NHTSA Complaint #10678900 — 2010 MINI COOPER

I HAVE A RELATIVELY NEW MINI COOPER (2010 HATCHBACK) WITH 51,000 MILES. RECENTLY, I STARTED HEARING A RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. UPON DOING A SEARCH ONLINE, I CAME ACROSS HUNDREDS OF OTHER OWNERS WHO EXPERIENCE THE SAME EXACT ISSUE - KNOW AS THE DEATH RATTLE, THE TENSIONER AND TIMING CHAIN COMES APART (A KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFECT) AND CAN CAUSE THE CAR TO EITHER STALL WHILE IN MOTION AND CAUSE CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE - AS THE CHAIN IS METAL. THE ISSUE HAS RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT ATTENTION AND EXTREME FRUSTRATION - LEADING MINI TO TRY TO SILENTLY ADDRESS THE ISSUE ON A ONE-OFF BASIS RATHER THAN ISSUING A VOLUNTARY RECALL. FOR CUSTOMERS WHO COMPLAIN (EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY), MINI HAS BEEN PAYING FOR HAVING THE TIMING CHAIN/TENSIONER FIXED. FOR THE HAPLESS CONSUMERS THAT DO NOT KNOW, EITHER THEY PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO HAVE THE VEHICLE FIXED OR FIND THEMSELVES IN AN ACCIDENT. MINI COOPER IS ALLOWING A KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFECT TO CONTINUE UNADDRESSED AND FOR THOUSANDS OF CONSUMERS WHO HAVE A RELATIVELY NEW VEHICLE COULD BE SUBJECT TO EXTREME RISK - IF THE TIMING CHAIN/TENSIONER FAILS DUE TO A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS REDDITT POST - PLEASE SEE THIS REDDIT POST: HTTP://WWW.REDDIT.COM/R/MINI/COMMENTS/2RVH26/MINI_DEATH_RATTLE/ - WHICH EXPLAINS HOW MINI HAS BEEN PAYING FOR CERTAIN REPAIRS TO SILENT THE CUSTOMERS WHO COMPLAIN THE MOST. THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE - IF MINI IS PAYING FOR REPAIRS OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY, THEY CLEARLY ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM/DEFECT BUT ONLY ARE RESOLVING THIS ON AN AD HOC BASIS - WHY SHOULD OWNERS WHO DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS "FIX" BE SUBJECT TO DRIVING A POTENTIALLY UNSAFE VEHICLE? *TR