2007 MINI COOPER Complaints

VERY NOISY CLATTER WHEN STARTING ENGINE WHEN COLD. ENGINE SOUNDS LIKE A DIESEL WHEN COLD. GOES AWAY AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES. DEALER SAYS ITS NORMAL ??? PROBLEM OCCURS EVERY MORNING. *TR

ENGINE EXHIBITS HARSH NOISE DURING STARTUP 50% OF THE TIME AFTER MINIMUM OF 8 HR SHUTDOWN OR IF PARKED NOSE LOW. THE ISSUE IS A DEFECTIVE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER WHICH THE DEALER WON'T REPLACE BECAUSE 1) THEY HAVEN'T RECEIVED AN EFFECTIVE REPAIR KIT FROM BMW OR 2) TRY TO EXPLAIN IT AWAY WITH THE EXCUSE THAT THIS TIMING CHAIN METAL-ON-METAL RATTLE IS "NORMAL." AN INCREASING WORLD-WIDE NUMBER OF VEHICLES OF THIS MAKE, MODEL, AND ENGINE HAVE EXPERIENCED CATASTROPHIC LOW MILEAGE ENGINE FAILURES BECAUSE OF DEALER INACTION AND SUBSEQUENT TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. *TR

ENGINE EXHIBITS HASH NOISE DURING STARTUP 50% OF THE TIME AFTER MINIMUM OF 8 HR SHUTDOWN AT BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES. THE ISSUE IS A DEFECTIVE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER WHICH THE DEALER WON'T REPLACE BECAUSE 1) THEY CAN'T REPRODUCE THE STARTUP NOISE OR 2) THIS IS "NORMAL." OTHER VEHICLES OF THIS MAKE, MODEL, AND ENGINE HAVE EXPERIENCED CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURES BECAUSE OF DEALER INACTION AND SUBSEQUENT TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. *TR

ENGINE NOISE ON COLD STARTS. MY CAR HAS MADE DIESEL LIKE NOISES ON COLD START UP FOR THE PAST YEAR. AT FIRST THE DEALER SAID IT WAS NORMAL. UPON INSISTING THEY ADVISED OF A BLEEDING PROCEDURE AND THEN OF A FAULTY TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER. AFTER 7 MONTHS THEY FINALLY REPLACED THE TENSIONER (THEY HAD TO HEAR IT BEFORE THEY COULD REPAIR IT). THE DEALER HAD IT FOR A WEEK AND SAID IT WAS ALL FIXED. THE NOISE CAME BACK THREE DAYS LATER. I TOOK IT IN A SECOND TIME AND THEY GOT BMW ENGINEER TO LOOK AT IT. THEY REPLACED A CHECK VALVE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO TRAP OIL IN THE VANOS SYSTEM AND SAID ONCE AGAIN IT WAS FIXED. THE NOISE WAS BACK THREE DAYS LATER. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE NOISE. I HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH MINI OF NORTH AMERICA AND THEY HAVE ASKED ME TO KEEP A LOG AS TO HOW I DRIVE AND WHEN IT HAPPENS WITH TEMPERATURE. THE ENGINE HAS OIL AND WATER ON DEMAND RATHER THAN ALL THE TIME LIKE REGULAR ENGINES. STARTING THIS UP WITH NO OIL IN THE HEAD IS BOUND TO CAUSE DAMAGE. *TR

CAR CLUNKS WHILE GOING OVER ROUGH ROADS. AS PER DIAGNOSIS FROM MINI DEALERSHIP, THE "TRANSMISSION MOTOR MOUNT IS TOO SMALL AND DOES NOT DAMPEN SHOCK FROM ROAD BUMPS OR ACCELERATION TORQUE" AND WAS REPLACED. *TR

COLD START CHATTER. VERY NASTY DIESEL ENGINE SOUND UPON STARTUP WHEN ENGINE IS COLD. SOUND LASTS FOR UP TO 1 MINUTE IF I START DRIVING RIGHT AWAY, OR 5 MINUTES IF I LET IT SIT IDLE. OCCURS BETWEEN 800 AND 3000 RPM. REPRODUCIBLE EVERY TIME THE ENGINE IS COLD (IE, HAS NOT BEEN USED RECENTLY). *TR

ON 2007 MINI COOPER S, PURCHASED NEW 12-2007, EXPERIENCING WARPED/MELTED/DEFORMED SCOOPS ON BONNET(HOOD) DUE TO EXTREME HEAT ISSUE FROM TURBO, SCOOP ORIGINALLY HAD ZERO CUTOUTS, MY COOPER HAS 3 CUTOUTS IN SCOOP MADE BY MFG, OPENING NOT LARGE ENOUGH OR FAN DOES NOT RUN LONG ENOUGH TO COOL DOWN THE BONNET SCOOP OR FAN DOES NOT RUN AT ALL, FAN RUNS ABOUT 30% OF THE TIME ONLY & WARPING OCCURS ON THE BONNET SCOOP WHICH IS PAINTED PLASTIC. IF THE BONNET SCOOP WAS METAL, THIS WOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE. HEAT CAN REACH 235 DEGREES. HAVE BEEN OPENING HOOD WHEN RE-PARKING IN THE GARAGE TO ALLOW TO VENT/COOL DOWN. OPENING HOOD NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE ,OBVIOUSLY, WHEN PARKING NOT AT HOME. WOULD LIKE MINI (BMW) TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, NEEDS TO REPLACE THE PAINTED TO MATCH HOOD SCOOP, ADDRESSING WITH BMW 12-19-2008. *TR

WE HAVE HAD A MINI COOPER SINCE JULY 2007 WITH GOOD YEAR EXCELLENCE RUN FLAT TIRES (195/55 R16 87V). WE RECENTLY NOTICED A BULGE IN THE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE. DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS AND OUR MECHANIC'S RECOMMENDATION, WE REPLACED THE TIRE FOR $250.00. *TR

I OWN A 2007 MINI COOPER S HARDTOP. LAST MAY, WHILE TAKING SOME SHOPPING PACKAGES OUT OF THE BACK ,THROUGH THE HATCH OF MY VEHICLE , I WAS BURNED ON THE SIDE OF MY LEFT CALF BY THE EXHAUST PIPE. A COUPLE OF WEEKS AFTER, IT HAPPENED AGAIN, JUST NOT AS BADLY AS THE FIRST TIME THANKFULLY. THE FIRST BURN DID BLISTER AND TODAY,SEPT.30,2008, I STILL HAVE A MARK ON MY LEG FROM THIS PAINFUL EVENT. *TR

FOR ONE YEAR MY 2007 MINI COOPER S HAS HAD A DEFECT IN THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM AS IT DISABLES WHEN A PASSENGER IS SEATED AND THE VEHICLE IS EITHER STOPPED OR IN MOTION. *TR