Cooper NHTSA wants a MINI Cooper recall due too hot exhaust pipe tips!

[EnI]

NHTSA, BMW Fighting Over Mini Cooper Recall

Dec 09, 2008

BMW Group released a fairly upbeat sales report Dec. 5 that stated MINI Cooper sales rose by 43.1 percent in November in the United States to a total of 4,545 vehicles, with global sales for the car 7.6 percent higher worldwide in the first 11 months of this year versus the same period last year. At the same time, BMW apparently is resisting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's call for a safety recall of the 2007 Mini Cooper S (hardtop) and some 2008 units of the same model.

NHTSA announced on Friday that it will hold a public meeting Dec. 17 and take comments until Dec. 12 on its Initial Decision that model year 2007 and certain MY 2008 Mini Cooper S vehicles contain a defect related to motor vehicle safety. Notified of this, BMW said it would not conduct a safety recall and instead has started a service campaign, which NHTSA has rejected, the notice stated.

The alleged defect is in the vehicles' exhaust pipe tips. NHTSA said its Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) and BMW "have received numerous complaints indicating that consumers' legs have been burned while they access the rear cargo area of the subject vehicles via the rear hatchback shortly after the vehicles have been driven.

As reflected by the complaints, people accessing the cargo area naturally place their legs at the rear of the vehicle. People are burned as they inadvertently contact either of the two hot exhaust pipe tips while removing items from, or placing items in, the rear cargo area. Some of the burn injuries are significant second degree burns, causing blistered skin or scarring, often in a half-moon shape pattern matching the approximately 2 3/4-inch diameter of the exhaust tips.


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I guess now MINI will have to feature a bumper sticker: "Watch out you idiot: Hot exhaust pipes!"

 

[Tarek]

Re: NHTSA wants MINI Cooper recall due too hot exhaist pipe tips!

 

[jack]

thats definitely also one point america has to rethink, the product liability law. it draws away many investors, simply because they are afraid of this randomness.

 

[Centurion]

The tips might be sticking out too much in relation to the bumper.

 

[jack]

the above pic shows the R53 generation

this is the current gen:
Mini Cooper S 1280 x 1024 wallpaper

that pic clearly shows that the exhaust tip is mounted savely

i have never heard about burns on german mini forums

 

[Mr Robert]

NHTSA result

Gained: publicity
Lost: credibility

 

[Mr Robert]

i have never heard about burns on german mini forums

It will only happen in America. Dorks.

 

[Merc1]

Interesting. I guess some people would stand that close to a car when uloading something. Being a car person I never would. These are likely the same type of people that try to open radiator caps while they're hot too. Americans (sad to say, being one) are just so f'ng careless and inattentive. Moving the pipes back or downward and under might be in order here.

I wonder why the Dodge Viper has never been recalled for this. Now those pipes (the come out of the sides under the side sills) will burn the shyt out of a calf if you try to lazily get out of one after it has been driven hard.


M

 

[martinbo]

I want to know what kind of person buys a Cooper S and then has mindset to lodge a complaint about hot exhaust tips and a little bit of a burn. Ag shame man...

Down here in good ol' SA no-one would ever write to complain about such a thing.

Typical Cooper S owner thought process ought to be:
"Hot dang - just scalded my shin on the exhaust! ... you muthafu...! Was a fantastic drive home tho'... Damn I love my car!"

 

[EnI]

I want to know what kind of person buys a Cooper S and then has mindset to lodge a complaint about hot exhaust tips and a little bit of a burn.

Britney/Paris-like bimbo dolls.

 

[DaSilva]

Britney/Paris-like bimbo dolls.

Paris drives a Bentley and Britney is too often too drunk to drive but
if she can she drives the Escalade.... well.,

People who buy a Cooper S are Cool people,
and I wouldn't call Paris nor Britney cool,

My guess is that BMW/MINI is just too afraid to be sued if some
"typical" amercian wants to sue them because the exhaust tips
sat fire on something or whatever...

INNOCENT & INNOCENT

 

[EnI]

Paris drives a Bentley and Britney is too often too drunk to drive but
if she can she drives the Escalade.... well.,

Wet and wild Britney's latest fashion disaster | Mail Online




OK, MINI is to common car for the Paris ... She gets sponsored GT Continentals, SLRs etc.

 

[jack]

MINI is recalling the MCS in the US

MotoringFile Archive It’s Official: MINI Recalling MCS Due to Tail Pipe Burns