2007 MINI COOPER S Complaints

DRIVING MINI COOPER S WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I LOST POWER TO THE CAR AND WAS ABLE TO GET IT OFF THE HWY. TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND DAMAGED THE ENGINE. THE CAR HAS 91,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. HAPPENED ON FREEWAY. COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER, HAD TO BE TOWED. *TR

RECEIVED A LETTER FROM MINI ON 11/16/13 NOTIFYING ME OF POSSIBILITY OF FAULTY CHAIN TENSIONER, WHICH NEEDED TO BE "CHECKED FOR WEAR AND REPLACED IF NECESSARY," AND THAT I SHOULD CONTACT AN AUTHORIZED MINI DEALER TO ARRANGE AN APPOINTMENT. NO INDICATION THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN. TWO DAYS LATER (11/18/13), JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE, THEN THE RED ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, SO I SHUT DOWN THE VEHICLE AND HAD IT TOWED FIRST TO THE IMPORT SHOP THAT NORMALLY SERVICES THE MINI THEN, AFTER CONSULTATION WITH THAT MECHANIC ABOUT MINI'S RECALL LETTER, HAD IT TOWED TO A MINI DEALERSHIP, WHERE IT NOW SITS WAITING FOR DIAGNOSIS AND NEWS ABOUT WHAT ANY DAMAGE MIGHT COST TO REPAIR, WHETHER I WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT, AND WHETHER I WILL BE REIMBURSED FOR TWO TOW CHARGES AND A CAR RENTAL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT TRANSMISSION FLUID WOULD LEAK FROM THE VEHICLE WHEN DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE AXLE AND SEAL FOR THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED HOWEVER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE TURBO OIL FEED LINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND OVER-HEATED, CAUSING SMOKE TO EMIT FROM UNDER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,562 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,000.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, WHEN WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR INDICATORS, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. I WAS STUCK IN A DANGEROUS PLACE, WITH HIGH-SPEED TRAFFIC FOR SOMETIME. THE DEALER WHO AS MY CAR SAYS: "THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS THE LOCKING UP OF THE VACUUM PUMP. CONSEQUENTLY THIS CAUSED THE BOLT ON THE EXHAUST CAM SHAFT SPROCKET TO SHEER OFF CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO RUN OUT OF TIME. THE PISTONS THEREFORE MADE CONTACT WITH BOTH INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVES, VERIFIED WITH BOROSCOPE INSPECTION, THUS BENDING THE VALVES AND CAUSING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE TO THE ENGINE. $6850.00 MINUS DISCOUNT TO REPLACE ENGINE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. I HAVE HAD A LOT ISSUES WITH VARIOUS MINI ENGINE PARTS DETERIORATING, DESPITE FOLLOWING THE RECOMMENDED REGULAR MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES ' CLUTCH, FLY-WHEEL, THERMOSTAT, INTAKE SILENCER, SPARK PLUGS, TIMING CHAIN TWICE, WATERPUMP, RADIO HEAD UNIT, DRIVE BELT, HI-LO HORN, BOOT LATCH, BOOT CABLE, TO NAME A FEW. HOPEFULLY MINI WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE ISSUES. *TR

RAN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND THESE WARNINGS CAME UP - 2D52 SUPER KNOCKING 2DCD FUEL SHUT OFF DUE TO SUPER KNOCKING CYLINDER 3 2968 INLET CAMSHAFT SENSOR 2B64 INTAKE MANIFOLD, UNMETERED AIR BASED ON ALL OF THESE SOUND LIKE MY MINI COOPER HAS BAD FUEL AND/OR SERIOUS CARBON BUILD, I'VE JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR FROM A DEALERSHIP AND I AM EXPERIENCING DELAYS IN ACCELERATION, LOSS OF FORWARD PROPULSION.

UPON ACCELERATION WHEN THE TURBO CHARGER ENGAGES THERE IS A HIGH PITCHED SQUEAL WHICH CHANGES TONE DEPENDING UPON THE ACCELERATION. AFTERWARDS SMOKES STARTS LEAKING FROM THE HOOD SCOOP AND SIDES OF THE HOOD ITSELF. IT SMELLS OF BURNED OIL. I NOTICED OIL POOLING AT A CONNECTION POINT NEAR THE TURBO CHARGER UNIT. IN MID-AUGUST THE CAR FAILED IT'S EMISSIONS TEST DUE TO A CRACKED VALVE COVER. I HAD THE MINI DEALERSHIP REPLACE THE VALVE COVER WHICH WAS ENOUGH TO PASS INSPECTION. HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED ME THAT I HAD AN OIL LEAK IN A LINE TO THE TURBO CHARGER THAT COULD START A FIRE AND TO WATCH MY OIL LEVEL CLOSELY. THE COST TO REPAIR THIS (AFTER NEARLY $900 ON THE VALVE COVER) IS SIMPLY BEYOND MY MEANS PRESENTLY. SINCE LEARNING ABOUT THE POSSIBLE DANGERS THE CAR IS NO LONGER PARKED IN THE GARAGE.

THIS VEHICLE HAS TWICE HAD A FAILURE OF THE TIMING CHAIN AS A RESULT OF A FAULTY TENSIONER, RESULTING IN CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED FROM A DEAD STOP IN A PARKING LOT SO THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE SAFETY ISSUE. THE SECOND INCIDENT, OCCURRING 12/03/2012, MANIFESTED AS THE VEHICLE WAS DE-ACCELERATING COMING OFF A HIGHWAY EXIT WITH A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE EXIT, IN A REMOTE AREA. MINI COOPER SENT THEIR TECHNICIANS IN 2007 A "SERVICE BULLETIN," SHORT OF A RECALL, WHEN THE TREND WAS DISCOVERED AMONG ITS "R56' MODEL ENGINES IN 2008. I HAD WARNED MINI OF SOUNDS WHICH LATER WERE DETERMINED BY INDEPENDENT EXPERTS TO BE THE TIMING CHAIN'S "DEATH RATTLE" PRIOR TO THE FIRST FAILURE, WHICH THEY ATTRIBUTED TO THE CAR'S "GO-KART LIKE START UP." AFTER 6 MONTHS OF STRUGGLING, MINI AGREED TO 80% OF THE REPAIR COSTS, WITH A NEW TIMING CHAIN UNDER A ONE YEAR WARRANTY. OTHER FAILURES SIDELINED THE VEHICLE FOR MONTHS IN THE INTERVENING TIME, AND DUE TO THE INCREDIBLE COST OF REPAIR THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE GARAGED UNTIL REPAIRED. SO ALTHOUGH OVER A YEAR PASSED BETWEEN TIMING CHAIN FAILURES, ABOUT ONLY ABOUT 39K MILES WERE DRIVEN IN THAT TIME. AS OF NOW, MINI IS ONLY OFFERING 50% CULPABILITY, THIS AFTER STARTING A VOCAL TWITTER CAMPAIGN. I STILL OWE $10K ON A VEHICLE THAT REQUIRES UP TO $5K IN REPAIRS- A REPAIR WHICH WILL ONLY REPLACE A DEFECTIVE PART WITH THE SAME DEFECTIVE PART. *TT

WHILE DRIVING I NOTICED THAT MY RIGHT FOOT WAS GETTING HOT. I MOVED MY HAND DOWN TO THE GAS PEDAL AREA AND FELT A LOT HEAT WHICH I LATER DETERMINED TO BE COMING FROM THE PLASTIC PANEL TO THE RIGHT OF THE GAS PEDAL. IT WAS SO HOT THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO TOUCH WITH MY BARE HANDS. *TR