Rear strut bolt recall

[KAMAKAZI]

There are rumors of a new recall affecting rear strut failure. Has any one received notification? Any rear strut failures?


I suppose I will be bringing in the car soon for this repair(a 120 mile journey and a day off of work which i dont want to repeat again soon).

I need advice. What other troubled areas should I insist be looked at at the same time. My coolant level has slowly dropped but I see no leak. Can I insist that a pressure test be done, even though there is no noticeable leak?

Can I demand the new redesigned coolant bottle on my S even no leak is present now, so a don't have a sudden failure in the future.


Are there other ares which I should have them look at?

[Adriann001]

i think there was a mention of it sometime ago cant remember where exactly but washing my MCS yesterday i did notice a nice shiny new bolt on each side that wasn't there last time it was washed. i beleve that the reason is that the original bolt was over tight and could fail under load. i dont think that they are doing a recall either it just gets done when the car goes in for a service.

[MINIAC]

Someone at Roadfly posted:

Quote:

The BMW Group has informed the NHTSA that it will be proceeding with a customer notification to recall certain Cooper and Cooper S vehicles. The recall affects approximately 5100 vehicles which were produced between 9/25/2002 and 11/14/2002. The implementation of the recall will be conducted as soon as the repair procedures are finalized (approximately 2 weeks). At that time, a Service Information bulletin will be published and official customer notification letters will be mailed. The repair will consist of replacing both rear lower strut mounting bolts.

In the meantime, we have prepared the following Q&A to help address any customer concerns:

Q1. Which models are affected by this recall?

Affected models are 2003 Model Year MINI Cooper and Cooper S vehicles produced between September 25th, 2002 and November 14th, 2002. (The production date can be read on the certification label which is located on the inside of the door pillar on the driver’s side.)

Q2. Why are other vehicles not affected?

The vehicle production date range was established to be between September 25th, 2002 and November 14th, 2002. Therefore, vehicles produced outside of this date range are not affected.

Q3. How many vehicles are affected?

Approximately 5,100 vehicles in the US are affected.

Q4. What failure might possibly occur?

In very rare occasions due to a production problem with the screw that connects the rear struts to the chassis, the head (top) of the screw securing this connection may break. The remaining portion of the screw (stud, or shaft) will still hold the strut in place. However, if left unattended over a longer period of time, and depending on driving conditions, the stud/shaft may break.

Q5. What can happen?

If the screw stud/shaft also broke, the chassis would lean directly on the tire, diminishing the driver's ability to control the vehicle. Depending upon traffic conditions and the driver’s reactions, this could lead to a crash.

Q6. How does the driver become aware of the problem?

The driver’s ability to control the vehicle will be reduced.

Q7. What corrective measures will be taken?

The lower screw connection of the rear struts will be replaced.

Q8. How did MINI become aware of the problem?

MINI became aware of the problem through its own quality control processes.

Q9. Is MINI aware of any accidents or injuries associated with the recall?

No.

Q10. Can customers continue to drive their vehicles?

Yes, but we recommend that affected customers, who will receive a letter asking them to schedule an appointment with their authorized MINI dealer, do so as soon as possible.

If you experience this problem on the road, you should pull over carefully as soon as possible to a safe location and away from traffic. Do not continue to drive your vehicle. Contact MINI Roadside Assistance at 1-866-646-4772 immediately to have your vehicle brought to the nearest MINI dealer.

Q11. How will customers be informed of the recall?

Affected customers will receive a letter asking them to schedule an appointment with their authorized MINI dealer.

Q12. How will the recall be performed?

Affected customers who make an appointment will have the rear strut connection replaced.

Q13. How long will the repair take?

The replacement of the rear strut connection should take about ½ hour. However, additional time may be required depending upon your MINI dealer’s scheduling and processing.

Q14. How many vehicles have experienced this problem?

We have not received any reports pertaining to this issue.

Q15. When will I receive my owner notification letter?

Mailings will be conducted in March 2003.

Q16. Do I have to wait for my recall letter in order to have my recall performed?

Yes. MINI is in the process of implementing the recall campaign to ensure that the necessary parts are at the MINI dealers prior to sending out the owner notification letters.

[Rob.]

Thanks MINIAC for all your hard work in getting the FAQ's up and running.
It is an excellent resource.

[retroom]

My car is at the dealer's now. I asked the service advisor about this recall. He didn't have a clue.

retroom

[cooper4us]

My '02 Cooper CVT was produced in early August 2002, so it is not affected by the recall.

I notice a very weird trend about early production 2003 model year MINIs with severe production issues ending up in recalls....the CVTs with the wrong transmission fluid and now this.

I am glad I went for a late production 2002 instead!

[stono jnr]

Quote:

Originally posted by KAMAKAZI
There are rumors of a new recall affecting rear strut failure. Has any one received notification? Any rear strut failures?

received a recall notification today actually, Recall 0033430100, basically says "Ongoing quality control measures within the factory have shown that the bolt head of the lower connection of the rear spring strut may tear away due to excessive core hardness. This may cause the bolt shank to break depending on the stress placed on the vehicle. If this occurs, the bodywork would no longer be raised above the wheels, causing it to sit on the corresponding rear wheel. The vehicle's general road handling can no longer be reliably monitored."

"To ensure that your vehicle is in perfect condition, we would like to replace the rear spring strut securing bolts"

goes on to say replacing the bolts will take about half an hour apparently.

and thats on a Cooper S build date October 2002.

Stono

[Albert]

Should I expect any flak from the dealer on getting this recall done if the car has been lowered?

[Albert]

That's what I thought.. thanks Obehave!

[bumble]

I had recall notification today aswell, says the work will take about twenty minutes, that is for an October 2002 Mini One.

[MiNiGuY]

Hmmm, interesting.

It was about Sept/oct 02 time that I noticed that the rear suspension on one side of a MINI was only held on by 1 bolt!!

My finding was purely by chance due to the fact that I had the car on a lift for other reasons (suspension checks not being one of them).

The car was due to ship straight after I'd finished with it too!!

Have a nice day.

[duke2mini]

Here is the info from Transports Canada :

Recall Details :
On certain vehicles, the head of the screw securing the rear struts to the chassis may tear off. The remaining portion of the screw (stud, or shaft) will still hold the strut in place. However, if left unattended over a longer period of time, and depending on driving conditions, the stud/shaft may break. If this occurred, the chassis would lean directly on the tire, diminishing the driver's ability to control the vehicle. Depending on traffic conditions and the driver's reactions, this could lead to a crash.

Correction:: Dealer will replace the lower screw connection of the rear struts.

Details of Recall #: 2003055

[swamos]

Hmm, I think "Dimisished Control" could be up there for understatement of the year.

[retroom]

I got the recall notice in the mail today. In the US it's called:
"Recall Campaign No. 03V-086: Lower Screw Connection of Rear Strut."

In the letter it says the repair will take approx. 1/2 hour or longer depending on the dealer's scheduling and processing.

I'm calling Monday to setup an appointment. Since it's going in I'll have them change the defective shift knob and program the ECU with 33.1.

retroom

[mikeythemini]

Any UK owners had a recall for this??