NHTSA Complaint #10949916 — 2007 MINI COOPER S

MINI COOPER S - NUMEROUS ISSUES FOUND HAVING PURCHASED A USED 2007 MINI COOPER S FROM A SMALL DEALER IN TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA, WE DID OUR RESEARCH UP-FRONT WITH A 'CARFAX REPORT' WHICH SHOWED NO ISSUES, WE ALSO DID A VIN DATABASE SEARCH FOR RECALLS AND FOUND NO OPEN RECALLS AND ASSUMED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO PURCHASE WHICH WE DID FOR JUST OVER $5,000. NOW THAT WE ARE NEARING A YEAR INTO OUR 4-YEAR PAYMENT PLAN, ON JANUARY 17, 2016, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING NORTH ON I-75 IN GEORGIA AND AT APPROX. MILE MARKER 211, THE ENGINE SEIZED AND SHE REQUIRED A TOW OFF THE INTERSTATE. LUCKILY, THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR INJURY- BUT IT SEEMS THAT WOULD HAVE HELPED OUR CASE' UPON ATTEMPTING REPAIRS, WE FIND NUMEROUS ISSUES WITH THE ENGINE (2007 R56/N16 4 CYLINDER TURBOCHARGED) INCLUDING TIMING CHAIN, WATER PUMP, VACUUM PUMP, ETC' BELOW ARE PHOTOS OF REMOVED PARTS FROM THE ENGINE ' THE VACUUM PUMP SEIZED AND BENT THE METAL COMPONENTS ' SINCE THIS IS CONNECTED TO THE 'EXHAUST CAMSHAFT', WHEN IT SEIZED IT SEIZED THE EXHAUST CAMSHAFT ' ON THE OPPOSITE END OF THIS CAMSHAFT IS A SPROCKET WHICH CONNECTS THE TIMING CHAIN (ANOTHER KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE) ' THE BOLT AND SPROCKET DROPPED INTO THE ENGINE AND TIMING CHAIN AREA, CREATING A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WHICH IT APPEARS WE ARE GOING TO BE 'LEFT HOLDING THE BAG' FOR