2007 MINI COOPER S Complaints

THE HEATER CORE IS PLACED NEXT TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IN THE FOOT WELL. THE CAR DESIGN HAS THE HEATER CORE ON ALL THE TIME. THE ONLY INSULATION BETWEEN THE HEATER CORE AND THE FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS A PLASTIC COVER WHICH BECOMES TOO HOT TO TOUCH. *TR

MY MINI COOPER SPONTANEOUS CAUGHT ON FIRE. THURSDAY 8/25/11 BEFORE ALL THIS HAPPEN, I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE. I STATED TO THE SERVICE ADVISOR([XXX]) THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVING RIGHT AND I'M SURE SOME SERVICES NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT (OIL CHANGE ETC....). MY SERVICE TECH ([XXX] VISTA MINI COCONUT CREEK) PUTS THE KEY INTO THE CARD READER NOPE NOTHING SHOWED UP YOU GOOD TO GO I EXIT WITH SOME DOUBT ON MY FACE NEVER THINKING TWICE, COULD BE MY MIND PLAYING CAR GAMES. I'M REALLY ADMIT ABOUT FUNNY NOISES, AND SINCE THE DEALER ISN'T FAR FROM MY JOB. I'D JUST STOP ON BY FOR A CHECK UP. I DO HAVE EXTENDED WARRANTY SERVICE. SATURDAY 8/27/11 (10:30P) CAR SITTING FROM A SHORT DRIVE TO HAVE DINNER. CAME HOME (10PM) PARKED THE AND DIDN'T HEAR OR NOTICE ANYTHING. I USUALLY TAKE A QUICK WALK AROUND THE CAR. SUNDAY 8/28/11 (4:00P) POLICE CAME KNOCKING " ARE YOU THE OWNER OF A BLACK MINI COOPER " YOUR CAR WAS ON FIRE AND THE PLANTATION FIRE DEPT ARE IN THE PROCESS OF PUTTING OUT THE FIRE/FLAMES. AS I WALK OUT THE SHOCK OF MY CAR BURNING. AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE FIREMEN. HE COULDN'T PIN POINT WHERE THE FIRE STARTED AND THE CAUSE UNKNOWN BUT HE SAID WHEN THEY STARTED TO HOSE IT DOWN IT LOOKED AS IF THE FIRE WAS COMING FROM THE DRIVER SIDE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ANOTHER FIRE DEPT GUY SAID FROM THE LOOKS OF THIS INCIDENT, WHAT'S SEEMS TO CAUSE THIS WAS ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION. FLAMES WERE SHOOTING 8'FT IN THE AIR. THE CAR IS DAMAGED AND NOT REPAIRABLE,THERE'S NO ENGINE THERE'S NOTHING LEFT BESIDES THE SOME ASHE, MELTED METAL, THERE'S NO WINDSHIELD, THE HEADLINER IS COMPLETELY GONE, SIDE GLASS ARE BLOWN OUT. ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT IS MY BABY DAUGHTER IN THE CAR WHILE I WAS DRIVING. BMW YOU HAVE CAUSED SOME DAMAGE, LEAVING ME SECOND GUESS YOU INTEGRITY OF YOUR CRAFTSMANSHIP/FLAGSHIP AUTO. SOMEONE PLEASE CONTACT ME ABOUT THIS SITUATION. UPDATED09/07/11 *BF [XXX] *TR UPDATED 2/23/12 *CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER A RAIN STORM, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE HYDRO SEIZED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 42,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

2007 MINI COOPER S: COLD START RATTLE HAD BEEN AN ON-AGAIN, OFF-AGAIN PROBLEM, BUT SINCE I'D HAD THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER CHANGED WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, I DIDN'T MAKE THE CONNECTION. AT 81,000 MILES, I WAS DRIVING WHEN THE RED OIL LIGHT CAME ON. THIS WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY INDICATION OF A PROBLEM. I STOPPED AT THE NEXT GAS STATION, GOT SOME SYNTHETIC OIL, AND PUT IN 2 QUARTS. I CONTINUED ON MY WAY, BUT THE OIL LIGHT HAD NOT GONE OFF. WITHIN ABOUT 1-2 MILES, AS I WAS ENTERING A HIGHWAY, THE CAR BEGAN MAKING A VERY LOUD RATTLING NOISE AND THEN STALLED. I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER. I CALLED MINI ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, BUT AFTER ABOUT 15 MINS. ON THE PHONE, THEY FINALLY FIGURED OUT THAT THEY WERE NOT AUTHORIZED TO TOW OFF THIS INTERSTATE. I GOT AN AUTHORIZED TOWING CO. TO COME, AND I LET THEM TOW IT TO THEIR LOCAL GARAGE. THE NEXT DAY THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE HAD CEASED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE FOLLOWING DAY I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO PRESTIGE MINI TO DETERMINE IF THIS WAS, IN FACT, WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THEY DIAGNOSED THE SAME THING, SAID THERE WAS NO WAY TO KNOW THE CAUSE, AND QUOTED ME $6400 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE (WHICH THEY ULTIMATELY BROUGHT DOWN TO $5600). AT 81K MILES, THERE IS NO REASON THIS ENGINE SHOULD HAVE CEASED. PLUS, I HAD NO WARNING THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE CAR--NO "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT, NO "CHECK OIL" LIGHT UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. BASED ON WHAT I'VE READ, NOW ABOUT THE 2007 MINI, I AM CERTAIN THIS WAS DEFECT RELATED. HOW DO I PROVE THAT? I'M AT THE MERCY OF THE DEALERSHIP. *TR

HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY MINI SINCE IT WAS NEW. IN NOV. OF 2010 THE CHAIN TENSIONER WAS FINALLY CHANGED AFTER MANY COMPLAINTS OF THE NOISE. ON MON.6-6-11 MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CALLED THE DEALER & SET UP AN APPOINTMENT FOR THAT SAT 6-11. ON WED. 6-8 MY CAR DIED WITH NO WARNING. NO COMPUTER LIGHTS CAME ON. HAD TO TOW IT TO THE MINI DEALER ON SAT.6-11. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE VACUUM PUMP CAUSING MAJOR CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. MY ENGINE ONLY HAD A QUART OF OIL AND THAT WAS WHY IT WENT OUT. I HAD DOCUMENTATION OF MY OIL CHANGE. IT STILL HAD 3,000M TO GO BEFORE IT NEEDED TO BE CHANGED. WAS ALSO CHECKED 2 WKS BEFORE THIS INCIDENT AND IT WAS FINE. I AM NOW NEEDING A NEW ENGINE AT A COST OF 6,087. THE REGIONAL TEAM AT MINI CUSTOMER SERVICE DECIDED THERE WOULD BE NO ASSISTANCE BECAUSE I LET IT RUN OUT OF OIL, WHICH IS NOT TRUE. THEY SAID THERE WAS NO APPEAL PROCESS, THEIR DECISION WAS FINAL. MY CAR HAS 64K MILES ON IT. THE CHAIN TENSIONERS AND VACUUM PUMPS ARE KNOWN FAILURES BUT MINI REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. EASIER TO BLAME THE CONSUMER. A VEHICLE THAT COSTS NEARLY 30K DOLLARS SHOULD NOT HAVE AN ENGINE FAILURE AT 64K MILES. THERE ARE COUNTLESS COMPLAINTS OUT THERE. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS CHECK THE WEB. MINI SHOULD STEP UP AND DO THE RIGHT THING. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR CRASH WITH FATALITIES IF I HAD BEEN TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WHICH I DO EVERY DAY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START IN COLD WEATHER UNTIL AFTER THREE TO FOUR ATTEMPTS. THERE WERE ALSO NOTICED RATTLING NOISES COMING FROM THE ENGINE WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN INSPECTED BY A DEALER AND THEY ADVISED HER THAT SHE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE VACUUM PUMP, TIMING CHAINS AND THE HIGH PRESSURE PUMP. EACH PART WAS REPLACED WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

POWER STEERING FAILURE, UNABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE, SINGLE OCCURRENCE. BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR AT THE LOCAL DEALER, WAITING FOR DIAGNOSIS OF PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. WHILE PARKED THE CONTACT NOTICED THE ENTIRE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION REPORTED TO THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOT WHERE THE INSURANCE COMPANY WOULD INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE CAUSE OF FIRE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,200. UPDATED 07/08/11 *BF UPDATED 3/6/12 *CN

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON AT 67K MILES AND I HAVE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN TO GET CHECKED AT THE DEALER. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THAT THE TIMING CHAIN IS BEGINNING TO FAIL AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, ALONG WITH A WATER PUMP LEAK. THE TIMING CHAIN IS A KNOWN FAILURE AND STILL HAS NO RECALL. *TR

EXTREMELY LOUD ENGINE NOISE DURING A COLD START. THE ROOT CAUSE IS THE FAILURE OF TIMING BELT TENSIONER. THE ONLY RECOURSE IS TO REPLACE THE TENSIONER AND ADJUST OR REPLACE THE BELT/CHAIN. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT. *TR