NHTSA Complaint #10381953 — 2009 MINI COOPER S

MY VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS IN OUR GARAGE. WHEN I PULLED IT OUT ON THE 2ND I NOTICED A LARGE POOL OF OIL ON THE FLOOR. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE IT TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER SYSTEM HAD FAILED AND THAT IF NOT IMMEDIATELY REMEDIED THIS WOULD CAUSE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. OVER MY COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE DEALER, MINI OF STERLING IN STERLING, VA, I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS A FREQUENT OCCURRENCE, AT LEAST ONE A WEEK, AND IS A RECOGNIZED PROBLEM WITH A KNOWN WORK-AROUND. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD SEEN CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AND THAT WITH MY COMMUTE OF 45 MILES ON MAJOR HIGHWAYS THAT SUCH A FAILURE AT SPEED WOULD RESULT IN A MAJOR CRASH.