I've got a babied '07, all maintenace up to date, sitting at the service center as I recover from the diagnosis of 'we need to replace your engine for 10k'.
It had been running rough so I made an appointment for service. I parked it in the drive way and it did not start the next morning. The service manager says that the timing stuff (my car ignorance displayed) went bad destroying the engine. Hmmm.
thoughts?

 

Try getting a High Mucky Muck at BMW involved. They may be persuaded to warranty it anyway as a goodwill gesture because it is only two years old. Or they might spring for part of the repair cost.

FWIW, I think if you can prove that all of the prescribed maintenance was performed on time and by a Mini dealer, they should replace it for you under goodwill.

Good luck with it.

 

+ 1 911Fan

You should be able to get MINI to cover the engine with you paying for labor.
Give MINI a call, it's worth the shot.
Good Luck

 

Thanks for your reply. Yea, the paper trail supports my claim and I did contact a HMM but the answer seems to be slow in coming. I am not sure I even buy the whole replacement idea or the staggering cost.

 

newbs49
Thanks for the suggestion. The long chain did start with a call to mini customer service.
At about 6 months old the car had an issue and was under warranty. It had to be towed and the service was outstanding at the time including rental reimbursement.
This time around (out of mechanical warranty) it is a whole other cat.

 

That's about the average price at a dealer for a motor and labor if you check on NAM. Stay on MINI for an answer. They should help if you've done all your maint. work. Where are you located?

 

Follow up: Ultimately it was the timing tensioner that led to the engine damage. They sent out an engineer to verify the dealership had the correct assessment. Marketing made an offer to cover the repair with the stipulation that we trade in the old for a new at the same dealership.
Take home lesson:
!!If your '07 mini makes a weird noise that sounds like a rattle coming from the passenger side of the motor..especially if it is cold..get your car in for the tensioner fix asap!!!
If nothing else, get it documented before the end of the warranty.

 

Now that's a new one. Never heard that one before in 40yrs of being in the business. What will they give you for a trade in with a new motor in it.

 

I am not sure I would go with the deal of having to trade in at the dealership.

I would, however, sell the car the day it rolled out with the new engine or are they saying the legally must trade in the car or you pay for the new engine?

 

go to kelly blue book and get your trade in value as if it had a motor with same miles (they're just gonna find a used motor and put it in it ) and trade it to them for nothing less than this value . i say trade in value cause they do have the labor to eat . you'll get a new car and (hopefully an extended warranty) you can still negotiate the price of the new one . if they want to rape you then go to a different shop and have a salvage motor put in it and sell it and never buy another p.o.s. mini . either way you win . a 25000 dollar car shouldnt cost 10000 for motor and labor . it's my only issue with these cars . economy cars shouldn't cost bmw prices to fix .