NHTSA Complaint #10807571 — 2008 MINI COOPER S

AS MANY OTHERS HAVE POSTED HERE, MY ENGINE BEGAN RATTLING LOUDLY WHEN I WOULD START IT UP. TO ALLEVIATE THIS, I WOULD TOP OFF THE OIL AND GET FREQUENT OIL CHANGES, IN FACT, MORE OFTEN THAN MINI/BMW SUGGESTED IT SHOULD GET AN OIL CHANGE. THIS WOULD USUALLY TAKE CARE OF THE RATTLE. ONE NIGHT, THE ENGINE RATTLE KEPT INCREASING AND SUDDENLY THE CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY STREET JUST 20 FEET FROM RAILROAD TRACKS WITHOUT ANY WARNING LIGHTS OR INDICATIONS WHATSOEVER. I HAD IT TOWED TO A NEARBY MECHANICS SHOP I TRUST (NOT THE DEALERSHIP). THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN AND BENT THE VALVES AND I'M IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING A NEW ENGINE PUT IN (WITH THE SAME FAULTY TIMING CHAIN) TO THE TUNE OF $6,500. I CALLED MINI/BMW USA BECAUSE MY MECHANIC SAID HE'S SEEN THIS PROBLEM FREQUENTLY IN MY MODEL. MINI SAID THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME UNLESS THE CAR WAS DIAGNOSED BY THE MINI DEALERSHIP, AND EVEN THEN THERE WOULD BE NO GUARANTEE THEY WOULD COVER ANYTHING BECAUSE OF "MY VEHICLE'S AGE." MINI/BMW USA WOULDN'T EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN FREQUENT REPORTS OF TIMING TENSIONER/CHAINS HAVING PROBLEMS. I'M EVEN MORE SURPRISED HOW FREQUENT THIS PROBLEM IS NOW THAT I'M LOOKING ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE. THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL AND SOMETHING THAT MINI/BMW SHOULD COVER AND RESPOND TO, SINCE THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS AGAINST THE COMPANY BECAUSE OF THIS.