2008 MINI COOPER S Complaints

AFTER MINI/BMW REPAIRED THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER AND THE TIMING CHAIN, MY TURBO OIL SUPPLY LINE DEVELOPED A SIGNIFICANT LEAK (WITHIN A WEEK/ WITHIN 200 MILES OF MINI SERVICE) CAUSING SMOKE TO ESCAPE FROM THE BONNET, OIL TO COVER THE FRONT ENGINE/TURBO/EXHAUST. OIL NOW PUDDLES BENEATH THE CAR WHEN PARKED. THE CAR HAS 89,XXX MILES. I FIRST NOTICED THE SMELL OF BURNING OIL WHEN DRIVING ACROSS TOWN AT A SPEED OF 40MPH. WHEN PARKING THE VEHICLE, UPON IDLE THE SMOKE BILLOWED FROM THE BONNET OF THE CAR. ACCORDING TO MINI FORUMS, THIS PROBLEM OF A FAILED O-RING IN THE TURBO OIL SUPPLY LINE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM RESULTING IN NUMEROUS FAILURES THAT CAN LEAD TO CATASTROHIC DAMAGE TO THE TURBO, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND ENGINE.

AIR BAG WARNING WITH THE FAULT CODE 93C3 WHICH HAS CAUSED A RECALL OF 91 THOUSAND VEHICLES... MY MINI S IS NOT A RECALL CAR. (ON THE SAME GRID AS THE RECALLED MINI'S...SAME OEM REPAIR PARTS) MINI USA REPRESENTATIVE [JAMIE] SUGGESTED I REMOVE THE AIR BAG AND PUT A SIGN UP IN THE DASH INDICATING 'NO AIR BAG" IF I DID NOT WANT TO PAY THE $1500.00+ IN REPAIIR COST... AND THAT WILL ALLOW ME TO PASS THE STATE INSPECTION.

THE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE 16600MILES. THE WARNING LIGHT FOR THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG GOES ON INTERMITTENTLY. THE LIGHT FOR THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG ILLUMINATES "OFF". TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND FOUND THE PASSENGER SEAT MAT FAULTY. STARTED FLICKERING WHILE DRIVING BUT NOW THE LIGHT IS ON CONSTANTLY WHEN START CAR AND DRIVING. I HAVE READ THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM FOR VEHICLES MANUFACTURED UP TO JULY 2008. MY MINI S SHOWS A PRODUCTION DATE 8/01/08. I HAD THIS CAR BUILT TO MY SPECIFICATION IN JULY 2008. I HAVE PAID FOR THE PART BECAUSE I BELIEVE THIS IS FOR THE SAFETY FOR WHOM EVER RIDES WITH ME BUT THE PART IS ON BACKORDER AND WE ARE WAITING FOR IT TO ARRIVE FROM GERMANY. BMW/MINI HAVE NOT RESOLVED THE ISSUE IF IT IS STILL HAPPENING. THE COST TO REPAIR IS APPROX.$ 2153.00. IF I WAIT TILL I GET A RECALL AND THERE IS A FATALITY.....? IF AT A LATER DATE A RECALL IS MADE FOR MY VEHICLE CAN I GET THE FULL COST REIMBURSED?

WHEN STARTING CAR, I GET A GRINDING, RATTLING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS IS THE CHAIN TENSIONER ON THE CAR

PURCHASED AT 61,000 MILES 9/9/14; HAD SYNTHETIC OIL CHANGE 5/15; 9/29/15 CAR BEGAN TO HAVE A RATTLE BUT UNSURE IF IT WAS FRONT OF CAR OR BACK OF CAR. RATTLING STOPPED ON ACCELERATION. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. 10/4/15 CAR DIED AT 69,362 MILES WHILE DRIVING ON A TWO LANE ROAD ON A CURVE. WAS ABLE TO COAST TO GETTING HALF THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. BYPASSERS PUSHED ME OFF THE REST OF THE WAY. TOWED TO MECHANIC WHO SAID IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN GUARD THAT SPLIT OFF. CALLED MINI THEY SAID THEIR DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT HAD TO LOOK AT IT. HAD IT TOWED TO OH 70 MILES AWAY. THEY TOLD ME I HAD AN OIL LEAK WHICH CAUSED THE FOLLOWING TO BE DAMAGED - CRANK SHAFT, HARMONIC BALANCER, CYLINDER HEAD, TIMING CHAIN AND GUARD AND MAYBE OTHER STUFF BUT THEY COULDN'T TELL WITHOUT FURTHER EXAMINATION. TOLD $5,000 PLUS TO FIX, BUT I SEE MINI ESTIMATE STATES $3,500-4,500. MY LOCAL MECHANIC FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF AN OIL LEAK CAUSING THE TROUBLE, NOR DID I HAVE AN OIL SPOT WHERE I PARKED MY CAR IN THE GARAGE OR WORK PARKING LOT. NO OIL OR ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL BURNING OIL ODOR FROM THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED CONSTANTLY. THE CONTACT PARKED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED OIL LEAKING ONTO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000.

PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT SAY LITE EVEN THOUGH NO ONE IS SEATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. DEALER SAID KNOWN ISSUE BUT NOT PART OF RECALL. QUOTED A VERY HIGH PRICE TO HAVE REPAIRED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER S. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR WAS CONSISTENTLY ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED EACH TIME THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 (AIR BAGS). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

WITHOUT BEING INVOLVED IN ANY INCIDENT, THE AIRBAG AND SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHTS STAY ON. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE ON MINIS AND BMWS AROUND A FAULTY AIRBAG/PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR AND IT APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT COULD BE RISKING MANY LIVES. MINI NEEDS TO DIAGNOSE/INVESTIGATE AND EXTEND RECALLS TO ALL VEHICLES THAT HAVE FAULTY MANUFACTURING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER S. WHILE THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED, THE AIR BAG FAILURE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, INDICATING THAT THE ENTIRE AIR BAG SYSTEM WAS DEACTIVATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED EACH TIME A PASSENGER WAS SEATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,500. UPDATED 09/25/15*LJ UPDATED