First of all, my 06 MINI is not afflicted with mushrooming. Still, the constant fear that it could easily occur on the crumbling streets of Los Angeles takes some of the fun out of the car. Polls are fine, individual calls to MINI USA are OK but what's really needed is collective action:

I would propose that everyone who has ANY mushrooming write a letter detailing the facts of the damage (including photos). Then, all of the collective letters from this and other MINI enthusiast sites would be sent to MINI USA at the same time.

Now, here's the important part: The letters and photos would need to be submitted with a cover letter that states that if MINI USA fails to substantively respond, all of the letters will be forwarded to:

Consumer Reports
Road & Track
Car & Driver
Roundel

And, whatever other relevant publications and agencies that we can think of. They could also be sent to area newspapers.

MINI USA does not need the bad press. They have a solid market for their car but this issue, if exposed, could be a real problem for them.

If MINI USA can be motivated to issue a recall that would protect MINI owners it would be a win-win. But, if their dirty laundry gets out to the public at large, it would be a PR nightmare for them and they may well be forced to issue a recall anyway.

The problem with dealing with MINI USA as individuals is that it's just TOO easy for them to take the hard line.

The group approach would put them on the defensive.

Thoughts?

 

listen ; what's your time worth to you ? do you want to shovel crap against the tide ? or simply accept it for what it is ? it's a cheap car that handles good . so go buy an m7 strut bar and enjoy the improved handling and let someone who has the time and inclination to fight over an issue on a cheap car . just my 02. i pounded the struts back down and threw on the m7 and am glad i did . it's awsome .

 

We all decide what fights are worth it: You've made your call, and I'll make mine. By the way, the very same thing happens to the BMW Z8.

Is that a cheap car to you as well?

 

don't get me wrong it's just that the money and time necessary to take down a corp. like bmw will be astronomical . about as far as you can expect to go is a petition submitted during an election year . and to who ? the ag? the bbb? good luck . bmw employs alotta people . they own a piece of this country too. hopefully you could get the press involved; this would potentially hurt future sales . but see if road and track would jump on board (not bloody likely) . so good luck .

 

It's not a question of taking down a corporation. It's the reality of there being strength in numbers, especially with an issue like this. BMW/MINI has managed to fly under the radar on this for going on four years now.

They do not enjoy bad press and if folks who had this happened to them had the will to act as a collective they'd get better results they'll get with a 2 by 4.

The cost of the car is irrelevant. You don't hear of this happening with Hyundais let alone Hondas. Why MINI?

The practice of making the top of the tower flattish (but never truly flat) again does nothing to restore the strength that was lost once that steel is stretched. Search the term, "Young's Modulus of Elasticity" if you want to be depressed about what really happens once steel bends.

 

Why a threat to send something to all those different resources... Just do it. After bad press then possibly it would be taken care of by Mini

 

I don't know if it occured to you or not TP but the strut towers aren't cast they're formed. So they're already bent right out of the factory. One of the nice things about steel is actually gets stronger as you work it. Unfortunately steel also gets a little bit more brittle as it's worked. I guarantee all the sheet metal in the Mini has been cold worked to some extent prior to you getting your hot little hands on the steering wheel. The towers that mushroom are doing so because they can't handle the loads applied but I'm not sure why those loads seem to be applied to some Minis and not others. I've been keeping close watch on my wife's 2006 and did the same on her 2003 and haven't seen trouble yet. I also don't think (quick look, not a detailed analysis) the M7 strut plates are much of a stiffness improvement as they need to clear the rib in the top of the tower and are counterbored for the attachment hardware. If they are working though it might just point out how close the base design is to being strong enough. I agree with HH, if you see yours mushrooming reinforce them and move on. Life is short

 

I bet almost EVERY mini has mushrooming to some degree. Even the very very slightest amount. I was shown that if you look very closely if the bolts through the tower are not parallel to each other its shows a sign of mushrooming, even if its just a mm or two difference.

 

Fortunately I don't have any mushrooming to worry about & I have the M7 installed as a preventative measure.

However...

I believe the OP is simply asking for 30 minutes (max!) of your time to take some pics; print the pics; print the letter; put it all in an envelope, address it, put a stamp on it and mail it out.

The OP's idea is to inundate MINIUSA with (hopefully) hundreds of letters & pics. Timing is important because part of the effect is to have the mail dept. at MINIUSA deal with opening hundreds of letters describing the same issue.

 

Honey vs. vinegar

Plus....if everyone uses delivery confirmation (.18 via Paypal postage or FREE if sent via Priority Mail in Flat-rate envelope) we would be able to printout the information from usps.com showing the date the letter was received. Give MINIUSA a specific timeframe to respond/resolve and if nothing is done--not even sending a reply letter acknowledging receipt of the letter--the printouts could be included with the copies sent to the various publications as further proof that MINIUSA refuses to address the situation.

 

Isn't that an oxymoron? Is it even possible???

I would guess that if something is brittle, it evidently isn't very strong.

 

what exactly do you want them to do about it though? Are you asking them to recall every mini ever made and replace the strut mounting plates with a larger plate for reinforcement?

 

strength and toughness are two different things, the classic example is carbon fiber. REALLY strong, not very tough at all.

 

That's right. Unreinforced concrete is brittle and quite strong in compression. Reinforced concrete gains ductility only because of the steel...

 

BTW...I've never tracked the car, and I'm running on stock S-lites and runflats. Yet I've had significant mushrooming on one of my towers (mild on the other). It's definitely not a track-or-mod-only issue...it is a basic design flaw. So I pounded down the towers and installed the m7 brace. But that doesn't mean that I wouldn't have preferred MINI to fix the car and/or correct the design flaw.

 

I would imagine that runflats contribute the the mushrooming problem a great deal.

 

Those things contribute, but it is a combination of weak towers and very thin and weak strut mounts. The mount absorbs a lot of force and in (short) time, the rubber will crack. After the bushing cracks, it is practically metal on metal and the bushing will no longer dampen forces before they are transmitted to the mount and tower. The mount will likely be the first thing to bend. After that, the tower is getting uneven force distribution due to the mount being deformed. This is what causes the mushrooming. The mounts are deformed with the tower. The strut plates will prevent mushrooming, but will do nothing for the stock mount. Think of the mounting plate as a soda can. It is very strong if you put all of your weight on it while it is standing up and it is not deformed, but deform the sides a little and it crushes. Once the mount bends, it loses its structural integrity and transmits the forces to the tower.

Obviously, MINI will never recall our cars. They could issue a fix. They could at least offer a fix, but then they would have to admit that they screwed up. They would only need to reinforce the tower and make a stronger strut mount. I think they should do that and the labor for free, but my guess is that even in the event of a class action law suit, we will get no more than discounted parts and labor for installation and hammering.

 

The carbon fiber analogy is a good one for strength and brittleness. The cold worked steel actually ends up with a higher yield point (load at bending) but when it fails (breaks, not bends) it will happen with less deformation. Even flat sheet metal is cold worked (rolled and thickness reduced) at the mill. Any bending to form the panels adds to the state of the metal in the structure. The way to really fix these is not with a plate on the top (unless you cut clearance holes in the hood and get longer strut mount bolts) but to add material to the underside of the tower. Adding material above is much easier plus it looks cool when you pop the hood. Anything underneath would affect ride height, alignment, and need a lot more time for the install. Apparently the only fool proof way to avoid the issue is to park your mini and admire it...

 

I'm brand new to this board, and in fact I found it by Googling the mushrooming issue yesterday. I just bought a used 04 MCS last sunday from an older dentist who drove the car to and from work. Took it into the dealer for a bunch of warranty items that had been neglected (motor mount leaking, window regulators, rear hatch, brakes) you know, the usual suspects. The drivers front tire was completely scrubbed off on the inside edge and the other tires weren't much better (although he had one brand new Dunlop run flat on the rear (it's for sale!); it had run 17” flats when I got it... they were replaced by Kuhmo Ecstas two days later!)

Anyhow.... I asked for an alignment (with my brand new tires already mounted and balanced). They called me later to let me know that they found the lower control arms on both sides had become loose and the bushings were whooped. They repaired them under warranty. They also let me know that.....(drum roll please).... I have mushroomed strut towers. The strut mounts aren't cracked (and after I got it home, I looked at them closely and came to the conclusion that they had already been replaced... I also noticed some touch up paint (as others here have noted) on top of the passenger strut tower... as if it had already been smacked back down once before, but oddly not documented in this Minis service history).

Well... long story short, I spent several hours reading through the posts and data I could find (on this great forum!) and went back to the Service advisor and manager armed. They said that in the past they have not been able to get Mini to cover them under warranty and would not even submit it if the work was done (which by the way they quoted at $630). I argued with them some more, but in the end said no, don't do the repair (I'll be the one bending key components of my car and replacing the mounts is easy).

After getting no where with two SAs and the SM, I decided to call Mini USA and log my complaint. I did, and got no where, but have it on file.

Went to the dealer to pick the car up today and talked at length with the service director (one step above manager?). I let them know that I'm not going to just throw my arms up... I will go back to Mini USA and request the name and # of the Regional rep... Then he and I will talk and I will ensure that he knows my position. In the meantime, I have informed my lender and insurer (USAA) that Mini recommended I file an insurance claim to fix the strut towers as damaged parts. I think USAA and other insurance companies would be interested to know that BMW MINI has a defect that they are pawning off as customer damage...

Now, here's where I will ask for all of your help in the future... it won't be difficult and won't cost anyone any money... maybe about two minutes to electronically sign a form.... I was previously a member of the Dakota R/T club (formed in 1998) who brought a class action lawsuit against Daimler Chrysler (for false advertising and failure to compensate customers). AND WON! There are lawyers who do this for a living. There is no out of pocket from the consumer. You may read about it here:
http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/revnppub/B152928.DOC


Now the why.... this is not about getting money out of BMW MINI, this is a moral and safety issue. The strut towers are supposed to contain the suspension and provide you with a safe and comfortable ride. If they fail, for any reason, this is a major safety risk. What if you hit a pothole (as if that never happens) and the strut mount or strut tower fail to the point where it drastically changes your steering geometry? What if your wife and children are in the car (albeit a little cramped)? What if you get to test all 6 of your airbags? (What if there is a recall or TSB on the airbags that you don’t know about?) Is it worth your two minutes then?

Thanks for listening and I look forward to lots of good things on this forum.

 

I can't imagne anyone not getting on board.

 

Just a side thought to this topic... has anyone opted to not do anything with their strut towers? What I mean is to have an alignment (once mushrooming has been identified) then let it go for a set period, at which time you get another alignment to see what has changed and how much? How much can the strut towers move? There is a limit to how far the metal will bend and bending it back down (repeatedly) will only fatigue the metal, leading to quicker failure the second and subsequent times (unless of course you do something about it such as add the plates or STB)....

My test plan is to run a strand of safety wire between each of the studs on each strut tower, leaving a little slack on each one. I'm sure I could take pictures and various measurements to determine any movement, however this will provide instant feedback. If the wires are still loose, great. If I can play them like a guitar, more movement… not so great. For the record, our Mini won't be driven in the winter (when NY potholes are at their finest) and I tend to opt for the rapid pothole avoidance mode myself, but the wife drives it too.... soooooooooo.... we'll see how my indicators work out for the time being.
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How can anyone claim it is a design defect when it only affects a very, very small percentage of all MINIs sold. This was a problem, and is still a problem on many, many different cars. From my old VW Scirocco MkI (one of the main reasons strut bars were invented) to many of the current "muscle cars". With the use of Macpherson strut front suspension being so common now, you'll have a problem proving any kind of design flaw.

And yes my car did suffer from the mushroom, caused by hitting a major pothole at speed in a corner. I fixed it and proceeded to install camber plates to help prevent this very thing from happening again.

 

I'm thinking you might want to recheck your numbers.

 

Thank You Scottinbend!
It is not a "design flaw" It is impact damage. I have been a technician and a service advisor for many years. It can happen to any car using a Macpherson strut type of upper shock mounting. If it's bent; you bent it! Call your insurance company. I personally see over 300 cars a month. they do not all bend!

 

How many of the over 1 million MINI's sold have a problem? 1,000, 5,000, 10,000.......still a very small percentage.