NHTSA Complaint #10630664 — 2010 MINI COOPER S

ENGINE SEIZED WHILE DRIVING ON THE 6-LANE HIGHWAY DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. JUST A SUDDEN COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER, ALL VEHICLE OPERATION STOPPED. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ON THE OUTSIDE LANE, AND I WAS AT AN EXIT THAT WENT DOWN HILL, SO I COASTED DOWN THE OFF RAMP BEFORE IT ROLLED TO A COMPLETE STOP. SOME BYSTANDERS ASSISTED ME IN PUSHING THE VEHICLE OFF THE SIDE OF THE BUSY 4-LANE ROAD. TURNS OUT IT IS THE TIMING CHAIN PROBLEM WITH MANY MINI COOPERS, 2007 - 2012. THERE IS A FAULTY OR MISSING PART, THAT IF NOT ADDRESSED, RESULTS IN "CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE". MY VEHICLE HAD 50K MILES ON IT; I PURCHASED IT NEW, SO I HAVE ALL VEHICLE RECORDS, ALL RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE PERFORMED; ALL RECALLS PERFORMED, AND MY RECORDS ARE 100% COMPLETE. THE REAL KICKER IS - MY SERVICE RECORDS CLEARLY SHOW THAT SEVERAL TIMES I REPORTED A "RATTLE" FROM THE ENGINE (WHILE UNDER WARRANTY) AS FAR BACK AS 2012. AND THE SERVICE RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE DEALERSHIP "COULD NOT DUPLICATE CUSTOMER COMPLAINT OF RATTLE". THE NOTORIOUS "RATTLE" IS THE FIRST SYMPTOM OF THIS ENGINE FLAW THAT CAN RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC ENGINE DAMAGE, AND IT WAS KNOWN BY THE AUTO INDUSTRY IN 2012. COST - $8K, COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT REQUIRED. DEALERSHIP AND BMW DENY ANY WRONG DOING, AND DENY ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THE "ENGINE" ISSUE. FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT, I SPENT A MONTH OF MY TIME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED, WHY, HAD IT TOWED TO THREE PLACES, LOTS OF PHONE CALLS, RESEARCH, ETC. LUCKILY NO ONE DIED. THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION TO BE IN, AND THE PEOPLE THAT STOPPED TO HELP ME PUSH THE CAR WERE VERY BRAVE. I LOOKED PRETTY PATHETIC I AM SURE - LONE, PETITE FEMALE TRYING TO PUSH A CAR ON A VERY BUSY 4-LANE ROAD DURING RUSH HOUR, IN 90 DEGREE HEAT. LUCKY FOR BMW/MINI THAT NO ONE DIED. I GUESS THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO FORCE THEM TO RECOGNIZE THIS PROBLEM. *TR