2007 MINI COOPER S Complaints

THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILS CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SUFFER CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. THE CUSTOMER IS EXPECTED TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR A REPAIR EVEN THOUGH MINI HAS ADMITTED A POOR DESIGN AND ARE REPLACING TENSIONERS VIA A CAMPAIGN. THE CUSTOMER WILL NOT GET REIMBURSEMENT. *TR

I TRIED TO START MY CAR AND ONLY HEARD A SPINNING SOUND. FIRST I THOUGHT THE TRANSMISSION OR STARTER WOULD NEED REPLACING BUT AFTER HAVING IT TOWED TO THE MINI DEALERSHIP, I WAS INFORMED IT IS THE TIMING CHAIN. UPON FURTHER REVIEW I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BELT HAD SHATTERED AND BENT THE VALVES, AND NOW THE PISTONS ARE BLOCKED AND A PLETHORA OF OTHER THINGS. THE TOTAL TO REPAIR THIS DOMINO EFFECT OF DAMAGE IS ABOVE $8,000 AND JUST THE CHAIN ALONE IS 1500 BUT I WAS INFORMED WOULD BE A GRAND MISTAKE BECAUSE THE CAR WILL NOT RUN. I AM A COLLEGE STUDENT WHO IS FINANCIALLY CHALLENGED AND AM NOW IN TOO DEEP TO EVEN TRY AND FLOAT. *TR

UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE THE ENGINE SOUNDS AS IF PARTS ARE LOOSE IN THE ENGINE AREA. IT LESSENS UP AFTER THE ENGINE WARMS UP BUT IS GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. IT APPEARS IT MAY BE THE TIMING CHAIN/ TENSIONER. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON 580 CAR LOST ALL POWER WITHOUT WARNING. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VACUUM PUMP FROZE UP, BOLT ON TIMING GEAR SHEARED OFF AND FELL INTO OIL PAN. OIL PUMP WAS DESTROYED AS A RESULT. ON 11/7/13 RECEIVED LETTER FROM MINI CORP. REGARDING A FAULTY TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER WITH PREMATURE WEAR, WHICH COULD CAUSE PROBLEMS. UPON REPLACEMENT OF TENSIONER ASSEMBLY, MECHANIC FOUND A FAULTY VACUUM PUMP WHICH FROZE WITHOUT WARNING. OIL DISTRIBUTION WAS COMPROMISED. THIS ABRUPT LOSS OF POWER PUT MY ENTIRE FAMILY IN JEOPARDY, WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED BODILY INJURY OR DEATH. BMW CORPORATION HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE VACUUM PUMP PROBLEM SINCE 2012. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED IN 3/15/11 WITH 32K MILES. MINI CORP LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE MAY BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR REPAIRS. I HAVE BEEN DECLINED ANY ASSISTANCE FOR A FAILED VACUUM PUMP ASSEMBLY WHICH CAUSED CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD REPORTS OF SIMILAR FAILURE. HIGHWAY SPEED, LOSS OF POWER, PUTTING VEHICLE AND OCCUPANTS IN PERIL CIRCUMSTANCE, BMW IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE DESIGN OR MANUFACTURE/MECHANICAL FLAWS IN THE ENGINEERING OF THIS MOTOR. *TR

COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE OIL PRESSURE WHILE SURROUNDED BY SEMIS IN THE 3/4-MILE-LONG BIG WALKER MOUNTAIN TUNNEL WHILE TRAVELING NORTHBOUND ON I-77 (NEAR VIRGINIA EXIT 47). THANKFULLY THE ENGINE DIDN'T SEIZE AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF ONCE THROUGH THE TUNNEL. ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC, THE CAUSE WAS A CHECK VALVE IN THE VALVE COVER, WHICH MALFUNCTIONED IN A WAY THAT CREATED A VACUUM AND TRAPPED OIL IN THE TOP PART OF THE ENGINE. REPLACEMENT COVER HAD BEEN REDESIGNED TO PREVENT THE PROBLEM, SO IT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A KNOWN ISSUE. *TR

THE CAR LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT RUN AT IDLE SPEED. AFTER MUCH EFFORT, MANAGED TO GET THE CAR TO THE ONLY DEALER IN THE STATE. AFTER TWO FAILED DIAGNOSTICS AND TWO "REPAIRS," THE DEALER SAYS I NOW NEED THE TIMING CHAIN REPLACED. THERE ARE KNOWN ISSUES ABOUT THE TIMING CHAIN AND THE TENSIONER. BMW AND DEALER DENY RESPONSIBILITY AND NOW WISH TO CHARGE AN ADDITIONAL $1500 TO REPAIR. *TR

WHILE DRIVING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD I NOTICED A BURNING SMELL AND A LITTLE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I PULLED INTO MY GARAGE AND POPPED THE HOOD TO FIND THE OIL FEED LINE TO THE TURBO HAD LEAKED OIL ALL OVER THE TURBO AND WAS BURNING OFF. I KNOW THE PROBLEM IS A FAULTY LINE THAT USES RUBBER WASHERS AND OVER TIME HEAT FROM THE TURBO CAUSES THEM TO FAIL. IN 2010 MINI PUT IN A HEAT SHIELD TO PROTECT THE LINE, ACKNOWLEDGING THE PROBLEM. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED PROPERLY, TO MANY PRE 2010 COOPER S ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. *TR

RATTLE AND OIL LEAK. LOSS OF FULL ENGINE POWER WHEN RESTARTED. DEALER SAYS ITS A TIMING CHAIN ASSEMBLY ISSUE. *TR

THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDES AND TENSIONER IN THE MINI COOPER ARE MADE FROM PLASTIC. THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN CREATED BY MINI USA TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, BUT NO RECALL. AS I WAS DRIVING HOME, MAKING A TURN ACROSS A BUSY INTERSECTION, MY TENSIONER BROKE, WHICH CAUSED MY VEHICLE TO DIE IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I HAD TO GET OUT OF MY VEHICLE AND PUSH IT ACROSS THE INTERSECTION WHILE CARS WERE DRIVING BY. ALTHOUGH IT IS COMMON FOR VEHICLE ENGINES TO DIE OF DIFFERENT ISSUES, THIS IS A WELL-DOCUMENTED AND ACKNOWLEDGED PROBLEM FOR MINI COOPERS, BUT THERE HAS NOT BEEN ENOUGH OF A PUBLIC OUTCRY FOR A RECALL. THE SITUATION IS DANGEROUS, AS IT CAN CAUSE ENGINE FAILURE WHICH CAN RESULT IN A COLLISION. THE REMEDY IS A REPLACEMENT OF A MANUFACTURER-ACKNOWLEDGED FAULTY PART. *TR

SATURDAY NIGHT, DEC. 28, 2013. I GO DOWNTOWN WITH MY GIRLFRIEND. SHE HAS A BIG BAG SO WE LET THE PASSENGER SEAT UP TO PUT HER BAG IN THE BACK SEAT. AS SOON AS SHE SITS DOWN AND WE BEGIN TO DRIVE AIR BAG LIGHT IN THE ROOF AND PRE BELT TENSIONER GOES OFF. I CHECK THE SEAT AND SEAT BELT. NOTHING VISIBLY WRONG. MY GIRLFRIEND IS 5'4 120 LBS. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. I GOOGLED THE PROBLEM AND FIND OUT BMW WHO MAKES MINI COOPER KNOWS THIS IS A PROBLEM AND ISSUED A RECALL ON EARLIER YEARS BUT LATER YEARS NEED A RECALL AS WELL AS THIS IS ANGLING DANGEROUS AND EXPENSIVE ISSUE TO FIX. YOU CAN FIND PROBLEMS ALL OVER THE NET REGARDING THIS ISSUE. MAKE BMW-MINI COOPER FIX THIS ISSUE THAT THEY KNOW ABOUT BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. *TR