MINI USA Recalls 2011 Clubman For (Almost) No Reason
Because of a production mix-up there are 75 Clubman (not Clubmans or Clubmen) rolling around the US with the EU style ABS symbol in the tach. The difference? On the EU version just the outer circle of the symbol illuminates, not the ABS letters. Major problem right? The NHTSA thought so and because of it those 75 affected can bring their cars into a dealer for a much safer (sarcasm alert) tachometer with the proper ABS symbol.
For details after the break.
Report Date : October 5, 2012 at 12:31 PM
NHTSA Campaign ID number : 11V299000Vehicle Make / Model: Model Year(s):
MINI / COOPER CLUBMAN 2011
MINI / COOPER S CLUBMAN 2011Manufacturer: BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC
Report Receipt Date: MAY 25, 2011
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 11V299000 NHTSA Action Number: N/AComponent: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT PANEL
Potential Number of Units Affected: 75
Summary:
BMW Is recalling certain model year 2011 Mini Cooper Clubman and Cooper S Clubman vehicles manufactured from February 8, 2011, through May 11, 2011, for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicles Safety Standard No. 101, “Controls and Displays.” These vehicles are equipped with a European specification tachometer that uses brake-system telltales/symbols that do not meet U.S. requirements.Consequence:
In the event of an ABS system problem, only the the outer circle of the symbol illuminates, not the ABS letters. As such, the driver may be unaware that there is a problem with the ABS, increasing the risk of a crash.Remedy:
All affected vehicles have been repaired at dealerships. Therefore, an owner notification letter will not be issued for this campaign. Owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417.Notes:
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
<p>you can use a sniper rifle or a shot gun approach – any guess what BMW used?
“…Therefore, an owner notification letter will not be issued for this campaign”
given the low number of vehicles involved. THAT’S JUST LAZY BMW! booo!</p>
<p>No, it states that there is no notification letter going out since all the affected cars have been fixed already.</p>
<p>Out of all the probelsm affecting R55/56/60 MINIs, they choose THIS for a recall?!?!</p>
<p>wow. The NHTSA has been dragging their feet on demanding a recall the HPFP on the VW TDI cars that can break and cause $10k damage on a $25k car. But this was so far beyond the pale that it required a recall?</p>
<p>I feel safer already</p>
<p>People grow the eff up! While stuff like this seems stupid, people have agreed on what the ABS symbol is, it is a standard, and it should be adheared to. The fact that it was noticed and acted upon isn’t a reason to scorn the system. It’s all too easy to sit on the sidelines and beitch about stuff like this, but all the derision and scorn is really wasted bandwidth.
Sure, it’s not one of the rules that really effect passenger safety (like having to have seatbelts or airbags), but none the less, it is a regulation on labelling that is the current law, has been agreed to by many, and wasn’t adhered to. Saying this is a waste of time is like saying we shouldn’t prosecute petty crimes because we haven’t solved all the murders…
So is this a big deal? No, it’s not…. 75 people get letters saying that the next time the go for a service, a no-cost recall will happen. Big friggin deal! Oh, it’s not even that, it’s NOTHINIG because they’ve fixed the cars already!
The complaints that “they do this so fast yet haven’t acted on blah blah blah” is just BS too. When all the power steeering pumps were going south, I went into the NTSHA database and had found all of 6 complaints actually registered. If all that complained that “they should go after” this or that problem spent their time getting people who had accually had the problem occure to actually go to the NTSHA web site and log the complaint or failure, then more attention would be paid to the problems. Instead it seems that it’s easier and more satisfying the in the short term to complain the government is tha failure, or write snarky columns making mountians out of molehills, than to actually do something constructive that might actually help.</p>
<p>I often think this same way too!</p>
<p>Nothing to see here.</p>