Timing Tensioner Problems of Mini Cooper

Timing chain tensioner failure. I had to replace chain, tensioners and crank gear on my 2008 Mini with 81,000 miles.

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Tensioner broke causing timing chain sheared the camshaft gear and destroyed engine. . . Had car 7 months. . . Bought used at Toyota of nicholasville in nicholasville ky.

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In September, 2013, my 2008 Mini Cooper hardtop, with the n12 engine, had the timing chain fail under operation. This caused the engine to stop, at highway speed, affecting steering, braking and all ability to maneuver the vehicle out of traffic. Two vehicles barely avoided my disabled vehicle. I contacted Mini USA and they refused to acknowledge the factory defect in the timing-chain tensioner that causes the timing chain to fail. I paid over $8000 for a replacement n12 engine. With less than 10,000 miles on the replacement engine, in July, 2016, the timing chain failed again. This time the vehicle was crossing a bridge and there was no place to try to pull off. The situation was very dangerous and left my family vulnerable to oncoming traffic. I contacted Mini USA again, and although they have admitted to the timing chain defect on their n14 engine, in the s series vehicle, they still refuse to issue a recall for the n12 engines in which the timing chain failures are more numerous. This defect causes the vehicle to become inoperable at speed which is unsafe in the extreme. Mini USA needs to issue a safety recall for every vehicle equipped with the n12 engines.

The timing chain guide rail, chain tensioners,slike rail friction wheel etc all had to be replaced and it only has 13000 miles I know that BMW is being sued and habberstad said that we would be informed of the suit if our vehicle is part of the suit. Please help us with this matter.

There is a loud clanging coming from the motor, the engine lost oil, it is being towed to a mechanic - the diagnosis is a bad timing chain tensioner, the car has about 65,000 miles, there was a recall for 2008 - 2010 Minis for this problem.

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I purchased a new 2008 Mini Cooper from autohaus west/Mini of st louis. The Mini Cooper was designed, manufactured, assembled, distributed and sold by BMW of north America, BMW (u. S. ) holding corp. , and bayerische motoren werke aktiengellschaft. I experienced a progressive failure of the timing chain, timing chain tensioner and related tensioner rail, guide rail and support rail. The timing chain had previously been represented to have a useful life equal to the life of the car. The timing chain is located within the engine, consists of a metal chain, and is not subject to adjustment or routine maintenance. I experienced a progressive failure of the timing chain as follows: (a) death rattle or diesel noise from engine upon start up & at low speeds, (b) rough idling after highway driving, (c) power loss & engine stalls on highway exit ramps, (d) power loss & engine stalls on highway, & (e) catastrophic engine failure. The Mini Cooper was serviced by autohaus west on three separate occasions with repairs//replacement of spark plugs, battery, igniter coils, thermostat cover and other items totaling over $3,000. Autohaus west failed to identify the timing change as a problem. Autohaus west, BMW of north America, llc, BMW (u. S. ) holding corp. , and bayerische motoren werke aktiengellschaft have known about the timing chain tensioner defect since 2007 and have failed to warn consumers, issue a recall or provide extended warranty coverage. The loss of power & engine stalls are serious safety hazards & will eventually lead to accidents, injuries & even death. Technical service bulletin m110207 was issued in January, 2008. However, it is not widely known to consumers and fails to give consumers adequate warning. BMW settled class action re n14 engine used in Mini Cooper s. However, it has ignored same problem with n12 engine used in Mini Cooper. Same issues.

Timing chain & tensioner my vehicle only has 85,000 miles and I have had to spend $3500. 00 to change the timing chain that is supposed to be maintenance free, and last ten years as per the owners manual and service manual. Car stopped suddenly on the new jersey turnpike, very dangerous situation. This is not right that I had to pay out of pocket for a car that only has 85,000 miles, and was serviced regularly. Huge safety issue.

2007 Mini Cooper sold to me with a bad timing chain, timing tensioner, cams and engine.

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2007 Mini Cooper hardtop purchased may 7, 2015 suffered major engine failure due to manufacturer defective timing chain & timing tensioner issues, resulting in loud ticking inside of the engine on the passenger side. . Estimates totaling up to $2400. 00 in repairs. . . . . Vehicle at this point is inoperable.

The timing chain tensioner on my Mini was changed as part of silent service bulletin which aught to be a recall. By the time it was replaced it was too late, now a year later my timing chain is out of spec and rattling away in my car with a replacement set to cost about $2000 for parts that Mini claimed would last the life of the vehicle. Mini refuses to replace any parts until they've failed so I'm stuck either paying out of pocket and never seeing a dime back, or risking life and limb on the road until these parts fail so that Mini can own up to their mistake. . .

See all problems of the 2009 Mini Cooper 🔎.

I purchased my 2010 Mini Cooper hardtop in October of 2010 with 2,446 miles on it. This car came from a Mini dealership. I have driven this vehicle for the last four years without one mechanical issue. Today I have approximately 41,000 miles on the car. On the evening of February 16, 2015, I started my car to leave my place of employment and a low oil indicator light flashed. Living in a cold weather climate, I thought the engine needed time to warm up. After letting the car warm up, I attempted to leave the parking lot and the car failed as I was about to make a turn onto a main road. My husband had the car towed to a local Mini specialist where we were told the car was extremely low on oil due an internal leak coming from the timing chain tensioner seal. We were told the leak has been happening for a while; however, the first indication of low oil was only minutes before the car failed. The car had been to a local Mini dealership for regular service less than a year ago. In addition the mechanic found coolant in the cylinders and is unsure of how this occurred. The mechanic feels it could have been caused by a cracked engine block or cracked cylinder head. Additional testing would need to be done on these parts to confirm. At this time, my husband and I are being told that the entire engine needs to replaced on a car that only had 40,000 miles on it. The estimated cost we received was $10,315. This is a tough pill to swallow considering it is a "young car," in our minds. With all of the issues found by the mechanic it seems as if this car had a faulty engine from the start. I have contacted Mini USA regarding this issue and hope they stand behind their vehicles.

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. . Read more...

The engine was rattling heavily when the car ignition was on around 5 pm at the workplace parking lot . In the meantime, the check engine light was flashing. The car failed to deliver the power to the transmission. A few days late, my car was towed to a local dealership and diagnosed with leak oil from one of timing belt tensioners and a broken tensioner. The dealership had to replace the broken one with a new timing belt kit together with tensioners as a goodwill from the Mini Cooper USA (85% warranty deductible). Even though, I felt the quality of this important engine parts was unacceptable with such a low milage on the car. The timing belt of this model was a metal chain located inside the engine box and supposed to last life-long without worry. I was lucky that this incident happened just in the parking lot. I could not imagine potential consequences if this incident happens while driving on the highway. I sincerely believe the manufacture BMW/Mini should be fully responsible for such a defect product and a proper action by the manufacture should be considered to avoid such an incident happening to other customers who own this model.

Low mileage 2008 vehicle began making loud noises from engine compartment. Diagnosed as timing chain/tensioner failure. Appears to a common problem with this model. Estimated repair cost over $2000. Mechanics say not "if" but "when" this will happen to all 2008 mcs. I believe this should be repaired on a recall. Vehicle cannot be driven safely until repaired; delay will result in total engine failure.

I took the vehicle to the Mini dealership after I heard a noise from the engine and the engine light came on. From online descriptions, I suspected it was the timing chain tensioner. I contacted Mini corporation and opened a report. The check engine light came on about a week later and I took the car to the dealership. I was told by the dealership that the timing chain tensioner needed replaced. It was a $3500 fix. The dealership contacted Mini to see if they would cover the repair and they refused saying the vehicle had too many miles. They changed the oil and the check engine light went off. About two weeks later my son was at a red light, stopped and the cars stalled. We had it flat-bedded to a repair shop. The timing chain had snapped and the engine needed to be replaced at a cost of $5700. I just saw where Mini issued a recall for the timing chain tensioner and I contacted them but they have not replied.

At less than 33,000 miles the engine began making a loud cranking noise. Oil was very recently changed, but checked the level anyway and found it was down about 2 quarts. Added oil and engine noise was reduced. Drove a few hundred more miles and engine noise returned. Oil was again low. Took car to our mechanic and they diagnosed timing chain tensioner problems. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance. The critical timing chain failure can lead to premature engine failure. This is a safety issue because the failing timing chain can also cause the motor to fail. Our mechanic in consultant with the Mini dealer indicates that the only way to ensure this problem does not lead to engine failure is to replace the current engine with a new one that has the timing chain issues resolved. We have no choice but to have this repair done and it will cost approximately $7000 as the vehicle is not under warranty. This issue has been widely reported in other complaints in this database as well as across many Mini owner forums. It appears that a recall order should be issued.

The Mini made a beeping noise / warning noise while driving. Stopped the car. It was very sluggish to start so I took it to my mechanic (not the Mini dealer in my town which has a horrible service department. ) the diagnosis was a failing timing chain and everything associated with it. Replaced timing chain, chain tensioner, adjuster unit cam, guide rail, slide rail, crankshaft seal, gasket ring, valve cover gasket, drive belt, ignition coil, spark plugs . . . Everything. This failure could gave been catastrophic without my immediate action to stop the car and take it to a mechanic. It was a $3,000 + fix.

Timing chain tensioner failure. No warning whatsoever. Timing chain broke, causing complete engine failure. Out of warranty so Mini won't touch it. Will cost $7500+.

Timing chain tensioner failure on 2008 Mini Cooper leading to large oil leak under pressure. Loss of all engine oil, oil spraying onto hot exhaust system, engine oil pressure loss and oil warning light. Could easily lead to complete catastrophic engine failure/seizure at highway speeds and accident.

The timing tensioner on my Mini Cooper s backed out, resulting in a massive oil loss while at highway speeds. This is apparently a known issue by Mini, but no known recall has been issued at this point.

My 2007 Mini Cooper s experienced the death rattle. I had to have the timing/tensioner chain replaced. This is a known defect and Mini Cooper should be required to recall their cars and fix them.

"death rattle" noise coming from engine compartment as reported by many others on online forums. Now engine is throwing codes indicating crankshaft out of position. Obvious related issue to a defective timing belt or tensioner. Told by dealership not a covered repair, although I've read that similar repair has been covered by manufacturer for others and for other models. As this vehicle is being driven by my young daughter, out of state, I am very concerned about a complete engine failure whilst she is on the highways in the mountains where she lives, with the potential for tragic consequences. Please consider this issue as a serious potential life safety issue, as a failure at highways speeds could certainly endanger not only my daughter, but the lives of others on the highway. Thank you.

Strange engine knocking/rubbing noise come from the engine compartment. It appeared to be the timing chain failure. The car was bought to the dealer twice first time they replaced the timing chain tensioner and this time they replace the timing chain.

The contact owns a 2008 Mini Cooper. The contact was driving 65 mph when the vehicle began to make a rattling sound and stopped accelerating. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that the tensioner gave way and caused the timing chain to stretch. The vehicle had not been repaired. The current and failure mileages were 70,000. Updated 4/4/11.