NHTSA Complaint #10367450 — 2008 MINI COOPER S

NOTICED A STRANGE SOUND, ALMOST LIKE WHEEL BEARINGS WERE GRINDING. ON NOVEMBER 11, 2010, WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND ENGINE DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE AS MUCH POWER AS IT SHOULD. TOOK TO THE MINI DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON BECAUSE THE TURBO WAS DAMAGED. APPARENTLY THE OIL SUPPLY HOSE TO THE TURBO WAS EITHER BLOCKED OR CUT, AND WAS NOT PROVIDING OIL TO THE TURBO. AS A RESULT OF THE LACK OF OIL, THE BEARINGS IN THE TURBO WERE RUINED. HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE TURBO. AFTER THE TURBO WAS REPLACED WE WERE TOLD THE TIMING CHAIN WAS GOING BAD. WAS TOLD THE TIMING CHAIN, TENSIONERS, AND GUIDES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I'VE READ WHERE THE TIMING CHAIN HAS BEEN A CONTINUING PROBLEM WITH MINI COOPERS, AND THAT, IF FIXED, IT WILL GO BAD AGAIN AND COULD CAUSE A SEVERE ENGINE PROBLEM, RESULTING IN FAILURE. I ALSO WONDER IF THE TIMING CHAIN IS ALREADY DAMAGED ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE OIL SUPPLY HOSE TO THE TURBO TO BE DAMAGED.