We found the following complaints for MINI COOPER S (2008)
Read complaints for MINI COOPER S (2008)
The contact owns a 2008 mini cooper s. While driving various speeds, the front passenger side air bag warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the seat occupancy mat would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000.
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: 10043927manufacturer: bmw of north america, llcsummary: bmw mini: airbag warning light is on: mrs fc 02, 03, 05, 06. 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?
Air bag warning with the fault code 93c3 which has caused a recall of 91 thousand vehicles... My mini s is not a recall car.(on the same grid as the recalled mini's...same oem repair parts) mini usa representative [jamie] suggested i remove the air bag and put a sign up in the dash indicating 'no air bag" if i did not want to pay the $1500.00+ in repaiir cost... And that will allow me to pass the state inspection.
Passengers air bag appears off when someone are seat.this evolve a serious safety issue in case of accident.
I bought this car used with 86,100 miles on it. When driving within the first 500 miles, the airbag light and seat belt restraint system indicated on my dash (both the tachometer and the speedometer).an alert for the airbag appears as an icon on the tachometer. I took the car to the dealership who indicated the auto got wet which caused the air bag module to fail, which now needs replacement at a ridiculously high cost.
Warning message for seat belt tension/air bag malfunctionand both lights are on. The vehicle has 40+ thousand miles on it, i am a second owner.this problem just started on may 29, 2020. No accidents for this vehicle. Cost for repair is over $2000 and so far there's only recalls for 2008 convertible which i totally don't understand. This looks to be an ongoing problem with the mini and needs to be addressed due to the air bags being affected. I currently have no photos but can readily supply photos upon request. The seat belt light/air bag emblem shows on the dash screen when entering the key while stationary, no one is sitting in the passenger seat when this happens and does not go away when occupied.
The warning light indicates that the passenger air bag has been disabled when a full sized adult is in the passenger seat.
The contact owns a 2008 mini cooper s. While the front passenger seat was occupied, the air bag failure warning indicator illuminated, indicating that the entire air bag system was deactivated. The failure recurred each time a passenger was seated in the front passenger seat. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the seat occupancy mat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 79,500. Updated 09/25/15*lj updated
The front passenger seat occupant detection mat sensor has failed. The front passenger air bag is not activate in acrash when the seat is occupied. Recalls active for this exact issue for the same make in other years and models are currently recalled however others are excluded.
Takata recall:my 2008 mini cooper s hardtop began experiencing issues with the "passenger air bag off" light staying lite whether or not a passenger is in the car. On april 28, 2016, i took my car to a mini cooper dealership to have the issue diagnosed (at a cost of $53.95).the diagnosis states "fault passenger side seat mat sensor" (invoice copy attached). I don't understand why my vehicle that meets the criteria for the april 2015 air-bag recall except it is a hardtop instead of a convertible is not included in the recall.to fix this item will be over 1300.my car only has 14,000 miles on it.due to the cost, at this point i do not plan on having it fixed and will say my prayers every time i travel with a passenger in the vehicle.
Airbag passenger side light on w only 25000 miles on it, mechanic told me it's a short in the wiring caused by sunroof slicing into it.said he could fix it but headliner has to come down and he doesn't do that kind of work. Contacted mini usa and was told it's out of warranty and dealer prob won't fix it without charge. When someone gets killed or mamed, maybe they'll recall.cost to repair about $5k...
Airbag and seatbelt light remain on in the vehicle.i will not pay the outrageous amount of money the dealership wants the fix or replace whatever is wrong with it.maybe ill be the first person injured because of this fault that a recall actually is issued for this defect.
(sorry for my english)the car turn on the passenger air bag sensor every time. I dont have passengers any time but this problem appeared. There is a mini recall for this problems but they told me that my car is not in the recall list.
Without being involved in any incident, the airbag and seat belt warning lights stay on. There are thousands of complaints online on minis and bmws around a faulty airbag/passenger seat sensor and it appears to be a manufacturing defect that could be risking many lives. Mini needs to diagnose/investigate and extend recalls to all vehicles that have faulty manufacturing.
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 $2,608for parts and labor (including taxes).after this trouble and a stretched timing chain that was diagnose were covered the three days the car spent at the service department, i asked mini of america to call me back, but after some e-mails back and forward, the.
The contact owns a 2008 mini cooper s. When the vehicle was started, the air bag warning indicator was consistently illuminated. The failure recurred each time the vehicle was started. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure was unable to be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v205000 (air bags). The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.
Faulty passenger seat airbag sensor when an adult passenger weighing between 130 and 140 lbs sits.the airbag system turns off and there is no way to override this automatic sensor.i have taken the car to the dealership mini (san antonio) two times with no resolution. Mini states there is no error from the system, so they cannot replace this sensor.i demonstrated the issue to several people at the mini dealership but still no resolution.
Themileage on the vehicle 16600miles.the warning light for the front passenger airbaggoes on intermittently.the light for the front passenger airbag illuminates "off". Took to dealership and found the passenger seat mat faulty. Started flickering while drivingbut now the light is on constantly when start car and driving.i have read that there is a recall for this problem for vehicles manufactured up to july 2008.my mini s shows a production date 8/01/08.i had this car built to my specification in july 2008.i have paid for the part because i believe this is for the safety for whom ever rides with me but the part is on backorder and we are waiting for it to arrive from germany. Bmw/mini have not resolved the issue if it is still happening.the cost to repair is approx.$ 2153.00.if i wait till i get a recall and there is a fatality.....?if at a later date a recall is made for my vehicle can i get the full cost reimbursed?
Passenger side airbag seat mat is defective. Just stopped working.cost to replace is over $2000. So, the warning light for defective airbag sensor remains on.
Failure offront 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.
Air bag warning light on. Passenger airbag off despite someone sitting in that seat
To the best of my knowledge the airbag system is off line. The passenger airbags do not turn on when a passenger is seated. The passenger airbag indicator light shows that it is not turning on with or without a passenger. Also the drivers side airbag indicator light comes on the dashboard and the tachometer when i start the vehicle. This problem began while the vehicle was parked and stationary.
Passenger airbag lights on, the dealer said airbag works fine.i feel there is problem with air bag otherwise warning light should not be on.
I was in a bad car accident in which my car was rear ended. I was in the very most right hand lane on the highway, at a stop in stop and go traffic. The vehicle behind me did not stop, hitting me at approximately 75 mph. As a result, my car spun out to the right and hit the guard rail on the side of the highway head on. The car then bounced off of the guard rail, and spun about 180 degrees to the left, where the rear end of the car then hitthe same guard rail and finally stopped. When the car crashed into the guard rail head on, the air bag did not deploy and i hit my head and my chest against the steering wheel. I sustained a fracture in my t2 vertebrae and bad chest bruising.
The seat occupancy sensor malfunctions. The passenger side airbag may not deploy even if the passenger side seat is occupied. The airbag light sometimes stays on, while sometimes goes away. Mini has recalled several cars for seat occupancy sensor mat fault but my car isn't on the list. The light stays on when vehicle is stationary and also while running. I'm unable to use the passenger seat for safety concern. The airbag light goes away on its own as well but turns back on within a few miles.
"passenger air bag off" light on intermittently. I bring to dealer for repair three times, but dealer found nothing wrong. And my problem continue.
Passenger airbag light say lite even though no one is seated in the passenger seat. Dealer said known issue but not part of recall. Quoted a very high price to have repaired.
"passenger airbag off" light will illuminate, indicating that passenger airbag is turned off, when a full sized adult is occupying the passenger seat with seat belt buckled.
Starting around 65,000 miles passenger airbag sensor appeared on the dashboard when car would be turned on and would remain on while driving even though no one was in the passenger seat. Had it checked by local mini workshop and they said it was due to the defective passenger airbag mat in 2001-2008 models. They looked up my car for recall using my vin and my car was not included, though the 2008 cooper s convertible that uses the same exact part was included. This makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. This is a safety recall!! all models should be included since all models have the problem!! it is completely absurd that mini would pick and choose which of their customer's lives they want to save. I am being quoted between $700 and $1200 to get this issue fixed. Mini should foot that bill; they installed a defective part that is crucial in the safety of their customers and they need to own up to it.
Seat belt warning light comes on when starting car. Called local mini dealership and was told there was an "extended warranty" for seat mat sensor.
Passenger side airbag seat mat is defective. Just stopped working.cost to replace is over $2000. So, the warning light for defective airbag sensor remains on.
My car caught fire while driving. I had been driving for about an hour on the highway. There was no warning. No cel or errors on the dash display. Car was running normally. I noticed some smoke. After pulling to the side of the road flames started coming from under the hood. The car was still running normally. I shut off the motor and got out. Bystanders emptied an extinguisher through the front grille but within minutes the entire vehicle was engulfed. Car was almost completely destroyed. Fire burned through the firewall and consumed the interior.
2008 mini cooper s. The vehicle had a complete electrical and engine failure with no notice. While driving on interstate 287 in nj with absolutely no notice the car lost total power. Every warning light illuminated on the dash, all gauges dropped to zero, no power whatsoever from the engine, no way to open windows or door locks as their was a complete and total electrical and mechanical failure of this vehicle - there was absolutely no notice. One moment the vehicle was operating normally and the next i had complete and total mechanical, engine and electrical failure rendering the car disabled and without power in the middle lane of interstate 287 south in morristown nj. Vehicle brought to mini dealer; vehicle there for almost 2 weeks-supposedly "fixed". The same problem happened a second time within 100 miles of that first service. Vehicle brought to mini dealer again. Happened a third time for the service technician while he drove the car home from princeton to pa.vehicle was at mini for another 2 and one half weeks.now they say it is fixed and i do not feel confident they are correct. This problem is without warning and leaves the vehicle permanently disabled in a total and complete way that can lead to serious injury or death for the occupants.mini customer service was abhorrent. They would not return calls and stalled time and again when asked to repurchase this vehicle which is clearly unsafe. They will do nothing.the nhtsa must investigate. The only part they tell me is wrong is the footwell module but will be no more specific. Mini must be held accountable for this defect and failure; this is of very serious nature. Again, the car completely fails-everything-engine, electrical, all power you can not open door locks, windows or the rear hatch. The engine losses all power. Please investigate.
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 $2,608for 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.
2008 mini cooper s causes fire whilst parked in the garage at 2am, burns down another car and property. The sugar land, texas fire department reports the cause oforigin of the fire is suspected from mini cooper.
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: 10043927manufacturer: bmw of north america, llcsummary: bmw mini: airbag warning light is on: mrs fc 02, 03, 05, 06. 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?
Car will not start, leaving you stranded.pushing in clutch then start button, and nothing.first time was 5 weeks ago, towed to dealer, did tests, found no problem.happened again on 4/23/2009, giggled dead man switch on clutch pedal and then started.happened again 4/27/2009, tried giggle thing, nothing this time.sat overnight, then started.only common factor has been on warm spring days around 90 degrees.will be taking back to dealer.
As soon as car begins to move the dsc error appears and the dsc no longer works. I have been told that the szl module that controls this has failed and apparently does this with other mini's as well.
The contact owns a 2008 mini cooper s. While driving approximately 70 mph, the vehicle began to decelerate after the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road. The vehicle was powered off and back on and was able to be driven; however, the vehicle would not accelerate past 55 mph on a 70 mph highway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that one of the cylinders failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 62,000.
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.
Loud engine noise coming from chain tensioner at startup. Sounds like diesel engine.also happens during cold engine start.
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.
A significant engine oil leak was detected by oil spots under parked car.the dip stick registered 1 quart low.a quart was added and the car driven about 100 miles the next day.upon return, the oil was a quart low again.during the preceding two weeks there had been several instances of a burning oil smell and on two occasions smoke coming from under the hood.this was during a rainy period and the smoke was initially thought to be steam from getting water in the engine compartment from puddles on the roads.when i took the car in for service, the dealer found that the oil line to the turbo was leaking as well as the oil filter housing seal.both of these complaints have been noted in the database previously.the cost to repair was approximately $1000 usd.
Timing chain making terrible rattle. After research this seems to be a new and quite common problem. This needs to be recalled.
The oil feed line for the turbocharger leaked enough oil to allow enough smoke into the cabin to greatly decrease visibility.the fitting is comprised of a bango fitting that is crimped to the feed line with an o-ring in the feed line.the o-ring is the component that failed and my engineering back round has led me to the root cause being that the o-ring has seen enough thermal cycled to deteriorate leading to the leak.this is unacceptable from a reliability standpoint and i know that i am not the only mini owner that has had this happen to them.mini needs to own up to this design flaw.
I was told my warranty expired end of june. I bought mini-s 08 used in february from a mini dealership in westchester, elmsford, ny. I noticed a knocking noise that to me didn't sound normal not too long after i bought the car. The people at mini told me it was from something else, a loose piece and that they "fixed the problem." this noise only became worse, and now the car is at 45,000 miles and not even 6 months from purchase. The noise became even louder, which then it sounded like a tractor trailer.i changed the oil, the noise wasn't as loud but still there. My mechanic said that the timing belt is going to snap soon, and is a dangerous problem that can cause an accident, and once it breaks, the whole engine will be destroyed.
At 32000 miles an oil leak was noted on the garage floor.the foreign car repair shop troubleshot the leak.final outcome:replace supercharger assembly, vacuum brake booster pump and intake manifold gasket.total cost $3,014.78 for a vehicle that has a trade-in value of less than $5,000.the foreign car expert was amazed that the turbo had to be replaced with such low mileage.
My mini cooper s was purchased brand new, and had all regular maintenance done at the dealership. However, once the warranty expired i took the car to my regular mechanic who has performed work for myself and family for twelve years. After reading this website, and it's complaints the same problems have occurred to me. The oil lines began to leak because there was a clog, and it caused the turbo to burn out. Parts and labor for a used turbo came out to be around $1,800. A new turbo alone would have cost roughly 2,000. Now several thousand miles later, there was an oil leak noticed under the car. I took it to the dealership this time, to see what the exact problem was and an estimate before taking it to my mechanic. They found "several leaks" of which they replaced the water pump, the water pump gasket, valve cover gasket, and finally the oil filter gasket. After the $1,800 bill for that was paid, a call was received declaring that the crank case now has a leak in it as well and needs to be resealed. With the oil leaking from that, the clutch could also be burning out and need to be replaced costing an additional $5,400. The repair bill on this alone would be enough to bring normal hard working people to tears. Also, the cold start rattle identifying the timing belt issues has begun on my car. There are thousands upon thousands of complaints about this on the internet. Glad to know bmw takes care of it's customers and ignores the complaints.
My car started making a weird noise in the front of the car near the engine when i turned it on.then it continued to make the loud noise as i drove.i took the car to the dealer and they said the timing chain stretched and caused the guide rail to break, which fell into the oil pan.the dealer said i was lucky my engine didn't look up while i was on the highway.this was a $2100 fix on a 4 year old car with 53,000 miles.
The following reports are from: orlando mini350 s. Lake destiny driveorlando, fl32810(407) 835-2727incident 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 tobecome 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).
Timing chainjumped out of timing and caused bent valves.
We started hearing a loud noise around 27,000 miles.car was just over four years old and out of warranty.ended up with a timing chain issue and it needed to be replaced.repeated calls to mini dealer and mini usa provided worthless, stuck with whole repair and no assistance.
My car caught fire while driving. I had been driving for about an hour on the highway. There was no warning. No cel or errors on the dash display. Car was running normally. I noticed some smoke. After pulling to the side of the road flames started coming from under the hood. The car was still running normally. I shut off the motor and got out. Bystanders emptied an extinguisher through the front grille but within minutes the entire vehicle was engulfed. Car was almost completely destroyed. Fire burned through the firewall and consumed the interior.
When starting car, i get a grinding, rattling noise from the engine. I have been told this is the chain tensioner on the car
I had been servicing my 2008 mini cooper s at the dreyer & reinbold bmw mini dealership for the life of the car, which i bought new. I just had it in the shop around 50k miles and was not told that i should consider changing my timing belt. One day i went to start my car and it wouldn't start. I towed it to the dealer and they told me my timing belt had broken and damaged my engine. I am no faced with replacing my engine and a bill of $6600+. This defect that was not brought to my attention has ruined my engine and after thorough research of fellow mini drivers, i am hesitant about what other defects may come about in the future for this car. This should be brought to the attention of the manufacturer and there should be a lawsuit or recall in place to compensate mini owners for this faulty part.
The vehicle lost power while driving on the highway and a mini dealership has confirmed that the timing chain is the problem along with the valves (possibly caused by the timing being off). Multiple conversations with mini customer relations have gotten no where and the manufacturer refuses to take responsibility for the known issues with the timing chain in this vehicle. Despite a class action lawsuit specifically about the timing chain, no recall has been issued and the manufacturer refuses to assist customers with necessary repairs to this defective part (and other damage caused by the defect). These timing chain issues are not only an undue burden on the consumer, they can be potentially fatal if a timing chain fails at an unfortunate moment. Mini needs to issue a recall.
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.
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.
When the car accelerating on the first and second gear, there was a small jerking motion. Took it to the shop and they didn't find any problem with the car. One the day of the incident date, 01/08, when i started the car, the car have a loud engine sound, sounds like the car is chocking for air.the engine light is on with the rpm pointer running up and down (gas paddle is untouched). Took it to the dealer and the next day and they found there is oil leaking from the oil feed line to the turbo. $1200 to replace the part. Did some research online and found many mini owner had the same problem.
The turbo oil feed line is a known failure point on the engines put in this generation of mini cooper s models. The oil line uses a "o" ring gasket behind a pinch/crimp connection. This connection is directly in contact with the hot side of the turbo and fails due to excessive heat. This allows engine oil to leak out over the turbo and down the front of the engine. This could cause the engine to run low on oil at best. At the worst it could cause a fire if the turbo gets hot enough to ignite the oil that is leaking out.
I have now experienced my second timing chain tensioner failure within a three year period. Countless reports are surfacing around the globe of the faulty design, and the manufacturer (bmw) has acknowledged a design flaw. They have yet to issue a recall as the federal govt has not yet mandated the repair. This is a very dangerous situation (and expensive ~ $2k)should the system fail. The only notice is a rattling sound in the engine compartment prior to failure. Bmw claims the tensioner should be good for upwards of 120k miles. My vehicle has less than 50k and this is the 2nd failure i've experienced in the last 3 years. Considering the number of mini cooper vehicles on the road, a nationwide recall is the only measure to ensure this problem is adequately addressed.
The timing chain tensioner backed out of the engine block allowing engine oil to be pumped out of the engine.the tensioner works on engine oil pressure and it backed out far enough to allow the engine oil that normally pressurized the piston to be pumped out of the engine. I was lucky enough to see the streak of oil as i backed out of the driveway, but if i had not i am sure that more damage and potential fire would have occurred.this is surprising as this same part was replaced under a recall for being faulty.i believe that this is still a design flaw and something that should be addressed by mini.
Car takes a while to "warm up" however after a very short drive the hood is hot to the touch. It also smells hot. I looked on line and seen several complaints and there is actually an after market 'deflector' to channel heat from the hood. I have noticed the plastic hood scoop is deformed from heat. I feel it is a matter of time before a fire or other reaction, e.g., heat causes another part to fail and car wont stop, accelerate or other causing a crash. I also noticed the headlight wiring to be frayed as if it has been hot.
There is a leak at the oil supply line leading into to the turbo housing.this is a major oil leak and safety hazard.oil leaking onto the hot turbo can potentially cause a fire.aside from the potential fire hazard, the leak, had it gone unnoticed, could have caused an engine failure.the local mini dealership said the replacement would cost around $1,000 with oem parts.
Fuel smell started to get stronger in the cabin and outside of the vehicle, but did not see any leaks on the floor till today. I also notice the green temperature notification come on today. I had my oil changed at the bmw/mini dealer in ontario last month.
As i was driving the car, the hood in the front started to release smoke. There was also a smoking smell. This continued throughout the ride. Brought the car to a mechanic who indicates that the car is leaking oil onto the engine, making it extremely dangerous to drive as it can cause a fire. This problem continues to exist after i replace the oil pipe.
The oil input line to the turbo has started to leak. The car is currently sidelined because of chance of fire or failure of the turbo.
My mini has a faulty oil supply line going to the turbo charger. The dealership has known about these faulty lines for sometime. Instead of replacing the line with a better design they have installed heat shields to prevent the heat from burning up the o-ring in the fitting on the line. They installed another heat shield on 2/21/14 over top of the oil line to prevent the heat from burning up the o-ringthat is already bad. Now they inform me that since the heat shields are in place i need to pay to have the oil line replaced which cost $805.00. I think that mini cooper should have recalled all these vehicles and repaired the faulty oil lines since they have been doing this from 2007 models to 2011 models. This is a bad safety problemunder the hood because when the oil goes to leaking on the turbo charger which is really hotter that the exhaust manifold it causes excessive smoke from coming out of under the hood and could cause a large fire fueled by motor oil pumping out on top of turbo charger. Allowing the dealerships to put shields over top of the bad oil line needs to be stopped. They need to fix the problem that exists for free and not try to cover up the problem as they did on my car and then tell me that the oil line needs to be replaced. After the warranty run out. They were well aware of the problem then and now because of them putting heat shields on to prevent this problem.the oil supply line should have been replaced and then the shields put on. Thanks, hope to see a recall very soon.
Purchased at 61,000 miles 9/9/14; had synthetic oil change 5/15; 9/29/15 car began to have a rattle but unsure if it was front of car or back of car. Rattling stopped on acceleration. No warning lights came on. 10/4/15 car died at 69,362 miles while driving on a two lane road on a curve. Was able to coast to getting half the car off the road. Bypassers pushed me off the rest of the way. Towed to mechanic who said it was the timing chain guard that split off. Called mini they said their dealership service dept had to look at it.had it towed to oh 70 miles away. They told me i had an oil leak which caused the following to be damaged - crank shaft, harmonic balancer, cylinder head, timing chain and guard and maybe other stuff but they couldn't tell without further examination. Told $5,000 plus to fix, but i see mini estimate states $3,500-4,500. My local mechanic found no evidence of an oil leak causing the trouble, nor did i have an oil spot where i parked my car in the garage or work parking lot. No oil or engine light came on.
Engine rattle upon startup. Next thing i know is the timing chain guides broke and the valves bent. Thousands in repair and mini won't cover a thing.
Turbocharger oil feed line leaking. The part is poorly designed and according to the research i've done prone to failure. The part is not covered by the cpo warranty and the dealer wanted $1400 to replace it. I replaced it myself with a better designed aftermarket part. I think mini should cover the cost of replacing the part with a better design.
While turningat 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.
The car started leaking small amounts of oil in the garage, approximately the size of a dime. When the car was parked you could smell a slight oil burning odor. The car sat for 3 days, was driven and smoke began coming out from under the hood. There was no fire. The result is that the "turbo oil feed line" and "crankcase to valve cover hose" were replaced because both were leaking oil. At50700 mi, we had to replace the valve cover and ccv assembly. This car was repaired under the recall pe11036 for a cooling fan issue. Considering the low mileage on this vehicle, it seems to me that there have been too many issues with it related to the turbo charger and oil system. From reading other issues online it appears that there are design flaws with the shielding of these components from high heat sources on the engine. These repairs are very expensive and are not related to poor or abusive driving habits.
When you start the car in the morning while its cold and start driving, you hear a rattling noise in the engine which coming out of the timing-belt area. It started 5 days ago.
We started hearing a loud noise around 27,000 miles.car was just over four years old and out of warranty.ended up with a timing chain issue and it needed to be replaced.repeated calls to mini dealer and mini usa provided worthless, stuck with whole repair and no assistance.
Timing chain and timing chain tensioner broken and damaged the engine at mile 48544 - 48552
We purchased this car in late sept./early oct. 2012 with 29k miles on the car. My wife drives this car, and while traveling on the interstate, as she was entering the off ramp in forest lake, mn her car started to jerk/run like crap (late january 2013). She was able to drive the car home, i tried to figure out the issue, but everything i checked test good, so i brought it to a local import tech, and he diagnosed the failure to be the timing chain tensioner, allowing the timing to jump. He says he started up the motor to test further, it idled for less than a minute before the motor died and now will not start. I now, after owning the car for 3-4 months, have a major engine failure. I do not care to think what would have happened if this happened while my wife was traveling down the interstate at high speeds.... Thankx
Driving in the mountains when i began to smell burnt oil. As soon as i was able to i pulled over, immediately there was a cloud of smoke coming from under the front hood. I opened the hood and though there was no fire it appeared that the smoke was coming from oil leaking onto the turbo from the oil feed line. After letting the car cool i proceeded home. Now whenever the car is sitting idle i can smell burnt oil and after getting home i can see oil pooling on the top of the turbo. I have been told there is an issue with the connection on the turbo oil feed line due to the design of the line and heat from the turbo and i will have to replace this at my own cost.
The turbo oil feed line is inherently flawed and prematurely fails because of a bad design. This failure causes hot oil to leak all over a hot turbo. I was lucky enough to not have my engine catch fire with the failed o-ring on mine. I was driving on the highway when large clouds of smoke begin to flow from the engine compartment. I was forced to pull over and get towed home. I was out of warranty but still very low mileage (48k) when mine failed.
Had to take my mini cooper s with jcw package in to correct a service light issue. Was carbon build up on the valves. Cleaned it for 1500.00. Drove it about a month and the turbo bypass solenoid valve failed. Back to the mini cooper dealer in clear lake. They replaced the solenoid and did a oil change for 550.00 got it home and noticed it had a faint smell of something burning. Thought it could be they got some oil on some parts that get hot. One week after the turbo solenoid was replaced i noticed a oil spot on my garage floor. Raised the hood and the turbo had a oil film on it and the air intake supply on the turbo was loose and practically off the turbo. Took it to dealer. They said look like oil drain bolt leaking. Replaced it but the also cleaned the oil off the turbo? not sure why. I didn't tell them it looked like it was leaking. Maybe they knew?drove it home and it still smelled like something burning. Looked under the hood and the turbo was covered with oil. Back to the dealer. They can fix it for 1200.00 it is the turbo oil feed supply and return line. Also the oil deteriorated the air intake line and caused it to deform so that it no longer will stay on the turbo intake. After further investigation looks like the turbo oil feed line is a major issue. Multiple reports of this failure. I also saw a service bulletin for the heat shield on the oil feed line. But they failed to do the install on mine. Even though i have had it in for several services since the bulletin. There is definitely a issue with the oil feed line to the turbo. Won't be purchasing another bmw product. Will not be using this dealers service if i decide to keep the mini.
Knocking noise when starting and running.i thought it was from the wrong fuel added to it, or low oil when i purchased it.i corrected those two issues, but it still makes the knocking noise.i am very afraid it will seize.i believe the timing chain and tensioner system needs to be replaced.
While driving at highway speed on i-71 n & n. Broadway exit in columbus, ohio on march 1, 2019 the timing chain broke and caused complete engine failure and bent all valves and cylinder head and valves resulting in $8821.97 in damage to my engine.the cause of the timing chain failure is due to the prince/psa engine design and manufacturing defect admitted to in the class action lawsuit know as joshua skeen and laurie freeman v. Bmw of north america, l.lc. United states district court district of new jersey civ. No. 2:13-cv-1531-whw-clw.bmw declined to replace my engine under the extended warranty agreed to in the settlement agreement of the above cited action.all affected vehicles should have been recalled and my engine failure could have easily caused loss of life.my vehicle is one of the class vehicles, r56 n14 engine produced between 2006 thru 2010.this is a product liability safety claim that is not subject to any statutory/warranty time limitation.all class vehicles should be recalled due to the loss of life and safety risks.do not wait for loss of life to enforce the liability of bmw for their failure to self report the design defect and failure to voluntarily recall all affected vehicles.
The contact owned a 2008 mini cooper s. While driving approximately 70 mph, an abnormal noise was heard and the contact noticed thick, grey smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. The oil warning light illuminated. The contact opened the hood and noticed flames in the engine compartment. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report and a fire report were filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was towed. The vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 12v008000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,777.
Pristine condition, low mileage, dealer serviced mini cooper s (owned since new) began exhibiting a rattling noise from engine at 34k miles.dealer diagnosed it as a timing chain defect and timing chain tensioner defect.this is a known engine defect.reference class action suit and settlement 338403.this settlement by bmw/mini usa covers this flaw and bmw/mini knows that vehicles produced within the 2007-2010 timeframe have this flaw.this flaw can result in catastrophic engine failure.in my case, it was noisy under acceleration, and was into the dealer for service within days of first issue.this is a known flaw.however, bmw/mini settled the class action lawsuit and set aside millions of dollars for claims....but those claims must be filed by 7/1/16.i did not have the issue before that date, i had it happen in september 2016 - two months later.i have requested some accommodation from bmw/mini, however they are refusing to participate at any level, even though they know this was a flawed part and could have caused significant damage.i am not expecting full reimbursement, but if they know the car has a major flaw, they should have some coverage in place for any of these vehicles with the flaw.thus far the regional service manager and mini usa have indicated because this happened after 7/1/16 they will not accommodate.
While driving the car (gas) started running rough and sounded like it was a diesel. After some research i found that the tensioners in the engine are worn out. I had the upper replaced, but the others also need replacing. Based on my own research, it appears the problem is related to the manufacturer's recommended oil change. The company recommends changing oil every 15000 miles with synthetic oil. The fix is supposedly to change the oil at half that, 7500. I've been told this could result in the timing chain coming off and the engine being trashed.
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 thatwas 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.
Strange knocking/rubbing noise coming from the engine compartment for the year 2007+ mini cooper.from the mini dealer repair details it appears to be a issue with the timing chain and tensioner system.it also appears that without being fixed the car will eventually have a timing chain failure and possible motor destruction. This could occur while driving and i could lose control of the vehicle causing a crash. Mini will not fix this problem that they know about without the vehicle still being under warranty. I call for a recall.
Found large oily mark under parked car.turns out to be the thermostat hose leaking due to cracks because of being made of plastic.this is a known design issue by mini/bmw that could cause an engine to overheat producing a file or blowing the engine.this should come under a recall.checking online, you can see that it was such an issue last year, that dealers were not even able to get parts for weeks due to the number of failures.calling the dealer, they readily admit it is a huge problem and they have to replace lots of them.of course, it is $600 a pop for the fix.due to the large cost and admitted design flaw, these should all be placed under a recall before someone is badly hurt. Also anyone that has had to have this fixed should bereimbursed for that expense.
Turbo charger fuel supply line is leaking on my 2008 mini cooper s. The dealer suggested a replacement cost of $750. There are many complaints online about this issue and the leak is happening due to poor design. The leak may cause fire damage and might cause extensive damage to the car.
My mini has had regular service at habberstad mini since i purchased it.i had complained about engine noise in november 2011 and they found the oil was low and refilled it.at each service i mentioned the noise and nothing was found except to tell me i need induction service, replace leaking water pump (even after the recall for this part was done already) and coolant exchange for $1300. The loud rattling engine noise persisted and car became almost undriveable.it took them 3 days to find that the timing chain etc. Needed to be replaced, which after some research online i had already found to be the problem.of course my warranty was now up so i had to pay $3000. And my car only has 38,000 miles on it.this is absolutely unacceptable!!i was told by the dealership that they haven't heard anything about this and i should call mini directly and lodge a complaint, which i did. I would like to have this issue investigated, as mini must certainly have heard from more customers besides me and they are doing nothing about it.the customers are getting stuck paying for a design flaw.please do an investigation and make them issue a recall to repair this defect and refund our repair costs.mini needs to stand behind their motorer pledge and give us the quality product they advertise.
The contact owns a 2008 mini cooper s. The contact stated that smoke was seen coming from the engine. The vehicle was unable to cool down so the contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer for diagnosis but they were unable to duplicate or diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired.the contact stated that the failure recurred and he was unable to drive the vehicle for more than a few miles without it overheating. The manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 7,400. The current mileage was approximately 8,234. The vin was unavailable.
As many others have posted here, my engine began rattling loudly when i would start it up.to alleviate this, i would top off the oil and get frequent oil changes, in fact, more often than mini/bmw suggested it should get an oil change.this would usually take care of the rattle.one night, the engine rattle kept increasing and suddenly the car stopped in the middle of a busy street just 20 feet from railroad tracks without any warning lights or indications whatsoever.i had it towed to a nearby mechanics shop i trust (not the dealership).the timing chain had broken and bent the valves and i'm in the process of having a new engine put in (with the same faulty timing chain) to the tune of $6,500.i called mini/bmw usa because my mechanic said he's seen this problem frequently in my model.mini said they would not do anything for me unless the car was diagnosed by the mini dealership, and even then there would be no guarantee they would cover anything because of "my vehicle's age." mini/bmw usa wouldn't even acknowledge that there have been frequent reports of timing tensioner/chains having problems.i'm even more surprised how frequent this problem is now that i'm looking on the nhtsa website.this needs to be a recall and something that mini/bmw should cover and respond to, since there have been several class action lawsuits against the company because of this.
I own a 2008 mini cooper s and it has 38600 miles on it i have owned it for a year and have to replace the timing chain. This vehicle has had the timing chain changed once before at 13,485 by a mini dealer. As for this time it is still drivable and has not caused any incidents.
The car has been smelling like burnt oil for about a week.i took it in to the shop on saturday.today, tuesday, when i was supposed to pick it up, i was told that i need the following repairs because there are "leaks":1)water pump2)timing chain3)valve cover4)oil feed and return linethe car has around 36,500 miles on it and we are looking at about 8,000.00 worth of repairs!what???i paid almost 30,000.00 for this car and now have to spend additional money to keep it running? the extended warranty that i purchased will cover the first three items on the list.the oil feed and return line is not currently covered under the warranty, even though after a brief internet search, i find that this is a very common problem with these cars.i would like to have this issue investigated, as mini must certainly be aware of this problem and is doing nothing about it.the customers are getting stuck paying for a design flaw and this is not acceptable at 36,000 miles.the cost of this repair from my dealer is 1400.00!!please do an investigation and make them repair this defect!!
The turbo charger has totally failed (car is under half power) and the top guide on the timing chair (tensioner system) is broken.i have done the proper maintenance with exceptional care.the turbo is cooled by the known failed auxiliary water pump with integrated circuit board and is currently under recall.mini/bmw is refusing to cover these failures clearly caused by defective parts and design (oil line leading to turbo gets gummed up because it is too small).they are attempting to charge me over $5200 to repair the car (20% of the vehicle cost in 2008) for what is absolutely a manufacturer problem.my car is not operational and has not been operational for over 2 weeks while i continue to 'fight' bmw's determination not to cover these problems.reading countless blogs with owners experiencing the same problem(s) i believe bmw is intentionally selling a product it knows is defective and collecting thousands of dollars on repairs. No car should experience a total failure of a turbo and broken timing chain in 60k miles.this is outrageous and nhtsa should protect us consumers from this fraudulent activity by issuing a recall - sooner than later.
Began to hear loud knocking noise from engine of my 4 year old mini @ 66000 miles.have had my mini serviced according to the schedule at the same dealership for 4 years.after hearing the noise did research online to notice that minis have a timing belt /tensioner issue.noticed on the same night that my oil light came on and the interesting thing is that i just had my oil changed in august of 2012 and this was november 2012.took car to dealer and the servicer said they had heard of some mini's timing chains failing at 14k miles.after diagnosis he notes that it is the timing chain and that the oil filter gasket was leaking which caused the timing chain to fail.this is not correct as my vehicle has never leaked oil, and i had just gotten my oil changed 3 months earlier and no mention was made by my service technician.this seems to be a common issue in minis and they are not providing any kind of relief.
I change my oil every 3k on the dot. I check it regularly. Fully synthetic every time. I was told when i bought my mini with 42k that the rattle under the hood was normal. At approx. 50k i heard the same metal rattle that sounded like a chain smacking plastic, so i brought it in to be checked. Now i'm stuck with a timing chain replacement that's going to cost upwards of $2,000. Now i'm not one to complain of normal wear and tear parts but who has a timing chain go out at 50k? if you google timing chain issues you will see. There are tons of people who are having the same issue. Luckily mine was caught in my driveway. If this chain goes out on a highway... This can easily cause a fatal accident... Please don't wait for an accident to happen. Get these chains replaced with ones that have been quality controlled. This is a true safety hazard.
After mini/bmw repaired the timing chain tensioner and the timing chain, my turbo oil supply line developed a significant leak (within a week/ within 200 miles of mini service) causing smoke to escape from the bonnet, oil to cover the front engine/turbo/exhaust. Oil now puddles beneath the car when parked. The car has 89,xxx miles.i first noticed the smell of burning oil when driving across town at a speed of 40mph. When parking the vehicle, upon idle the smoke billowed from the bonnet of the car.according to mini forums, this problem of a failed o-ring in the turbo oil supply line is a known problem resulting in numerous failures that can lead to catastrohic damage to the turbo, catalytic converter, and engine.
Turbocharger oil feed line leaking. The part is poorly designed and according to the research i've done prone to failure.the dealer wants $1200 to replace it.when i questioned the service person about the heat shield recall from just last year to prevent this issue from occurring, he reassured me that the heat shield recall was because of the number of paint jobs they had to do on hoods from the heat off the turbo damaging the hood paint.i think mini should cover the cost of replacing the oil supply line since they are well aware that this part is faulty, it gets too hot and leaks.the heat shield recall doesn't stop the damage already done.it seems my 2008 mini is not immune to any of the "known" issues this car has.everytime i visit the mini dealership it's another well known issue/repair.while the dealership was very helpful with the last issue (timing chain), they were not with this latest one.they said because it was out of warranty there was nothing they could do.
The contact owns a 2008 mini cooper s. The contact was included in nhtsa campaign number: 08v657000 (engine and engine cooling), but the repair was not completed before the contact owned the vehicle. In addition, the contact experienced a failure concerning nhtsa campaign number: 12v008000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was taken to a repair shop who provided an oil change and cleared a dtc. The contact later experienced extreme smoke emitting on the outside of the vehicle to the inside of the vehicle. The vehicle was coasted over to the side of the road and towed to a repair shop. The mechanic diagnosed that the water pump leaked, the engine over heated, the cylinder head was warped, and the oil filter housing gasket was leaky. The mechanic diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was uncertain if the vehicle would be repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 76,000.
As i was driving my car started chugging. I pulled over andkept chugging. I stopped the car, looked under the hood and saw if something was wrong. Did not see anything. Started it up again and once i accelerated it stopped chugging. Drove it very scarcely and brought it into the dealership. Was told it was a timing chain. Very lucky that it has not snapped or skipped because you would have possibly lose control. The car only has 36000 miles on it and has had the oil level topped off every few fill ups. They do not look at this as a manufacturing defect, even though it has happened on quite a few cars. My local mechanic said he has never heard of a timing chain snapping or stretching to where it needs to be replaced at 36000 miles. It is dangerous and also very costly to pay for.
While traveling on i-10 in tallahassee, fl at highway speed of 70 mph the car suddenly lost power. Being i the center lane of eight (four each direction) it was almost impossible to get out of traffic. Several vehicles made abrupt maneuvers to avoid a crash. Also as i got out of the vehicle was nearly struck by other cars. I later found out this was due to a failed timing chain with numerous complaints and no recall.there was also a class action settlement and still no recall. This could have well been a fatal incident.
Engine rattle on cold start indicated a loose or stretched timing chain. Required a premature replacement of timing chain, guides and tensioner
The timing chain has locked up. I notice that this is a commom complaint.
My car had been making a rattling sound off and on for a short time (mostly in the cold mornings) i drove from houston to dallas. When parked on the side road, my car would not start up. I had no service light or any other lights come on. Took it to the dealership and i was told my timing belt was broken.i have no means to pay for the repair. While searching the internet it appears this is a very common problem and mini cooper/bmw are aware of this and have done nothing about it.
I currently have an oil leak developing from the turbo oil line that has resulted from a failed o-ring within the line itself. Due to a design flaw, the heat from the turbo wears away the o-ring, which results in oil leaking from where the line is bolted to the turbo via a banjo bolt. This is a serious problem because if the line fails, the turbo becomes starved of oil and burns up, which ultimately causes the whole turbo unit to be replaced. Also, the oil leaking onto the turbo has a potential to catch fire, since the turbo becomes very hot during normal driving. Also if any oil leaks down to the exhaust piping underneath the turbo, those places also pose a fire hazard. Mini recognizes this to be an issue, but refuses to do anything other than add a heat shield around the connection to the turbo. The line still has a rubber o-ring in it that will fail over repeated heat cycles, and the line needs to be redesigned.
The contact owns a 2008 mini cooper s. The contact stated that while parked, there was an abnormal burning oil odor from the vehicle. The failure recurred constantly. The contact parked the vehicle and noticed oil leaking onto the ground. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 59,000.
I own a 2008 mini cooper s and it has 62000 miles on it. As many other mini owners, i have " rattle noise" issue when cold start and popped up "engine oil pressure too low" warning yesterday when drove home on city street.this vehicle has had the timing chain tensioner/guide changed once before at 18,942 by a mini dealer.
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.
Vehicle was brought in for warranty repairs just before warranty expired (6/9/12). Service department was asked to inspect 'turbo oil supply line' as this was tsb (sim-11-03-08) for clogs/blockage caused by the deterioration of the rubber o-ring in line that when heat cycled falls apart and clogs the line causing damage to the turbocharger. Service department stated a inspection was performed and noted there was no blockage. Turbocharger oil supply line is now broken and no longer supplying oil to turbocharger. Diminished performance and the smell of oil was the reason for discontinued driving of the vehicle. Upon inspection it was discovered the oil supply line has broken. I do not know the extent of the damage until repaired. Turbocharger may need replacing as a result of this known failing part.
The contact owns a 2008 mini cooper s. While driving 60 mph,the timing chain fractured, causing a complete engine failure. All the valves and cylinder heads were bent. The contact was able to coast the vehicle over to the shoulder even after the vehicle lost all power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer (midwestern auto group, 6335 perimeter loop rd, dublin, oh 43017, (614) 889-2571 where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced at a cost of over $8,000. The contact notified the manufacturer and was provided a claim number. The manufacturer did not assist with the warranty or recall,s but offered to pay $2,000 towards the repair cost. The offer was good for six months. The failure mileage was 70,674.
My mini cooper has a timing chain problem it rattles upon starting and i haven't driven it .....i just found out about this recall
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 actioneven 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.
I have owned the mini since new.always regularly serviced at the mini dealer.recently i started the engine and it sounded more like a diesel engine, very noisy and unusual.took it to the mini dealer and as i explained what the symptoms were, the front desk person that took my details diagnosed the problem.the preliminary diagnosis was confirmed later through an inspection by a trained technician. Like many, many mini owners i have had a timing chain problem.that the front desk staff can diagnose a problem like this made me curious, it must be such a common problem that the dealer sees it regularly. Some research confirmed this was a widespread problem with minis.owners have had terminal engine damage with engines that are low mileage and simply should not have any problems.this issue with the engine is serious and can lead to a major accident because of a catastrophic engine failure while driving at highways speeds.although i was lucky, and do not have a huge out of pocket expense as i have extended warranty coverage, i still believe this is an important safety matter that bmw/mini appear to be ignoring.it should be the subject of a vehicle safety recall.it is poor engineering and design on their part, that should be rectified.
The 2008 mini cooper s started making the infamous "death rattle" noise. I took it to a mechanic who specializes in imports. He changed the oil, which wasn't due for another 2,000 miles, and he changed the oil filter. The noise continued so he added oil stabilizer to ensure that oil was being filtered. The noise still persists at start-up, and goes away after the car warms up for a couple minutes. The mechanic told me i'd have to get the time changing belt replaced to fix the "death rattle," which is a common thing in mini cars.
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.
I had a loud noise under the hood of my 2008 mini cooper s, followed by the timing belt breaking. I had it fixed to the tune of $2000+. It was not covered under warranty. I was told it broke due to being down 1 qt of oil. I have heard this is a common complaint.
My 2008 mini cooper s (with 28,300 miles) has experienced diesel sounding engine problems coming from the engine. I looked this up on the internet to find this was a tensioner or timing belt issue with the car. Almost 600 people have used this site: http://www.minicooperspeed.com/mini-cooper-cold-start-knocking-noise-issue-2007/ to share their experiences about this problem.this is a formal request to please request action on bmw's part to rectify this timing belt situation. The owners of these cars should not and can not be forced to pay for this engine problem of such a new car. A recall needs to be issued, and bmw needs to come up with a permanent fix.
2008 mini cooper s spontaneous engine fire 10/02.i had just returned home from work and i had driven the car for about 45mins and then 10mins after shutting the car down a fire had started in the engine compartment.
My 2008 mini cooper s has a terrible rattling noise occasionally during startup. The problem can be reproduced 100% of the time under the following conditions:- start car for short period of time (back out of garage / wash car)- restart car for short period of time (move into garage)- leave car for 8 or more hours- restart and drive away. For the first 2 minutes there's a terrible rattling sound.
Timing belt and tensioner needs to be replaced, has broken guides and causes very loud "diesel" sounds.only 50,000 miles on the car.oil leak in oil line going to turbo.
Noticed a strange sound, almost like wheel bearings were grinding.on november 11, 2010, when starting the vehicle, check engine light came on, and engine did not seem to have as much power as it should.took to the mini dealership and they said the engine light was on because the turbo was damaged.apparently the oil supply hose to the turbo was either blocked or cut, and was not providing oil to the turbo.as a result of the lack of oil, the bearings in the turbo were ruined.had to replace the entire turbo.after the turbo was replaced we were told the timing chain was going bad.was told the timing chain, tensioners, and guides needed to be replaced.i've read where the timing chain has been a continuing problem with mini coopers, and that, if fixed, it will go bad again and could cause a severe engine problem, resulting in failure.i also wonder if the timing chain is already damaged enough to cause the oil supply hose to the turbo to be damaged.
I have 2008 mini cooper s,i have been having problems with it even the first year i had bought the car.it was still under warranty and they were able to fix the problems.but lately, three years laterthere was a loud rattling noise in the engine.i have brought it to a mechanic and was told to bring it to the bmw dealer because of the timing chain defects that may lead to engine damage.the car is no longer under warranty, and the dealer will not fix the car free of charge.
I bought car new in nov 2007. Car was used as transportation every day to and from work (~100 mi total). Car was well cared for, service was performed as required, etc. In sept 2008 after sitting undriven for 10 days while i was away on vacation, i drove 50 mi to work and there were no signs of trouble except that an indicator for a blown headlamp came on when i initially started up. When i arrived at work and pulled into a parking space i noticed wisps of smoke coming from the grill and intake and suspected overheating. I peered into the intake and saw glowing orange, and smelled the smoke and realized this was a fire not an overheating. I had a colleague call 911 and grabbed a fire extinguisher. When i got back to the car smoke was pouring out of the hood. Not wanting to open the hood i aimed the fire extinguisher into the grill, intake, and gaps but it didn't do much. At that point i grabbed valuables from car and walked away. Flames began coming out of the hood over the windshield. Car was completely engulfed within 10 minutes. There were no injuries or property damage except for the car itself. Insurance declared it a total loss. Mini was notified.i have photos of in-progress and aftermath. Having seen the recent publicity about the investigation into the engine fires i thought i should log my very relevant experience.
Engine developed a knocking, rattling sound which grew louder over time. The local mini dealership diagnosed a timing chain glide and tensioner failure. Replaced the entire assembly. Was told mini realized the glides were inferior and was now using upgraded glides in the replacement kits. When asked if this shouldn't be a warranty replacement since it could lead to total engine failure, was told this was up to mini-usa, not the dealer. This is also a safety issue if the timing chain breaks while driving, seizing the engine, and leading to loss of control of the vehicle.
The contact owns a 2008 mini cooper s. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 mph the vehicle suddenly stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to a dealer who advised him that the timing belt tensioners needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. A few days later he heard a noise coming in the engine after the vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who advised him that they were unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Vehicle makes a loud noise from the engine compartment at cold start, dealer informed me it's the timing chain and tensioner, total cost about $1950.00. Dealer informed me it's a common problem but there is no recall from mini usa.
Loud knocking noise upon starting the car.it was very loud so i took it to the dealer.a metal piece from the housing for the timing chain broke off and caused damage that cost $2239 to repair. The service rep seemed to know about this problem.i asked the service rep for my old parts which i have kept and upon inspection the parts looked good (timing chain and tensioners (plastic parts). The flaw is in the design, a one inch little metal piece that cannot support the vibration of the timing chain broke off and caused all the damage. I've read multiple complaints on this site regarding timing chain problems on s models, this should be a recall.
Housing for the timing chain came loose and caused damage that will cost $1800 to repair. The service guy knew exactly what the problem was.he said he has been seeing a lot of them in the past two years and its a 10 hour job.while i was signing for the loaner, someone else was on the phone saying they replaced the timing chain on another car.this appears to be a design flaw where mini is making a ton of money on repairs. The service guy also said, "it appears to be a problem with the housing, because once we replace it they never have the problem again.and i some of the cars had this done two years ago."
Turbocharger needs to be replaced and the dealer wanted to charge me $3,700.but the cause of my turbocharger needing to be replaced was the cause of my auxiliary water pump - thermostat housing going out in 04/12/11 which caused the turbocharger to overheat and become damaged.i reminded the dealer about the water pump being replaced so they contacted mini usa and it took them 2 weeks for the dealer and mini usa to cover the replacing of the turbocharger under warranty.even though they replaced the water pump back in april 2011, the current feb 2012 recall for the auxiliary water pump is being replaced concurrently with the turbocharger.these are the 3 complaints on my car in less than a year:04/12/11 - water pump replaced under warranty. 10/20/11 timing chain replaced and cost me $2,239. And now 01/27/12 they wanted to charge me another $3,700 for the turbocharger. Who pays almost $6,000 in repairs on a car that is 3 years old?
I drove less than a mile and smoke started coming out of the engine.the turbocharger was leaking oil onto the engine, which almost caused the car to catch on fire.
On august 15, 2011, i drove my vehicle to work as i do every morning. On the way, i stopped for gas. After filling up the vehicle would not start. It should also be noted that the engine was very, very hot and the coolant overflow tank was overflowing. The car was towed to the closest dealership and, after investigating, it was determined that the engine was starved of oil, had seized, and would need to be completely replaced.this vehicle has always received regular scheduled maintenance since it was purchased new from mini in 2008.the last service was performed by the dealership on a leaking oil pan gasket.furthermore, there had been no warning signals whatsoever that the engine was in danger.
Driving my 2008 mini cooper s at 70mph on the highway, the vehicle lost power and died.the timing chain tensioner failed causing the motor to blow up and the timing chain popping through the valve cover, the timing chain tensioner is under a factory inspection notice, i never received a notice to inform me of the part failure. Now the engine needs replaced.
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.
Tensioner allowed timing chain to slap the chain guard, such that pieces of the chain guard eventually got caught in the timing chain and the car was off time and off camber.pieces of the chain guard were spread throughout the valve housing.replaced tensioner and whole timing chain assembly.2nd tensioner lasted only 3 weeks.am on my 3rd tensioner and holding my breath.
My 2008 mini cooper s, when cold, often starts up with a tremendous amount of rattling from the engine. So much so that it sounds like a diesel (but its not a diesel motor). Numerous online forums have documented this problem, including some complete engine failures. It is a very expensive problem to fix and i would like mini to issue a recall to permanently fix the problem and to have an unlimited warranty on this specific problem.the dealership has been "unable to duplicate" this sound and therefore refuses to provide the fix for it.
Water pump melted - thermostat housing replaced at 49,492 miles.my engine light lit up yellow and by the time i arrived at work it was red. I tried pouring coolant and it just spilled out onto the ground. I took it to mini to get it serviced and they said the heat from my engine caused the thermostat housing to melt and was replaced under warranty.they replaced it with a new pump but not with the one that is now the february 2012 recall that mini is doing on all 2007 - 2011 s models for (the electric auxiliary water pump that cools the turbocharger has an electronic circuit board that can malfunction and overheat). See next complaint from 01/27/12, as the cause of the old faulty water pump this has now caused my turbocharger to go out and mini tried to charge me $3,700 to replace it.but i reminded them that my water pump was previously defective and that has caused the current problem with the turbocharger and now they are replacing it under warranty along with replacing the recalled electric auxiliary water pump.
When starting the car cold (first thing in the morning or after it has been off for a long time), the engine makes a loud rattling noise sort of like a tractor noise when accelerating.it goes away after a couple of minutes of continuous driving, but sometimes when turning and accelerating at the same time, it also makes the same noise.
Noise in engine after cold start. Engine was replaced by mini of peabody ma after a internal engine failure. This is a 2008 cooper s jcw and the engine has been noisy since it was replaced. Noise goes away after it warms up. Dealer tells me nothing is wrong. Original engine failed at 8,000 miles and so did the transmission and had to be replaced as well. Now at 17,000 miles transmission ok but engine sounds like it is knocking at start up.
My 2008 mini cooper s, when cold, often starts up with a tremendous amount of rattling from the engine. So much so that it sounds like a diesel (but its not a diesel motor). Numerous online forums have documented this problem, including some complete engine failures. It is a very expensive problem to fix and i would like mini to issue a recall to permanently fix the problem and to have an unlimited warranty on this specific problem.
The contact owns a 2008 mini cooper s. The contact heard an extremely loud knocking sound whenever he started the vehicle. The knocking noise was not present while the vehicle was driven. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the timing belt and other components were replaced at the his expense. The contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. The vin was unavailable when the complaint was filed. The current mileage was approximately 40,000. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.
2008 mini cooper s engine knocking.
2008 mini cooper s. No engine modification. Loud knocking noise on start up and continues for about 5 mins of driving and then goes away. Mile is under 8900 miles.
When the car is started cold in the morning with an ambient temperature of around 37degrees f.there is a rattle in the engine compartment somewhat similar to a diesel engine rattle but louder.could be a timing chain problem that will destroy the engine eventually.bmw needs to do something about it.
2008 mini cooper s - engine failure due to faulty vacuum pump.while driving my well maintained 2008 mini cooper s under normal driving conditions, the engine issued a loud, brief metallic noise and stopped running.the engine was still turning, but was not running.had the car towed home.upon inspection of the valve train, by removal of valve cover, the exhaust cam gear was sheared off and several valves had been bent.the exhaust cam would not turn.further research into the matter indicates a failed vacuum pump caused the exhaust cam to lock-up and shear off the cam sprocket bolt.the pistons then impacted the valves causing severe internal engine damage.this car also fell victim to the "cold start" issue and had the valve train replaced at 60,000 miles.mini has indicated that since the warranty period has expired, they will not assist in the repair.i suggest this issue should result in a product recall of all r56 equipped mini vehicles for replacement of the vacuum pump.this issue is well documented on the internet, and bmw is aware of the problem.this is evidenced by the procedure executed to repair the "cold start" issue includes a step to remove and inspect the vacuum pump for binding.
The vehicle was driven approximately 1 mile, then stopped at a gas station to add air to a low tire. While the car was idling, white smoke came from the engine, followed by dark smoke. When the hood was opened, we saw a small flame coming from inside the front of the engine. We ran to get a fire extinguisher from the gas station attendant; by the time we returned, flames were visibly shooting up out of the engine. We were able to extinguish the fire with a hand-held fire extinguisher. There were no injuries and the fire department was not called. The vehicle was towed to the nearest mini dealer. The service attendant declared that he had no experience with any engine fires in his tenure with mini. After an investigation (pictures taken by service and emailed to mini corporate), the auxiliary water pump was found to be the source. It was replaced, along with a number of connectors and hoses, and the engine was cleaned of fire extinguisher powder. When i asked several times about this problem, the only answer i received was that this staffer had never heard of a car fire like this in his time (3 years) at mini.
The car started leaking small amounts of oil in the garage, approximately the size of a dime. When the car was parked you could smell a slight oil burning odor. The car sat for 3 days, was driven and smoke began coming out from under the hood. There was no fire. The result is that the "turbo oil feed line" and "crankcase to valve cover hose" were replaced because both were leaking oil. At50700 mi, we had to replace the valve cover and ccv assembly. This car was repaired under the recall pe11036 for a cooling fan issue. Considering the low mileage on this vehicle, it seems to me that there have been too many issues with it related to the turbo charger and oil system. From reading other issues online it appears that there are design flaws with the shielding of these components from high heat sources on the engine. These repairs are very expensive and are not related to poor or abusive driving habits.
My mini cooper s has less than 60000 miles on it with proper maintenance and has had failure of the friction wheel (aka timing chain or tensioner system). The first signs of the issue are a very loud, rattling noise during acceleration and as the problem gets worse, it continues to rattle during idling.the mini corporation is very aware of this problem and while the dealership itself worked with me to lower the cost because they say it happens frequently even with proper maintenance on the car and while the vehicle is still under warranty, the corporation wouldn't acknowledge or help with the cost to fix it. Also, if the problem isn't fixed immediately, it will lead to a blown engine. Furthermore, i have read that several mini owners have replaced the friction wheel only to have the same problem reappear not long afterwards. This is an issue of faulty manufacturing and mini needs to stand up and absorb the cost to fix it and/or recall the minis affected to ensure it no longer happens.
Engine compartment of 08 mini cooper s gets so hot it has melt the hood scoop.my hood scooping is bowing down and the car has 2700 miles on it.i suggest a recall and a heat shield to resolve this issue.too many complaints on the forums.
I have a 2008 mini cooper s that has a timing chain issue that seems to be a problem for this model ,as i researched this issue found that looks like a production issue which i believe should becorrected by mini/bmw. Not everyone has $2000.00 to have this fixed,i have 28k miles which i consider a farely new car still not fare for us consumer who shell out alot of money for a car we believe to be reliable and is not , please review this problem and help us consumers be treated fair we need your help to stop these company's from taking advantage of us until something horrible happens.
Timing chain cover broke apart and spread throughout the engine. I feel this is a defect. Mini & the company that handles the extended warranty is refusing to cover.
1. Hesitation during acceleration; this may be due to carbon build up.car will lurch and stumble when trying to accelerate.this could be a dangerous problem when changing lanes or getting up to speed when merging.2. Timing chain rattle during cold start.car sounds like the timing chain is hitting metal when cold.dealer claims this is normal, but the metal on metal noise sounds like it could cause excess play to develop and possibly cause engine failure.
Leaving from work around 5:00 pm (car had been in the parking lot since 7:20 am), i drove for a mile or less when at a red light the car by my side told me about smoke coming from the under the hood.i drove to the closet parking lot, opened the hood (there was a lot of smoke) and i could see 2 wires red hot.i went to try to get a fire extinguisher and luckily and ambulance on duty (could not help me because he had a patient) gave me a small bottle of water.when i returned to the car with the water there were flames about 10" tall on a small area, already touching the pipes the come out of the turbo (pipes that bring air into turbo and out to the intercooler)and with the 500ml bottle of water i was able to put it off. Daler (mini of sterling) repaired the vehicle for free (car is under warranty).dealer found that the auxiliary water pump shorted, and this must have cause the wires to overheat.dealer replaced auxiliary water pump and wires and parts that burned.i spoke with the dealer and then with mini usa, both refused to change engineering to prevent a future fire in case auxiliary water pump has a short-circuit again. Updated 1/27/2012 *ln
Engine compartment of 08 mini cooper s gets so hot it has melt the hood scoop.my hood scooping is bowing down and the car has 2700 miles on it.i suggest a recall and a heat shield to resolve this issue.too many complaints on the forums.
2008 mini cooper s. The vehicle had a complete electrical and engine failure with no notice. While driving on interstate 287 in nj with absolutely no notice the car lost total power. Every warning light illuminated on the dash, all gauges dropped to zero, no power whatsoever from the engine, no way to open windows or door locks as their was a complete and total electrical and mechanical failure of this vehicle - there was absolutely no notice. One moment the vehicle was operating normally and the next i had complete and total mechanical, engine and electrical failure rendering the car disabled and without power in the middle lane of interstate 287 south in morristown nj. Vehicle brought to mini dealer; vehicle there for almost 2 weeks-supposedly "fixed". The same problem happened a second time within 100 miles of that first service. Vehicle brought to mini dealer again. Happened a third time for the service technician while he drove the car home from princeton to pa.vehicle was at mini for another 2 and one half weeks.now they say it is fixed and i do not feel confident they are correct. This problem is without warning and leaves the vehicle permanently disabled in a total and complete way that can lead to serious injury or death for the occupants.mini customer service was abhorrent. They would not return calls and stalled time and again when asked to repurchase this vehicle which is clearly unsafe. They will do nothing.the nhtsa must investigate. The only part they tell me is wrong is the footwell module but will be no more specific. Mini must be held accountable for this defect and failure; this is of very serious nature. Again, the car completely fails-everything-engine, electrical, all power you can not open door locks, windows or the rear hatch. The engine losses all power. Please investigate.
On 2008 mini cooper s, with approx. 12.5k, complete failure of timing chain and components.was just covered inside of dealer warranty, but even the deal admitted that this is a common problem.online, other have report the same failure in large numbers.this should be a recall!
Very noisy drive train upon initial start-up; more significant when engine is cold. Noise abates as engine warms.
Timing chain 2008 mini cooper sfailure. Loud knocking noise from engine. Under warrantyparts replaced.
I borrowed my friend's mini cooper s for the week to test drive it.as i was unloading cargo from the trunk, my leg was burned when it touched the exhaust tip.yesterday, i read about an investigation into the same problem on edmunds.com.
We purchased a 2008 mini cooper for my daughter.last night while she was putting things in the trunk, her leg glanced the tailpipe and she received a pretty significant burn.on looking at cars in a parking lot, i see that the mini cooper's tail pipes are very exposed and not even slanted back...i see this as a huge danger.pic received 10/0708add picture *121108 cwupdated 12/11/08
The plastic housing for both headlights are beginning to crack; potentially exposing the xenon lightbulbs.failure of headlight(s) while driving could be extremely dangerous while driving at night, especially on an unfamiliar roadway.
2008 mini cooper s. The vehicle had a complete electrical and engine failure with no notice. While driving on interstate 287 in nj with absolutely no notice the car lost total power. Every warning light illuminated on the dash, all gauges dropped to zero, no power whatsoever from the engine, no way to open windows or door locks as their was a complete and total electrical and mechanical failure of this vehicle - there was absolutely no notice. One moment the vehicle was operating normally and the next i had complete and total mechanical, engine and electrical failure rendering the car disabled and without power in the middle lane of interstate 287 south in morristown nj. Vehicle brought to mini dealer; vehicle there for almost 2 weeks-supposedly "fixed". The same problem happened a second time within 100 miles of that first service. Vehicle brought to mini dealer again. Happened a third time for the service technician while he drove the car home from princeton to pa.vehicle was at mini for another 2 and one half weeks.now they say it is fixed and i do not feel confident they are correct. This problem is without warning and leaves the vehicle permanently disabled in a total and complete way that can lead to serious injury or death for the occupants.mini customer service was abhorrent. They would not return calls and stalled time and again when asked to repurchase this vehicle which is clearly unsafe. They will do nothing.the nhtsa must investigate. The only part they tell me is wrong is the footwell module but will be no more specific. Mini must be held accountable for this defect and failure; this is of very serious nature. Again, the car completely fails-everything-engine, electrical, all power you can not open door locks, windows or the rear hatch. The engine losses all power. Please investigate.
When the car accelerating on the first and second gear, there was a small jerking motion. Took it to the shop and they didn't find any problem with the car. One the day of the incident date, 01/08, when i started the car, the car have a loud engine sound, sounds like the car is chocking for air.the engine light is on with the rpm pointer running up and down (gas paddle is untouched). Took it to the dealer and the next day and they found there is oil leaking from the oil feed line to the turbo. $1200 to replace the part. Did some research online and found many mini owner had the same problem.
Turbo charger fuel supply line is leaking on my 2008 mini cooper s. The dealer suggested a replacement cost of $750. There are many complaints online about this issue and the leak is happening due to poor design. The leak may cause fire damage and might cause extensive damage to the car.
My car has 114,000 mile on it.the high pressure fuel pump was replaced per recall.the engine has failed with bad injectors, cylinders and rings. Mechanic said this failure is pervasive in 2002 to 2008 models do to poor design. The cost to repair is too high.
Fuel smell started to get stronger in the cabin and outside of the vehicle, but did not see any leaks on the floor till today. I also notice the green temperature notification come on today. I had my oil changed at the bmw/mini dealer in ontario last month.
2008 mini cooper s. The vehicle had a complete electrical and engine failure with no notice. While driving on interstate 287 in nj with absolutely no notice the car lost total power. Every warning light illuminated on the dash, all gauges dropped to zero, no power whatsoever from the engine, no way to open windows or door locks as their was a complete and total electrical and mechanical failure of this vehicle - there was absolutely no notice. One moment the vehicle was operating normally and the next i had complete and total mechanical, engine and electrical failure rendering the car disabled and without power in the middle lane of interstate 287 south in morristown nj. Vehicle brought to mini dealer; vehicle there for almost 2 weeks-supposedly "fixed". The same problem happened a second time within 100 miles of that first service. Vehicle brought to mini dealer again. Happened a third time for the service technician while he drove the car home from princeton to pa.vehicle was at mini for another 2 and one half weeks.now they say it is fixed and i do not feel confident they are correct. This problem is without warning and leaves the vehicle permanently disabled in a total and complete way that can lead to serious injury or death for the occupants.mini customer service was abhorrent. They would not return calls and stalled time and again when asked to repurchase this vehicle which is clearly unsafe. They will do nothing.the nhtsa must investigate. The only part they tell me is wrong is the footwell module but will be no more specific. Mini must be held accountable for this defect and failure; this is of very serious nature. Again, the car completely fails-everything-engine, electrical, all power you can not open door locks, windows or the rear hatch. The engine losses all power. Please investigate.
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.
Loud engine noise coming from chain tensioner at startup. Sounds like diesel engine.also happens during cold engine start.
Loud sudden diesel like rattle (commonly known as "the death rattle" by impacted mini owners) from engine compartment on a meticulously well maintained 2008 mini cooper s turbo. Diagnosed by mechanic as defective timing belt tensioner and if left unattended would result in a catastrophic engine failure and possible serious injury. Cost of repair is $1,800.bmw/mini is well aware of this common and systemic tensioner defect (defective original part).they should "do the right thing" and recall and/or reimburse good faith purchasers for this defective part.
Driving my 2008 mini cooper s at 70mph on the highway, the vehicle lost power and died.the timing chain tensioner failed causing the motor to blow up and the timing chain popping through the valve cover, the timing chain tensioner is under a factory inspection notice, i never received a notice to inform me of the part failure. Now the engine needs replaced.
Vehicle makes a loud noise from the engine compartment at cold start, dealer informed me it's the timing chain and tensioner, total cost about $1950.00. Dealer informed me it's a common problem but there is no recall from mini usa.
I have owned the mini since new.always regularly serviced at the mini dealer.recently i started the engine and it sounded more like a diesel engine, very noisy and unusual.took it to the mini dealer and as i explained what the symptoms were, the front desk person that took my details diagnosed the problem.the preliminary diagnosis was confirmed later through an inspection by a trained technician. Like many, many mini owners i have had a timing chain problem.that the front desk staff can diagnose a problem like this made me curious, it must be such a common problem that the dealer sees it regularly. Some research confirmed this was a widespread problem with minis.owners have had terminal engine damage with engines that are low mileage and simply should not have any problems.this issue with the engine is serious and can lead to a major accident because of a catastrophic engine failure while driving at highways speeds.although i was lucky, and do not have a huge out of pocket expense as i have extended warranty coverage, i still believe this is an important safety matter that bmw/mini appear to be ignoring.it should be the subject of a vehicle safety recall.it is poor engineering and design on their part, that should be rectified.
The contact owns a 2008 mini cooper s.while driving approximately 35 mph on normal road conditions, the clutch failed without warning.immediately, the vehicle stalled in the center of an intersection.roadside assistance was called to the scene.the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing and they stated that the failure was due to abusive operation of the clutch.the vehicle is currently in the process of being repaired; however, the defective component is not covered in the service warranty.the vin was unknown.the failure and current mileages were 11,000.
2008 mini cooper s. The vehicle had a complete electrical and engine failure with no notice. While driving on interstate 287 in nj with absolutely no notice the car lost total power. Every warning light illuminated on the dash, all gauges dropped to zero, no power whatsoever from the engine, no way to open windows or door locks as their was a complete and total electrical and mechanical failure of this vehicle - there was absolutely no notice. One moment the vehicle was operating normally and the next i had complete and total mechanical, engine and electrical failure rendering the car disabled and without power in the middle lane of interstate 287 south in morristown nj. Vehicle brought to mini dealer; vehicle there for almost 2 weeks-supposedly "fixed". The same problem happened a second time within 100 miles of that first service. Vehicle brought to mini dealer again. Happened a third time for the service technician while he drove the car home from princeton to pa.vehicle was at mini for another 2 and one half weeks.now they say it is fixed and i do not feel confident they are correct. This problem is without warning and leaves the vehicle permanently disabled in a total and complete way that can lead to serious injury or death for the occupants.mini customer service was abhorrent. They would not return calls and stalled time and again when asked to repurchase this vehicle which is clearly unsafe. They will do nothing.the nhtsa must investigate. The only part they tell me is wrong is the footwell module but will be no more specific. Mini must be held accountable for this defect and failure; this is of very serious nature. Again, the car completely fails-everything-engine, electrical, all power you can not open door locks, windows or the rear hatch. The engine losses all power. Please investigate.
2008 mini cooper s clutch failure #1 @ approximately 23k #2clutch failure @ 36k in both cases it left the driver stranded in the middle of traffic and needing a tow to the dealership!
Airbag and seatbelt light remain on in the vehicle.i will not pay the outrageous amount of money the dealership wants the fix or replace whatever is wrong with it.maybe ill be the first person injured because of this fault that a recall actually is issued for this defect.
Seat belt warning light comes on when starting car. Called local mini dealership and was told there was an "extended warranty" for seat mat sensor.
Warning message for seat belt tension/air bag malfunctionand both lights are on. The vehicle has 40+ thousand miles on it, i am a second owner.this problem just started on may 29, 2020. No accidents for this vehicle. Cost for repair is over $2000 and so far there's only recalls for 2008 convertible which i totally don't understand. This looks to be an ongoing problem with the mini and needs to be addressed due to the air bags being affected. I currently have no photos but can readily supply photos upon request. The seat belt light/air bag emblem shows on the dash screen when entering the key while stationary, no one is sitting in the passenger seat when this happens and does not go away when occupied.
Passengers air bag appears off when someone are seat.this evolve a serious safety issue in case of accident.
Warning message for seat belt tension/air bag malfunctionand both lights are on. The vehicle has 40+ thousand miles on it, i am a second owner.this problem just started on may 29, 2020. No accidents for this vehicle. Cost for repair is over $2000 and so far there's only recalls for 2008 convertible which i totally don't understand. This looks to be an ongoing problem with the mini and needs to be addressed due to the air bags being affected. I currently have no photos but can readily supply photos upon request. The seat belt light/air bag emblem shows on the dash screen when entering the key while stationary, no one is sitting in the passenger seat when this happens and does not go away when occupied.
Failure offront 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.
The contact owns a 2008 mini cooper s. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 mph, the brakes failed to work properly and the engine warning lamp illuminated. The failure occurred on seven separate occasions. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who diagnosed that the vacuum pump caused the failure to occur. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was approximately 48,000.
The contact owns a 2008 mini cooper s. While driving various speeds, specifically when attempting to turn the vehicle, the power steering suddenly failed and caused steering control to become difficult. The contact stated that the power steering pump would overheat, which caused the contact to park the vehicle until it cooled in order for the power steering to function correctly. The contact called mini of kennesaw (2275 barrett lakes blvd, kennesaw, ga 30144; 678-496-9565) who advised the contact to bring the vehicle in for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the extended warranty or a recall. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.
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.
As i was driving my car started chugging. I pulled over andkept chugging. I stopped the car, looked under the hood and saw if something was wrong. Did not see anything. Started it up again and once i accelerated it stopped chugging. Drove it very scarcely and brought it into the dealership. Was told it was a timing chain. Very lucky that it has not snapped or skipped because you would have possibly lose control. The car only has 36000 miles on it and has had the oil level topped off every few fill ups. They do not look at this as a manufacturing defect, even though it has happened on quite a few cars. My local mechanic said he has never heard of a timing chain snapping or stretching to where it needs to be replaced at 36000 miles. It is dangerous and also very costly to pay for.
My car caught fire while driving. I had been driving for about an hour on the highway. There was no warning. No cel or errors on the dash display. Car was running normally. I noticed some smoke. After pulling to the side of the road flames started coming from under the hood. The car was still running normally. I shut off the motor and got out. Bystanders emptied an extinguisher through the front grille but within minutes the entire vehicle was engulfed. Car was almost completely destroyed. Fire burned through the firewall and consumed the interior.
I would like to see a recall issued or at least investigated for any mini cooper 2007 and up with the bmw engine.this engine has a faulty timing belt tensioner that is prone to fail causing severe engine damage.i have a 2008 and just lost my engine due to this tension failure.after spending the 600.00 dollars to have my engine taken apart and diagnosed, i was told that bmw already knows about the problem but has not issued any type of recall for it.they also told me that it will require a new engine some where in the dollar amount of 14,000.00 to replace, unknown at this time if the dealer will cover the loss.this problem is well known be the dealer but it looks like they have done nothing to correct this problem and continue to use this same engine in there vehicles.i was told by one of the workers that bmw has not issued a recall because the problem does not pose a direct safety risk, are you kidding me, going done the highway and having a total engine loss is very much a safety risk.i am sure that my complaint is just another drop in the bucket but i hope at least hope someone takes the time to have this problem corrected before someone is seriously hurt or killed. *ln
As i was driving the car, the hood in the front started to release smoke. There was also a smoking smell. This continued throughout the ride. Brought the car to a mechanic who indicates that the car is leaking oil onto the engine, making it extremely dangerous to drive as it can cause a fire. This problem continues to exist after i replace the oil pipe.
There is a loud knocking noise (most likely the timing belt) and the car keeps jumping.
When the car accelerating on the first and second gear, there was a small jerking motion. Took it to the shop and they didn't find any problem with the car. One the day of the incident date, 01/08, when i started the car, the car have a loud engine sound, sounds like the car is chocking for air.the engine light is on with the rpm pointer running up and down (gas paddle is untouched). Took it to the dealer and the next day and they found there is oil leaking from the oil feed line to the turbo. $1200 to replace the part. Did some research online and found many mini owner had the same problem.
Drivers foot well gets so hot that you can not touch the plastic by the accelerator and your foot starts cooking after 20 minutes or so.
My complaint is not about an accident but rather an unsafe condition in my relatively new mini cooper.the size and position of my interior rear view mirror significantly obscures the view of the road on right hand turns (especially on exit ramps).i think that this should be corrected.
2008 mini cooper s. The vehicle had a complete electrical and engine failure with no notice. While driving on interstate 287 in nj with absolutely no notice the car lost total power. Every warning light illuminated on the dash, all gauges dropped to zero, no power whatsoever from the engine, no way to open windows or door locks as their was a complete and total electrical and mechanical failure of this vehicle - there was absolutely no notice. One moment the vehicle was operating normally and the next i had complete and total mechanical, engine and electrical failure rendering the car disabled and without power in the middle lane of interstate 287 south in morristown nj. Vehicle brought to mini dealer; vehicle there for almost 2 weeks-supposedly "fixed". The same problem happened a second time within 100 miles of that first service. Vehicle brought to mini dealer again. Happened a third time for the service technician while he drove the car home from princeton to pa.vehicle was at mini for another 2 and one half weeks.now they say it is fixed and i do not feel confident they are correct. This problem is without warning and leaves the vehicle permanently disabled in a total and complete way that can lead to serious injury or death for the occupants.mini customer service was abhorrent. They would not return calls and stalled time and again when asked to repurchase this vehicle which is clearly unsafe. They will do nothing.the nhtsa must investigate. The only part they tell me is wrong is the footwell module but will be no more specific. Mini must be held accountable for this defect and failure; this is of very serious nature. Again, the car completely fails-everything-engine, electrical, all power you can not open door locks, windows or the rear hatch. The engine losses all power. Please investigate.
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