NHTSA Complaint #10439231 — 2007 MINI COOPER S

THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MAKE A LARGE RATTLING NOISE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT EVENTUALLY CAME ON. I STOPPED THE CAR AND CHECKED THE OIL TO SEE IF IT WAS LOW AND DISCOVERED THAT I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET THE DIP STICK BACK IN. AT THIS POINT I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC BECAUSE THERE ISN'T A MINI DEALER WITHIN 100 MILES OF MY LOCATION. TURNS OUT IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER WHICH IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE COOPER S AND MINI HAS RELEASED THREE FIXES AND CLAIM THE LATEST TSB WILL FIX THE PROBLEM. MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 40,000 MILES AND I HAD TO SPEND $1,700 DOLLARS FOR A $26 DOLLAR PART THAT WAS FAULTY TO BEGIN WITH. MINI KNEW THEY HAD A PROBLEM AND TRIED TO FIX IT BUT FAILED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS THERE'S NO TELLING HOW LONG THIS NEW FIX WILL HOLD UP. NOT TO MENTION MY CAR IS STILL LOUDER THAN IT USE TO BE BEFORE THE PROBLEM AND IT SOUNDS LIKE A DIESEL ENGINE AT IDLE. THIS NOISE DOESN'T GIVE ME CONFIDENCE THAT THE LATEST FIX WILL LAST AND MINI NEEDS TO SERIOUSLY TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROBLEM AND SEND OUT A RECALL BEFORE THE TIMING CHAINS START CAUSING LIFE THREATENING PROBLEMS. *TR