Best Beware of Babies dat Wear the Crown of New Year’s Day

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?  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?)

Published by

Rhonda

Hi everyone! Welcome to 50 Shades of Gray Hair. 50 Shades is my blog of life over the hill, where each day is full of delicious opportunities to earn another gray hair. I stopped declaring war on the gray when I began this blog years ago. Instead, I embrace and celebrate them along with whatever life decides to throw my way, with (sarcasm forward) humor and an optimistic eye to the future. I think. I hope? I don't know. At any rate...it's real, it's honest, it's full of 4 letter words, and it's me...on a platter. I sincerely welcome you all to my porch....♥♥Rhonda

20 thoughts on “Best Beware of Babies dat Wear the Crown of New Year’s Day”

    1. You’re absolutely right Mim….it’s Patootie-itis to the extreme! I just came in from outside…twenty degrees and snowing hard and for one brief moment I thought “This is okay, it’s all okay, I’m okay, none of that crap matters!”…then I put my smoke out and said CRAP. LOL…here’s the thing…I want to be okay, want to think it’s all gonna work out. And it will, one way or another. Maybe not my way, but one way or another, it’ll be done. Reaching the point of accepting it, no matter what..is where I am. Big breath, big glass of vino, and I’m almost there. It could be worse right? Worse than looking at junking a car I still have 2 years worth of payments on…or fixing a car for 1/2 what it cost me to buy, which makes it twice what it’s worth…it’s all good right? Somewhere, out there, it’s all good. Right? Another glass and I’ll take Supe’s ‘oh crap” button (like the easy button from staple’s yeah?) with me to the dealership…lol. I’m trying SK, I really am. xoxo

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      1. You’re doin’ it honey, you’re doin’ it…And yeah, this one is a worthy swallow of wine, some serious cursing and then giving it over. ‘Cause this one is out of your control – totally. Maybe the universe just saved you from that car in its own peculiar way..and are you worth more than 8 grand? Can’t put a price on your specialness Rhon, so grab Supe’s button, press and give it over. xo

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  4. Oh RHONDA!!! I can only imagine how angry/frustrated you must feel…. we had a similar happening (out of warranty. of course)…same season….on our way to “grandma’s” house at Christmas….and ended up with a mechanic that ordered a “rebuilt” engine for us. 1/2 the price and a short warranty…. so we did it. And we were fortunate that it worked for a long while! Til one day…(we’d gifted the car to our college boy) I called him to tell him we had a tornado headed toward us….so he drove that car home like a tornado was headed for us….and blew that engine. The Chevy truck we replaced that car with….he JUST sold a few months ago and it was still going strong….. go. figure. Like a Rock?

    I am SOOOOO sorry. THANK you for sharing the many links. Our world is full of creeps. I don’t get it….but I do know one day they will be held accountable! But why not today? Hugs to you my friend. Plz keep me posted. ♥

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    1. I know how your son felt…and add a tornado to that and I can imagine how you ALL felt! I was thinking of just telling that dealership and that useless warranty company to stick it, find a way to tow it home to Virginia, and do as you did…find a rebuilt engine and have it installed by someone local. At least that way, if it all goes wrong, I can look someone in the face!! I’ll keep ya posted…you know me…it’ll be a rhonda-saga I’m sure. Thanks Paula, it helps knowing I’ve got such great people on my porch. (Dang, I miss my porch!!! 🙂 Love ya…xo

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        1. Good Idea Paula. I’ll listen to what they have to say Monday (or Tuesday); give them their shot to make me a happy consumer. If not…then I’ll take my shot at making them unhappy (and better known) purveyors of knowingly defective goods and sellers of worthless paper. Right? 🙂

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  6. Yeah, what does that mean??? Damn Germans… ooooppsss, didn’t mean to say that. I thought we were kicking 2015 off in style? Also, SB, I just saw the cavepeople graphic on your blog, and spat out some pretty expensive beer onto my lovely laptop computer screen… thanks a lot!

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    1. I can only hope it was a Canadian Brew? 😉 And I also hope you read my new tag line to go with my decision to meet 2015 in like fashion. I may be a cheesy mess, standing alone, but I’m gonna have someone’s bollocks in one hand and a tres grand stick in the other!

      (and how ironic…the cheese stands alone is from the song/game Farmer in the Dell…you may have played it as a child? Anyway…it’s german! Figures)

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      1. If you pull mine, I’m gonna pull yours… words to live by, SB. Cheesy mess standing alone or not, you always have a place on my porch, and there will eternally be a Canadian brew or two or three or more waiting for you.

        I don’t think I played Farmer in the Dell… misspent youth, for sure, right here.

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Nice-n-Easy...but tell it like it is