Mini Cooper S 07plate timing chain problem -Help!
Discussion
Hi all,
My mother owned a mini cooper s 52 plate from new. Sold it in Feb, and replaced it with another Mini cooper s 07 plate (2nd generation i believe) at the end of Feb - 16000 miles. She took out a Gold warranty (12 months)
She bought it from a private dealer over 200 miles away, drove it home with no problems. The next day she had an operation on her foot, and has not been driving since until the last week or so.
On start up there is the 'death rattle' that i have been reading about on the forums. It apparently is timing chains/tensioners. (no doubt this rattle will have pre-existed our purchase) We had a diagnostic test done at our local Mini dealership (where we bought our orginal mini from new) last week and the service rep explained that it has been condemned!! The warranty provider is not playing ball - saying the part needs to be broken before they'll pay out?!(the policy also says no pay out on manufacturer design faults)
My mum was expecting the very same reliability from the new mini as she had from the old one, and now it seems (from reading the forums) that there is a manifest design fault in the tensioners/timing chain system in the 07 2nd generation mini's.
So a bit of advice from anyone with experience of these types problems would be appreciated!
1. Should we go back to the private dealer to put it right/money back?
2. Should we press the warranty provider (that the part clearly is broke because it is not fit for purpose)
3. should we press the mini dealership/Mini UK to have the problem fixed FOC because it clearly is a very well recognised design fault - and gesture of goodwill having bought from them in the past?(albeit we are without manufacturer warranty)
I know tht was long winded but would appreciated thoughts/comments
Edster
My mother owned a mini cooper s 52 plate from new. Sold it in Feb, and replaced it with another Mini cooper s 07 plate (2nd generation i believe) at the end of Feb - 16000 miles. She took out a Gold warranty (12 months)
She bought it from a private dealer over 200 miles away, drove it home with no problems. The next day she had an operation on her foot, and has not been driving since until the last week or so.
On start up there is the 'death rattle' that i have been reading about on the forums. It apparently is timing chains/tensioners. (no doubt this rattle will have pre-existed our purchase) We had a diagnostic test done at our local Mini dealership (where we bought our orginal mini from new) last week and the service rep explained that it has been condemned!! The warranty provider is not playing ball - saying the part needs to be broken before they'll pay out?!(the policy also says no pay out on manufacturer design faults)
My mum was expecting the very same reliability from the new mini as she had from the old one, and now it seems (from reading the forums) that there is a manifest design fault in the tensioners/timing chain system in the 07 2nd generation mini's.
So a bit of advice from anyone with experience of these types problems would be appreciated!
1. Should we go back to the private dealer to put it right/money back?
2. Should we press the warranty provider (that the part clearly is broke because it is not fit for purpose)
3. should we press the mini dealership/Mini UK to have the problem fixed FOC because it clearly is a very well recognised design fault - and gesture of goodwill having bought from them in the past?(albeit we are without manufacturer warranty)
I know tht was long winded but would appreciated thoughts/comments
Edster
MJK 24 said:
There was a topic on here the other day about the exact same problem on a Cooper S. This one had snapped after warranty work at a very low mileage.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Sounds like the same problem...
[quote=Chr1sch]Warranty not paying out is a joke, it is a well known fault and it ia clearly 'broken' and as far as I am aware it had not been recognised as a defect by BMW or PSA?!
quote]
that is quite right - their business is to insure our newly purchased car - if they didn't want the risk they shouldn't have sold the warranty. (just seen that tensioners aren't covered tho!)
Will go back to them.
cheers
quote]
that is quite right - their business is to insure our newly purchased car - if they didn't want the risk they shouldn't have sold the warranty. (just seen that tensioners aren't covered tho!)
Will go back to them.
cheers
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff