2007 MINI COOPER S Complaints

AS A BACKGROUND, ON NOVEMBER 25, 2011, I DELIVERED THE CAR, A 2007 MINI COOPER S TO A MINI DEALERSHIP WHERE I ALWAYS HAVE IT SERVICED. THE REASON I BROUGHT IT IN FOR SERVICE WAS DUE TO THE OVERHEATING LIGHT AND ENGINE LIGHT BEING TRIGGERED WHILE DRIVING. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR, THE SERVICE ADVISOR ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS IN COMPLETE WORKING ORDER AND THE REPAIRS MADE THE CAR AS GOOD AS NEW. ON THAT NOVEMBER 25TH, VISIT, I HAD PAID $1,817.40 FOR A NEW WATER PUMP, THERMOSTAT, SPARK PLUGS, AND WATER PIPE REPLACEMENT DESPITE THE FACT THEY ARE COMMONLY 100,000-MILE SERVICES. MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 41,000 MILES. 10 DAYS AFTER MY CAR WAS SERVICED, THE SAME OVERHEATING LIGHT AND ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. IN RESPONSE TO THIS REPEATED ISSUE, ON DECEMBER 11, 2011, I SPOKE WITH THE SERVICE ADVISOR WHO TOLD ME TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE MINI DEALERSHIP. DURING THIS SECOND VISIT, I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE MINI DEALERSHIP IN ORDER TO ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE THE OVERHEATING ISSUE FOR A SECOND TIME. DURING THIS SECOND VISIT, THE MINI DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND FLUSHED THE RADIATOR SEVERAL TIMES, AGAIN, IN AN ATTEMPT TO SOLVE THE OVERHEATING ISSUE. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR, THE SERVICE CONSULTANT ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS IN COMPLETE WORKING ORDER AND THE REPAIRS MADE THE CAR AS GOOD AS NEW. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT I HAVE BEEN ASSURED THAT THIS CAR WAS IN PROPER WORKING ORDER. NOW, FOR THE THIRD TIME IN THE PAST 24 DAYS, THE OVERHEATING LIGHT AND ENGINE LIGHT HAS CAME ON AGAIN WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON DECEMBER 18, 2011. FRUSTRATED, AT THE LEAST, I PROMPTLY RETURNED THE CAR FOR FURTHER SERVICE BY YOUR DEALERSHIP. I WAS SHOCKED WHEN THE SERVICE ADVISOR CONTACTED ME ON DECEMBER 21, 2011 TO INFORM ME THAT AN ENGINE REPLACEMENT WAS REQUIRED. THE CAR HAS FEWER THAN 41,000 MILES AND HAS ONLY EVER BEEN SERVICED BY LICENSED MINI DEALERSHIPS. *TR

I HAVE HAD PREVIOUS ISSUES WITH THE PANORAMIC SUNROOF, I HAD TO GET IT REPLACED. THEN I HAD ISSUES WITH THE CHAIN AND CHAIN TENSIONER AND HAD TO GET THAT REPLACED TOO. NOW THE STEERING HAS FAILED ON ME, I CAN'T START THE CAR OR EVEN MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL. MY STEERING IS LOCKED NOW; I HAD THE CAR RUNNING, EVERYTHING SEEMED TO RUN FINE AND THE STEERING WORKED FINE. ONCE I SHUT THE CAR OFF I COULDN'T START THE CAR BACK UP AND MY STEERING LOCKED UP. I HAD TO GET MY CAR TOWED HOME. I WISH BMW WOULD DO SOME KIND OF A RECALL ON THIS CAR SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY SO MUCH MONEY OUT OF OUR OWN POCKETS! *TR

THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MAKE A LARGE RATTLING NOISE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT EVENTUALLY CAME ON. I STOPPED THE CAR AND CHECKED THE OIL TO SEE IF IT WAS LOW AND DISCOVERED THAT I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET THE DIP STICK BACK IN. AT THIS POINT I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC BECAUSE THERE ISN'T A MINI DEALER WITHIN 100 MILES OF MY LOCATION. TURNS OUT IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER WHICH IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE COOPER S AND MINI HAS RELEASED THREE FIXES AND CLAIM THE LATEST TSB WILL FIX THE PROBLEM. MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 40,000 MILES AND I HAD TO SPEND $1,700 DOLLARS FOR A $26 DOLLAR PART THAT WAS FAULTY TO BEGIN WITH. MINI KNEW THEY HAD A PROBLEM AND TRIED TO FIX IT BUT FAILED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS THERE'S NO TELLING HOW LONG THIS NEW FIX WILL HOLD UP. NOT TO MENTION MY CAR IS STILL LOUDER THAN IT USE TO BE BEFORE THE PROBLEM AND IT SOUNDS LIKE A DIESEL ENGINE AT IDLE. THIS NOISE DOESN'T GIVE ME CONFIDENCE THAT THE LATEST FIX WILL LAST AND MINI NEEDS TO SERIOUSLY TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROBLEM AND SEND OUT A RECALL BEFORE THE TIMING CHAINS START CAUSING LIFE THREATENING PROBLEMS. *TR

AFTER A COUPLE DAYS OF HEARING SOME RATTLING UNDER THE HOOD AFTER COLD STARTS, MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THE MECHANIC SAID THAT A FAULTY TENSIONER HAD CAUSED THE TIMING CHAIN TO STRETCH OUT EXCESSIVELY AND IF IT'S NOT FIXED, MY ENGINE COULD SEIZE UP AT ANY TIME.. IT'S A $2,500 REPAIR. THIS IS RIDICULOUS, CONSIDERING THE CAR IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD AND HAS JUST 30,000 MILES ON IT. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT MANY MANY OWNERS OF MY SAME YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL ARE REPORTING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE, YET MINI IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT. I CALLED MINI COOPER TO ASK ABOUT IT AND THEY ONLY GRUDGINGLY TOOK MY COMPLAINT. THEY SAID THEY WILL NOT DO A RECALL UNLESS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DEMANDS IT, SO I'M ASKING YOU TO DO SO. I THINK THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE (WHO KNOWS WHEN THE ENGINE COULD SEIZE UP) AND IT SEEMS TO BE SO WIDELY REPORTED, I CAN'T BELIEVE MINI IS IGNORING IT. I WOULD THINK THIS IS ABOUT TO BE A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM, CONSIDERING OTHER 2007'S ARE JUST STARTING TO HAVE THESE PROBLEMS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND MAKE MINI DO THE RIGHT THING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN EXTREMELY ABNORMAL ODOR THAT ENTERED THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE, SIMILAR TO EGGS. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROADWAY AND UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, HE FOUND A SMALL FIRE HAD ERUPTED UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT CALLED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND FILED A COMPLAINT. THE MANUFACTURER SUGGESTED TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND POSSIBLE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

AS I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. OPENED THE HOOD TO FIND A FIRE TO THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE COMING FROM ELECTRICAL WIRES. WAS ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE WITH OUT TOO MUCH DAMAGE AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY TO ELIMINATE POWER TO THE TROUBLED AREA.CAR IS BEING TOWED TO MINI COOPER OF PEABODY MASSACHUSETTS. *TR

OIL RETURN LINE EXITING TURBOCHARGER LEAKS ENGINE OIL, WHICH DRIPS DIRECTLY ONTO HOT ENGINE EXHAUST DOWNPIPE, THIS LEADS TO SMOKE FROM THE ENGINE BAY AND WILL EVENTUALLY CAUSE A FIRE IF NOT REMEDIED PROMPTLY. BMW SHOULD QUICKLY RECALL AND REPAIR THIS DESIGN DEFECT BEFORE A LOT OF PRIVATE PROPERTY GOES UP IN FLAMES. *TR

AS I APPROACHED THE STREET ON WHERE I LIVE, THE CAR STARTED TO SEVERELY SHAKE AND JERK , AS IF POWER WAS NOT GOING TO THE ENGINE. I WAS ABLE TO PARK IT ON MY DRIVEWAY, BUT THE NEXT MORNING, THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT START. WHEN THE CAR ARRIVED AT THE DEALER AFTER BEING TOWED IN, THE CAR COULD NOT BE JUMP-STARTED, EVEN AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. TWO WEEKS PRIOR, I HAD BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THEY REPLACED THE TIMING CHAIN AND FOUND SEVERAL MISFIRE FAULTS, WHICH WERE SUPPOSEDLY CORRECTED. THE CYLINDER HEAD WAS REMOVED AND DISASSEMBLED AND FOUND TO HAVE CARBON BUILD UP. THE INTAKE VALVES AND EXHAUST VALVES WERE CLEANED. SINCE THE INCIDENT, THE CAR IS STILL AT THE DEALER. AN EXTENDED ROAD TEST IS SCHEDULED TO BE PERFORMED WITHIN THESE NEXT FEW DAYS. NO WORD ON WHAT HAS CAUSED THE CAR'S ENGINE TO DIE. *TR

MY WIFE AND I BOTH NOTICED A BURNING SMELL INSIDE OUR 2007 MINI COOPER S LAST WEEK WHILE TRAVELING ON AN EXPRESSWAY IN EITHER TENNESSEE OR NORTH CAROLINA ON VACATION. I OPENED MY WINDOW FOR 3-4 MINUTES, SUSPECTING THE SMELL MIGHT BE GETTING INTO THE CAR FROM A PICKUP TRUCK RUNNING APPROXIMATELY 40-50 YARDS AHEAD OF US. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF SMOKE OR FIRE AROUND THE PICK-UP TRUCK. THIS SMELL HAPPENED VERY BRIEFLY TWICE ON THE SAME DAY; I OPENED MY WINDOW FOR A FEW MINUTES IN BOTH CASES, AND THE BURNING SMELL DID NOT RETURN AFTER THAT. WE DROVE 2200 MILES IN 9 DAYS AND DID NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. *TR

I ALMOST HAD A TIMING CHAIN/TENSIONER FAILURE. TOOK MY '07 MCS INTO THE MINI DEALER FOR ITS 4 YEAR SERVICE. THEY FOUND THAT THE 'TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER IS WEAK AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED' OR 'TENSIONER WORN AND CAUSING EXCESSIVE CHAIN SLACK AND CHAIN NOISE'. I BOUGHT MY MINI NEW, IT NOW HAS 35464 MILES AND THIS SHOULD FALL INTO THE CATEGORY AS 'UNUSUAL'. THIS SHOULD NOT BE A PART THAT WEARS OUT OR SUFFERS FAILURE WITH SO FEW MILES. AS I CHECKED OUT THIS FAILURE ON THE WEB I QUICKLY FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL BUT IS HAPPENING QUITE FREQUENTLY. I MISSED THIS BEING COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY BY 2 WEEKS. MY LOSE? MAYBE; MAYBE NOT, AT LEAST I DID NOT DESTROY THE ENGINE. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT PAPERWORK THEY REPLACED THE CHAIN TENSIONER WITH AN UPDATED 551 TENSIONER, P/N: 11 31 7 607 551, @ $26.21 ($146 FOR INSTALLATION). IT APPEARS THAT MINI/BMW KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND REDESIGNED THE PART TO PREVENT PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE, HOPEFULLY. IF THIS IS TRUE WHY DON'T THEY RECALL THE CARS AND JUST TAKE CARE OF IT. HAD I HAD THE BAD LUCK OF DESTROYING THE ENGINE MY OPINION ON ALL THEIR PRODUCTS WOULD HAVE DRASTICALLY CHANGED. I ALSO OWN A '11 BMW 335XI. *TR