BMW recalls 300,000 cars that risk stalling completely - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44050686

 

Older cars up to 2011....at the moment

Edited 9 May, 20188 yr by Aspman

50 minutes ago, Aspman said:

BMW recalls 300,000 cars that risk stalling completely - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44050686

 

Older cars up to 2011....at the moment

How long has BMW actually known about it ?

Edited 9 May, 20188 yr by vrskeith

Quite a while or it wouldn't be news I guess 

1 hour ago, Aspman said:

Quite a while or it wouldn't be news I guess 

Since 2011 - 7 years and directly or indirectly relating to  loss of life . 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-44052760

Not a good day for BMW then. Get it all out in one hit.

Another prime example of a spineless DVSA, an organisation put in place to ensure the safety of the motoring public, but without the ability to enforce a recall.

 

Then BMW, a manufacturer with an horrendous past record for a flagrant disregard of doing the right thing.

 

Shame on both of them.

And what about the BMWs catching fire while parked in the US (as seen on BBC News at 6 yesterday) - when will there be a recall in the UK to fix that safety problem?

Looks like my wife’s car will be part of the recall. 

 

Agree with DVSA been spineless. Problem is too much emphasis on type approval which allows cars to be sold in the EU but no similar system to allow vehicles to have dangerous faults be corrected. With the lobbying powers of the automotive industries, it’s not in their interest for any such body to exist as it damages their profits and they can continue to profit until a scandal breaks. Same with VAG on emissions, Vauxhall Zafiras bursting into flames. Toyota's brake problem that was found to be a problem first in the USA, which lead to a worldwide recall but how long do they know about it before someone died. 

 

The advert ban makes me laugh though when they’ve allowed an advertisement for an Audi R8 to race along a snow covered plain. Could explain why I’d seen so many crashed Audi’s during the Beast from the East.  Next they’ll ban the Jaguar British villains advert as it promotes crime

And yesterday 60,000 Audi A6 and A7 with emission issues,so German engineering and reliability not quite as it is portrayed.

It amazes me that we are amazed at recalls. When you think about it, there are many hundreds of millions of cars running about, most living 24/7 outdoors in sub zero to tarmac melting temperatures. We subject them to rain, sun, snow, salty sea air, road salt in the winter, unsympathetic braking, hard acceleration, poor use of gears, 'driving it like you stole it' when the oil isn't up to temperature, crashing through potholes, shaking things up on kerbs and saying cruel things to it when you catch you fingers in the door. That's billions of separate components living their lives subjected to some sort of endless stress test.

 

So if a standard-fit piece of equipment has a manufacturing or design defect, it still seems like we do quite well with our cars in the long run  OK it could be something that inadvertently turns out to be dangerous, or just plain annoying, but the media loves to stir up a hornets nest when they get wind of even a manufacturing fault in a plastic tyre dust cap...well they would if it was fitted to an expensive range of cars (disclaimer, it would probably be a metal dust cap if the range of cars was indeed expensive) The only new car I have ever owned that actually broke down was my Octy II and I can't really see myself pointing an accusatory finger at Skoda for gross negligence. These things do and always will happen, it's more important how we react to the situation and rectify the fault in as timely manner as possible.

 

Don't get me wrong, dangerous faults need sorting, but recently I've read a lot of threads here and elsewhere pointing fingers at big manufacturers and their lack of moral compass over manufacturing/design flaws. My gut instinct is we will probably never know the whole truth and that the actual facts of the matter are probably a lot more complicated than the media likes to portray. 

 

(just trying to show a bit of balance- flame retardant  suit already on  )

What is 'strange; is how European / EU manufacturers think they get away with 'Recalls'  / Safety Critical recalls in other World Regions where the Autorities and courts will rip them to shreads, send people to jail etc,

but in the home market they can be selective, or just do nothing, say nothing, shhhh, no need to panic,  nobody is going to be supported in legal actions by a EU Government.  Corporate responsibility can be passed down to some pleb, no need to blame the senior management.

The EU free trade market makes it very easy to sell to other members so long as they comply with the legislations. Unfortunately the legislation tends to be down to the manufacturers to show they have complied with it.

This allows the criminals to exploit it too. Horse meat scandal. Brazilian rotten meat scandal. Chicken meat washing scandal. VAG emissions scandal. Every one of these scandals wasn’t some master criminal, bent on world domination with their white cat but a business exploiting the lax implications of the EU legislation so they could profit at the expense of the consumer. 

A very strange setup that allows any business within the EU or one that has a trade agreement to sell to the population of the member states so long as it has cough 'complied' with the legislation to do so. The consumer however has to rely on the fragmented enforcement bodies of their member state for protection against these huge multinational companies. The consumer doesn’t really stand a chance unless the scandal becomes so big the companies can no longer ignore it whilst profiteering from it or the governments take action and after much debating and delay more legislation is introduced by the EU. You only need look at the VAG emissions scandal, what has the consumer been compensated?