2008 MINI COOPER Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

THE CRITICAL TIMING CHAIN FAILURE CAN LEAD TO PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE FAILING TIMING CHAIN CAN ALSO CAUSE THE MOTOR TO FAIL. THIS IN TURN LEADS TO A LACK OF POWER/ACCELERATION/MOVEMENT ENDANGERING THE DRIVER AND OTHER DRIVERS. CURRENTLY BMW/MINI HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THIS ISSUE HOWEVER HAS FAILED TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE DEFECTED ITEM OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD. THIS ISSUE ALSO DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE AN ISSUE FROM CERTAIN DATE OR ASSEMBLY LINE. IT HAS BEEN AFFECTING A WIDE RANGE OF MINI COOPER S AND JOHN COOPER WORKS MODELS WITH A DATE RANGE BETWEEN 2007-CURRENT. MINI COOPER DRIVERS AROUND THE U.S. AND WORLD HAVE BEEN REPORTING A STRANGE KNOCKING/RUBBING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FOR THE YEAR 2007+ MINI COOPER. FROM THE MISC DEALER REPAIR DETAILS IT APPEARS TO BE A ISSUE WITH THE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER SYSTEM. IT ALSO APPEARS THE WITHOUT BEING FIXED THE CAR WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE A TIMING CHAIN FAILURE AND POSSIBLE MOTOR DESTRUCTION. ON A GOOD NOTE BMW/MINI KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS HOWEVER IS FAILING TO COME UP WITH OR ACKNOWLEDGE A PERMANENT SOLUTION. HOW MANY CUSTOMERS ISSUES WILL IT TAKE BEFORE BMW/MINI WILL ISSUE A FULL RECALL? WE ALL HOPE NOT MANY MORE. I AM IN THE SECOND GENERATION MINI GROUP MYSELF. EVERY MORNING I CROSS MY FINGERS IN HOPE THAT WHEN I PUSH THE START BUTTON THE SOUND OF ENGINEERING FAILURE DOESN'T SING FROM UNDER MY HOOD! *TR

Mileage: 55,000

THE OIL LINES THAT SUPPLY THE TURBOCHARGER ARE LEAKING OIL AND IT CONTINUES TO GET WORSE, STARVING THE TURBO OF COOLING OIL AND SPRAYING OIL ALL OVER THE ENGINE. *TR

Mileage: 52,000

2008 MINI COOPER - MY TEMP LIGHT CAME ON/YELLOW AND THINKING JUST LOW AND ADDED MORE COOLANT. BUT IT KEEP GIVING ME THE LIGHT SIGNAL. I DIDN'T SEE ANY HOLE OR IS NOT DRIPPING ANY COOLANT. ON 01/06/12 I CALLED MINI COOPER OF LOVELAND COLORADO TO TAKE MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE BECAUSE MY TEMPERATURE LIGHT CAME ON TO YELLOW AND THEN RED. I WAS TOLD BY THE MINI COOPER DEALERSHIP, I HAVE A HOLE IN MY COOLANT PIPE AND NO ONE KNOWS WHY. SO, ON THE WAY HOME, MY CAR STARTING TO SMOKE BAD AND MY CAR STOPPED RUNNING. IT OVER HEATED. THE LAST PEOPLE TOUCHED MY CAR WAS 6 MONTHS AGO TO GET MY OIL CHANGED FROM THE MINI COOPER DEALERSHIP. WHAT'S WEIRD ABOUT IT, HOW AND WHY DID I GET A HOLE AND WHY MY CAR OVER HEATED? PLEASE I NEED HELP WITH THIS BECAUSE NOW, IT'S COSTING ME OVER 2500 TO GET MY PROBLEM FIX.

Mileage: 20

SHORTLY AFTER THE TEMPERATURE LIGHT CAME ON, SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST. I PULLED OVER ALMOST IMMEDIATELY ON THE SIDE OF THE BUSY HIGHWAY I WAS ON. HOWEVER, IN JUST THAT SHORT TIME, SMOKE WAS ALREADY COMING OUT OF THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND OUT OF THE CAR VENTS. AT LEAST ONE BYSTANDER SAID HE SAW A FIRE BEFORE I SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. HE CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND PARAMEDICS FOR FEAR THAT I MIGHT BE INJURED. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WAS NOT A MINI COOPER S. I AM REQUESTING THAT YOU EXPAND YOUR CURRENT INVESTIGATION OF MINI ENGINE FIRES TO INCLUDE THE STANDARD MODEL (MINI COOPER). *TR

Mileage: 41,000

I WAS DRIVING AROUND AND I BEGAN LOOSING POWER TO MY CAR, SO I STOPPED AND THEN I COULDN'T GET IT STARTED AGAIN. I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF CALLING A TOW COMPANY WHEN I POPPED THE HOOD AND WHEN I LIFTED IT UP I COULD SMELL GASOLINE AND NOTICED A CLOUD OF FUMES SO I BACKED UP AND IT CAUGHT FIRE SO I CALLED 911 AND NOW MY CARS VIRTUALLY GONE. I COME ACROSS SOME MINI COOPER OWNERS CLUB FORUM AND ITS APPARENTLY HAPPENED TO OTHER PEOPLE AND ALSO ON YOUTUBE. OR IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS THE SAME THING SINCE THEY CAUGHT FIRE IN THE ENGINE FIRST TOO. I CALLED MINI AND THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE ME TOW IT THERE SO THEY CAN DIAGNOSE IT TO DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENED. *TR

Mileage: 10,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT HE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE DUE TO THE VACCUUM PUMP FAILING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 64,000.

Mileage: 64,000

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 65 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE A RATTLING SOUND AND STOPPED ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE TENSIONER GAVE WAY AND CAUSED THE TIMING CHAIN TO STRETCH. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 70,000. UPDATED 4/4/11 *CN

Mileage: 70,000

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER WHICH WAS PURCHASED IN AUGUST 2008. HE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. PREVIOUSLY, THE VEHICLE BEGAN STALLING AND LOSING POWER. HE ALSO OBSERVED SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND SMELLED OIL BURNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A LOSS IN PRESSURE AND ONE OF THE FOUR CYLINDERS HAD FAILED. THEY ALSO FOUND A DILAPIDATED TIMING CHAIN AND POSSIBLE EMISSIONS FAILURES. THE DEALER WAS NOT SURE WHAT CAUSED THE FAILURES TO OCCUR. THE DEALER ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BURNING OIL EXCESSIVELY AND THE FUEL INJECTORS HAD FAILED. THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING REPAIRS TO DATE. THE CONTACT ASSUMED ALL REPAIRS WERE TO BE MADE UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 29,335.

Mileage: 29,335

IN EARLY DECEMBER 2008 MY WIFE WAS PUTTING ITEMS IN THE BACK OF THE MINI COOPER AND HER LEG TOUCHED THE EXHAUST, PIPE BURNING HER LEG. WE TOOK IT TO THE SERVICE CENTER AND THE SERVICE ADVISOR INFORMED US THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO. ON A RECENT VISIT TO THE SERVICE CENTER THE NEW SERVICE ADVISOR INFORMED US THAT THERE WAS A RECALL BUT NOT FOR THIS MODEL. WE ARE CONCERNED FROM A SAFETY STAND POINT. *TR

Mileage: 15,000

TAILPIPE BURNED LEG WHILE GETTING ITEMS OUT OF TRUNK OF 2008 MINI COOPER 2 DOOR SEDAN. *TR

Mileage: 8,000

LTR FROM CONGRESSMAN MAURICE D. HINCHEY ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT, WHO SUFFERED A LEG BURN FROM THE TAILPIPE OF HER 2008 MINI COOPER. *NJ

ON 9/3/08 I LEANED INTO THE REAR OF MY 2008 MINI COOPER TO RETRIEVE GROCERY BAGS AND MY BARE LEG (RIGHT LEG) CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE TAIL PIPE OF THE VEHICLE. THE TAIL PIPE WAS HOT AS IN "LIKE A RED-HOT POKER" AND I RECEIVED AN EXTREMELY PAINFUL CRESCENT SHAPED BURN ON MY LOWER LEG FROM THE TAIL PIPE. THE TAIL PIPE PROTRUDES BEYOND THE BUMPER BY AT LEAST AN INCH. I MEASURED IT AND ON THE RIGHT SIDE IT MEASURES 2 AND ONE-HALF INCHES BEYOND THE BUMPER AND ON THE LEFT SIDE IT STICKS OUT ONE AND ONE-HALF INCHES BEYOND THE BUMPER. ON MY MINI COOPER, I HAVE ONE TAIL PIPE WHICH IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. I REQUIRED TREATMENT AT AN EMERGENCY ROOM LESS THAN 36 HOURS LATER WHEN I BECAME CONCERNED THAT THE WOUND MAY BECOME INFECTED. THE ATTENDING DOCTOR TOLD ME THAT WOUND WAS HEALING WELL AND THAT IT WAS NOT INFECTED. I WAS PRESCRIBED 1% SILVER SULFADIAZINE CREAM (TOPICAL) TO TEND THE WOUND. *TR UPDATED 09/26/08. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER SPORT. WHILE REMOVING GROCERIES FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT BURNED HER LEG ON THE EXHAUST PIPE, WHICH WAS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER GAVE HER THE NUMBER TO THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY STATED THAT THEY WOULD GET BACK WITH HER. SINCE THAT TIME, THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING ELSE COULD BE DONE DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. SHE WAS ADVISED TO NOT GET TOO CLOSE TO THE EXHAUST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 1,400. UPDATED 08/04/08.*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE DESIGN ITSELF WAS FLAWED. THE CONSUMER STATED THE ISSUE COULD EASILY BE RECTIFIED BY MAKING THE EXHAUST PIPE SHORTER. UPDATED 08/06/08

Mileage: 1,400