The turbocharger had to be replaced, new turbo got hot and melted the valve cover. then the turbocharger caught fire while in motion in a rural neighborhood. all within 6 months.
My vehicle is currently @ braman bmw wpb (5612423210) for a timing chain problem which was under recall. the service advisor called me and notified me that the timing chain broke inside the engine & completely destroyed the motor. te timing chain job alone estimate is $3800, but theyve notified me that the engine is unrepairable & must be replaced! they also failed to acknowledge that this happen whilst driving on an interstate, almost causing a huge accident!! please help!! mini apparently cares more about money than lives!!
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 mini cooper s. the contact stated that there was a catastrophic engine failure without warning. the vehicle was unable to be driven and was towed to braman mini of palm beach (2815 okeechobee blvd, west palm beach, fl 33409, (561) 257-4774). the dealer indicated that the manufacturer service campaign was only to address replacing the timing chain and that the replacement of the engine assembly was not included in the manufacturer's guidelines of the service campaign. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact was waiting for a response from the manufacturer to determine if they could approve the dealer replacing the timing chain and the engine assembly. the failure mileage was not available.
Timing chain tensioner broke and messed up the engine
There was a recall for the timing chain, so i had it replaced in the recall program that was offered through mini cooper. less then 2 years later, my timing chain broke again, and has damaged the motor of my car. it would not start
Timing chain making loud noise when started
Mini cooper s - numerous issues found having purchased a used 2007 mini cooper s from a small dealer in tallahassee, florida, we did our research up-front with a 'carfax report' which showed no issues, we also did a vin database search for recalls and found no open recalls and assumed that it was safe to purchase which we did for just over $5,000. now that we are nearing a year into our 4-year payment plan, on january 17, 2016, my wife was driving north on i-75 in georgia and at approx. mile marker 211, the engine seized and she required a tow off the interstate. luckily, there was no accident or injury- but it seems that would have helped our case' upon attempting repairs, we find numerous issues with the engine (2007 r56/n16 4 cylinder turbocharged) including timing chain, water pump, vacuum pump, etc' below are photos of removed parts from the engine ' the vacuum pump seized and bent the metal components ' since this is connected to the 'exhaust camshaft', when it seized it seized the exhaust camshaft ' on the opposite end of this camshaft is a sprocket which connects the timing chain (another known issue with this vehicle) ' the bolt and sprocket dropped into the engine and timing chain area, creating a catastrophic failure which it appears we are going to be 'left holding the bag' for
This car has been a consistent user of oil. it uses a quart at about 500 miles. this engine has a reputation for problems on mini cooper s models and the peugeot models with that same engine. i've heard that later models don't burn oil. i'd like to know why bmw has not recalled them. first the timing chain, cooling system and high pressure fuel pump., they paid for the timing chain and the fuel pump.
We are a second owner of this mini cooper had it about a year. turn the car on and hear a rattle in motor. worse when it's cold. took it in to be checked it the timing tensioner. apparently there has been an issue with this for sometime. repair cost is around $2000. car only has 76,000 miles this part should be provided under warranty. but when it breaks it affects the motor as well because it is metal it tears the motor up. making a 10 dollar part cost thousands of dollars for repair. i don't feel like i am liable for the expense that mini knew was a problem and never recalled.
Engine, thermostat, gasket, radiator, coolant tube, and battery went out on the v at the same time. it was running rough and just stop running.
Engine was running extremely rough and very loud engine noise rattle. took the car to mini cooper service department in jacksonville for diagnostic they need to replace the timing chain, they want to charge me over 2,800. when my understanding this issue was addressed by a recall to be repair without charge.
Oil feed line leaking on turbo
Timing chain replaced at 32k, just failed again at 92k with mobil one oil and filter changes every 5k miles. chain jumped in garage during shut down of engine. would not restart. i checked spark, fuses for primary fuel pump and made a judgement that it was a failure of the high pressure fuel pump and towed it to the dealer for warranty replacement. got the call the timing chain jumped a link and i would need a replacement again. can't believe it . third chain with good lubrication maintenance in under 92k.
When driving down the highway at 60 mph, the engine lost power and had a hard time getting it to the nearest exit for safety. when i stopped the car i attempted to check the fluid levels but the car was too hot to check and i waited for about an hour to cool. when i was able to check all levels down, including the oil, which i just had a change in less than a week previous to this indent. the oil level was down 2 1/2 quarts and the water level was below the safety level. when i took it to my independent certified bmw mechanic, he advised that the timing belt needed to be replaced. i called bmw and mini corporate offices and they both stated that i should take it to the dealership and they may be able to fix at a reduce cost. upon further questioning, and them stating that they may not assist due to age, i came to the conclusion that the likelihood of them assisting was zero. they state that the warranty was no longer covering and that the car had too many miles, 85k. i previously had the thermostat replaced, the air intake valve replaced, the oil pump replaced, and now the timing belt to the sum of $4300 in the past year and half. will never purchase another and will never encourage anyone else to purchase a bmw or mini product. i will pay and continue to drive, but will put a message on it to not ask me or comment on the "cuteness" of the car because it is a piece of junk! i would have expected to get at least 200k out of it before these major repairs should have ever occurred! very frustrated, not to mention disappointed in this high performance vehicle that sells itself with a simple drive, but mechanically is not supported by its manufacturer.
Engine failure occurred when driving on major freeway at posted speed limited of 75 mph. pulling off on slip road due to engine stopping. only after full stop did engine warning lights come on. checked under hood and found coolant had evacuated the system. engine would not restart. towed to mechanic and found that the gear shifter had worn through coolant hose due to engineering defect.
In 2013 my mini started to overheat. i had the fluids checked and everything was ok. i drove approx., 10 miles and the car completely overheated, the oil light came on and the car smoked and almost caught on fire. i had it towed to the dealership (mini northwest in fife wa,) they said there were no recalls and i needed a new motor and cooling system. i paid 7500$$ for a new engine installed by the mini dealership in july 2013 at my own expense. on dec, 23rd 2014 i drove my mini approx. 12 miles and parked the car in the driveway. the car was not overheating, no warning lights came on, 15 minutes later the car had flames shooting out from the hood. fire extinguisher would not put out the fire. the car then moved approx. 5 feet forward up against the house and became completely engulfed. the tires blew up the sunroof blew up and then the back window blew out. the car is a complete loss. mini claims they have never heard of this before, yet there are several articles of the same thing happening to other cars, including a class action suit and recalls. *js
This is a complaint against the timing chain and tensioner for the mini cooper which is known to be faulty. the timing chain had begin rattling and was inspected at a mini dealership. they stated that it's a known issue with mini. repair for this job is 2000 usd. this is a tremendous price tag.this can lead to a very very dangerous situation on the highway heading to work. imagine going 65 on the highway the chain snap. lost power and control of the car. not only the driver is at risk but other as well. what if it cause a family in the car an accident. let's say 3 car were involved filled with families but one person died. you are causing a lifetime of heartache for not acknowledging the fault in your engine. please be aware that people lives are at stake. it's better that mini should take responsibility. is money so much more important to mini than the lives of people. the lives of families. if future accident can be avoided. it must start now. do the right thing and make this recall happen. don't let me start on carbon buildup. engine design wasn't tested thoroughly. everyone should be given a courtesy clean every 70000 miles or so. already show sign of carbon buildup with 48k miles. *tr
On 27-oct-2014, when i was driving home the check engine light came on and it gave a message about the catalytic converter. luckily i was close to home and the message just said to slow down which i did. i had it towed to a local mechanic the next day since it was not drivable.it was real shaky and didn't feel safe to drive when i started the engine. they had the vehicle for 3 days and checked everything from the coils, spark plugs, ran a compression test which showed that cylinder 3 was not getting enough power, etc. they stated that there were no leaks or fluids found in that area like they had expected since that was the only cylinder that was not running properly. i contacted miniusa to see if they would fix the vehicle out of goodwill because this was a known issue with these vehicles/engines (r56). needless to say, miniusa would not fix the repair nor would they respond to my emails. mini of concord offered to cover 25% of the cost leaving me to pay $3600 out of pocket for something that they know is faulty. this is unacceptable. *tr
I was driving at highway speed when without warning the car lost partial power and the engine light came on and began flashing. i pulled over to the roadside and turned the engine off. i looked at the owner's manual to see what the flashing engine light indicates. nothing definitive was stated in the manual, so i started the engine and drove it to my home about 10 miles under partial power. i contacted a local garage (mienke) and let them know the problem. the garage was about three miles away so i drove it to them. they diagnosed a loss of compression in one of the valves that would require a valve job. i contacted miniusa to report the problem. they requested i take it to the local dealer for diagnosis. i contacted the dealer and let them know what occurred and asked if it was safe to drive the approximate 20 miles to their location with a compromised engine. they said it would be okay and bring it in. they diagnosed it the next day with a failed timing chain ($1800), vacuum pump ($600) and valve cover assembly ($385). i let them know the timing chain was already replaced by a mini dealership at 40781 miles and they should replace it at no cost as this is supposed to last 100,000 miles. the dealer would not. i contacted miniusa again to report the issue and request to have this replaced at no cost. they have not gotten back to me yet and it is still pending their decision. i began to look online for similar issues and found hundreds of complaints from owners regarding the same issue with the timing chain. mini/bmw is well aware of the issue but still does not cover this recurring problem. this is an expensive repair and unknowing mini owners are spending thousands of dollars to have their cars put back on the road. there is also a pending class action law suit in new jersey for this same issue. *tr
This is a complaint against the timing chain and tensioner for the mini cooper which is known to be faulty. the timing chain had begin rattling and was inspected at a mini dealership. they stated that it's a known issue with mini. repair for this job is 3800 usd. this is a tremendous price tag.this can lead to a very very dangerous situation on the highway heading to work. *tr
My car started to act funny. almost sounding like it was suffocating. it would die about ten to fifteen times every morning before i would finally get the car started. it would shut off when i stopped at intersections. the only time it ran decent was when i was driving highways speeds for 20 minutes or more. i changed out filters, spark plugs, and fluids but none of it changed the way it was running. come to find out it that the chain and chain tensioner had broken. this damage caused roughly $1000 to fix. luckily i caught it in time before it did additional damages to the crank shaft. with low miles the mechanic even told me its a fault part and brakes easily. he has had to replace numerous american model minis in italy. my country code is 39 if you call. *tr
Was driving car downtown at a speed on average of 15 mph. trip only lasted 15 minutes when i parked and noticed smoke coming from my hood. smoke quickly escalated into a fire. called 911 to have fire trucks out. grabbed a fire extinguisher from a nearby business to try to put out the flames, but was unable to even while spraying directly at the flames. firemen had to pry open the hood to get to the engine to put out the fire. car engine was totaled. *tr
I tried to start my car and only heard a spinning sound. first i thought the transmission or starter would need replacing but after having it towed to the mini dealership, i was informed it is the timing chain. upon further review i was informed that the timing chain belt had shattered and bent the valves, and now the pistons are blocked and a plethora of other things. the total to repair this domino effect of damage is above $8,000 and just the chain alone is 1500 but i was informed would be a grand mistake because the car will not run. i am a college student who is financially challenged and am now in too deep to even try and float. *tr
Rattle and oil leak. loss of full engine power when restarted. dealer says its a timing chain assembly issue. *tr
Upon starting the vehicle the engine sounds as if parts are loose in the engine area. it lessens up after the engine warms up but is getting progressively worse. it appears it may be the timing chain/ tensioner. *tr
The timing chain guides and tensioner in the mini cooper are made from plastic. there is a service bulletin created by mini usa to address this issue, but no recall. as i was driving home, making a turn across a busy intersection, my tensioner broke, which caused my vehicle to die in the middle of a turn with oncoming traffic. i had to get out of my vehicle and push it across the intersection while cars were driving by. although it is common for vehicle engines to die of different issues, this is a well-documented and acknowledged problem for mini coopers, but there has not been enough of a public outcry for a recall. the situation is dangerous, as it can cause engine failure which can result in a collision. the remedy is a replacement of a manufacturer-acknowledged faulty part. *tr
The car lost power and would not run at idle speed. after much effort, managed to get the car to the only dealer in the state. after two failed diagnostics and two "repairs," the dealer says i now need the timing chain replaced. there are known issues about the timing chain and the tensioner. bmw and dealer deny responsibility and now wish to charge an additional $1500 to repair. *tr
Driving mini cooper s when all of a sudden i lost power to the car and was able to get it off the hwy. timing chain broke and damaged the engine. the car has 91,000 miles on it. *tr
Received a letter from mini on 11/16/13 notifying me of possibility of faulty chain tensioner, which needed to be "checked for wear and replaced if necessary," and that i should contact an authorized mini dealer to arrange an appointment. no indication that the vehicle should not be driven. two days later (11/18/13), just as i was about to schedule an appointment, the vehicle began to shake, then the red engine light came on, so i shut down the vehicle and had it towed first to the import shop that normally services the mini then, after consultation with that mechanic about mini's recall letter, had it towed to a mini dealership, where it now sits waiting for diagnosis and news about what any damage might cost to repair, whether i will be responsible for it, and whether i will be reimbursed for two tow charges and a car rental. *tr
Timing chain failure. happened on freeway. complete loss of power, had to be towed. *tr
I was driving on the interstate, when without any warning or indicators, the engine shut off. i was stuck in a dangerous place, with high-speed traffic for sometime. the dealer who as my car says: "the primary cause of the engine failure was the locking up of the vacuum pump. consequently this caused the bolt on the exhaust cam shaft sprocket to sheer off causing the vehicle to run out of time. the pistons therefore made contact with both intake and exhaust valves, verified with boroscope inspection, thus bending the valves and causing catastrophic failure to the engine. $6850.00 minus discount to replace engine. this is obviously not an isolated incident. i have had a lot issues with various mini engine parts deteriorating, despite following the recommended regular maintenance schedules ' clutch, fly-wheel, thermostat, intake silencer, spark plugs, timing chain twice, waterpump, radio head unit, drive belt, hi-lo horn, boot latch, boot cable, to name a few. hopefully mini will do something about these issues. *tr
Ran a diagnostic test and these warnings came up - 2d52 super knocking 2dcd fuel shut off due to super knocking cylinder 3 2968 inlet camshaft sensor 2b64 intake manifold, unmetered air based on all of these sound like my mini cooper has bad fuel and/or serious carbon build, i've just purchased this car from a dealership and i am experiencing delays in acceleration, loss of forward propulsion.
Complete loss of engine oil pressure while surrounded by semis in the 3/4-mile-long big walker mountain tunnel while traveling northbound on i-77 (near virginia exit 47). thankfully the engine didn't seize and i was able to pull off once through the tunnel. according to my mechanic, the cause was a check valve in the valve cover, which malfunctioned in a way that created a vacuum and trapped oil in the top part of the engine. replacement cover had been redesigned to prevent the problem, so it seems to have been a known issue. *tr
Engine bay started smoking. pulled the car over and notice the turbo oil line was leaking hot oil everywhere. could of resulted in a engine bay fire. *tr
I took my car into my local shop and had oil change,new battery,tires rotated and alignment .they could a noise from the engine and they checked it out. call me to inform me that i had to take to the mini cooper dealership because the timing chain needed to be replace. i called mini cooper and spoke to [xxx] at the houston dealership momentum mini. she informed me that the cost would be anywhere from 4000 to 10,000 dollars. i explained to her i had the car for 1 year and have any driven 6000 miles in a year. after doing research i noticed that other people where having the same issues with there mini. i purchased this car with 39,126 miles on it and my daily drive to work is a quarter mile if that. please help !!! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr
While driving on 580 car lost all power without warning. upon further investigation it was determined that the vacuum pump froze up, bolt on timing gear sheared off and fell into oil pan. oil pump was destroyed as a result. on 11/7/13 received letter from mini corp. regarding a faulty timing chain tensioner with premature wear, which could cause problems. upon replacement of tensioner assembly, mechanic found a faulty vacuum pump which froze without warning. oil distribution was compromised. this abrupt loss of power put my entire family in jeopardy, which could have caused bodily injury or death. bmw corporation has been aware of the vacuum pump problem since 2012. vehicle was purchased used in 3/15/11 with 32k miles. mini corp lead me to believe that financial assistance may be made available for repairs. i have been declined any assistance for a failed vacuum pump assembly which caused catastrophic engine failure. the vehicle has had reports of similar failure. highway speed, loss of power, putting vehicle and occupants in peril circumstance, bmw is aware of this issue and refuses to acknowledge design or manufacture/mechanical flaws in the engineering of this motor. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 mini cooper s. the contact stated that coolant was leaking from the vehicle. the contact also stated that the transmission mount was fractured. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was found that the coolant housing and the transmission mount needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 70,000.
While in idle and any rpm, a rattle/growling sound could be heard coming from under the timing chain housing of the engine. when shifting it was harder to place into gear without grinding and very easy to miss a gear when shifting. master mechanic diagnosed this has a failing/failed timing chain. a new timing chain was installed, costing me $1,400. one week after being fixed the same sound is arising from the time chain housing and need to be taken back in for a new chain yet again. this is not the first time the timing chain has been replaced on this mini cooper, it is just the 1st while i have been the owner of the car and seems to be an ongoing issue with it. *tr
Daughter was driving the vehicle and while stopped at a toll booth on the nj toll road, the car shut down and could not be restarted. after several mechanics, the 3rd mechanic has diagnosed the problem as " locked up vacuum pump on engine that caused camshaft sprocket to snap causing bent valves in engine,motor oil was full ." totally unsat. *tr
While driving west on 580 highway, my car lost power and was unable to accelerate out of the lane. i was able to coast off of the freeway out of the way of moving traffic. highway patrol was able to assist with warning other drivers of a mechanical failure. due to a mechanical vacuum pump failure, car lost all power, and the engine was a total loss. also failed on the engine was a cam shaft failure, timing chain failure. this is considered a total loss. repairs cost more than the car is worth. cost of repairs provided by dealer is estimated at 9,700.00 dollars manufacture aware of oil issues with the vacuum pump, which could lead to a catastrophic engine breakdown. oil feed hole on the pump can become clogged on the pump. vacuum pump will inadequately supply oil to the vital moving parts on the engine.we had just completed an oil change a week before this failure. manufacture intervals for oil changes, put failure of pump a reality, not a possibility. *tr
Timing chain failure caused immediate engine failure at highway speed. damaged timing chain housing cracked causing oil to spray the hot engine. subsequent oil started a small fire that was extinguished by driver. *tr
With only 23,000 miles, engine exhibited a loud rattling noise at idle, and running up to about 2800 rpm, when noise would disappear. took it immediately to dealer, who diagnosed it as a failure of the timing chain tensioner piston; that failure caused the chain to skip and throw the cam timing out of alignment, according to the dealer... cost of $188.00 to replace timing chain tensioner, and $471 to diagnose cam timing skip and restore cam timing... total cost $659. dealer refused to submit claim to mini north america for goodwill coverage, despite outstanding condition, low mileage, regular dealer maintenance, and proper oil levels and change intervals. this issue with the timing chain tensioner failure and resulting damage is well known and well documented and should be the subject of a recall and repair of entire timing chain system at mini's cost-- severe cases can result in catastrophic engine failure at highway speed and potential crashes/fatalities. nhtsa, please make mini do the right thing!!!! *tr
I have been experiencing a major flaw with oil supply/return lines to the turbo. a condition exists where if left unattended and uncared for creates the high risk of fire and subsequent loss of engine/vehicle. this event can happen at any time the car is being driven and/or later parked. the risk is created when oil accumulates, either through time or over a leisure drive, and collects near/on the exhaust manifold & turbo components, both of which operate at extremely high temperatures. it is becoming a daily task to look under the car hood and investigate for accumulation of oil near these parts due to the fact that the car smells of burning petroleum. need i be more apparent of burning oil that will burn and destroy a car due to a faulty product? this has been occurring for the majority life of the car but he issue has never been professionally addressed due to disregard of the mini/bmw dealerships to accept this design flaw. if researched further, there are many standard examples of this design flaw and numerous descriptions, images, examples, forums, and complaints of this flaw occurring in many cars of various styles, mileage, and trims occurring within the same year model of 2007. i have also experience many of the major flaws already listed and complained about on the nhtsa such as the ??death rattle?? belt tensioner failing (luckily no catastrophic engine failure and which has been listed numerous times on nhtsa, numerous), valve cover replacement (also listed), etc. nhtsa, address this problem as it is an avid and dangerous safety issue. the common person does not check under the hood daily and its only time before someone parks their mini in a garage and the home goes down in flames. i personally don??t park the mini in the garage for fear of fire. do not repair the mini with the same faulty oil line design. recall design. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving 10 mph, the engine stalled without warning. the vehicle was towed to a mechanic for inspection and they stated that the timing change needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was 41,000. updated 07/12/13*lj
I was the one that reported the "death rattle" on my wife's mini cooper a few weeks ago. i'm happy to report that the engine was not damaged and mini fixed it for $1800, which was right in line with their estimate. they replaced the timing chain (it was stretched 70mm... 70!!), the tension pulley, the guide, changed the oil, replaced the aux water pump (was a recall so it cost $0), retimed the engine, washed the car, and cleaned the engine bay. the good news is that the car runs like new. the great news is that the service manager told me he called mini on my behalf and they gave us a $500 discount on the repair since the car was "only a couple of years out of warranty". perhaps that means mini is finally waking up to this problem? i'll never understand how between the timing chain stretched 70mm, and the broken piece of guide rattling around for who knows how long, didn't destroy the engine... but i'm not complaining. anyway, just wanted to let other mini owners know that there's hope after all. and $1300 is better than $1800 any day of the week. car runs great and neither my wife and i realized how much power the car had lost. we're still getting rid of it though... enough is enough... every time something goes wrong with this car, it's drama. and this was the last straw. good luck everyone. *tr
Just wanted to report another case of the "death rattle". my wife has a 2007 mini cooper s we bought new in sept. 2007. she complained of a loud rattle when she started the car for about 5-10 minutes until warm. thought it might be a loose exhaust component until it started having idle issues. we took it to a local shop and they "rebooted" the computer and the idle problems went away but the rattle persisted. our closest mini dealer is an hour away so we don't take it to them unless we have to. early last week the oil light came on. checked the oil and oil level was fine... although the dipstick did not want to go back in the engine. oil light would come and go over the next few days. she took it to the local shop again to have the rattle checked and the oil changed since it was almost due. they found the guide for the timing chain was broken and laying in the bottom of the cover. they called our closest mini dealer, said it was a "common problem" with turbo minis, and we shouldn't drive it. had it towed to mini and that's where it sits. they haven't worked on it yet and they will call me when they do, but an early estimate is ~$1800 to repair, as long as the engine isn't damaged (which it isn't as the car starts and runs fine). i asked mini about it being covered under some sort of warranty after reading all the horror stories since it's a known problem but they said since the oil level was low, and low oil levels exacerbate the problem, there's nothing they can do. had no idea the oil level was low until the light came on. pretty sad that this "common problem" still hasn't been fixed after all these years. wife is now a full-time student and her school is over an hour away. she makes that drive twice a day, three times a week. how that broken piece didn't get tangled in the timing chain and destroy the engine i'll never know. *tr
My 2007 mini cooper s thermostat housing has started leaking to the point that it would cause the engine to overheat at prolonged stops in traffic if fluid is not put in the overflow tank. i have been reading various threads regarding this issue and see that there are several reports of this failure, however mini does not seem too worried about this part. *tr
Without warning or cause, the timing chain & tensioner failed, which ruined my engine. just the timing chain costs $2000-$3000 to fix, but since my engine is gone as well that number is more like $6000-$7000. this is a 2007, and sinking half of the value of the car back into it does not make sense. this is a huge issue that needs to be dealt with. it is obviously a manufacturer issue as others have also reported this issue at various mileage stages. please do something about this. *tr
Upon acceleration when the turbo charger engages there is a high pitched squeal which changes tone depending upon the acceleration. afterwards smokes starts leaking from the hood scoop and sides of the hood itself. it smells of burned oil. i noticed oil pooling at a connection point near the turbo charger unit. in mid-august the car failed it's emissions test due to a cracked valve cover. i had the mini dealership replace the valve cover which was enough to pass inspection. however, the technician informed me that i had an oil leak in a line to the turbo charger that could start a fire and to watch my oil level closely. the cost to repair this (after nearly $900 on the valve cover) is simply beyond my means presently. since learning about the possible dangers the car is no longer parked in the garage.
Timing chain tensioner, a well known problem with these cars... i worked my a** off for a year saving up for one of these cars and what do you know the tensioner goes... mini does not care about you or the car they sell, its all about taking whats in your wallet and putting it in theres, dont buy one of these cars and not expect to pay for it twice literally in fixing it..