A car stopped short in my path causing me to brake hard and stall. Since I didn't apply the clutch during the emergency stop I pressed the clutch pedal to the floor in an attempt to restart the engine. When it failed after several attempts I had it towed to mini of baltimore. They told me it had no compression and that the exhaust cam had jumped 180 degrees out of timing. This sounds like a timing belt tensioner problem the service manager gave me an estimate of $2800. After further research I found this is a common problem but mini won't issue a recall for this common problem.
2007 MINI Cooper S engine complaints
Page 4 of 7: complaints 71 to 100 of 173, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Was driving back from vacation, and upon getting off the highway we had noticed a loud rattling was coming from the engine. Brought the car to a mechanic who said the timing chain tensioner had failed, resulting in the timing chain to be loose and destroy the rails it rode on. Upon looking into this issue further, discovered there is a tsb out about this issue, and many owners have had this same problem, but it is not a recall yet.
Check engine light on and off intermittently; engine rough on start up; sounds like rattling chains when shifting; mini said our oil was too low subsequently destroying our timing chain; tech was amazed that the chain guides were shorn off as well; mini does not have a check oil indicator light on the console; we change our oil every 5000 miles even though mini recommends every 15000. So, we had to replace the timing chain on a 5 year old car with less than 44,000 miles. Complained to mini corporation and proceeded with conflict resolution expert. Mini denied our claim because our oil was low at the time of the incident. Repair cost $1,950.83 and we are still making a car payment on this newer vehicle. Researched similar complaints on the internet as well as talking with 3 acquaintances who own a mini. We are fortunate we caught this issue before we had to replace our engine. According to their website, bmw/mini finds oil usage at 1 quart per 1000 miles as acceptable. If that is the case, they need to install a check oil indicator light on the console and change their maintenance schedule from 15000 to 3000 miles.
I bought my 2007 mini used 1 month ago. When I went to test drive the car the engine would not start and there was a check engine light on. The dealer told me that they would have it fixed and call me back in for a test drive. I went back and when the car started it had a very slight rattle that eventually went away. Now in the month time that I have had the car it takes me 6 or 7 tries to get the engine to start, and when it runs it has the rattle that has plagued so many other mini owners. Enough is enough. Action must be taken to correct the inadequacy of the inferior timing chain set up. The dealer has told me that it is a "normal" mini noise and that I would have to get used to it. That is in a sense a "cop out" for a problem that is heavily known in the mini community and that bmw mini is well aware of. This is a major mechanical defect in the car and bmw mini need to own up to repair with an updated and current corrective action or replace the engines for all the loyal mini owners experiencing this very costly problem that could lead to total driveline failure. We paid for a good running reliable vehicle and are not getting what we paid for.
My car has a transmission problem. Have to replace it for $9000! It s mini cooper s 2007 only 29800 miles!! The dealer will not repines anything and the warranty is out!
Engine timing chain tensioner malfunctioning causing decreased accelerating power and a loud rubbing/knocking noise when driving, that will cause engine damage if not promptly fixed. It is a well know mini cooper problem (2007 models to current year) and the mini dealership I took mine to has had many complaints about the issue. Mini has came out with replacement parts and a service guide on how to repair the issue at a hefty cost (if the engine hasn't already been damaged); however, mini/bmw has not issued a recall or replacement at no cost to consumers to back up their product. Estimates for repair in my area were $1300-$1600 if repairable because again, it will cause engine failure if not fixed quickly. My car has 41,000 and have had my mini serviced at the designated time intervals at only mini services areas. Such a major repair that could have eventually caused my engine to stop working should not happen at 41,000 miles. Mini/bmw should back up there product with repairs and needs to find an ultimate fix because it is an issue even in the current models.
Timing chain tensioner replaced july of 2011 now aug31,2012 loud noise timing chain stretched so replaced & tensioner replaced again.
In january 2012 with 37,000 miles on it my mini started having very noisy starts. The noise would go away after it warmed up. Took the vehicle to mini dealer and they said that it was the timing chain and tensioner. They agreed to replace the timing chain, tensioner guides etc for half price as a good will gesture. Now I find out that this is a common problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 mini cooper s. While driving approximately 35 MPH the contact noticed a burning odor. The contact stopped the vehicle on the shoulder and noticed small flames and smoke coming from under the hood. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with a blanket. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing where the technician stated that the oil return line that was connected to the turbo charger had began leaking oil and caused the fire. The vehicle was repaired however, after the repair the contact was driving approximately 65 MPH when the vehicle suddenly stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer a second time for diagnostic testing. The technician then stated that the turbo charger and the engine would have to be replaced. The technician stated that the turbo charger could have been damaged during the fire. In addition, the contact had previously experienced intermittent stalling and the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the timing belt tensioner was replaced. The approximate failure mileage was 60,800.
The engine quit while preparing to enter a highway. The car was accelerating to turn onto the highway and it just quit and partially blocked the highway. Luckily the highway was on a slope and to prevent from blocking the highway and risk injury, I was able to coast into a fire station along the highway and from there push the car out of the way of traffic. The cause of the failure is a broken timing chain which broke with no warning. The repair will cost about $4000. The fact that it broke as I was entering a highway and with no on-coming traffic was very lucky. There is no warning for the engine to stop. This seems like a common problem for 2007 minis and as these cars age the likely hood of the problem occurring increases. This can happen at any time the engine is running and without warning. This is a safety issue as an abrupt engine failure can happen anywhere and without notice. It was over 100f the day my engine quit, I was over 90miles away from home in a sparsely populated rural area with no cell phone coverage. If it had happened 15 miles in either direction it could have been hours before anyone found me and my car.
Without warning the car started jerking and running very roughly and the engine warning light came on. We brought the car into the mini dealer to be diagnosed. While the dealer was very helpful, the diagnoses was disturbing at best. After tearing apart the motor, cleaning it and reassembling, the problem remained. It was "mini services" recommendation to the dealer that the timing belt be changed. This is a 13 hour procedure that cost just over $2000 and provides no guarantee that it will solve the problem. In addition, they may run into more problems once they are inside of the engine. To add insult to injury, the timing belt tensioner had already been replaced do to a similar problem while under warranty. We have elected to pay $5000 for a new motor and 2 year warranty so at least we would have a slight piece of mind that the problem would not reoccur at our expense. I completely understand the risks of owning a vehicle beyond the warranty period. I just wish bmw mini would recognize this problem and stand behind what appears to be a rampant problem with the "timing-belt-tensioner" on the 2007 s models. I was shocked to see the pages of owners that are reporting the same problem. My wife loves this car. There is no way I would purchase another mini product after paying over $30,000 for the 2007 63,000 mile disposable model.
Timing chain and tensioner failure mentioned by others also occurred in my car. Failure in my case was progressive: started with rough starts, noisy idle (from chain impacting cover!) progressed to non-existent acceleration above 4000 rpms (a safety issue on the highway) . Brought the car to mechanic and while he was investigating the obvious air leak, car failed to start. Dealer eventually discovered bent valves from impact with piston preventing proper seal, but only after replacing snapped tensioner guides and timing chain dropped into oil pan for $2,525. Had this occurred while driving it poses a significant safety issue. Then they tell me they can replace all valves for $4,500. Total cost, over $7,000. Effectively, this is a total engine failure and it would be cheaper to drop in a complete new engine. Mini and their dealers are well aware of this problem and as it can - and has - resulted in failures for other motorists at highway speeds it poses significant safety risk and should be addressed with a recall.
Engine is rattling horribly. In doing some research it sounds like what most are calling the "rattle of death". The timing chain is making entirely too much noise. And car is running poorly. I can not and will not drive this car till it is repaired! This is a potential catastrophic engine failure. Mini cooper knows about this major engineering problem and will not issue a recall. Repair estimates are as much as $2500.00 for timing chain and timing chain tensioner.
My car has been making a rattling sound for about 6 months. Although the car has been serviced twice during that time, no technician or mini service department representative said anything about the rattle. While driving on the highway I noticed my car beginning to run... Funny. Not long after, the engine power light came on. Approximately 10-15 miles later, my car stopped in the middle of the road. Because the car would not restart, it was towed to a mini service department. I was told the problem was the timing chain, and it needed to be replaced. There are countless numbers of these reports on the internet. Inspite of the numbers of complaints and repairs, mini/bmw has refused to take responsibility for the part. It was very fortunate there was no crash or fatality, again my car stopped in the middle of the road with very little warning.
The time chain jumped which needs to be replaced. This shouldn't happen with such low miles on the car. Mini refused to accept responsibility. It is a very expensive repair to replace the timing chain.. The car began to make knocking noise and run rough. Couldn't drive the car and had to have it towed to mini cooper service dept.
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?
The cold start rattle was/is being caused by the timing chain tensioner (which is in turn powered by an oil-pressurized piston). More specifically the sound is caused when the tensioner piston doesn't extend all the way (or at all) which then allows the timing chain to come in contact with the guides on the engine cover.
The timing chain tensioner brackets all broke on my 07 mini. My mechanic stated that this in not a new issue and the it is a frequent problem that he deals with on several minis. They are made of plastic and when cracked or broken they allow my timing chain to slip causing damage to my engine. I have already spent over 2000 dollars in repairs for this problem, and it has happened twice in the last 5 year that I have owned the vehicle. Bmw/mini must take responsibility for their defective engine parts. There should be a recall on these vehicles for it can cause enough damage to were you would need a new engine.
I have had an issue with my 07' mini cooper s engine's timing chain since 2010. The tensioner brackets for the timing chain that came with my 07 mini are made out of plastic and break easily, causing the timing belt to slip and damage my engine. It has currently cost me 1500 dollars in repairs to fix the issue. The repair can only be a temporary fix because the brackets were simply replaced with the same plastic brackets that broke previously. I am simply awaiting the day they break again. This is not a new issue, as I have seen multiple complaints of this very same issue all over the internet and bmw needs to be held responsible for their defected engines. I suggest a recall be placed on the 07 - 10 mini coopers, cooper s, and convertibles, for their defective tensioner brackets for the timing chain because it can cause severe damage to the engine if not destroy the engine completely.
Mini cooper 2007 - rattles when cold. Took the car to the dealer. Felt to be a problem with the timing chain. I did some research. It's a known problem and can lead to the engine seizing during driving. It's a safety issue that mini is well aware of. My car only has 40,000 miles on it. The repair would cost ~$2500. If I don't repair it, I worry about the engine failing while I'm on the highway - or worse, with my kids in the car during a drive. Mini knows about this and has directed dealers specifically on this problem. Countless online complaints about the same thing. Mini should offer a recall and fix this known defect before anyone loses control of a car while driving and someone gets hurt. Updated ivoq 07/09/12.
Took my car into the mini dealer today due to the fact that it was idling low, sounded like a diesel when it turned on and made a knocking noise. Mini let me know that it was in fact my timing chain and tensioner system that was making this sound and needed to be replaced. If it had not been replaced, I could have experienced complete engine failure. My mini is not the only one that has had this problem, therefore I feel like mini should cover the cost of fixing my timing chain and tensioner since it is going to cost me approximately $2,500 to fix it. I guess I should be thankfully that I was able to get my mini to the dealer before it suffered a complete engine failure.
Eight months after mini of concord replaced my high pressure fuel pump for the gasoline leak and strong gas smell within the cabin, again the gas smell started up in the cabin (for all trips). I took it back to mini of concord (this is 22 months after buying car), and they again found a leak in the high pressure fuel pump and line, and replaced the parts - again. This was the fourth replacement of the high pressure fuel pump on my car! They also replaced the timing chain tensioner because of the loud noise it was making on startup. And the inlet camshaft position sensor.
One month after mini of concord replaced my high pressure fuel pump for the gasoline leak and strong gas smell within the cabin, again the gas smell started up in the cabin (for all trips). I took it back to mini of concord (this is 14 months after buying car), and they again found a leak in the high pressure fuel pump and line, and replaced the parts - again. This was the third of four replacements of the high pressure fuel pump on my car.
In august of 2008, 12 months after purchasing my car, it for a 2nd time in 1 year, started to smell strongly like gasoline inside the cabin. I brought it in to mini of concord, and they found a leak in the high pressure fuel pump and line, and replaced the parts - for a 2nd time. This was the second of four replacements of the high pressure fuel pump in my car.
In early january 2008, 5 months after purchasing my car, it started to smell strongly like gasoline inside the cabin, and I was concerned that there was a risk of fire. I pulled over and let the car sit, and restarted it, but the smell resumed. I brought it in to mini of sf, and they found a leak in the high pressure fuel pump and line, and replaced the parts. This was the first of four replacements of the high pressure fuel pump on my car.
I just bought a mini cooper s with 70,000 miles on it and the engine light came on. I now see where error code p0012 is affected by service bulletin sim-11-02-07 and puma measure 10686850-13. The fact that the engine process affecting the oil condition is the start of this occurrence and yielding some issues with the vanos unit and the timing chain, I am at a loss. Now this is my problem, and it is all the fault of mini. I am wondering what to do??
Mini issued a service bulletin on failed timing chain tensioners in 2009. Service bulletins sim-11-02-07 and puma measure number 10686850-13. The bulletin states that when a customer comes in with a tensioner problem that all cars affected will receive a new timing chain, chain guides, cam sprockets and vanos unit. On 6/23/10 my vehicle required this repair. Because I wasn't aware of the service bulletins the mini dealership only replaced my vehicles tensioner without replacing the other parts...the tensioner is an easy replace and the actual timing chain is a 9.9 hour job so I'm assuming they took the easy route with less accumulating labor. Now we're 23 months into that repair and the timing chain tensioner has gone bad...again. This time the tensioner going out also caused the timing chain to fail along with the chain guides. Mini will replace the tensioner again, which is a 26 dollar part, because it is within the 24 month warranty...but because the mini dealer that last replaced the tensioner did not follow the bulletins issued and replace the other pieces involved in the bulletin, they say I'm responsible. Mini now wants to charge me 1967 dollars for the repair of the timing chain and chain guides because it says the other parts are not covered. The car has 50,062 miles (warranty is to 50k). There are well over 200 entries that I found on the internet with this problem and a petition with over 650 signatures. When is something going to be done?
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 mini cooper s. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the engine warning indicator began to illuminate as a loud rattling noise emitting from the engine area. The vehicle suddenly stalled and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a dealer who was unable to duplicate the problem or determine the cause of failure. The malfunction continued to occur. Most recently the vehicle was taken to an independent auto shop and they stated the engine timing tensioner and the high pressure fuel pump would need to be replaced. The technician advised the vehicle be taken to a dealer for repair. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 36,000. The VIN was unavailable.
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.
6/2011, vehicle began making loud rattling noise after starting up in the morning and during acceleration while driving. Took it to local mini service center and was told nothing was wrong with the car, noise was related to type of gas being used (if not chevron or shell, gas could cause noise is what I was told). 4/2011, noise began to get worse. Scheduled service appointment with same local service center for may 7th, 2012 (a month out for first appointment) as well as to address a recall issue related to recall campaign 12v‑008 electric auxiliary water pump. Work not completed because on 4/13/12, check engine light came on while driving and then vehicle stalled out and would not restart. After local repair show diagnosed, failure was found to be with timing chain tensioner failing causing damage to engine. Solution=replacement of engine at a cost of $6,300. Mileage at time of failure was 62,218. Repairs not covered by mini as vehicle is now out of warranty. Repairs not completed. Recall needs to be issued to have this common and known failure fixed.
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