2009 MINI COOPER S Complaints

STARTED TO HEAR A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. ISSUE WITH THE TIME CHAIN. SO BENT OUT OF SHAPE THAT THE CHAIN ALMOST BROKE. I HAVE ALWAYS KEPT ON TOP OF CHANGING MY OIL AND GETTING MY CAR SERVICED EVERYTIME IT NEED IT SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS WOULD EVEN HAPPEN. WHEN RESEARCHING MY PROBLEM I SAW THAT ITS EXTREMELY COMMON FOR MODELS SINCE 2007+ TO EXPERIENCE THIS. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. THERE'S NO REASON FOR A OWNER TO HAVE TO PAY 200-2000 DOLLARS WHEN THEY HAVE DONE EVERYTHING RIGHT WITH SERVICING AND OIL CHANGES ETC. IM JUST GLAD I WASN'T ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED TO ME BECAUSE HAVING YOUR ENGINE BELT BREAK IN A BUSY HIGHWAY DOESN'T SOUND SAFE. *TR

THIRD COMPLAINT AND COUNTING..... I WENT TO START MY MINI, ONLY TO NOTICE IT WAS LEAKING OIL HEAVILY UNDER MY CAR. I BROUGHT IT TO MY REPAIR SHOP WHO TOLD ME IT MIGHT BE THE O RING. THEY REPLACED IT AND TOLD ME TO BRING IT BACK A WEEK LATER. I RETURNED FRIDAY JULY 19TH TO HAVE THEM LOOK UNDER THE HOOD. THERE WAS OIL EVERYWHERE. ALL OVER THE ENGINE. THE SEAL WAS FINE! IT TURNS OUT THE VACUUM PUMP NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND POSSIBLY THE TIMING CHAIN AT A LATER DATE. THE COST FOR THE PUMP AND LABOR IS $574.00. SO FAR I HAVE SPENT ALMOST $4000.00 ON REPAIRS. I DON'T HAVE AN ESTIMATE FOR THE TIMING CHAIN, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE. I ONLY BOUGHT MY MINI IN FEBRUARY AT 49K MILES AND SHE'S BEEN IN THE SHOP LONGER THAN SHE'S BEEN DRIVEN. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ANY MORE AND WISH THAT BMW/MINI WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ALL R56 ENGINES ARE DEFECTIVE. IF I KNOWN I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT ANOTHER BETTER RELIABLE CAR THAN A MINI AND THAT IS COMING FROM A PERSON WHO LOVES MY MINI. *TR

AFTER COMPLAINING TO THE DEALERSHIP 2 TIMES PRIOR, WE BROUGHT IN OUR MINI FOR SERVICE WITH A COLD-START RATTLE THAT WAS RELATED TO THE TIMING CHAIN SYSTEM. THE DEALERSHIP IN ST. LOUIS REPLACED ONLY THE TENSIONER, EVEN THOUGH ACCORDING TO STANDARD PROTOCOL (PUMA MEASURE #10686850-13) THEY SHOULD HAVE REPLACED THE ENTIRE TIMING CHAIN SYSTEM. WHEN THE RATTLE RETURNED A COUPLE THOUSAND MILES LATER WE BROUGHT IT BACK AND THEY TOLD US THAT IT WAS A "NORMAL NOISE" AND SENT US ON OUR WAY. THE TIMING CHAIN SYSTEM EVENTUALLY BROKE DOWN, BUT BECAUSE WE WERE NOW OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY THEY REFUSED TO FIX IT. I WOULD ADVISE ANYONE DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE TO PURSUE THE LEMON LAW, BECAUSE MINI IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND ISN'T FIXING IT AS THEY KNOW THEY SHOULD. WE GAVE THEM AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO FIX THE ISSUE, AND BECAUSE OF THEIR NEGLIGENCE WE ENDED UP WITH A VEHICLE THAT DIDN'T RUN. *TR

YELLOW PASSENGER AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CONTINUES TO INDICATE A WARNING SIGNAL AND ILLUMINATE, ALTHOUGH THERE IS NOT A PASSENGER AND THE SEAT IS COMPLETELY EMPTY. *TR

THIS IS THE SECOND COMPLAINT I'VE MADE WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF PURCHASE: I WAS DRIVING ALONG THE HIGHWAY AT 70MPH WHEN THE REDUCE SPEED ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO REDUCE SPEED THE CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE FAST LANE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR BEHIND ME SWERVED AS I MANAGED TO RESTART MY 2009 MINI COOPER S AND PULL INTO THE SLOW LANE. I MANAGED TO AVOID COLLISION AND PLACED HAZARDS ON. I GOT MY MINI TO BRADY'S AUTO REPAIR. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WAS DUE TO TURBOCHARGE FAILURE ON AN ORIGINAL MINI PART. HE SAID THAT BMW DONE A RECALL FOR THE SAME PART WHICH IS IN THE 2009 MINI COOPER S AND COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY THEY HADN'T DONE IT FOR MINI. THE TURBOCHARGE WAS COMPLETELY REPLACED ON MY MINI AT THE EXPENSE OF $2778.47. I CONTACTED MINI WHICH STATED THAT THERE IS NO RECOURSE AND NOTHING THEY CAN DO. I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR. I AM NOT HAPPY WITH THIS AT ALL AS I HAD MY TWO CHILDREN IN THE MINI WHEN THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED AND IT COULD HAVE LEAD TO LOSS OF LIFE IF THE DRIVER BEHIND ME HADN'T TAKEN ACTION. I HOPE THE NHTSA DOES INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER IN ALL MINI COOPERS. *TR

PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG SENSOR MAT HAS BEEN TRIPPING THE FAULT TO LIGHT UP THE DASHBOARD AND OVER HEAD LAMPS TELLING THE DRIVER THE AIRBAG IS DISENGAGED, WITH OR WITHOUT A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT. PREVIOUS YEAR MINI'S AS WELL AS SAME YEAR MINI'S HAVE BEEN AFFECTED CAUSING MINI TO EXTEND A WARRANTY OR EVEN A RECALL IN THE INSTANCE OF BMW. HOWEVER FOR MY MAKE MODEL AND YEAR NO SUCH WARRANTY HAS BEEN ISSUED OR EXTENDED. THIS IS A MANDATORY SAFETY FEATURE UNDER FEDERAL AND STATE LAW, CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY 100'S IF NOT 1000'S OF DOLLARS TIME AND AGAIN FOR A PART THAT WAS DESIGNED TO LAST ONLY A FEW YEARS WHEN ALL VEHICLES MUST POSSES A SAFE WORKING AIRBAG FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR. HAVE CONTACTED MINI USA AS WELL AS VARIOUS DEALERS, USA AND UK BASED. THEY WILL NOT PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION WITH REGARDS TO THE PART AND IF IT IS USED IN PREVIOUS YEARS VEHICLE'S WITH THE KNOWN ISSUES. THEY CLAIM THAT THE COMPUTER SAYS "YOUR" VIN NUMBER HAS NO KNOWN ISSUES. MINI TELLS ME I SHOULD ONLY CHANGE MY OIL ONCE EVERY 2 YEARS OR 15 THOUSAND MILES. THEY ALSO TELL ME NOT TO WORRY ABOUT THE CAR UNLESS A WARNING LAMP COMES ON. THEY ALSO TELL ME THAT MY VEHICLE BURNS ABOUT A LITRE OF OIL FOR EVERY 5000 MILES DRIVEN. AS FAR AS I KNOW RUNNING AN ENGINE ON 2 LITRES OIL WILL CAUSE IT TO SEIZE. HOW CAN THIS PRACTICE BY THE COMPANY PREVENT OR PROVIDE FOR SAFE USAGE TO CONSUMERS WHO DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CARS EXCEPT HOW TO DRIVE ONE. *TR

FAN IS BARELY BLOWING OUT OF THE FRONT VENTS, THE AIR IS ALL FLOWING THROUGH THE BOTTOM VENTS. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY. HEAT AND AIR-CONDITIONING WORKS FINE. ONLY THE AIR FLOW IS LIMITED REGARDLESS OF ADJUSTMENTS TO AIR FLOW SETTINGS OR TEMPERATURES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CLUTCH SLIPPED AS THE RPMS INCREASED TO 6000. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

ENGINE WARNING LIGHT TAKEN FOR MINI DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE ON 8 AUG 2012, 3 DEC 2012, AND NOW IN JUNE 2013. VEHICLE NOW HAS ABOUT 36,800 MILES AND IS NO LONER UNDER WARRANTY BY ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS. ENGINE TEMPERATURE LIGHT NOW COMES ON AND VEHICLE HAD NO OIL SHOWING ON DIP STICK. CANNOT TELL IF OIL IS BURNING OFF AND NO EVIDENCE OF LEAK. REPAIRMAN NOW STATES THAT THE TIMING CHAIN IS THE ISSUE AND WILL COST UPWARDS OF $2800 TO FIX. *TR

TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. VEHICLE ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED, ENGINE TEMP SHOT UP AND I HAD TO STOP IMMEDIATELY. ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART AND VEHICLE TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP. $1,800 REPAIR. *TR