2010 MINI COOPER S CLUBMAN Complaints

MY 2010 COOPER CLUBMAN S RECENTLY HAD ITS TIMING CHAIN SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING FAIL. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED ACCORDING TO MINI'S SUGGESTED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE SINCE I FIRST PURCHASED IT. IN FACT, I WAS ON MY WAY TO A SCHEDULED SERVICING OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE MOTOR FAILED. IT STARTED WITH A LOUD RATTLING NOISE FROM THE MOTOR, WHICH MADE THE CAR INTERMITTENTLY SOUND LIKE EITHER A DIESEL ENGINE OR A CHAINSAW SLICING THROUGH SOMETHING. THEN AS I SLOWED DOWN IN TRAFFIC, THE RPMS ON THE CAR BEGAN TO SPASTICALLY JUMP. I WAS FORTUNATE THAT A BUSINESS COMPLEX PARKING LOT WAS IMMEDIATELY ACCESSIBLE. AS I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A STOP IN THE LOT, THE MOTOR CUT OUT AND REFUSED TO START. I WAS LESS THAN A HALF MILE FROM THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER! THE SERVICE REP FIRST TOLD ME MY TIMING CHAIN HAD SLIPPED. THEN SHE CALLS BACK THREE HOURS LATER TO TELL ME THERE'S REASON TO BELIEVE THAT A VALVE ISN'T UNDER COMPRESSION. THIS MORNING SHE INFORMS ME THAT I'M LOOKING AT POSSIBLY REPLACING MY MOTOR. THIS CAR WAS WORKING FINE ON THURSDAY WITH NO SIGN THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. THIS SUDDEN FAILURE OF MY MOTOR WOULD HAVE BEEN BEYOND DANGEROUS HAD IT HAPPENED NOT TWO MINUTES PRIOR WHEN I WAS PULLING OFF OF A MAJOR HIGHWAY. THE DEALERSHIP HAS INFORMED ME THAT NONE OF THE DAMAGE INCURRED IS COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED MAINTENANCE PLAN. I DID A LITTLE DIGGING AND DISCOVERED THAT NOT ONLY IS THIS PROBLEM APPARENTLY A COMMON ONE, BUT MINI HAS FACED - OR IS CURRENTLY FACING - SEVERAL POTENTIAL CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS OVER THIS FAILURE FOR MANY OF THEIR MODELS MADE DURING THE 2008-2010 YEARS. *JS

MY FATHER PURCHASED A 2010 MINI COOPER CLUBMAN S IN LATE 2009. HE HAS MAINTAINED PROPER MAINTENANCE ON THE CAR SINCE DAY ONE. IN FEBRUARY 2014 HE GAVE THE CAR TO ME. THE CAR ONLY HAS 57,000 MILES ON IT AND WE NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AND WE TOOK IT TO MINI OF LOUISVILLE. THEY HAD THE CAR FOR OVER 1 MONTH TO REPLACE THE VALVE BODY BECAUSE THE PART WAS ON NATIONAL BACKORDER. WE WERE ADVISED THAT IF WE CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IT COULD CAUSE THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL EVEN WHILE DRIVING. IF IT IS ON NATIONAL BACKORDER, AND FOR OVER 30 DAYS, I WONDER HOW MANY OTHER MINI'S ARE HAVING THE SAME REPAIRS. THE TOTAL COST FOR THE REPAIRS WERE JUST UNDER $2800. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 60K MILES ON IT AND WAS JUST SLIGHTLY OVER THE WARRANTY, WHERE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED AT NO CHARGE. BOTH MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS STILL SLIPPING AND IS WORSE THAN IT WAS BEFORE THE REPAIRS AND WE HAVE ONLY HAD THE CAR BACK FOR 3 DAYS. I HAVE READ MANY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THE 2010 MINI. I ALSO SAW THAT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST BMW FOR THE 2002-2008 MINI COOPER FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *TR

FIRST INCIDENT: ON A HOT DAY, VEHICLE WAS PARKED, DRIVERS SEAT OCCUPIED AND RECLINED. AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATES UPON RESTART OF VEHICLE. FAULT WAS RESET BY DEALER WITH NO EXPLANATION. SECOND TIME SAME SITUATION; HOT DAY, PARKED, DRIVER SEAT OCCUPIED AND RECLINED, AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATES UPON RESTART. DEALER REPLACED AIR BAG DUE TO ELECTRICAL CABLE FOR DRIVERS SEAT AIRBAG BEING NEARLY CUT IN TWO BY SHARP EDGE OF SEAT FRAME. *TR