13 problems related to engine and engine cooling have been reported for the 2009 Mini Cooper S. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Timing chain broke leading to vehicle coming to a sudden stop. Had this happened in heavy traffic, it could have been life threatening. BMW refuses to assist.
At 30000 miles the timing chain was replaced due to a recall. Car rattled for a few months prior to replacemen. At 55ooo mile my car engine light came on and lost power. I was able to limp it in to work about another 5 miles. My husband drove it to Mini dealership another 10 miles away and they stated that it blew a valve or a piston quoting him a head replacement of $5000 or replacement of engine for $10000. I purchased this car new and I have maintained it to a t. Reading on line this seems to all be related to the timing chain issue. Mini is not standing by their car and refusing to take responsibilty. Hopefully if we all continue to squeak we can get them to take responsibilty for faulty vehicles. I have a nice looking non running worthless car sitting in my driveway. . . Anyone want it!.
Timing chain broke well before 10 year or 100000 miles. This timing chain breakage caused my engine to fail due to piston damage or cylinder damage. My engine now needs to be replaced. My vehicle was moving when the sound occurred. When I researched this sound, I learned it may be the timing chain and took it to the garage to be replaced. The garage replaced the timing chain and when they took it for a test drive, it didn't seem to be running right and after further inspection it was determined that the engine was ruined and needed to be replaced.
Engine ceased while traveling on highway. Previously took car to Mini dealer when engine light was on and was told that the engine light was probably on because of the gas cap and their was nothing to worry about,.
Timing chain, went ,,the dealer said it was the self adjusting timing chain, if it self adjusts there must be a manufacture defect,,looked on line and from 2007-2009 500,000 car had the same problem the cost to fix is $2200 dealer said not worth fixing and sent me to look at a new car.
Once you search the 'death rattle' on google, you can get lots of info about what is going on and the death rattle is really common on the r56. It is really a common problem and Mini should take the responsibility of that.
Since I get my until now I repair two times . The first time I was change the part of the top of the motor I don't remember the name. But this one that is the most strage I was driving and in the middle of the road the motor stop intanly. The most strange is 10 minutes after drive the car all this happen so that mean is no safe. And now what I have to do. . . .
Known issues: timing chain and intake valves. Engine light came on at approx 40,000 miles. Dealership diagnosed 2 issues that seem to be known recurring issues for this make/model: carbonized intake valves requiring cleaning, and replace timing chain. This bill will cost over $2600. Several complaints have appeared for intake value buildup and also for the timing chain issues. Internet searches show this as a common issue and also a known issue by BMW Mini. This should have been a recall as they knowingly sold these defected cars in 2009. With only 40k miles to date, I plan to keep this car for at least 4 more years. May not be possible with bills like this one.
Total loss of power as I was crossing a major highway, car towed to local BMW certified mechanic, shows timing chain misfire, needs total replacement with multiple components needing replaced due to timing chain problem. 3300$ worth of damage to engine. Apparent problem with timing chain on thousands of Mini cooper and they have not called a recall on the piece. This was almost a major accident for me and is causing me thousands of dollars to replace and major inconvenience.
This is the second complaint I've made within six months of purchase: I was driving along the highway at 70mph when the reduce speed engine light came on. Before I had a chance to reduce speed the car came to a complete stop on the fast lane of the highway. The car behind me swerved as I managed to restart my 2009 Mini Cooper S and pull into the slow lane. I managed to avoid collision and placed hazards on. I got my Mini to brady's auto repair. The mechanic told me that the loss of engine power was due to turbocharge failure on an original Mini part. He said that BMW done a recall for the same part which is in the 2009 Mini Cooper S and couldn't figure out why they hadn't done it for Mini. The turbocharge was completely replaced on my Mini at the expense of $2778. 47. I contacted Mini which stated that there is no recourse and nothing they can do. I'm responsible for the repair. I am not happy with this at all as I had my two children in the Mini when this incident happened and it could have lead to loss of life if the driver behind me hadn't taken action. I hope the NHTSA does investigate this matter in all Mini coopers.
The timing chain has an issue and rattles really laud. This is causing issues with the vehicles idle and speed during driving.
Loud rattle at cold start.
I drove the car for less than a mile at city speeds and proceeded to park to run errands. About 5 minutes later I noticed smoke coming out of the engine compartment of the car, upon closer inspection I realized the car was on fire and called 911. By the time the fire department arrived to the scene (about 5 minutes later) the fire had spread through the vehicle. The car showed no warning signs before the fire started and all scheduled maintenance had been performed. The cause of the fire is to be determined.