NHTSA Complaint #10455272 — 2007 MINI COOPER S

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. *TR