We heard a rattling noise and the engine light appeared. Mini of palm beach states timing chain needs to be replaced @ about 4,000$ for needed repairs.
The worst 2009 MINI Cooper S Convertible problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Engine7
- Driver assistance2
- Acceleration1
- Airbags1
- Brakes1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine7
- Driver assistance2
- Acceleration1
- Airbags1
- Brakes1
- Fuel system1
- Seats1
- Transmission1
Recalls 1
Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline: turbo/supercharger
- What is wrong
- Bmw is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 mini cooper s, 2008-2011 mini cooper s clubman, 2009-2011 mini cooper s convertible, 2009-2011 mini cooper jcw, 2009-2011 mini cooper jcw clubman, 2009-2011 cooper jcw convertible, and 2011 cooper s countryman passenger cars manufactured from november 14, 2006, through january 18, 2011. The electric auxiliary water pump that cools the turbocharger has an electronic circuit board that can malfunction and overheat.
- Risk
- The circuit board may smolder which could result in a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Bmw will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water pump free of charge. The safety recall beganduring february 2012. Owners may contact bmw at 1‑866‑275‑6464.
Recall number 12V008000 · Recall details
See all 1 recalls for the 2009 MINI Cooper S Convertible
Defect investigations
Engine compartment fire
In a January 10, 2012 letter to the federal safety agency, BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) identifying a defect in the electric auxiliary water pump in approximately 88,911 model year (MY) 2007-2011 Mini Cooper vehicles manufactured from November 14, 2006 through January 18, 2011 (Recall 12V‑008).According to BMW, the auxiliary water pump on vehicles equipped with 4-cylinder turbocharged engines may overheat.Electro-migration can cause the pump electronic circuit board to overheat resulting in smoldering of the water pump. If smoldering occurs, it may lead to an engine compartment or vehicle fire.The pump supplier, Pierburg Pump Technology GmbH, redesigned the pump to address factors that may contribute to circuit board overheating.The redesigned pumps were completely implemented in production vehicles by January 2011.Recall 12V‑008 was the third recall initiated by BMW to address electric auxiliary water pump fires in vehicles equipped with Pierburg pumps.In two October 20, 2011 letters to the federal safety agency, BMW submitted DIRs for similar auxiliary water pump defect conditions in approximately 32,084 MY 2008-2011 BMW 5-Series, 7-Series, X5 and X6 models equipped with 8- and 12-cylinder engines and manufactured from May 2008 through December 2010 (Recall 11V‑521); and for approximately 589 MY 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost vehicles manufactured from September 2009 through September 2010 (Recall 11V‑522).In three separate April 5, 2012 letters to the federal safety agency, BMW submitted amendments to Recalls 11V‑521, 11V‑522 and 12V‑008.The amendments all described a common defect condition related to a manufacturing process deviation in a certain production range of the redesigned Pierburg water pumps that could result in cracks in the pump housing, which may allow coolant to enter and contact the pump?s circuit board.BMW indicated that further analysis identified a specific machine process error at the sub-supplier that manufactures the water pump housing.Pump housing cracks may cause the circuit board to overheat and lead to smoldering of the water pump.Recall 12V‑008 was, thus, amended to include approximately 1,457 MY 2011 Mini Cooper vehicles manufactured from March 31, 2011 through April 22, 2011, when pumps manufactured with the suspect manufacturing process may have been used in vehicle assembly.The amendment to Recall 11V‑521 was assigned a new recall number, Recall 12V‑161, and covered approximately 2,846 MY 2011-2012 BMW 5-Series, 6-Series, 7-Series, X5, and X6 vehicles manufactured from April 1, 2011 through August 1, 2011.The amendment to Recall 11V‑522 was assigned a new recall number, Recall 12V‑166, and covered approximately 69 MY 2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost vehicles manufactured from April 7, 2011 through June 2, 2011.The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) analyzed complaint data provided by BMW as well as complaints submitted to ODI from consumers. In total, there were 30 unique Mini Cooper reports indicating engine fire.In addition, BMW provided warranty data showing 493 claims for replacement of the subject component on Mini Cooper vehicles.Owners of the recalled vehicles are notified to take their vehicle to a BMW dealer, who will replace the auxiliary water pump to prevent any incidents related to this issue.This preliminary evaluation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be viewed at www-odi.the federal safety agency.dot.gov/owners/Searchreference under the following identification numbers (ODI Nos.):10286597, 10286663, 10289793, 10310677, 10314796, 10342365, 10394808, 10394192, 10403982, 10418325, 10422646, 10429003.
PE11036
Technical service bulletins for the 2009 MINI Cooper S Convertible 91
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- MINI electrical systems have continued to develop over the past few years
- New RDC wheel electronics will be introduced with future generation MINI models
- OC3 seat occupancy mat - limited warranty extension to 10 years/120,000 miles
- Class action settlement: N14 high-pressure fuel pump (HDP) service benefit class vehicles
- Cooper S with N14: Diagnosis for Misfire Faults
- Checking or Replacing the Door Sill Trim Strips
- Air Conditioning System Leak Testing
- OC3 seat occupancy mat: limited warranty extension to 10 years/120.
- Manual transmission - stiff diagonal gearshift lever movement.
- Aisin automatic transmisison: right side output shaft seal replacement
2009 MINI Cooper S Convertible fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6L 4‑cyl | FWD | 23-26 | 32-34 | 27-29 |
What 2009 MINI Cooper S Convertible owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Engine knocking when star timing belt part broken.
I recently purchased this vehicle. It currently has the air bag passenger seat on and it states that the airbag is off. I went to the dealer and they stated that this was a mayor recall to over 100,000 mini coopers but mine was not one of them. This is a huge safety issue since the seat sensor is not working properly and this therefore does not activate the airbag. If there were an accident the passenger airbag would not eject. This is a problem on 100,000 and my vehicle has the problem but it is not under the recall. What do I need to do? Who is liable for this issue which obviously is an existing problem for the brand??? Nothing has happened but if it were to happen, who would be liable? I want to make sure that I am on record on this
This is the previous complaint that I had about the 2009 mini cooper s convertible 2 weeks ago which has additional information today from the certified bmw mechanic here in austin. Manufacturer: bmw of north america, llc vehicle identification no. (VIN): wmwms33589t... Summary: " I own a 2009 mini cooper s convertible. I bought it 4 months ago. I was driving on i35 going to austin the 26th of december 2015. The vehicle died without a warning while in motion. I turned the hazards on immediately...saw that I could safely stop. A san marcos cop came to help push the car further in to safety before the electricity of the car completely shut down and my key fob was stuck in the ignition.... They gave me a list. They said the vacuum pump melted. The report said that, pull valve cover found timing chain guides broken due to loose chain slapping them needs timing chain, guides and all associated seals and bolts. They gave me a quote of $2300.00 for all the parts..." today, I called the bmw repair shop only to find out that they couldn't do the repair because the engine needs to be replaced. It has been damaged. The cost for the engine replacement is about $4,000 in addition to the labor cost and previous cost which brings me up to almost $7,000 in cost. This has really gotten out of hand. I only had this car for 4 months and with all the problems and cost that it incurred is already such a burden, I've already lost 2 weeks of not being able to go anywhere. I hope there would be some kind of resolution. This car is defective. I am now stuck with not having a transportation and a huge burden of car payments, huge car repair payments and loss of productive days. Not to mention, it is unsafe.
I own a 2009 mini cooper s convertible. I bought it 4 months ago. I was driving on i35 going to austin the 26th of december 2015. The vehicle died without a warning while in motion. I turned the hazards on immediately due to the dangerous situation I was in. There was no shoulder to the right; I let the car coast until I saw that I could safely stop. A san marcos cop came to help push the car further in to safety before the electricity of the car completely shut down and my key fob was stuck in the ignition. I had it towed to a bmw repair shop. I waited another day for them to open being it a holiday weekend. Then they checked what happened. They gave me a list. They said the vacuum pump melted. The report said that, pull valve cover found timing chain guides broken due to loose chain slapping them needs timing chain, guides and all associated seals and bolts. They gave me a quote of $2300.00 for all the parts needed to get it fixed and labor. I did not get any warning light within the 4 months that I have the car. Until I was in the highway and the car was stalling. I was in a very dangerous place for this to happen and now I am stuck with such a high bill and uncertainty whether my car will break down again in the near future after I get the problem fixed. The bmw repair shop said the engine doesn't seem damaged but I still have yet to find out when they start the working on the car.
Motor was fine then all of a sudden all the oil drained out and the motor died all at once no light no alerts just working fine one min complete destroyed the next they want 10k to replace it and the warranty company demands I pay 3400 to have the old motor tested to prove it failed despite the mechanic saying it has and hearing a knocking of the rods on the lower half of the motor mini cooper vehicles: 2007 through 2010 hardtop (r56), 2008 through 2010 clubman (r55), and 2009 through 2010 convertible (r57) (collectively, the defective vehicles). The defective vehicles have a defect within their timing chain tensioners that cost, at minimum, hundreds of dollars to fix and that can cause extensive engine damage (the defect). Unlike most engines made for the consumer market, the prince engine uses a metal timing chain rather than a belt made of composite materials. When the prince engine was first introduced in 2004, defendant touted the timing chains durability compared to a timing belt, and indicated that the timing chain would remain maintenance-free throughout the full running life of the engine. One of the features of the prince engine defendant has promoted is that the timing chain and tensioner are located inside the engine block. However, actual road use has shown a significant drawback to this design: if the chain fails, damage to the engine can be catastrophic. According to defendants warranties and maintenance program, the chain and tensioner do not require service, and the on-board computer does not monitor chain condition. Accordingly, problems with the timing chain tensioner can easily go unnoticed and cause serious damage to the vehicle. A defective timing chain can cause damage to the engine and present serious safety concerns. When a chain tensioner fails, the vehicle will lose all power, even while it is in motion.
I bought my used 2009 mini cooper s convertible on december 13, 2012. Approximately 10 months later on october 16, 2013, I noticed an oil leak and a couple days later the engine light came on. Brought it to fletcher's tire & auto off 27th drive and carefree hwy and they diagnosed the issue as the water pump and thermostat housing unit as the reason for the leak and engine light. I paid for the repairs to made. Additionally, had the front tires replaced as they were completely worn. Two months later on december 7th, 2013, the car broke down on carefree highway, I was unable to use the front breaks. My step dad was able to get the car to brake masters in anthem, az the following morning where they discovered that the front two wheels had the wrong rotors and 0 break pads left. According to the technician, the s model requires larger rotors on the front wheels, however scottsdale motor company sold me the car with the same size rotors on all wheels that the regular model mini's are equipped with. See below: 2009 mini cooper s convertible- timeline of repairs date of purchase: 12/13/2012 1st repair- 10/16/2013 fletcher's tire & auto engine light displayed water pump thermostat housing unit 2 front tires total: $1,168.19 2nd repair- 12/7/2013 brake masters front brakes & front rotors engine light still displayed- code came up for thermostat housing unit total: $506.40 3rd repair- 2/17/2014 mini north scottsdale pressure converter valve for turbo turbo heat shield battery valve cover gasket total: $637.86 4th repair- 5/19/2014 mini north scottsdale timing chain- it was broken into pieces , unable to drive dar total: $1,480.99 5th repair- 1/6/2015 mini north scottsdale engine light displayed valve cover replaced vacuum pump leaking turbo oil line leaking total: $2,145.19 total in repairs to date: $5,938.63.
Fluid leak under car. Water pump failure. Dealer said this car was not covered under a recall although other cars of the exact model and year were?
Car stopped accelerating as I was driving (twice this has happened - in a bend in the road--very scary). Also, around this time, could not start up the car--car engine was attempting to turn over but wouldn't until about my 6th attempt. I never had problems starting my car before. I might add that recently, before I had this problem, I have noticed that my vehicle does not have the fast pick up that it use to.
Compare the 2009 MINI Cooper S Convertible
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Questions about the 2009 MINI Cooper S Convertible
Is the 2009 MINI Cooper S Convertible reliable?
Owners have filed 9 complaints about the 2009 MINI Cooper S Convertible, close to a typical Cooper S Convertible model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 MINI Cooper S Convertible?
Engine and cooling, with 7 complaints, typically around 50,486 miles. Next is driver assistance (2).
How many recalls does the 2009 MINI Cooper S Convertible have?
1 recall, covering engine and engine cooling.
Was there a recall on the 2009 MINI Cooper S Convertible engine?
Yes, 1 recall: 12V008000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What gas mileage does the 2009 MINI Cooper S Convertible get?
Official estimates for the 2009 MINI Cooper S Convertible range from 27 to 29 mpg combined. The most efficient version (1.6L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 23-26 city and 32-34 highway.
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