2008 MINI COOPER S Complaints

I HAD A LOUD NOISE UNDER THE HOOD OF MY 2008 MINI COOPER S, FOLLOWED BY THE TIMING BELT BREAKING. I HAD IT FIXED TO THE TUNE OF $2000+. IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD IT BROKE DUE TO BEING DOWN 1 QT OF OIL. I HAVE HEARD THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT. *TR

ON 2008 MINI COOPER S, WITH APPROX. 12.5K, COMPLETE FAILURE OF TIMING CHAIN AND COMPONENTS. WAS JUST COVERED INSIDE OF DEALER WARRANTY, BUT EVEN THE DEAL ADMITTED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. ONLINE, OTHER HAVE REPORT THE SAME FAILURE IN LARGE NUMBERS. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL! *TR

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A RECALL ISSUED OR AT LEAST INVESTIGATED FOR ANY MINI COOPER 2007 AND UP WITH THE BMW ENGINE. THIS ENGINE HAS A FAULTY TIMING BELT TENSIONER THAT IS PRONE TO FAIL CAUSING SEVERE ENGINE DAMAGE. I HAVE A 2008 AND JUST LOST MY ENGINE DUE TO THIS TENSION FAILURE. AFTER SPENDING THE 600.00 DOLLARS TO HAVE MY ENGINE TAKEN APART AND DIAGNOSED, I WAS TOLD THAT BMW ALREADY KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT HAS NOT ISSUED ANY TYPE OF RECALL FOR IT. THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT IT WILL REQUIRE A NEW ENGINE SOME WHERE IN THE DOLLAR AMOUNT OF 14,000.00 TO REPLACE, UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME IF THE DEALER WILL COVER THE LOSS. THIS PROBLEM IS WELL KNOWN BE THE DEALER BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM AND CONTINUE TO USE THIS SAME ENGINE IN THERE VEHICLES. I WAS TOLD BY ONE OF THE WORKERS THAT BMW HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL BECAUSE THE PROBLEM DOES NOT POSE A DIRECT SAFETY RISK, ARE YOU KIDDING ME, GOING DONE THE HIGHWAY AND HAVING A TOTAL ENGINE LOSS IS VERY MUCH A SAFETY RISK. I AM SURE THAT MY COMPLAINT IS JUST ANOTHER DROP IN THE BUCKET BUT I HOPE AT LEAST HOPE SOMEONE TAKES THE TIME TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED. *LN

2008 MINI COOPER S. NO ENGINE MODIFICATION. LOUD KNOCKING NOISE ON START UP AND CONTINUES FOR ABOUT 5 MINS OF DRIVING AND THEN GOES AWAY. MILE IS UNDER 8900 MILES. *TR

WHEN STARTING THE CAR COLD (FIRST THING IN THE MORNING OR AFTER IT HAS BEEN OFF FOR A LONG TIME), THE ENGINE MAKES A LOUD RATTLING NOISE SORT OF LIKE A TRACTOR NOISE WHEN ACCELERATING. IT GOES AWAY AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES OF CONTINUOUS DRIVING, BUT SOMETIMES WHEN TURNING AND ACCELERATING AT THE SAME TIME, IT ALSO MAKES THE SAME NOISE.

NOTICED A STRANGE SOUND, ALMOST LIKE WHEEL BEARINGS WERE GRINDING. ON NOVEMBER 11, 2010, WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND ENGINE DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE AS MUCH POWER AS IT SHOULD. TOOK TO THE MINI DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON BECAUSE THE TURBO WAS DAMAGED. APPARENTLY THE OIL SUPPLY HOSE TO THE TURBO WAS EITHER BLOCKED OR CUT, AND WAS NOT PROVIDING OIL TO THE TURBO. AS A RESULT OF THE LACK OF OIL, THE BEARINGS IN THE TURBO WERE RUINED. HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE TURBO. AFTER THE TURBO WAS REPLACED WE WERE TOLD THE TIMING CHAIN WAS GOING BAD. WAS TOLD THE TIMING CHAIN, TENSIONERS, AND GUIDES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I'VE READ WHERE THE TIMING CHAIN HAS BEEN A CONTINUING PROBLEM WITH MINI COOPERS, AND THAT, IF FIXED, IT WILL GO BAD AGAIN AND COULD CAUSE A SEVERE ENGINE PROBLEM, RESULTING IN FAILURE. I ALSO WONDER IF THE TIMING CHAIN IS ALREADY DAMAGED ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE OIL SUPPLY HOSE TO THE TURBO TO BE DAMAGED.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT HEARD AN EXTREMELY LOUD KNOCKING SOUND WHENEVER HE STARTED THE VEHICLE. THE KNOCKING NOISE WAS NOT PRESENT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE TIMING BELT AND OTHER COMPONENTS WERE REPLACED AT THE HIS EXPENSE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 35,000.

2008 MINI COOPER S. THE VEHICLE HAD A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL AND ENGINE FAILURE WITH NO NOTICE. WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 287 IN NJ WITH ABSOLUTELY NO NOTICE THE CAR LOST TOTAL POWER. EVERY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH, ALL GAUGES DROPPED TO ZERO, NO POWER WHATSOEVER FROM THE ENGINE, NO WAY TO OPEN WINDOWS OR DOOR LOCKS AS THEIR WAS A COMPLETE AND TOTAL ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL FAILURE OF THIS VEHICLE - THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO NOTICE. ONE MOMENT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY AND THE NEXT I HAD COMPLETE AND TOTAL MECHANICAL, ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL FAILURE RENDERING THE CAR DISABLED AND WITHOUT POWER IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF INTERSTATE 287 SOUTH IN MORRISTOWN NJ. VEHICLE BROUGHT TO MINI DEALER; VEHICLE THERE FOR ALMOST 2 WEEKS-SUPPOSEDLY "FIXED". THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED A SECOND TIME WITHIN 100 MILES OF THAT FIRST SERVICE. VEHICLE BROUGHT TO MINI DEALER AGAIN. HAPPENED A THIRD TIME FOR THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN WHILE HE DROVE THE CAR HOME FROM PRINCETON TO PA. VEHICLE WAS AT MINI FOR ANOTHER 2 AND ONE HALF WEEKS. NOW THEY SAY IT IS FIXED AND I DO NOT FEEL CONFIDENT THEY ARE CORRECT. THIS PROBLEM IS WITHOUT WARNING AND LEAVES THE VEHICLE PERMANENTLY DISABLED IN A TOTAL AND COMPLETE WAY THAT CAN LEAD TO SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH FOR THE OCCUPANTS. MINI CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS ABHORRENT. THEY WOULD NOT RETURN CALLS AND STALLED TIME AND AGAIN WHEN ASKED TO REPURCHASE THIS VEHICLE WHICH IS CLEARLY UNSAFE. THEY WILL DO NOTHING. THE NHTSA MUST INVESTIGATE. THE ONLY PART THEY TELL ME IS WRONG IS THE FOOTWELL MODULE BUT WILL BE NO MORE SPECIFIC. MINI MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS DEFECT AND FAILURE; THIS IS OF VERY SERIOUS NATURE. AGAIN, THE CAR COMPLETELY FAILS-EVERYTHING-ENGINE, ELECTRICAL, ALL POWER YOU CAN NOT OPEN DOOR LOCKS, WINDOWS OR THE REAR HATCH. THE ENGINE LOSSES ALL POWER. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. *TR

LEAVING FROM WORK AROUND 5:00 PM (CAR HAD BEEN IN THE PARKING LOT SINCE 7:20 AM), I DROVE FOR A MILE OR LESS WHEN AT A RED LIGHT THE CAR BY MY SIDE TOLD ME ABOUT SMOKE COMING FROM THE UNDER THE HOOD. I DROVE TO THE CLOSET PARKING LOT, OPENED THE HOOD (THERE WAS A LOT OF SMOKE) AND I COULD SEE 2 WIRES RED HOT. I WENT TO TRY TO GET A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND LUCKILY AND AMBULANCE ON DUTY (COULD NOT HELP ME BECAUSE HE HAD A PATIENT) GAVE ME A SMALL BOTTLE OF WATER. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE CAR WITH THE WATER THERE WERE FLAMES ABOUT 10" TALL ON A SMALL AREA, ALREADY TOUCHING THE PIPES THE COME OUT OF THE TURBO (PIPES THAT BRING AIR INTO TURBO AND OUT TO THE INTERCOOLER) AND WITH THE 500ML BOTTLE OF WATER I WAS ABLE TO PUT IT OFF. DALER (MINI OF STERLING) REPAIRED THE VEHICLE FOR FREE (CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY). DEALER FOUND THAT THE AUXILIARY WATER PUMP SHORTED, AND THIS MUST HAVE CAUSE THE WIRES TO OVERHEAT. DEALER REPLACED AUXILIARY WATER PUMP AND WIRES AND PARTS THAT BURNED. I SPOKE WITH THE DEALER AND THEN WITH MINI USA, BOTH REFUSED TO CHANGE ENGINEERING TO PREVENT A FUTURE FIRE IN CASE AUXILIARY WATER PUMP HAS A SHORT-CIRCUIT AGAIN. *TR UPDATED 1/27/2012 *LN *TR

MY 2008 MINI COOPER S, WHEN COLD, OFTEN STARTS UP WITH A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RATTLING FROM THE ENGINE. SO MUCH SO THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE A DIESEL (BUT ITS NOT A DIESEL MOTOR). NUMEROUS ONLINE FORUMS HAVE DOCUMENTED THIS PROBLEM, INCLUDING SOME COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURES. IT IS A VERY EXPENSIVE PROBLEM TO FIX AND I WOULD LIKE MINI TO ISSUE A RECALL TO PERMANENTLY FIX THE PROBLEM AND TO HAVE AN UNLIMITED WARRANTY ON THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN "UNABLE TO DUPLICATE" THIS SOUND AND THEREFORE REFUSES TO PROVIDE THE FIX FOR IT. *TR