NHTSA Complaint #10459292 — 2007 MINI COOPER S

MINI ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN ON FAILED TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS IN 2009. SERVICE BULLETINS SIM-11-02-07 AND PUMA MEASURE NUMBER 10686850-13. THE BULLETIN STATES THAT WHEN A CUSTOMER COMES IN WITH A TENSIONER PROBLEM THAT ALL CARS AFFECTED WILL RECEIVE A NEW TIMING CHAIN, CHAIN GUIDES, CAM SPROCKETS AND VANOS UNIT. ON 6/23/10 MY VEHICLE REQUIRED THIS REPAIR. BECAUSE I WASN'T AWARE OF THE SERVICE BULLETINS THE MINI DEALERSHIP ONLY REPLACED MY VEHICLES TENSIONER WITHOUT REPLACING THE OTHER PARTS...THE TENSIONER IS AN EASY REPLACE AND THE ACTUAL TIMING CHAIN IS A 9.9 HOUR JOB SO I'M ASSUMING THEY TOOK THE EASY ROUTE WITH LESS ACCUMULATING LABOR. NOW WE'RE 23 MONTHS INTO THAT REPAIR AND THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER HAS GONE BAD...AGAIN. THIS TIME THE TENSIONER GOING OUT ALSO CAUSED THE TIMING CHAIN TO FAIL ALONG WITH THE CHAIN GUIDES. MINI WILL REPLACE THE TENSIONER AGAIN, WHICH IS A 26 DOLLAR PART, BECAUSE IT IS WITHIN THE 24 MONTH WARRANTY...BUT BECAUSE THE MINI DEALER THAT LAST REPLACED THE TENSIONER DID NOT FOLLOW THE BULLETINS ISSUED AND REPLACE THE OTHER PIECES INVOLVED IN THE BULLETIN, THEY SAY I'M RESPONSIBLE. MINI NOW WANTS TO CHARGE ME 1967 DOLLARS FOR THE REPAIR OF THE TIMING CHAIN AND CHAIN GUIDES BECAUSE IT SAYS THE OTHER PARTS ARE NOT COVERED. THE CAR HAS 50,062 MILES (WARRANTY IS TO 50K). THERE ARE WELL OVER 200 ENTRIES THAT I FOUND ON THE INTERNET WITH THIS PROBLEM AND A PETITION WITH OVER 650 SIGNATURES. WHEN IS SOMETHING GOING TO BE DONE? *TT