NHTSA Complaint #10811179 — 2010 MINI COOPER S

THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER CAME LOOSE CAUSING AN OIL LEAK AND THE TIMING CHAIN TO SLIP/SKIP WHICH IN TURN CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE MOTOR AND NOW MY CAR NEEDS A NEW TIMING CHAIN & NEW MOTOR WHICH IS COSTING AROUND $9K. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 35K MILES ON IT & THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED! I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN ALL MY OIL LEAKED OUT, CAUSING LIGHTS TO FLASH & LOUD NOISES. ONCE PULLED OVER TO A GAS STATION AND FOUND ALL THE OIL WAS GONE, A MECHANIC THERE NOTICED THE TENSIONER COMING OUT, TIGHTENED IT, THEN REFILLED THE OIL. THE CAR HELD THE OIL AT THIS POINT BUT THEN THE CAR WOULD NOT START. AFTER TOWING IT TO A SHOP, THEY SAW THAT IT WOULD NEED A NEW TIMING CHAIN BUT DIDN'T WANT TO DO A FULL BREAK DOWN OF THE CAR SINCE IT IS VERY INVOLVED AND THERE COULD BE MOTOR ISSUES SO HE SUGGESTED I CONTACT MINI USA & A MINI DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY HAD TO HAVE IT THERE TO DETERMINE THE ISSUE & SEE IF THE MANUFACTURER WOULD COVER THE COSTS. SO I TOWED THE CAR AGAIN TO A MINI DEALERSHIP & THEY SAID IT NEEDS A NEW MOTOR SINCE THE VALVES WERE DAMAGED ALSO. AFTER SENDING THIS INFO TO MINI USA (THE MANUFACTURER), THEY REPORTED TO ME THAT THEY WOULD PAY $4K OF THE $9K IN COSTS (NOT EVEN HALF). GETTING ADVISE FROM A LAWYER, THIS ENTIRE ISSUE SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER AND I ALREADY PAID TOO MUCH JUST BY HAVING IT TOWED TWICE WHEN THIS IS A FLAW IN THE CAR. THE CAR ONLY HAS 35K MILES & THIS TENSIONER SHOULD NOT HAVE COME LOOSE IN THE 1ST PLACE CAUSING ALL THIS DAMAGE. IN THE END, I AM STILL FIGHTING WITH MINI USA (AFTER BEING WITHOUT MY CAR FOR ALMOST 4 WEEKS) TO COVER ALL COSTS OF REPAIR FOR THIS AND ASKING THAT THIS BE REPORTED AS A "KNOWN ISSUE" ON THE TSB SO OTHER PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM I AM HAVING!! I HAVE ATTACHED THE EMAIL I GOT FROM SEATTLE MINI FOR THE DIAGNOSIS TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THEY SEE HAPPENED!