2009 MINI COOPER S Complaints

CPSC: I1350251A. MINI COOPER S 2009. CONSUMER STATED THAT THE CAR WAS BROUGHT NEW AND HAVE SEVERAL ISSUES. *LN THE CONSUMER STATED BECAUSE OF THE LATE RECALL, ISSUED BY BMW, THE OIL SUPPLY LINE WAS DAMAGED AND STARTED TO LEAK.

FIRST NOTICED THE RATTLE WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. EVERYTIME SUBSEQUENTLY AFTER THAT WHENEVER I TURNED THE CAR ON I WOULD HEAR A LOUD RATTLING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD. CAR IS A 2009 MINI COOPER S WITH 38,005 MILES ON IT. TIMING CHAIN AND ASSEMBLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. DEALERSHIP QUOTED ME $5,000 TO REPAIR. THE CAR WAS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY AND MINI USA DIDN'T WANT TO HELP OUT WITH REPAIR COST. SEEMS LIKE A LOTS OF THESE FAIRLY NEW CARS HAVE THIS ISSUE. DEALERSHIP THAT QUOTED ME SAID THEY HAD 5 THEY WERE WORKING ON JUST THIS WEEK. THEY EXPECTED MINI TO ISSUE A RECALL BUT WERE SURPRISED THEY HADN'T. GUYS IN THE PARTS DEPARTMENT WERE ALL TO FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE PARTS THAT WERE REQUIRED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY HAD THEM READILY ACCESSIBLE AND EXPRESSED THEIR SYMPATHY OF HAVING TO PAY $$ TO FIX WHAT UNQUESTIONABLY IS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT. PLEASE HELP US GIVE MINI A FRIENDLY NUDGE INTO ISSUING THIS RECALL. *TR

TURBO OIL FEEDLINE / PIPE FAILURE, RESULTING IN LEAK, POSSIBLY DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT. *TR

THE TIMING CHAIN HAS AN ISSUE AND RATTLES REALLY LAUD. THIS IS CAUSING ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLES IDLE AND SPEED DURING DRIVING. *TR

MINI RELEASED A SERVICE BULLETIN (CAMPAIGN: SIM 11 02 12) REGARDING FAULTY TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER. AT APPX. 40K MILES, MY COOPER S WAS TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE AND IT WAS REPORTED THERE WAS A "RATTLE" IN THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE TENSIONER UNDER WARRANTY. NOW THE SAME ISSUE HAS OCCURRED. I AM BEING TOLD THE ENTIRE TIMING CHAIN ASSEMBLY NEEDS REPLACEMENT AT AN APPROXIMATE COST OF $3K. MINI HAS OFFERED TO PAY 1/2 THE COST. THERE IS NO EXPLANATION WHY THE REPAIR IS NOT COVERED UNDER 2 YEAR REPLACEMENT TENSIONER WARRANTY; SINCE THIS ORIGINAL ISSUE WAS ONLY PARTLY ADDRESSED WHILE IN 50K CAR WARRANTY. MY MINI NOW HAS 77K. ONCE WARRANTY REQUEST IS SUBMITTED FROM DEALER TO MINI CORPORATE, DECISION IS FINAL. THERE IS NO APPEAL. FAILURE TO PERFORM SERVICE WILL RESULT IN ENGINE FAILURE IN NEAR FUTURE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE ENGINE FAN FAILED TO DEACTIVATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V008000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE NOTICED THE ENGINE HAD A LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THE WATER PUMP AND THE TURBO CHARGER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

I LIVE WHERE THE WEATHER GETS INTO THE TEENS REGULARLY THIS TIME OF YEAR. MY CAR STARTED MAKING A WEIRD NOISE WHEN I STARTED IN ONE MORNING. THEN WHEN I TRIED TO DRIVE IT, IT HAD NO POWER. I TOOK IT IN AND HAD TO HAVE THE THROTTLE BODY AND NEW INTAKE MANIFOLD PUT IN FOR THE COST OF OVER $1100. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN THAT THEY HAVE ONLY HAD TO DO THIS REPAIR ON MINI'S THAT LIVE IN COLD CLIMATES AND THAT IT WAS NO FAULT OF MINE. HOWEVER THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS DEFECT AND I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHY? *TR

12/14/12: I DROVE HOME FROM WORK. I HAD NO PROBLEMS DRIVING, BUT HEARD A BIT OF A COLD START KNOCK. 12/15/12: CAR DIDN'T START IN THE MORNING. I IMMEDIATELY GOT THE CAR TOWED TO HERB CHAMBERS IN BOSTON, WHERE I HAD EXCLUSIVELY TAKEN IT TO EVERY MAINTENANCE CHECK-UP AND ISSUE I HAD SINCE I PURCHASED IT NEW AT THE SAME LOCATION, EVEN AFTER MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. 12/16/12: HERB CHAMBERS PERFORMED A DIAGNOSIS FOR $135, AND SAID THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS BROKEN, WHICH WOULD COST $2,500 TO FIX. HOWEVER, THEY ALSO SAID THAT OTHER ENGINE PARTS MAY BE BROKEN, BUT THEY WOULDN'T KNOW UNTIL THEY STARTED WORKING ON THE TIMING CHAIN. AS YOU CAN SEE, I WAS NOT HAPPY AT ALL WITH THIS INCONCLUSIVE DIAGNOSIS. DO I PAY $2,500 FOR THEM TO THEN TELL ME IT ACTUALLY NEEDS A NEW ENGINE FOR CLOSE TO $10,000, OR DO I TOW IT ELSEWHERE? 12/17/12: TOWED CAR TO GERMAN PERFORMANCE SERVICE FOR A MORE COMPLETE DIAGNOSIS, WHICH SHOWED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER WERE BROKEN, AS WELL AS MOST VALVES AND OTHER ENGINE PARTS. WE CONCLUDE THAT IT IS CHEAPER TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE ($3,213 + $1,980 OF LABOR = $5,193) THAN TO FIX EVERYTHING INDIVIDUALLY, WHICH WOULD BE MORE LABOR INTENSIVE. 12/21/12: I CONTACTED MINI USA TO INFORM THEM ABOUT MY SITUATION AND HOW UNPLEASED I WAS WITH HERB CHAMBER'S EXTREMELY VAGUE DIAGNOSIS, AS WELL AS MINI'S MAJOR TIMING CHAIN FLAW. MINI USA COMPLETELY IGNORED MY REQUEST FOR THE SOLE REASON THAT I TOOK MY CAR TO A 3RD PARTY MECHANIC. THEY SAID THAT IF I HAD STAYED AT THE DEALER (EVEN THOUGH THEY GAVE ME AN INCOMPLETE DIAGNOSIS), THAT THEY MAY HAVE HELPED ME OUT. 12/30/12: I CONTACTED HERB CHAMBERS BOSTON WITH THE SAME CONCERNS. THEY UNDERSTOOD MY POINTS, BUT SAID THAT UNFORTUNATELY THEY CANNOT FORCE THE MANUFACTURER TO DO ANYTHING THEY DO NOT WANT TO DO. AS A SMALL GESTURE, THEY DID GIVE ME BACK WHAT THEY CHARGED ME FOR THEIR INITIAL DIAGNOSIS ($135). *TR

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP IN FEB 2012 FOR A RATTLING NOISE. SERVICE CENTER AT BRAMAN MIAMI SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE NOISE, SO IT WAS ASSUMED THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. PRIOR TO THIS, THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN THE SHOP 2-3 TIMES DUE ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT, ROUGH IDLE AT COLD START AND LOSS OF TURBO POWER DUE TO LEAKAGE IN TURBO OIL FEED LINES. THIS WAS REPAIRED IN EARLY 2012/LATE 2011. IN DECEMBER OF 2012, WHILE DRIVING THE RATTLING NOISE OF THE COMPLAINT IN FEB 2012 INTENSIFIED AND OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. CAR WAS PULLED OVER TO SAFE LOCATION. ONCE CAR WAS STOPPED, THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT ALSO ILLUMINATED. DRIVER CHECKED OIL LEVEL, WHICH APPEARED LOW BUT WITHIN THE MARKS ON THE DIPSTICK. OIL SPLATTER WAS OBSERVED ON THE HOOD AND ON ENGINE. RUBBER GASKET FEEDING TO ENGINE WAS OBSERVED TO BE DISPLACED WHERE OIL APPEARED TO HAVE LEAKED OUT. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO BRAMAN MIAMI. SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPORTED THAT FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY TIMING CHAIN/TENSIONER ISSUE. SERVICE DEPT IS CHARGING 17K USD FOR REPAIRS AS IT IS NOT FOUND TO BE UNDER THE SCOPE OF WARRANTY OF PREVIOUS REPAIRS TO THE TURBO OIL FEED LINES. MINI HAS BEEN CONTACTED TO SEE IF ANY RELIEF CAN BE PROVIDED AS THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH THESE VEHICLES. *TR