Problems with 2007 MINI Cooper S ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Oil feed line going into turbo is leaking oil directly onto turbo. mini uses a rubber o ring that is connected to a very hot turbo and o ring will fail on all mini coopers with a turbo. when this rubber o ring fails it will leak oil directly onto hot turbo and cause a fire. i think it's in the safety of all that this be looked into and recalled. i believe mini cooper is very aware of the problem and is covering up the issue by installing a cheap heat shield on oil line but this is a bandaid fix at best. *tr

2007 mini cooper s. consumer writes in regards to defective power steering hoses and oil pan gaskets. *smd the consumer stated the steering hose and oil pan gasket failed at the same time.

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? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the timing chain damaged the engine, rendering it inoperable. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who inspected the engine and advised that the timing chain needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 54,000.

Vehicle serviced regularly for maintenance. pre-incident zero warning via on-board sensors/indicator. last maintenance performed at 52k. vehicle had 56k miles at time of incident. incident occurred in the morning: timing chain snapped upon start up. due to this failure the engine was destroyed requiring a complete engine replacement. a serious issue requiring a recall. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning. the dealer diagnosed the failure and determined that the timing chain was separated from the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure, but denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle. the vehicle was repaired. the vin was unavailable. the failure and the current mileage was 34,481.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 mini cooper s. while driving 15 mph, the contact noticed smoke coming from under the hood of the vehicle. the contact called the fire department who was able to extinguish the fire. the dealer serviced the vehicle under nhtsa campaign id number: 12v008000 (engine and engine cooling) one day prior to the failure. the remedy however, failed to prevent the vehicle fire. the manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. the vehicle was destroyed. a police report was filed. the current and the failure mileages were 59,000.

I brought my mini in for the electrical water pump recall issue and i explained there was a ticking sound coming from the engine compartment and to please let me know if there were any issues. they called and said it was the timing chain and the cost was substantial. this is a large problem with this vehicle as i now know after seeing numerous complaints. please have a recall issued for this problem and not have other owners have to pay for a service that is a known problem and very dangerous to occupants and other drivers since this can cause a major accident and the potential to harm more than the vehicle operator. *tr

Timing belt tensioner failed resulting in slack in the timing belt. final result was the timing belt slack contacted plastic chain guards which broke off and lodged inside the engine. after being towed to mini service, they recommended replacing the entire engine. this is a safety issue because the critical timing chain failure led to premature engine failure. there was a strong smell of smoke and i had initial concern that the car was going to catch on fire. i was lucky that the incident did not occur while driving in traffic as i would have been stuck on the road without any power endangering myself and other drivers. mini is well aware of the issue with the timing belt tensioner, but has failed to proactively address the issue. the service manager at mini even has a bag full of bent rods at his desk that he showed me and told me he has had multiple cars come in with the same issue. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 mini copper s. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign id number: 12v008000 (engine and engine cooling) and took the vehicle to the dealer for repairs the contact was advised that the parts needed for repair were on back order until april 13, 2012. the contact made an appointment for the that date, but continued to drive the vehicle. the vehicle later stalled without warning and towed to a mini specialist who determined that the electric auxiliary pump failed. the failure destroyed the engine. the manufacturer was notified of the failure, but denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle. the failure and the current mileage was 50,000.

Timing chain broke at 80000k after replacing tensioner at 60000k from oil leak. also replaced water pump & thermostat due to car overheating. now at 82000k have a burnt out valve. big problems on my mini cooper s '07. *tr

I was driving on the highway, i slowed down, and i heard clunking rock like noises. my car rolled to a stop. my mechanic has verified that the timing chain is broken, which is highly unusual and should never happen. the mini cooper forums have many complaints about the same problem in 2007 mini cooper s models. i could have been killed. mini has not issued a recall, but they need to. immediately. *tr

On cold starts, it has become a documented issue that 07-11 "s" models have an issue with a horrible rattle upon starting. this can become a catastrophic failure for many people who have experienced this issue. this is due to a tensioning mechanism which allows too much travel in the timing chain. this can allow the chain to jump or break which can cause a complete engine failure. the fix involves replacement of the timing chain and a redesigned tensioner. bmw acknowledges this issue, but will not help out mini owners even at a reduced rate. with just a short search on the internet, it is easy to find thousands of owners who have experienced this issue and are asking for help to resolve the issue, with no luck. *tr

Cold start issues and eventual "check engine" triggered by defective high pressure fuel pump. dealer replaced under warranty. additional problem with excessive heat from engine causing warping of plastic hood scoop (3rd replacement). *tr

While driving in heavy traffic following extended highway speed, stopped at traffic light and engine died with no warning and would not restart. car had to be towed a considerable distance to original dealership. learned that the vacuum pump seized / locked up, causing a chain reaction of catastrophic results that totally destroyed engine. car needs complete new engine at 74,000 miles (out of warranty)and mini usa attitude is that such engine failure is not their responsibility even though this particular mini was impeccably maintained beyond mini servcie requirements, but to no avail as engine blew at a very young 74,000 miles of age and there are repeated instances of same engine failure on internet bmw/mini blogs. note: this catastrophic damage follows last year's large out of warranty expense of replacing the entire electronic steering lock system as vehicle could not be driven safely and again mini felt no responsibility for equipment failure even though the problem was subsequently acknowledged by the fact that electronic steering lock is no longer installed in new mini coopers! *tr