2008 Mini Cooper

TIMING CHAIN & TENSIONER MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS 85,000 MILES AND I HAVE HAD TO SPEND $3500.00 TO CHANGE THE TIMING CHAIN THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE MAINTENANCE FREE, AND LAST TEN YEARS AS PER THE OWNERS MANUAL AND SERVICE MANUAL. CAR STOPPED SUDDENLY ON THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE, VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THIS IS NOT RIGHT THAT I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR A CAR THAT ONLY HAS 85,000 MILES, AND WAS SERVICED REGULARLY. HUGE SAFETY ISSUE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER AND ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT SOMETHING WAS LOOSE IN THE ENGINE AND THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000.

IN SEPTEMBER, 2013, MY 2008 MINI COOPER HARDTOP, WITH THE N12 ENGINE, HAD THE TIMING CHAIN FAIL UNDER OPERATION. THIS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO STOP, AT HIGHWAY SPEED, AFFECTING STEERING, BRAKING AND ALL ABILITY TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE OUT OF TRAFFIC. TWO VEHICLES BARELY AVOIDED MY DISABLED VEHICLE. I CONTACTED MINI USA AND THEY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACTORY DEFECT IN THE TIMING-CHAIN TENSIONER THAT CAUSES THE TIMING CHAIN TO FAIL. I PAID OVER $8000 FOR A REPLACEMENT N12 ENGINE. WITH LESS THAN 10,000 MILES ON THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE, IN JULY, 2016, THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED AGAIN. THIS TIME THE VEHICLE WAS CROSSING A BRIDGE AND THERE WAS NO PLACE TO TRY TO PULL OFF. THE SITUATION WAS VERY DANGEROUS AND LEFT MY FAMILY VULNERABLE TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I CONTACTED MINI USA AGAIN, AND ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE ADMITTED TO THE TIMING CHAIN DEFECT ON THEIR N14 ENGINE, IN THE S SERIES VEHICLE, THEY STILL REFUSE TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THE N12 ENGINES IN WHICH THE TIMING CHAIN FAILURES ARE MORE NUMEROUS. THIS DEFECT CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO BECOME INOPERABLE AT SPEED WHICH IS UNSAFE IN THE EXTREME. MINI USA NEEDS TO ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL FOR EVERY VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH THE N12 ENGINES.

AT 55000 MILES STARTED TO HEAR ENGINE RATTLE AND ROUGH RUNNING AT IDLE. TOOK TO DEALER FOR SERVICE AND THEY SAID THE ENGINE HAS MULTIPLE OIL LEAKS, A FAULTY CAMSHAFT ADJUSTMENT SOLENOID AND FAULTY TIMING BELT. THE TIMING BELT HAS CAUSED THE OIL LEAKS AND FAULTY SOLENOID. THIS WILL CAUSE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. MINI WILL NOT COVER EVEN THOUGH THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED AND IS AN OBVIOUS DEFECT.

I PURCHASED A NEW 2008 MINI COOPER FROM AUTOHAUS WEST/MINI OF ST LOUIS. THE MINI COOPER WAS DESIGNED, MANUFACTURED, ASSEMBLED, DISTRIBUTED AND SOLD BY BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, BMW (U.S.) HOLDING CORP., AND BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AKTIENGELLSCHAFT. I EXPERIENCED A PROGRESSIVE FAILURE OF THE TIMING CHAIN, TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER AND RELATED TENSIONER RAIL, GUIDE RAIL AND SUPPORT RAIL. THE TIMING CHAIN HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPRESENTED TO HAVE A USEFUL LIFE EQUAL TO THE LIFE OF THE CAR. THE TIMING CHAIN IS LOCATED WITHIN THE ENGINE, CONSISTS OF A METAL CHAIN, AND IS NOT SUBJECT TO ADJUSTMENT OR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. I EXPERIENCED A PROGRESSIVE FAILURE OF THE TIMING CHAIN AS FOLLOWS: (A) DEATH RATTLE OR DIESEL NOISE FROM ENGINE UPON START UP & AT LOW SPEEDS, (B) ROUGH IDLING AFTER HIGHWAY DRIVING, (C) POWER LOSS & ENGINE STALLS ON HIGHWAY EXIT RAMPS, (D) POWER LOSS & ENGINE STALLS ON HIGHWAY, & (E) CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. THE MINI COOPER WAS SERVICED BY AUTOHAUS WEST ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS WITH REPAIRS//REPLACEMENT OF SPARK PLUGS, BATTERY, IGNITER COILS, THERMOSTAT COVER AND OTHER ITEMS TOTALING OVER $3,000. AUTOHAUS WEST FAILED TO IDENTIFY THE TIMING CHANGE AS A PROBLEM. AUTOHAUS WEST, BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC, BMW (U.S.) HOLDING CORP., AND BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AKTIENGELLSCHAFT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER DEFECT SINCE 2007 AND HAVE FAILED TO WARN CONSUMERS, ISSUE A RECALL OR PROVIDE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE.THE LOSS OF POWER & ENGINE STALLS ARE SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARDS & WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO ACCIDENTS, INJURIES & EVEN DEATH. TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN M110207 WAS ISSUED IN JANUARY, 2008. HOWEVER, IT IS NOT WIDELY KNOWN TO CONSUMERS AND FAILS TO GIVE CONSUMERS ADEQUATE WARNING. BMW SETTLED CLASS ACTION RE N14 ENGINE USED IN MINI COOPER S. HOWEVER, IT HAS IGNORED SAME PROBLEM WITH N12 ENGINE USED IN MINI COOPER. SAME ISSUES.

IN THE SPRING 2014 I PURCHASED A 2008 MINI COOPER 2D HATCH WITH AROUND 98,0000 MILES FOR $14,000 WITH WARRANTY IN IVRINGTON, NJ FROM SPRINGFIELD AUTO GROUP AUTO SALES. IN JANUARY 2015 I HAD A TUNE UP DONE AND THE MECHANIC REPORTED TO ME AFTER DOING A ENGINE DIAGNOSTIC TEST THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH MY IMMEDIATELY REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO MY WARRANTY COMPANY THAT WAS PROVIDED THROUGH MY THE CAR LOAN COMPANY CREDIT ACCEPTANCE. THE WARRANTY COMPANY REFUSED TO PAY FOR ENGINE TO BE DROPPED OUT OF THE CAR TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THEY ADVISE ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE ENGINE TO BE DROPPED OUT OF THE CAR TO BE AND CHECKED OUT BEFORE THEY PAY FOR ANYTHING. IN OCTOBER 2015 THE MINI COOPER ENGINE FINALLY BROKE DOWN WHILE DRIVING I HAD TO PULLED IT OVER WHILE DRIVING UP ROUTE 280. THE WRECKER SERVICE TOOK THE MINI TO A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKE AND THERE WAS MAJOR ENGINE DAMAGE AND THE REPAIR BILL WILL BE FROM 2K TO REBUILD THE ENGINE AND 8K FOR A NEW ONE AND I STILL OWN 11K TO BANK FOR THE CAR. THE CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 106K MILES ON IT. I'VE HEARD OF A LOT OF COMPLAINTS WITH THOSE MINIS WITH THOSE SAME ISSUES HAPPENING ANYWHERE FROM 30K MILES TO OVER 100K MILES FROM 2007-2010 MODELS. NOTHING ELSE HAS BEEN SPENT ON THE CAR FOR REPAIR. I'M NOT WASTING ANYMORE MONEY ON THAT JUNK MINI COOPER. IT'S TO LATE FOR THE LEMON LAW TO BE APPLIED. CAN ANYTHING GET DONE SO THAT I CAN IMPLEMENT A LAWSUIT AND RECEIVE ANY MONEY FOR THAT FROM BMW OR AND THE DEALER OR IS IT A WASTE OF TIME? THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER. WHEN SHIFTING INTO FIRST GEAR, THE VEHICLE EASILY SWITCHED INTO THE REVERSE POSITION. THE CONTACT WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000.