NHTSA Complaint #10504536 — 2008 MINI COOPER S

WE PURCHASED THIS CAR IN LATE SEPT./EARLY OCT. 2012 WITH 29K MILES ON THE CAR. MY WIFE DRIVES THIS CAR, AND WHILE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE, AS SHE WAS ENTERING THE OFF RAMP IN FOREST LAKE, MN HER CAR STARTED TO JERK/RUN LIKE CRAP (LATE JANUARY 2013). SHE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME, I TRIED TO FIGURE OUT THE ISSUE, BUT EVERYTHING I CHECKED TEST GOOD, SO I BROUGHT IT TO A LOCAL IMPORT TECH, AND HE DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE TO BE THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER, ALLOWING THE TIMING TO JUMP. HE SAYS HE STARTED UP THE MOTOR TO TEST FURTHER, IT IDLED FOR LESS THAN A MINUTE BEFORE THE MOTOR DIED AND NOW WILL NOT START. I NOW, AFTER OWNING THE CAR FOR 3-4 MONTHS, HAVE A MAJOR ENGINE FAILURE. I DO NOT CARE TO THINK WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THIS HAPPENED WHILE MY WIFE WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT HIGH SPEEDS.... THANKX *TR