Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  12/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have a second generation GP mini ****** these are a very limited edition vehicle with only 500 ever being released into the ** they are not a typical car and require a certain degree of knowledge to work on. My ** had gone out and i asked the owner of JP Automotive who had been doing the basic routine maintainance on the car for the previous several months if he felt his mechanics were able to replace the ** he said yes, but 3 months and $5,000 later the car was returned to me but he didn't feel quite right. He went in 5/2024 and home 8/2024. Then 2 months later and approximately 400 miles later the car breaks down on 10/11/24. I take it back to JP. He says it's a frozen water pump. At this point I reach out to a mini mechanic i used in **** who called JP and discovered that the mechanic while trying to access the water pump had quote "accidentally" removed the crankshaft without locking down the engine which has totally thrown off the timing of the engine. My car will never be the same again and per my mechanic in **** the only solution is to replace the engine which i would never trust this mechanic to ever do. Then on 12/9/24 JP calls to let me know it turns out everything he thought was initially wrong with the car ie the water pump all of that was fine and it was the belt tensioner that was rubbing and failed due to mechanic error after they removed the entire front end when the ** was replaced a few months earlier. At this point JP has been able to get the car to turn over but as far as it being the race car it once was that's no more and i'm anticipating another breakdown within a few weeks of me driving it again. I would like to have a mini certified dealership replace the moter with the exact same GP2 engine.

  Business response

  01/14/2025

  I would like to start with a little history on the repair/complaint; the vehicle was driven into my shop with a metallic noise concern while the engine was running (at this time no mention of any air conditioning performance issues were brought up by the customer). I recommended  leaving vehicle so a proper diagnosis regarding noise can be done on our lift, upon INITIAL inspection it was noted a possible water pump, belt tensioner, and other pulleys (Harmonic Vibration Damper) may be needed- called and explained to customer based on the current INITIAL inspection,evaluation and recommendations-(got authorization from customer to proceed at this point and to order parts needed-found Original Mini and after****et parts as needed as per customers request to consider pricing due to local OE/*** pricing being much higher so I agreed to try my best to find the best prices on-line and through OE Mini) at this time the suspected water pump serpentine belt tensioner, and Harmonic Vibration Damper were ordered, received parts approximately 7-10 working days later- NOTE: other related parts would need to be inspected at the time we got deeper into the repair. The repair process resumed  after recommended parts on order were finally received, also due to the inaccessibility and location of other parts that may be in question tech would need to access areas of concern by removing items around suspected areas;(please note that shop always want to have recommended parts for replacement on hand before proceeding as this will allow a more efficient flow of repair while vehicle is in the shop-also my parts suppliers will accept/take back and credit any parts that are not needed if not used-as this was the case when we got further into the repair) during this process the front crankshaft ***, (**CRANKSHAFT WAS NEVER REMOVED AS NOTED IN THE COMPLAINT LETTER ONLY THE ***-two entirely different parts) was inadvertently removed; at this time tech working on vehicle notified me, as the lead tech I immediately instructed tech to stop where he was at so I could research the best procedure to reinstall *** as per factory specs to exact timing positions in relation to camshafts. At this juncture customer was called and advised that the timing chain crank sprocket position may have been disturbed and a timing chain kit may be needed,( For a 2013 Mini JWC GP, N18 it's generally recommended to replace the timing chain & sprocket kit proactively at around ******miles or 9 years of ownership due to known issues with Mini ****** timing chains-vehicle has approximately ****** miles at that time, * No set mileage interval set by Mini ****** unlike a timing belt, there's no ****** mileage requirement for timing chain replacement for timing chain replacement) At this point customer said he will call me back after consulting with his previous mechanic in ****, when calling me back said that his mechanic said the the the timing chain are usually "Bulletproof" according to his response as it 
  would not be needed at this time, being that the vehicle was properly serviced using Very High Quality full synthetic Royal Purple engine oil, Therefore researched factory procedures to commence the completion of the repair as needed-a specific camshaft & flywheel tool kit were ordered as per instructions to set timing back to exact factory specs as it was when it came from the factory/ also used to lock crankshaft  & camshaft in position when reinstalling part to exact 
  factory torque specs required. Exact procedures were followed to reset the crankshaft sprocket gear & timing chain back to its exact original factory timing **** positions at which time was double/triple checked to ensure no concerns occurred by the of the crankshaft ***/reset & 
  installation-Repair was completed without any concerns, Vehicle re started normally, performed engine scan health check with no engine performance codes stored-road test vehicle to ensure restored condition and performance by tech who performed repair & myself as the lead tech overseeing the repair-monitored vehicle for approx 2-3 more days to note any possible quality related concerns with none there after, As of 01/12/2025 have not heard from customer of any problems or contact with our shop; Only found out of complaint through this BBB letter, 
  Additional notes: At the time of concern before the *** reinstall customer stated that we ruined the engine and there was no way we our shop could get it back together as per customer's response when first notified, I asked customer to give our shop a chance to try because I felt confident we could restore vehicle to its original running condition when brought into shop (less metallic grinding noise) at this time customer agreed to allow shop to proceed with the repair and it was accomplished. 
  Please note: I myself do not claim to be a Mini ****** Certified factory trained technician but with that in consideration we are a State Certified & Licensed repair shop in our State, Iam also a Licensed ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician in our State with over 45+years of experience, 22+ year at my current location
  I strongly beleive & understand customers concerns and in this case feel that our shop was transparent and took full responsibility for our actions; at this time customer picked up vehicle on 12/11/2024 received a copy of repair order(shop has a signed copy on file) with itemized parts & labor details and was not charged anything due to any inconveniences that may have occurred as a result; A (3) month/5,000 mile warranty was given at the time written on repair order.; Would be willing to double the warranty to (6) months/10,000miles, I am confused by the engine replacement request as the engine was not damaged or destroyed as stated in the complaint letter. 
  Thank You for you time  
  

  
  

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