Not every diaper clad newborn is all sugar and spice, and everything nice and innocence is their poker face!
You will recall at the end of my Year in Review post, I thumbed my nose at Baby 2015, telling him I was ready for him and to Bring. It. On!
Remember?
DO NOT DO THAT
Since his older brother 14’s demise; having donned the crown and taken the reigns in his chubby little claws, this little peckerwood has let it be known that the contents of his dirty diaper are even more potent than his brothers.
I mean, last year, all his brother managed to accomplish was hooking me up with mover thugs from Hell, break my leg, flood my home, and render Mini Me deaf, dumb, and blind, in heavy traffic traveling 75 mph on Interstate 91.
Maybe more than your average bad luck for one year…then again, I survived.
Right?
Now…little baby butthead ’15 has picked up the gauntlet and raised the stakes.
Oh yeah…this precious bundle of nose-goo, sticky fingers, and stinky britches, has taken his brother’s antics to a whole new level.
[It dawns on me…15’s name is Damien!]
So, Damien decides to Call me on my injured Mini Me and Raise me a dead one.
Yup
Dead – Caput – No-Go-Mini-O
Cause of death – Complete Engine Failure (due to timing chain/tensioner failure)
Odds of Resuscitation – 1 in $8,584
Them’s some pretty shitty odds, wouldn’t you say?
When I asked the service manager if this was a known problem, the answer I got was
“There have been no recalls for your model and model year for this issue”
(Well duh…that’s why BMW is being sued, for the defect and for disallowing the repair under the warranty)
Was I informed that there was, however, a Technical Service Bulletin issued in 2008 about this problem?
Nope
What’s a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) you ask?
Technical Service Bulletins, or TSBs, are recommended procedures for repairing vehicles. Not to be confused with recalls, a TSB is issued by a vehicle manufacturer when there are several occurrences of an unanticipated problem.
Or that since 2008, up to and including 2014, BMW is still receiving complaints about this vehicle and has yet to issue a recall?
Nope
It was intimated, however, that this was a MAINTENANCE issue and not a mechanical one. In easy speak, that means “This was your fault dummy”
Oh yeah? You think so? Seeing as I have all the regular maintenance receipts, I think not. But that’s not for them and me to fight about
The Warranty Service company is sending an “inspector” there, Monday or Tuesday
That’s the lucky duck that I get to ‘discuss’ this with
If you do read any of the comments in the (short) articles I’ve listed below, you’ll note they are current.
Meaning, 2014
For an issue that arose in 2008
(Unanticipated? Â Really?)
For anyone considering a Mini Cooper (new or used), here’s a little light reading.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/mini.html
http://www.law360.com/articles/530596/bmw-sued-over-mini-cooper-engine-defect
For anyone considering a BMW – All I would say is Do Your Research!
Not just on the car, but the company’s willingness to stand behind their cars during and after, the warranty period.
As a matter of course, anyone looking to purchase a new/used vehicle, would be well advised to visit the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s website.
Here, I’ll give you a couple…
NHTSA.GOV or
Safercar.gov
These sites offer you access to Recall Notices / Complaints / Investigations / Defects
And did you know there was such a thing as an Auto Alliance?
Yeah, made up of 12 Automobile Manufacturers (including BMW) dedicated to, among other things, VEHICLE SAFETY
http://www.autoalliance.org/
They also have a facebook page 🙂
(https://www.facebook.com/autoalliance)
Did I find anything useful or helpful or safety related on the Alliance’s website?
One thing…
Consumer Guide – How to find safety related information (which is what led me to the NHTSA)
I wish I’d been more ‘aware’ before purchasing my vehicle. But we all know what good wishes are.
And…not to sound sexist…or even to suggest that if you have bulging britches instead of bumpy t-shirts, you know any more than I do…but they saw me coming.
So, for you guys, if you’re more nerd than grease monkey…RESEARCH
And gals, if you know a wrench from a socket and can drain an oil pan or change a tire…good on ya!
But if not and you are buying a car on your own…trust me when I say…
DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE and visit these sites
There really are very few (if any) good guys left in the big bad corporate world anymore
Gone are the days of handshakes and standing by your product or your work
I used to be of the mind, that these types of lawsuits were initiated by sleazy lawyers chasing big pockets on a hope and a prayer that one day they’ll catch the big one
I don’t think that anymore
In fact, I wish there were MORE professionals out there looking after the little guy or gal
Not for a huge payoff, but because it’s the right thing to do and if it puts money in their pockets, good for them
But I know how it works, and I also know it’s not going to change
So the least I can do is put out there, information I wish I’d had (or had been smart enough to look for) before I dropped thousands on a car only to be in the position of putting thousands more into it 2 years later…just to make it run.
Damn it…
Damien?
Just………go……oh never mind
No more wagging fingers and spouting off for me
I’ll leave the little pipsqueak, smelly britches alone
From now on, This Cheese Stands Alone
(what DOES that mean anyway?)
50 Shades of Gray Hair 