[LMB]

Paul have BMW not contacted you yet

I don't mind waiting for my car to be repaired if only I knew when I could expect it. My dealer initially told me late March/early April, but that soon went to *late* April

I don't think they have a clue, could be months for all we know.

LMB

[Apial]

Ditto from me too. Where is the response from BMW on the steering?

My dealer says he keeps on asking but gets no answers. Why am I the owner of a left pulling car that can not be cured?

Do BMW not care that we are getting very impatient?

We deserve some answers.

[Paul]

No full official response.

However, basically this seems to tbe the situation..

'They' do recognise that some people do have problems. MOST cases are not genuine, and they are due to the direct steering of the MINI and the camber of the road.

There is no recall planned, and no fix for the 'control arm' which is another story that has been floating around.

Dealers have been issued with various real-world ie physical) and electronic tests to try and ascertain if cars are drifting when customers believe they are experience this problem.

If cars are determined to be drifting left more than you would expect with the natural camber, then dealers have been advised of solutions that should address that and BMW engineers are also looking at some customer cars.

If MINI owners feel they have a problem, then all dealers are in a position to take their car in to test it, take them for a drive in the car, take them for a drive in another car for comparison etc.

I will be putting a list of questions (at MINI's own request) to them tonight and they will come back with official 'from the top' responses.

[Apial]

What is the "control arm" problem please Paul?

[Paul]

Pass. Something to do with the suspension.

[LMB]

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul_Mullett
I will be putting a list of questions (at MINI's own request) to them tonight and they will come back with official 'from the top' responses.

Good Man

Cheers

LMB

[Basil]

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul_Mullett
Pass. Something to do with the suspension.

Good answer........

[Basil]

The oz spec car I drove on Tuesday had no sign of a pull. On a camber it would want to go downhill, but that surely is to be expected. The only sign of a drift was a four wheel sideways drift at 110Km/hr !!

[yossarian]

How bad is this left pull problem??

is it not something that drivers can put up with until end of april when a fix comes out, instead of your beautiful car sitting at the dealers for weeks on end??

[jcuthell]

I would debate the fact that most cases aren't genuine. Technically on computer my car is 100% perfect but it drifts. It has nothing to do with the camber of the road or direct steering. It drifts on a flat car park with no bumps.

James

[Basil]

You will find BMW open to that debate.

Paul's response stated above is the same position indicated to me by BMW Australia's management. Do not think for one moment that your issues will not be addressed. Logic dictates that only a minority of vehicles are affected. I can only comment on the 35 minute drive that I had on Tuesday last. This car did NOT pull. BUT had EXTREMELY sensitive steering.


This car DESERVES to succeed and I'm sure BMW will do all they can to ensure their current and future customers concerns are addressed. I don't believe anyone can say BMW have been silent on this issue as their dealers are replacing "defective" cars. No dealer will replace a car off their own financial backs. It would be approved by BMW.

I'll say no more as there are enough threads allready on this subject, without dragging it all out here again.

cheers, and good luck with your debate.

[LMB]

According to my dealership manager it has something to do with the springs rotating in the suspension mount. Why only some cars suffer from the problem is a mystery to me?

LMB

[jcuthell]

Technically all cars suffer it to some degree but obviously the average drive does not taken their hands off the wheel so would not notice a slight drift.

[Paul]

Quote:

Originally posted by LMB
According to my dealership manager it has something to do with the springs rotating in the suspension mount. Why only some cars suffer from the problem is a mystery to me?

LMB

Not according to BMW so far.

[PeterboroughBoy]

My November build Cooper Chilli (Picked it up on 4th January and so far covered just under 4000 miles)went back to the garage this week for various niggles (inc. severe pulling to the left) and in a nutshell the car was in for two days and has had the front suspension replaced.

I understand that they did a KDS check and they could not get the car right so new suspension struts were fitted (not exactly sure what they did - there was a A4 page of mechanics notes).

It certainly seems better now.

Other niggles were flat spots during driving from cold (which they say they can't fix) and a squeak when opening the door (which is now sorted).

[alexcroft]

I am so upset with this left pull, I have had my car 3 weeks, it has been in 4 times!! Not once has this been rectified. I love the carm it's great. I now have the following problems:

1. Severe left pull
2. Both front seats are squeaking
3. I have a rattle coming from above my head in the roof.
4. Just today my sun roof closed half way and froze!!!

Where is the answers to this left pull problem???

[Paul]

If you have a 'severe' pull to the left, the car should be at the dealers until it is fixed, and you should be driving around in a free courtesy car.

That's my view anyway.

If you have been allowed to drive away from the dealership with a car pulling severely in any direction, you should have driven straight back (it would have been noticable right away) and demanded they fix it and give you a car to get around in.

That's dangerous.

[Basil]

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul_Mullett
If you have a 'severe' pull to the left, the car should be at the dealers until it is fixed, and you should be driving around in a free courtesy car.

That's my view anyway.

If you have been allowed to drive away from the dealership with a car pulling severely in any direction, you should have driven straight back (it would have been noticable right away) and demanded they fix it and give you a car to get around in.

That's dangerous.

I remember suggesting this when I was still wet behind the MINI2.COM ears, and got jumped on.

If ANY car "pulls severely" there has got to be something "visibly" wrong with it... Hasn't there ?

[LMB]

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul_Mullett
If you have a 'severe' pull to the left, the car should be at the dealers until it is fixed, and you should be driving around in a free courtesy car.

That's my view anyway.

If you have been allowed to drive away from the dealership with a car pulling severely in any direction, you should have driven straight back (it would have been noticable right away) and demanded they fix it and give you a car to get around in.

That's dangerous.

Paul I did that exactly only to be told that they can't fix the problem, well not yet anyway. Needless to say I was less than happy with that response and as such rejected the car. However, the dealership manager refused to buy the car back insisting that I give them the chance to fix the car first. He assured me that a fix was on its way, and that I would be *the* first person at my dealership to get it fixed. He than offered me as way of compensation £750 off my Cooper S.

I was initially told to expect a fix by late March/early April, but that has now become *late* April. Also I am now *one* of the first to get the fix as opposed to *the* first.

To be honest I feel very let down by BMW. They may not treat it as a serious fault hence their silence on the matter. But to those of use whose car suffers from the fault it is very real. For me it has spoiled my experience of buying my *first* new car. This has all been made the worse by BMW's handling of the matter. If they even just took the time to write to me, I would be happy. But nothing not a squeak.

I know people must be sick of hearing of this problem, God knows I am, but what are we to do. They say they will fix it, but they don't know when.

I still love the car who wouldn't. And I don't want to return it, and end up driving my Volvo again for 6 months. But I want my car fixed.

LMB

[Basil]