2008 MINI COOPER S Complaints

LOUD ENGINE NOISE COMING FROM CHAIN TENSIONER AT STARTUP. SOUNDS LIKE DIESEL ENGINE. ALSO HAPPENS DURING COLD ENGINE START. *TR

TURBO OIL SUPPLY LINE IS LEAKING OIL ON MY 2008 COOPER S, THE DEALER HAS RECOMMEND REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF $900. I INITIALLY TOOK THE CAR IN FOR A RECALL TO INSTALL A HEAT SHIELD ON THE SAME OIL LINE, SOME ONLINE RESEARCH (INCLUDING MANY OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS HERE) HAS SUGGESTED THAT THE LACK OF A HEAT SHIELD HAS CAUSED THIS FAILURE, YET IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. YET ANOTHER UNFORTUNATE DEFECT IN THE MINI DESIGN, I'VE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH THE TIMING CHAIN/TENSIONER DEBACLE. *TR

I CAN'T TELL EXACTLY THE MILEAGE OF THE CAR BY THE TIME THE ALARM POP UP, BUT IT WAS ABOUT 64K AS SPECIFIED ABOVE. AT THAT TIME THE PASSENGER AIR BAG ALARM COMES "ON" THE CAR WITH A PASSENGER SEATED. IT ALL STARTED INTERMITTENT BUT AFTER A WEEK THE LIGHT REMAINS ON ALL THE TIME, ALONG WITH THE WARNING "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF". BOTH LIGHTS (THE ALARM AND THE WARNING) REMAINS ON ALL THE TIME. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE SERVICE DEPT. AND AFTER 117.00 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC, THEY CONCLUDE THAT THE "SENSOR MAT (OC3) SIB 657506" (WHATEVER THAT IS) WAS BROKEN AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT. THEY ARE CHARGING A TOTAL OF $2,608 FOR PARTS AND LABOR (INCLUDING TAXES). AFTER THIS TROUBLE AND A STRETCHED TIMING CHAIN THAT WAS DIAGNOSE WERE COVERED THE THREE DAYS THE CAR SPENT AT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, I ASKED MINI OF AMERICA TO CALL ME BACK, BUT AFTER SOME E-MAILS BACK AND FORWARD, THE. *TR

BOUGHT CAR FROM DEALERSHIP AFTER A LOT OF RESEARCH ON ISSUES WITH THESE CARS AN COMPLAINTS. BROUGHT VARRO MINI DEALERSHIP AND ASKED ABOUT TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER AND WAS TOLD MINE WAS FINE EVEN THOUGH THEY NEVER OPENED UP COVER TO INSPECT CHAIN OR TENSIONER. HAVE BEEN BACK THREE DIFFERENT TIMES WITH MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH TIMING CHAIN/TENSIONER HORRIBLE RATTLE. MINI SAYS THERE IS NO KNOWN DEFECTS WITH TIMING CHAIN/ TENSIONERS EVER BROUGHT UP. I THEN WAS TOLD BY MY BROTHER THAT HE I TAKING HIS MINI IN FOR A SERVICE ACTION ON THE TIMING CHAIN/TENSIONER, TURBO HEAT SHIELD, THERMOSTAT HOUSING. WE HAVE EXACT SAME CAR, SAME BUILD DATE, AND ROLLED OUT FROM SAME FACTORY BUT MINI STATES OURS ISN'T COVERED UNDER THE SERVICE ACTION EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE THE EXACT SAME CAR AND EVERYTHING. AND MY BROTHER IS ALSO OUT OF WARRANTY BUT THEIRS IS GETTING FIXED FREE. PLEASE HELP. I AM AWARE OF THE FREEMAN-SKEEN CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AND HAVE FILE A COMPLAINT WITH BBB SO I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO FIND LEGAL HELP SINCE THEY DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO NHTSA COMPLAINTS. *TR

IT HAS OIL LEAKS AROUND TURBO LINE WHICH THE OILS MAKE SMOKES AS THE OIL DRIP CONTACTS WITH DOWN PIPE. THIS MAY RESULT IN SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE CAR. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY MINI THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP THAT SPECIALIZES IN MINI'S. THE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THE CRANKCASE VALVE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND IT IS BUILT INTO THE VALVE COVER. UPON INSPECTION THE MECHANIC ALSO DISCOVERED MY TIMING CHAIN IS ALMOST RUINED ALSO. I HAVE BEEN HEARING THE TIMING CHAIN RATTLE UPON START UP. *TR

TIMING CHAIN MAKING TERRIBLE RATTLE. AFTER RESEARCH THIS SEEMS TO BE A NEW AND QUITE COMMON PROBLEM. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. *TR

TIMING CHAIN MECHANISM (TENSIONER SEEMED TO BE MAIN CULPRIT) FAILING AND SYSTEM NEEDED REPLACEMENT. TOTAL COST $2500. CAR HAD 33,000 EASY MILES ON IT. MECHANIC SAID TIMING SYSTEM WAS ON THE VERGE OF FAILING TRAUMATICALLY AND DESTROYING THE ENGINE. REPORTED IT TO MINI, WHO ADMITTED THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF TROUBLE WITH THOSE BUT THERE HAD BEEN NO RECALL SO THEY COULDN'T HELP ME. REPLACEMENT PARTS WERE DIFFERENT SERIAL NUMBERS THAN THE ORIGINALS INDICATING, PER MY MECHANIC, THEY HAD REDESIGNED THE PARTS.

ENGINE RATTLE ON COLD START INDICATED A LOOSE OR STRETCHED TIMING CHAIN. REQUIRED A PREMATURE REPLACEMENT OF TIMING CHAIN, GUIDES AND TENSIONER

WHILE TURNING AT A HIGHWAY INTERSECTION, THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED WHICH, IN TURN, DESTROYED THE ENGINE. I WAS STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. I HAVE BEEN GIVEN A QUOTE OF 7,200.00 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH A NEW ONE. *TR