Check your oil level; if it's low, this may be the reason you're hearing a timing chain rattle. This is due to the way the tensioner is designed, and topping off the oil should solve it.

 

I was down 1/4 of a quart, Sound is still there. Its always comes back once the cold weather sets in.

 

+1 2007 MCS Had timing chain tensioner replaced

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=244114

 

Total cost for my timing chain repair $1959, 4 months past warranty. I had been telling dealer for a year about a loss of power on hills (they couldn't find it, experience it when I took it in for maintenance - and we don't take them in often for maintenance,) and that it sounded like a diesel. Their response - they ALL sound like a diesel, especially on cold mornings.

 

Timing chain & tensioner replaced two months ago under warranty (3 years - 28k mi). Today the clutch started slipping. If we keep this car another year, it will only be with the extended warranty and maintenance agreement. I guess that's just part of the price of owning a Mini. Heavy sigh.

 

I gotta say, after admiring the Mini for quite a while, but only seriously considering and researching them recently, this thread (and others) are really scaring me off. So many of the failures I'm reading about are, relative to other mainstream cars, very premature if not unheard of. Pumps, carbon build-up, timing chains, electrical, brakes, drive shafts, etc... and all of them very expensive to repair. I can hardly believe what I'm reading, since Mini is a subsidiary of BMW, and I would never expect this level of trouble.

I hope someone can convince me that this initial perception is innaccurate, because I really like the cars I've test driven, and was hoping to make a Mini my next car. But, at this point, I'm very concerned about long-term issues....

 

Carbon build-up is manageable, and worth it for the pleasure of DI. HPF Pumps do fail quite a bit, and there isn't much you can do about that. Electrical issues I'm not really aware of, timing chain tensioner is a bit of a design flaw, but again, manageable. Brakes, no issues there, nor anything about driveshafts.

They are finnicky, that's for sure. But depending on what you're looking to achieve, an R56 might not be for you. Definitely not something you can just turn your back on and hope it'll survive, like a Toyota. It requires vigilance.

 

I'll throw in my experience here since I was under the same impression as you regarding BMW's "reputation".

I have a 2 and 1/2 year old Clubman with 75,000km on the clock. So far I've replaced 2 waterpumps, the clutch and flywheel and possibly next will be the turbocharger (car goes in next Tuesday). I also have an electrical fault that is causing the "hill start assist" to fail and I've had the sunroof serviced for severe rattling.

Clutch and flywheel replacement came to €2300 and dealer is quoting me €1500 for replacement of the turbo if BMW will not consider a "goodwill" (they would not "goodwill" the clutch/flywheel). That's almost €4000 to date NOT INCLUDING the regular services and things like brake changes. I too find this ridiculous and unacceptable for a car this age that hasn't been abused. I have come to the conclusion that for the price premium paid, this is not what I expected in a car like this.

In my opinion, these cars are not for keeping long term. If you intend to do this, then be prepared to foot the (rather high) maintenance costs. Probably other people have had a different experience, but I have to say I have been extremely disappointed by this car and would not consider purchasing another one at this time or in the near future.

I simply can't keep up with the cost of these repairs and, in the not too distant future, I will dump this car and purchase another brand. I mean, the Minis look and drive nice, but I think they have serious build-quality issues going on.

 

damn... you guys make glad I dont have tp worry about my warranty going bad til 95k miles.
We're on our third week of owning our MCS, starting to hear these rattles in the cold mornings. Along with another issue, I'm already scheduled maitenance, just to be safe.

 

Is it "normal" at all to have some feint rattle when 1st starting the car in cold temps? Say 45F or below?

 

I'm not going to kid you and say that you'll never have a problem; but it's equally inaccurate to tell you that you're guaranteed to have these problems. All cars have problems; they're imperfect mechanical devices designed and built by imperfect people... Some come out better than others; some worse... Some are more or less trouble-free; others are real 'problem children...' Some makes and models have common problems that are minor or little more than annoyances; others have a few that can be very costly if not watched closely... The MINI does tend to fall into the latter category -- but as you've already noted, they're a blast to drive...

Also, keep in mind that these forums are often filled with lots of threads detailing the problems, but very few threads where someone checks in just to say, "Hey, my car worked perfectly today -- just like it has for the past ____ years...!" So it's easy to get a somewhat false sense of impending doom on any vehicle forum... Just look the car over carefully, using the knowledge you've gained on this forum about common problem areas, and you should be OK.

If you're set on a MINI, but deeply concerned about future problems outside of the factory warranty (if one still applies to the particular vehicle you're considering), perhaps an extended warranty of some kind would be prudent? If you can take or leave the MINI for another brand or model that you find equally appealing, but has fewer apparent issues (supplying you with some peace of mind), that may be the better choice. Ultimately, it's your call...

 

I have a Porsche 997.2, a BMW 5 Series, and a Mini Cooper S. They all have their own gremlins. All of them have had issues with the High Pressure fuel pump. The 5 has had several electrical issues and the lower steering rack replaced recently, known issues. The Porsche had the HPFP replaced, but knock on wood, no other issues, the Mini has had a long list of challenges, including electrical, clogged injector, front strut issue, and the timing tensioner. Next major service I'm having my mechanic checkout the carbon build up.

Since the initial issues, however, all the cars have been reliable. And most importantly, I love driving them all.

 

+1 08 MCS. Pretty sure it will replacement. Diesel sound all the time until 3000 rpm.

 

As someone who was a Honda owner for almost 20 years, I'll chime in... All cars do require maintenance as someone else mentioned. Yes, some of these issues seem inexcusable for modern, expensive cars, but that's the price we pay for wanting a zillion features and amenities on even the Kia Rio nowadays!

I had two Honda's, a 1993 Civic DX and a 2006 Civic LX. Both were autocrossed and driven on road courses, btw, with the 1993 being extensively modified for competition by the time I replaced it with the 2006 LX. The 1993 DX was so simple, even when prepped fully (D15 and then B16 motor), that it didn't even have power steering. There simply wasn't much to go wrong on it.

The 2006 LX, however, while reliable, had 3 recalls. One for the gas pedal pivot, a second for the Occupant Detector in the front passenger seat, and a third for the rear hub assembly. The killer came when news began trickling in that the engine blocks (R18) had a porosity issue when being cast and could develop cracks at no less than 6 different spots! This was on a HONDA MOTOR!!! Their cars could rust away, but the motors should last for an eternity. Apparently not.

Then I owned a 2010 Golf TDI for about 15 months. Also was going to be autocrossed and tracked. Only autocrossed twice. HPFP issues never were a concern because I used additives almost since new. But, the car began popping out of 6th gear after a month. VW's response... Your hand is hitting it out of gear. Really!!! By the time I got rid of it, VW told me that they would replace the transmission but they'd keep the car for 45-50 days and I'd have to provide myself with a car because they wouldn't be able to give me a loaner for that long. Granted, the TDI motor itself would probably last 500,000 miles, but I'll never know.

Onto the MINI. I have a Justa, and I will autocross and track it too. Thus far, the pervasive trend I've seen is that both generations do better as Justas because I don't think the Chrysler-sourced (R50) and Peugeot/Citroen-sourced (R56) motors were designed from the onset to be force induced. A lot of the issues in threads like these seem to stem from issues on the MCS and JCW cars. Perhaps the smaller elements of their respective engines can't handle the forces/loads that come with a FI setup. Who knows?

Hell, even in the marketplace, the lion's share of cars for sale are MCS and JCW cars. The Justa doesn't appear for sale as often, perhaps because of what is being discussed here.

 

Well, I love my S and am very glad I got it instead of a non s. it's a great car with few problems and I fully expect it to remain so. And around here I see just as many non s for sale as s. check car max. 229 minis in their system and it's almost evenly devided between s and non s. oh and on the civic you forgot to mention the incorrect rear upper control arms installed on the 06 and 07's. I own a 07 and I can truthfully say my S has been a more reliable car.

 

The issue isn't that the timing chain and tensioner are faulty, but that BMW is not recalling the cars and replacing the parts with the redesigned ones. As a result, someone could end up with a blown engine on an out-of- warranty car. BMW's shortsightedness will fuel the view that the Mini isn't reliable and sales -- including resales -- will drop.

 

The rear LCA's were replaced on the Si and Canadian cars in general, but we were able to capitalize from the revised LCA which removed some rear camber.

Believe me, I am hoping that my Justa is dead-nuts reliable. I optioned it with just the Sport Suspension, cloth Sport Seats, and Bluetooth (which should be standard on every car from every company throughout the world nowadays due to all the hands free driving laws. I kept ordering it as simple as possible in the hopes of replicating the 1993 Civic I had almost 20 years ago.

 

+1
2008 MCS 58,000 miles

 

Just back from Mini dealer today and got a part list of the timing chain assy and it has a new timing chain tension P/N of 11314609483 and according to RealOEM.com the P/N11317597895 was good to Sept 2011 http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...=11&fg=25&hl=6

Anyone know what change Mini made to the P/N of 11314609483? The new part is not available from Part.com.

 

+1 2011 Cooper 11/10 build 22k

 

So this issue is still affecting the 2010s & 2011s?

 

Wow, thats sorta scareing me. I would have thought when they went to the new engine in 2011 that would have solved the issue. What did your dealer say about it?

 

+1 2010 MCS.
Replaced under warranty. Took two times for them to hear it. Like others have posted it only hapens when it's cold out. Under 32 degrees in my case. They replaced the timing chain, tensioner, guides?, front main seal. Now it's back in the shop because the next day the check engine light came on. Dealer thinks it is one of the timing sensors, and is keeping the car over the weekend to fix.
Dealer ended up replacing the VANOS solinoid and VANOS adjuster. Said they were sludged up. (I change my own oil every 6,000 miles.)

 

On my 2008 MC S with 12,600 mi the dealer replaced the following: timing chain, rail, guide rail, tensioner, OAR sprocke, gasket set, torx bolt, and various other bolts. The car was under warranty and I can't imagine what it would have cost if I paid the bill. Will definitely be getting an extended warranty before this one expires in May.

I'm a confused since I understood from the dealer that the problem timing chain parts were supposedly redesigned.