NHTSA Complaint #10671654 — 2010 MINI COOPER S

AROUND 7:30PM ON WAY HOME FROM WORK ENGINE STARTED TICKING AND NOT SHIFTING CORRECTLY. CALL MY MECHANIC, WHO IS CERTIFIED BMW, TO GET CAR INTO SHOP NEXT MORNING. TOOK CAR TO SHOP NEXT DAY AT 730AM FOR HIM TO CHECK OUT. HE CALLED LATER IN THE DAY TO TELL ME TIMING CHAIN GUIDE BROKE OFF INTO ENGINE. ACCORDING TO HIS RESEARCH THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS FOR EARLIER MODELS - M110212 - SO CALLED DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THEY WOULD CONSIDER THIS UNDER RECALL. SPOKE TO SERVICE MANAGER AND HE SAID THE RECALL WAS FOR MINIS' UP TO DATE 5/03/2009 AND MY PRODUCTION DATE WAS 11/2009. TOLD HIM IT SEEMED ODD I HAD SAME ISSUE AND LAST TIME I HAD ISSUE WITH CAR MY REPLACEMENT PART WAS PRIOR TO PRODUCTION DATE - THIS WAS FIXED BECAUSE I WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. I SPOKE TO MINI USA AND THEY SAID UP TO DEALERSHIP TO CONSIDER. DEALERSHIP SAID I COULD GET IT TOLLED IN AND THEY WOULD DO DIAGNOSISTICS BUT DIDN'T BELIEVE IT WOULD BE PART OF RECALL AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO SHOW PROOF OF ALL CAR MAINTANENCE - MADE ME FEEL LIKE MY FAULT. MY MECHANIC CAN CERTIFY I DO PROPER MAINTANENCE AS HE SAID HE LOOKED AT MY ENGINE AND IT IS CLEAN. MINI DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT SPEAK WITH MY MECHANIC TO GET THE PROFESSIONAL TO PROFESSIONAL EXPLANATION, THEY JUST KEPT STAYING MY PRODUCTION DATE WAS TOO LATE FOR RECALL. I HAVE OPTED NOT TO GET VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP (1 1/2 HOUR AWAY) SO THEY COULD DIAGNOSIS AND THEN TELL ME NOT PART OF RECALL SO CHARGE ME FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THEN I PAY FOR TOW BACK. THE REASON BEING IS LAST TIME THEY HAD MY CAR IN FOR AN ISSUE IT TOOK THEM 3 DAYS TO DIAGNOSIS, ANOTHER WEEK TO GET PART AND COUPLE IF MORE DAYS TO FIX - THEY SEEMED TO BE IN NO HURRY TO FIX MY PROBLEM NOR CARED THAT I LIVED SO FAR AWAY AND HAD TO RENT A CAR. *TR