 MILE WARRANTY, SERVICE MANAGER STATED THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE, PLACING BLAME ON BMW'S POLICY AND ADDING THAT DEALERS ARE LOOSING MONEY BECAUSE BMW WON'T COVER WARRANTY REPAIR. I WORKED MY UP THROUGH THE DEALER MANAGEMENT, AND FINALLY A MANGER AGREED TO PICK UP THE COST OF THE NEW BRAKES, ALBEIT, QUITE RUDELY, EVEN RAISING HIS VOICE STATING, "WILL THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY NOW?" THIS WAS A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE. I UNKNOWINGLY DROVE THE CAR FOR THREE MONTHS AND APPROXIMATELY 5,000 MILES NEEDING BRAKES. DEALER CLEARLY WAITED UNTIL THE WARRANTY EXPIRED TO EVEN LOOK AT THE BRAKES. *JS

VEHICLE FAILED DUE TO ISSUE WITH THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER. THIS CAUSED THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDES TO BREAK AND DROP INTO THE OIL PAN. ENTIRE ENGINE MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED. ENGINE FAILED AS I WAS PULLING OUT ONTO A VERY BUSY STREET (7TH STREET IN PHOENIX AZ) LEAVING ME STRANDED AND UNABLE TO MOVE IN TRAFFIC. THE CAR HAD TO BE PUSHED ONTO A SIDE STREET. *TR

2009 MINI COOPER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO RECALL CONCERNING ELECTRIC AUXILIARY WATER PUMP *TGW THE CONSUMER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE RECALL FIXED, BECAUSE IT WOULD REQUIRE HIM TO SHIP THE VEHICLE, AS THERE ARE NO LOCAL DEALERS WHERE THE CONSUMER RESIDES. THE CONSUMER STATED HE CAN NOT AFFORD TO SHIP THE VEHICLE. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER S CLUBMAN. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V008000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS UNABLE TO SECURE AN APPOINTMENT FOR RECALL REPAIRS DUE TO A LACK IN AVAILABILITY OF THE NECESSARY PARTS. THE CONTACT CALLED TWO DEALER LOCATIONS AND NEITHER DEALER HAD THE PARTS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE RECALL REPAIR READILY AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, OIL STARTED TO DRAIN IN LARGE QUANTITIES OVER THE STREET. STEADY STREAM ABOUT 2 INCHES WIDE WAS VISIBLE ON THE STREET ONCE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED. OIL LIGHT CAME ONE APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES AFTER OIL SPIN WAS NOTED. CAR WAS MOVED TO SAFE LOCATION ONCE OIL LIGHT CAME ON. ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. NOTES FROM KNAUZ MINI SERVICE MANAGER: FOUND TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER WALKING OUT OF POSITION CAUSING OIL TO COME OUT OF CYLINDER HEAD. CLEANED OIL RESIDUE AND REPLACED TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS. DUE TO LACK OF PROPER TENSION OF TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER CHECKED TIMING. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE ABRUPTLY HALTED CAUSING ME TO VEER OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SO THAT IT COULD BE STOPPED SOMEWHERE SAFE. VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART, NO WARNING LIGHTS OF ANY SORT WERE PRESENT PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE PUSHED TO A LOCATION TO ALLOW IT TO BE TOWED. DETAILS OF SERVICE PROVIDED FROM KNAUZ MINI AS FOLLOWS: FOUND CAR NOT STARTING, DURING FAULT INSPECTION FOUND FAULT FOR EXHAUST CAM SENSOR NOT READING. FOUND EXHAUST CAM NOT MOVING THROUGH OIL CAP ON VALVE COVER. REMOVED VALVE COVER FOR CYLINDER, FOUND TIMING CHAIN TO BE BROKEN CAUSING EXHAUST CAM TIMING CHAIN SPROCKET TO BREAK OFF EXHAUST CAM. FOUND THE TIMING CHAIN BREAKING CAUSING DAMAGE TO COMPLETE ENGINE DUE TO TIMING CHAIN BREAKING IN TWO PIECES. FOUND LOWER CRANK DAMAGED FROM TIMING CHAIN WEDGING IN BETWEEN BLOCK AND TIMING CHAIN COVER AREA. REMOVED COMPLETE ENGINE AND REPLACED, NOTE DURING REMOVAL OF SUB-FRAME BOLTS ON RAIL FOUND TREADS TO BE DAMAGED FROM FACTORY (SUBFRAME NEVER REMOVED BEFORE) WHILE BEING INSTALLED. RE-TAPPED TREADS AND REPLACED BOTH BOLTS. TEST DROVE CAR WITH NEW MOTOR OVERNIGHT NO FURTHER PROBLEMS FOUND. *TR

2009 MINI CLUBMAN S... TIMING CHAIN NEEDS REPLACED AT 51000. 1000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY. MINI WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. THIS IS POOR ENGINEERING AND EVEN POORER LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY FROM MINI FOR A KNOWN, DOCUMENTED, AND VERY FREQUENT PROBLEM. *TR