2007 MINI Cooper Powertrain & Transmission Problems

PROBLEM 1: CLUTCH/TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 50,000 JUST AFTER WARRANTY. UNABLE TO SHIFT ON HIGHWAY, HAD TO STAY IN LOW GEAR. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. IT FAILED A SECOND TIME, WAS REPLACED AT ABOUT 80,000. I BELIEVE IT IS FAILING AGAIN AS THE CLUTCH IS SLIPPING IN 1ST AND 2ND GEARS; MINI COOPER SAYS THEY NOTE NO PROBLEM. PROBLEM 2: TIMING CHAIN. PARKED, MY CAR WOULD NOT START EASILY; STARTED ON 3RD TRY. MY CAR STALLED, STOPPED ON THE HIGHWAY AS I WAS SLOWING DOWN DUE TO TRAFFIC. RESTARTED AND CONTINUED. NO ENGINE LIGHT. DRIVING TO MINI SERVICE, CAR STALLED COMING IN; HAD TO COAST IN. FOUND TO BE TIMING CHAIN, VALVETRONIC ECCENTRIC SHAFT, PERHAPS PARTS FALLING INTO OIL PAN. $2800 IN REPAIRS. WHEN I ASKED ABOUT LAW SUITS OR RECALLS OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS BECAUSE I'VE HAD MAJOR PERFORMANCE ISSUES, MINI COOPER STATED NO KNOWN SUITS EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE. I FIND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SUITS, AND I "MISSED THE WINDOW" FOR THE TIMING CHAIN.

TRANSMISSION ISSUE: WHEN INDICATOR DISPLAY OF TRANSMISSION STATUS IS NOT THE SAME AS SELECTED ON THE STICK. THEREFORE, CAR ALWAYS STUCK WHEN EVER TRANSMISSION IS PUT ON PARK MODE. SAFETY ISSUE IS MOST PEOPLE LAND THE TRANSMISSION ON NEUTRAL MODE TO AVOID LOCKING WHEN PARKING. THIS ISSUE CAN EFFECT SAFETY WHEN PARKED ON UP OR DOWN HILL CAUSE IT'S NOT ON PARKED MODE.

2007 MINI COOPER SOLD TO ME WITH A BAD TIMING CHAIN, TIMING TENSIONER, CAMS AND ENGINE.

LOUD RATTLING NOISE WHEN ACCELERATING COMING FROM THE ENGINE. WHEN I COME TO A COMPLETE STOP CAR HAS TURNED OFF, SOMETIMES IT CRANKS FOR A BIT TO START UP. ALSO WHILE DRIVING LOSSES POWER AND CAR DECELERATES SLOWS DOWN AND ALSO PULLS LIKE IF WAS OUT OF GAS. WHITE SMOKE WHEN YOU PRESS ON GAS.

MY CAR STARTED TO ACT FUNNY. ALMOST SOUNDING LIKE IT WAS SUFFOCATING. IT WOULD DIE ABOUT TEN TO FIFTEEN TIMES EVERY MORNING BEFORE I WOULD FINALLY GET THE CAR STARTED. IT WOULD SHUT OFF WHEN I STOPPED AT INTERSECTIONS. THE ONLY TIME IT RAN DECENT WAS WHEN I WAS DRIVING HIGHWAYS SPEEDS FOR 20 MINUTES OR MORE. I CHANGED OUT FILTERS, SPARK PLUGS, AND FLUIDS BUT NONE OF IT CHANGED THE WAY IT WAS RUNNING. COME TO FIND OUT IT THAT THE CHAIN AND CHAIN TENSIONER HAD BROKEN. THIS DAMAGE CAUSED ROUGHLY $1000 TO FIX. LUCKILY I CAUGHT IT IN TIME BEFORE IT DID ADDITIONAL DAMAGES TO THE CRANK SHAFT. WITH LOW MILES THE MECHANIC EVEN TOLD ME ITS A FAULT PART AND BRAKES EASILY. HE HAS HAD TO REPLACE NUMEROUS AMERICAN MODEL MINIS IN ITALY. MY COUNTRY CODE IS 39 IF YOU CALL. *TR

RAN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND THESE WARNINGS CAME UP - 2D52 SUPER KNOCKING 2DCD FUEL SHUT OFF DUE TO SUPER KNOCKING CYLINDER 3 2968 INLET CAMSHAFT SENSOR 2B64 INTAKE MANIFOLD, UNMETERED AIR BASED ON ALL OF THESE SOUND LIKE MY MINI COOPER HAS BAD FUEL AND/OR SERIOUS CARBON BUILD, I'VE JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR FROM A DEALERSHIP AND I AM EXPERIENCING DELAYS IN ACCELERATION, LOSS OF FORWARD PROPULSION.

I TOOK MY CAR INTO MY LOCAL SHOP AND HAD OIL CHANGE,NEW BATTERY,TIRES ROTATED AND ALIGNMENT .THEY COULD A NOISE FROM THE ENGINE AND THEY CHECKED IT OUT. CALL ME TO INFORM ME THAT I HAD TO TAKE TO THE MINI COOPER DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACE. I CALLED MINI COOPER AND SPOKE TO [XXX] AT THE HOUSTON DEALERSHIP MOMENTUM MINI. SHE INFORMED ME THAT THE COST WOULD BE ANYWHERE FROM 4000 TO 10,000 DOLLARS. I EXPLAINED TO HER I HAD THE CAR FOR 1 YEAR AND HAVE ANY DRIVEN 6000 MILES IN A YEAR. AFTER DOING RESEARCH I NOTICED THAT OTHER PEOPLE WHERE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THERE MINI. I PURCHASED THIS CAR WITH 39,126 MILES ON IT AND MY DAILY DRIVE TO WORK IS A QUARTER MILE IF THAT. PLEASE HELP !!! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT COOLANT WAS LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION MOUNT WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE COOLANT HOUSING AND THE TRANSMISSION MOUNT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT TRANSMISSION FLUID WOULD LEAK FROM THE VEHICLE WHEN DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE AXLE AND SEAL FOR THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED HOWEVER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE TURBO OIL FEED LINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84000.

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AS IS FROM A SMALL LOCAL LOT JANUARY OF 2013, EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT AS PERFECT. I LOVE THE CAR. WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND LUCKILY I WAS ABOUT 10 MILES FROM HOME AND AT THE SPEED OF 35 MPH WHEN IT FELT LIKE IT WAS STUCK IN A GEAR (CAR IS AUTOMATIC) THEN I NOTICED MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I REMAINED AT THE SPEED OF 35MPH OR LOWER BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE ANY CHANCES. THEN MY BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON WHICH MADE ME THINK I HAD BRAKE ISSUES. I PARKED IT LIFTED THE HOOD AND IT WAS EXTREMELY HOT AND YOU COULD HEAR THE FANS RUNNING EXTRA HARD. WE TOOK IT TO A LOCAL GUY TO LOOK AT IT AS HE TOLD US HE JUST HAD A MINI IN WITH SAME ISSUE WEEKS BEFORE AND AAA CAME TO TOW IT TO HENDRICK MINI IN CHARLOTTE. THEY THOUGHT IT WAS VALUE STEMS AND ETC FIND OUT A FEW HOURS LATER NOT THE CASE I NEED A WHOLE NEW TRANSMISSION. THE CAR IS A '07 WITH ONLY 54K MILES ON IT IN PERFECT CONDITION. MAKES NO SENSE. MINI/BMW US HAS HEARD OF MY COMPLAINT AND HAS TOLD ME THERE IS NOTHING THEY WILL DO TO MAKE IT RIGHT. IF YOU ASK ME FROM EVERYTHING I'VE READ ONLINE THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL AS EVERYONE HAS HAD THE SAME ISSUE. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE AND I CAN'T AFFORD $9K TO PAY FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. I LOVED MY MINI COOPER BUT AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW I'M CAR LESS AND LEFT MAKING PAYMENTS ON A CAR I CANNOT EVEN DRIVE AND IT IS SITTING IN THE SHOP ON HOLD FOR THE TIME BEING. MINI/BMW NEEDS TO REALIZE ALL OF THE CUSTOMERS THEY ARE LOSING OVER THIS. *TR

MY CAR HAS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. HAVE TO REPLACE IT FOR $9000! IT S MINI COOPER S 2007 ONLY 29800 MILES!! THE DEALER WILL NOT REPINES ANYTHING AND THE WARRANTY IS OUT! *TR

I BOUGHT MY 2007 MINI USED 1 MONTH AGO. WHEN I WENT TO TEST DRIVE THE CAR THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START AND THERE WAS A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD HAVE IT FIXED AND CALL ME BACK IN FOR A TEST DRIVE. I WENT BACK AND WHEN THE CAR STARTED IT HAD A VERY SLIGHT RATTLE THAT EVENTUALLY WENT AWAY. NOW IN THE MONTH TIME THAT I HAVE HAD THE CAR IT TAKES ME 6 OR 7 TRIES TO GET THE ENGINE TO START, AND WHEN IT RUNS IT HAS THE RATTLE THAT HAS PLAGUED SO MANY OTHER MINI OWNERS. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. ACTION MUST BE TAKEN TO CORRECT THE INADEQUACY OF THE INFERIOR TIMING CHAIN SET UP. THE DEALER HAS TOLD ME THAT IT IS A "NORMAL" MINI NOISE AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GET USED TO IT. THAT IS IN A SENSE A "COP OUT" FOR A PROBLEM THAT IS HEAVILY KNOWN IN THE MINI COMMUNITY AND THAT BMW MINI IS WELL AWARE OF. THIS IS A MAJOR MECHANICAL DEFECT IN THE CAR AND BMW MINI NEED TO OWN UP TO REPAIR WITH AN UPDATED AND CURRENT CORRECTIVE ACTION OR REPLACE THE ENGINES FOR ALL THE LOYAL MINI OWNERS EXPERIENCING THIS VERY COSTLY PROBLEM THAT COULD LEAD TO TOTAL DRIVELINE FAILURE. WE PAID FOR A GOOD RUNNING RELIABLE VEHICLE AND ARE NOT GETTING WHAT WE PAID FOR. *TR

CAR MISFIRED AND HAD BACKFIRED; CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK CAR RIGHT TO DEALER , THEY TOLD US IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND DOING NOTHING BUT CHARGING CUSTOMERS FOR THE REPAIR. THE TIMING CHAIN AND TIMING TENSIONER HAS A DESIGN FLAW THAT IS RECOGNIZED BUT NOTHING DONE. IF FULL FAILURE ON ROADWAY CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC ISSUES TO ME AND OTHERS . *JS

I BOUGHT THIS 2007 MINI COOPER S PRE OWNED ABOUT 1 MONTH AGO. THIS CAR HAD APPROX. 32000 MILES ON IT WHEN I PURCHASED IT. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR A FEW DAYS I NOTICED A BURNING SMELL LIKE RUBBER OR PLASTIC. I COMPLAINED TO THE MAN WHO SOLD THIS CAR TO ME AND HE HAD THE TURBO WATER PUMP REPLACED THROUGH THE RECALL DUE TO OVERHEATING. HEAT IN THE MOTOR REACHING MORE THAN 225 DEGREES CAN DESTROY MANY OTHER PARTS ON THIS CAR! NOW AFTER THE TURBO WATER PUMP REPLACEMENT THE CAR CONTINUES TO SMELL LIKE BURNING PLASTIC AND HE SAYS IT MUST TAKE A WHILE FOR THE ODOR TO LEAVE THE CAR. TWO WEEKS LATER THE CAR BEGINS LOOSING POWER AND ACTS LIKE IT HAS NO CLUTCH. I AM AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER AND HAVE OWNED MANY CARS WITH MANUAL GEARS. THIS CAR IS NOW IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS, A BURNED OUT CLUTCH, AND COULD EVEN BE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS THAT ARE VERY PREMATURE AND SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR MAKE AND MODEL CAR. WHY CAN'T SOMETHING BE DONE TO HELP THOSE WHO WERE CHEATED BY OWNING SUCH A TROUBLESOME CAR. THIS CAR ALSO HAD THE TIMING CHAIN REPLACED A VERY LOW MILEAGE! *TR

TIMING CHAIN FAILURE CAUSING $1800 DAMAGE. WAS TOLD IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND COULD'VE BEEN REPLACED PRIOR TO THE DAMAGE AND SAVED TIME, MONEY, AND POTENTIAL DANGER. THANKFULLY NOTHING HAPPENED TO HARM ANYONE. KNOCKING NOISE, SMOKE, ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, RUNNING POORLY. HAS BEEN FIXED NOW. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CLUTCH BEGAN TO SLIP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO POWER MOVING TO THE REAR WHEELS. BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PAST 10 MPH. THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CLUTCH WAS REPLACED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 33,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 35,000.

2007 MINI COOPER HAD LOUD SOUND COMING FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT, SOUNDED LIKE A DIESEL ENGINE WHEN COLD, DEALER REPLACED TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER AT 32K MILES, VEHICLE HAS BEEN BACK TO DEALER SEVEN TIMES, ONLY TWICE FOR SCHEDULED SERVICE, NOW VEHICLE IS STARTING TO MAKE SAME NOISE AGAIN. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED @36K MILES, NOW WITH 42K MILES, ENGINE OIL IS DOWN 2 QUARTS AND DEALER SAYS ITS MY FAULT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CLUTCH WOULD NOT ENGAGE OR SHIFT INTO FIRST, SECOND OR ANY OTHER GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CLUTCH WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHIN TWO WEEKS AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT OFFER ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 25,000.

I BOUGHT 2007 MINI COOPER S PRE-OWNED CAR ON 8/24/09 WHICH HAS 3,627 MILES ON IT AT $24,000. ON 10/25/09, IS ONLY 3 MONTHS LATER, I WAS DRIVING A CAR AND NOTICED SMELLING SOMETHING BURNING. THE CAR WON'T GO IN GEAR AND MOVE. ON THAT NIGHT, THE CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LOAD. EVEN IF I PUSH A GAS, IT JUST DOES MAKE NOISY SOUND AND SMELL REALLY BAD, AND IT NEVER MOVE. NEXT DAY IT WAS TOWED TO THE ORLANDO MINI DEALER. THE DEALER SAYS THAT THE CLUTCH WAS BURNED OUT AND THIS REPAIR (PER THE DEALERS ESTIMATE IS $3,000)IS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY BECAUSE IT WAS DRIVEN BY AN INEXPERIENCED PERSON OR NEGLECTED. I AM AN EXPERIENCED MANUAL CAR DRIVER AND WHAT THE DEALER TOLD ME IS NOT TRUE. IT IS ONLY 4,000 MILES AND IT SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN IF WE DRIVE IN A NORMAL WAY. THE DEALER DID NOT LISTEN TO ME AND I ENDED UP GOING A RELIABLE LOCAL MECHANIC AND PAYING $2,200 TO FIX IT WITHOUT WARRANTY. THE GUY AT THE MECHANIC SAYS MINI CLUTCH IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND HE HAS FIXED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE. I ALSO WENT TO A WEBSITE AND REALIZED THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND EVEN SAY IT MIGHT HAPPEN AGAIN SOON. I BELIEVE IT WAS A DEFECTED CLUTCH AND WOULD LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT IT. I HAVE ALL EVIDENCES AVAILABLE. I WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU COULD HELP ME TO RECOVER MY MONETARY DAMAGES. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2007 MINI-COOPER S AND AT 10K MILES (1 YEAR OLD) THE CLUTCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW A NEW CAR WITH 10K MILES NEEDS A NEW CLUTCH. THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MANUFACTURER BOTH SAID IT WAS MY FAULT AND THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THEY QUOTED ME OVER $3K TO REPAIR. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MANUAL CARS FOR 15 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH A CLUTCH. *TR