NHTSA Complaint #10511752 — 2007 MINI COOPER S

I WAS THE ONE THAT REPORTED THE "DEATH RATTLE" ON MY WIFE'S MINI COOPER A FEW WEEKS AGO. I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT DAMAGED AND MINI FIXED IT FOR $1800, WHICH WAS RIGHT IN LINE WITH THEIR ESTIMATE. THEY REPLACED THE TIMING CHAIN (IT WAS STRETCHED 70MM... 70!!), THE TENSION PULLEY, THE GUIDE, CHANGED THE OIL, REPLACED THE AUX WATER PUMP (WAS A RECALL SO IT COST $0), RETIMED THE ENGINE, WASHED THE CAR, AND CLEANED THE ENGINE BAY. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE CAR RUNS LIKE NEW. THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME HE CALLED MINI ON MY BEHALF AND THEY GAVE US A $500 DISCOUNT ON THE REPAIR SINCE THE CAR WAS "ONLY A COUPLE OF YEARS OUT OF WARRANTY". PERHAPS THAT MEANS MINI IS FINALLY WAKING UP TO THIS PROBLEM? I'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND HOW BETWEEN THE TIMING CHAIN STRETCHED 70MM, AND THE BROKEN PIECE OF GUIDE RATTLING AROUND FOR WHO KNOWS HOW LONG, DIDN'T DESTROY THE ENGINE... BUT I'M NOT COMPLAINING. ANYWAY, JUST WANTED TO LET OTHER MINI OWNERS KNOW THAT THERE'S HOPE AFTER ALL. AND $1300 IS BETTER THAN $1800 ANY DAY OF THE WEEK. CAR RUNS GREAT AND NEITHER MY WIFE AND I REALIZED HOW MUCH POWER THE CAR HAD LOST. WE'RE STILL GETTING RID OF IT THOUGH... ENOUGH IS ENOUGH... EVERY TIME SOMETHING GOES WRONG WITH THIS CAR, IT'S DRAMA. AND THIS WAS THE LAST STRAW. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE. *TR