2010 MINI Cooper S: sudden loss of power

Filed Dec 9, 2016 · Engine · 69,000 miles · CA

Leaving for work, heard a snap and lost power to engine less than a mile from home. Pulled over, then coasted (with no power steering or brakes) downhill to a safer spot. Towed to mechanic; issue is broken timing chain. This vehicle is just a few months outside the final recall dates for skeen v bmw. I believe the class was too narrowly defined; this 2010 cooper s (69k mi) has the same n14 engine and problem as described in the recall. (can't tell but from some of the early reporting on that case it sounds like this car may have been included an earlier version/draft??). Very upset that this car has the same engine and issue covered by the recall, and yet we have no recourse!

Filed Nov 16, 2016 · Engine · 83,500 miles · TN

During normal vehicle operation, vehicle lost power. Pulled to the side of the road, turned vehicle off, and vehicle would not restart. Had vehicle towed to local mechanic. Problem was diagnosed as a broken timing chain.

Filed Nov 10, 2016 · Transmission · 41,000 miles · SC

Vehicle was in motion and my wife heard a noise- chose to ignore noise. After researching the problem I discovered the timing chain could catastrophically fail leaving my wife on mountain roads with no power and loss of power steering . Although bmw has been aware of this problem for years they have bob and weaved fixing only those they have been forced to, leaving others ,with the exact same problem the owners responsibility.. The dealer charged us $ 1300 to repair the vehicle. Our particular car supposedly was just outside the production run cutoff for free repair. This is a safety issue and all cars with this potential problem should be recalled. Additionally, customers should not have to play "what is the noise detective " in order to discover a life threatening defect. In addition to the recall bmw needs to immediately notify all effected owners with information on how to recognize the problem and what action to take.

Filed May 10, 2016 · Transmission · 104,735 miles · MI

My daughter was in traffic, driving the vehicle home from an oil change, when the timing change broke causing her to lose power. The loss of power created a dangerous and hazardous situation. Fortunately, she was able to get it off the main roads and we had it towed by aaa to the mini dealership. Due to the fact that there has been a class action settlement with bmw mini over the defective timing chains, the problem could have been avoided if there had been a recall effort by the manufacturer.

Filed Jan 2, 2016 · Engine · 55,000 miles · OR

My daughter was driving the mini cooper on hwy 101w when the car suddenly and with out warning lost all power. She was fortunate to not have been stranded on the highway. We had the car lifted and taken to a bmw dealer. They determined that there is a hole in the #4 cylinder that is responsible for the loss of power. The car has 55k miles on it and is 5k miles outside of full warranty. We have all service records well documented that exceed bmw \mc recommendations. We have since had the car lifted and taken to the mc dealer in camarillo ca. They with out explanation as to what happened state that the car needs a new engine at our cost of $6,500+. This is crazy given the low miles and the fact that it has been well maintained. There is much more information that we can provide however the site seems to time out and this is my third attempt at writing this notification. Please advise or contact me if you can help with this matter. Bmw is fraudulently selling these vehicles as reliable and they need to be taken to task. Regards, [xxx] 'information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).'

Filed Sep 4, 2014 · Engine · 50,500 miles · NC

Engine seized while driving on the 6-lane highway during rush hour traffic. Just a sudden complete loss of power, all vehicle operation stopped. Fortunately, I was on the outside lane, and I was at an exit that went down hill, so I coasted down the off ramp before it rolled to a complete stop. Some bystanders assisted me in pushing the vehicle off the side of the busy 4-lane road. Turns out it is the timing chain problem with many mini coopers, 2007 - 2012. There is a faulty or missing part, that if not addressed, results in "catastrophic engine failure". My vehicle had 50k miles on it; I purchased it new, so I have all vehicle records, all recommended maintenance performed; all recalls performed, and my records are 100% complete. The real kicker is - my service records clearly show that several times I reported a "rattle" from the engine (while under warranty) as far back as 2012. And the service records indicate that the dealership "could not duplicate customer complaint of rattle". The notorious "rattle" is the first symptom of this engine flaw that can result in catastrophic engine damage, and it was known by the auto industry in 2012. Cost - $8k, complete engine replacement required. Dealership and bmw deny any wrong doing, and deny any knowledge of the "engine" issue. Following the incident, I spent a month of my time trying to figure out what happened, why, had it towed to three places, lots of phone calls, research, etc. Luckily no one died. This was a very dangerous situation to be in, and the people that stopped to help me push the car were very brave. I looked pretty pathetic I am sure - lone, petite female trying to push a car on a very busy 4-lane road during rush hour, in 90 degree heat. Lucky for bmw/mini that no one died. I guess that is exactly what it will take to force them to recognize this problem.