2008 MINI COOPER S Complaints

WHILE DRIVING HOME ON SECONDARY ROAD, A LOUD ENGINE NOISE STARTED AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON BLINKING. I PULLED OVER AND HAD CAR TOWED TO MY GARAGE. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER BROKE AND HAD TO BE REPAIRD. THIS WAS DONE FOR A COST OF $567.97. IN RESEARCHING INFORMATION ABOUT THIS, IT APPEARS MANY OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT IN HOPES THAT BMW REIMBURSES THIS EXPENSE FOR AN ISSUE THEY SEEM TO BE AWARE OF BUT ARE NOT TAKING RECALL ACTION WITH. *TR

THE DEALER INFORMED ME MY OIL FEED LINES TO THE TURBO WERE LEAKING AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED SOON. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH FOUND THE COUPLINGS THAT ATTACHES THESE LINES TO THE TURBO ARE DEFECTIVE. THE DEALER SAYS THERE IS NOT A RECALL AND WILL COST APPROX: $1200.00. THE DEALER INSTALLED A TURBO SHIELD TO HELP WITH THE HEAT THAT IS CAUSING THE LINE TO PREMATURELY FAIL. WITH SO MANY AFFECTED SHOULDN'T MINI BE FIXING THIS ISSUE. *TR

LEADING UP TO INCIDENT CAR WASN'T SHIFTING SMOOTHLY AND WOULD BECOME STUCK I THIRD GEAR WITH YELLOW GEAR LIGHT WITH EXCLAMATION ILLUMINATED. IF YOU STOP AND TURN ENGINE OFF THEN START AGAIN THE LIGHT TURNS OFF AND CAR DRIVES NORMAL. YESTERDAY THE CAR SLAMMED INTO PARK WHILE DRIVING 25MPH. GEAR SELECTOR WAS IN DRIVE THE WHOLE TIME. YELLOW GEAR LIGHT CAME ON WITH EXCLAMATION MARK AND TRIP COMPUTER SAID CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTION. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO CAME ON. CAR WOULD NOT START. HAD TO BE TOWED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE VEHICLE AND THE SERVICE ENGINE, COOLANT, AND OIL WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT COOLANT WAS ADDED ON TWO OCCASIONS, BUT THE COOLANT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ONE WEEK LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP, AND ENGINE WERE MELTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V008000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000.

FAILURE OF FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT. THE SAME BMW SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTION MAT (OC3) THAT WAS REFERRED TO IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08V-384 HAS BEEN FAILING IN MINI COOPERS ON A WIDE SCALE. THIS CAUSES THE AIRBAG TO BE DEACTIVATED WHICH IS A SAFETY HAZARD WHEN OCCUPANTS OCCUPY THE SEAT AND ARE INVOLVED IN A CRASH WHERE THE AIRBAG'S ACTIVATION COULD PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN SURVIVABILITY. I BELIEVE THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD INCLUDE OTHER BMW CORPORATE MAKES AND MODELS, SUCH AS MINI, WHICH INVOLVE THE SAME SEAT SENSOR. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON FREEWAY AND CAR JUST STALLED. I MADE IT TO SIDE OF FREEWAY. IT WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION BEING ON FREEWAY IN SMALL CAR THAT STALLED. LUCKILY, I WAS DRIVING IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE SO I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SHOULDER. REPAIR SHOP ADVISED THAT TIMING CHAIN BROKE. THERE WAS ADDITIONAL SERIOUS COLLATERAL ENGINE DAMAGE DUE TO TIMING CHAIN BREAKING. CAR IS PERFECTLY MAINTAINED AND REGULARLY SERVICED. *TR

THE FOLLOWING REPORTS ARE FROM: ORLANDO MINI 350 S. LAKE DESTINY DRIVE ORLANDO, FL 32810 (407) 835-2727 INCIDENT 1 @ 47,603 MILES: SERVICE ADVISOR [XXX]. [XXX] FOUND TIMING CHAIN RATTLE "NOISE AT IDLE UP TO 2,100 RPM. NOISE IS A RATTLE UNDER VALVE COVER NEAR CYL 1. INTERROGATED FAULT MEMORY, NO FAULTS. FOUND NOISE TO BE RELATED TO VALVE-TRAIN. PERFORMED STEPS OUTLINED IN BULLETIN 110207. MEASURED TIMING CHAIN SLACK AT 71.5MM. NEEDS COMPLETED REPLACEMENT TIMING CHAIN CASSETTE." REPLACED TENSIONERS (PART # 11-31-7-598-956, PART # 11-31-7-534-833), AND MANY OTHER PARTS. INCIDENT 2 @ 96,125 MILES: 100% CLIENT GOODWILL PROVIDED. [XXX] FOUND THAT THE "TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILED, FOUND VEHICLE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER TO HAVE FAILED CAUSING VEHICLE TO BECOME OUT OF TIMING, REPLACED TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER AT THIS TIME, CLEARED FAULTS FROM SYSTEM AND TEST DROVE VEHICLE, ALL OK..." REPLACED TENSIONERS (PART # 11-31-7-609-483 [ALREADY UPDATED FROM THE ONE USED ABOVE], PART # 11-31-7-534-833), AND MANY OTHER PARTS. INCIDENT 3 @ 105,543 MILES: SERVICE ADVISOR [XXX]) FOUND "DEFECT CODE 00 11 08 03 00, CHECK TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER, FOUND IT WAS AN UPDATED MODEL, OK AFTER THAT REPAIR" SINCE IT WAS UPDATED. NOTHING WAS REPLACED. NOISE GOT WORSE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I WAS DRIVING IN A THREE LANE HIGHWAY WHEN THE ENGINE STOPPED SUDDENLY AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE 2008 MINI COOPER S WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MINI DEALER. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN BECAUSE THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER HAD COLLAPSED. MINI USA INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE TENSIONER WHICH MY CAR QUALIFIED FOR AND IF THE DEALER COULD STATE THAT WAS THE CAUSE THE ENGINE WOULD BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. THE DEALER REFUSED TO MAKE THE CONNECTION AND REFUSES TO TELL ME AFTER A TEAR-DOWN WHAT CAUSED THE FAILURE. MINI IS TAKING NO RESPONSIBILITY AND I'M LEFT WITH A $12000 REPAIR BILL, BEYOND WHAT THE CAR IS WORTH. IT IS WELL DOCUMENTED THAT THE FAILURE OF THE TENSIONER CAUSES ENGINE FAILURE. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR IS GOING OFF WHEN EITHER A PASSENGER OF AVERAGE WEIGHT (150LBS.) IS OCCUPYING SEAT OR A SMALL BUMP IN ROAD IS HIT. THE AIR BAG SENSOR FOR WIRING AND SEAT CUSHION REPLACEMENT IS NO LONGER UNDER A WARRANTY FOR 2008 MODEL, BUT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM COSTING APPROXIMATELY $1200.00 TO REPAIR AT THE DEALER. THE 2002-2006 MODELS HAD RECALL BY MINI FOR THIS. ALONG WITH THE BELOW SERVICE BULLETIN. SERVICE BULLETIN NO.: SIM-65-08-03 COMPONENT(S): AIR BAGS NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10043927 MANUFACTURER: BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC SUMMARY: BMW MINI: AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT IS ON: MRS FC 02, 03, 05, 06. *KB I WOULD LIKE A RECALL ON THIS MADE FOR THE 2008 MODEL AS THIS IS A MASSIVE SAFETY ISSUE AS I DON'T KNOW IF IN AN ACCIDENT EITHER DRIVER OR PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY. WITHOUT A RECALL OWNERS MUST PAY $1200 FOR WHAT IS A KNOWN DEFECT BY MINI. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO GET INJURIES FOR THIS TO BECOME A RECALL? *TR

AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT TURNED ON WHEN DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. THE SERVICE DIAGNOSED FAULTY PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTOR AND QUOTED $1,880 TO FIX. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS COMMON FOR THIS MAKE BASED ON FORUM WEBSITES. THE CAR HAS ONLY 28K MILEAGE AND SPORT SEATS. *TR