Steering rack fail & Ball Joint...1 week after passing MOT?!

T

TikoV

Member
Glasgow
I had the most scariest moment yesterday whilst having a spirited drive after a successful meeting on the motorway.Went to turn the car into a mediocre bend and all I can describe it was like the car was skating on ice! Words can't even explain what went through my mind as this happened.if anything, the back end and steering felt as they were detached from the car....My drive home was sombre to say the least and with extreme caution!

Therefore handed the car into Kenneth Brown Engineering who diagnosed the car having a broken steering rack and excessive play in the N/S/R ball joint. This car is quickly becoming a huge liability...and costly to say the least. I don't understand that why this wasn't picked up last week in its MOT.

I am tempted to contact BMW Customer Services and ask them if there is anything they can provide any assistance with the steering rack costs.

So annoyed right now :(
 
That's extremely dodgy. The ball joints should have been checked physically as part of the MOT and they should be good for at least three months and if they were that bad it should have failed. There is no excuses fit missing both the rack and the ball joints.

I'd be having a word with the MOT centre and if no joy if be contacting VOSA
 
Smartbear said:
that sounds dodgy regards the MOT!
How many miles has your car covered?
regards
Click to expand...

Car has covered 75k miles.

Totally agree with the MOT...will call in at the original garage I had work done with as they took the car to the MOT test station in question.
Angie4m said:
That's extremely dodgy. The ball joints should have been checked physically as part of the MOT and they should be good for at least three months and if they were that bad it should have failed. There is no excuses fit missing both the rack and the ball joints.

I'd be having a word with the MOT centre and if no joy if be contacting VOSA
Click to expand...

So they would have checked the ball joint..and even if there is some play, I take it fails then?
 
TikoV said:
So they would have checked the ball joint..and even if there is some play, I take it fails then?
Click to expand...

Some play is acceptable but you'd be advised about it usually. Excessive play is a failure but that doesn't just happen overnight neither does it happen in a week.
 
How much is a steering rack for an M? Being different to other zeds I'd imagine they cost a fortune! Unless they are shared with a 3 series or something. But yeah both should have been picked up on the mot for sure.
 
sadly, I've some experience of shoddy MOTs. My last car had three tyres the same size with one different. Just put through MOT before I bought it. Don't laugh at me for not checking the tyre walls re: the numbers before I bought it. The selling garage explained to me that they'd subbed the MOT to someone else - so nto their problem. Forced to mention trading standards and hey presto, a new tyre. Part worn as it wouldn't match if it was new... blah blah. Long and short of it is to get someone you know and trust to do the MOT and make sure they don't subcontract the matter! Simple instruction, could save you £££. Or check the four tyres like; whichever eh.
Stevo
 
MOT = Council Depot for me. Full price but no axe to grind or coffers to swell with exaggerated failures. Every council must provide an MOT testing centre I believe. Just make sure you get first appointment in the morning, as the tester might otherwise have just been swimming round in the back of a bin lorry :sick:
 
Just a small update...

Called VOSA who are now sending an investigator to retest the car and giving the car once over this coming Monday

The garage who carried out the pre-MOT will be brought under scrutiny as well.

Here's hoping I get all sorted.
 
Sim_Simma said:
How much is a steering rack for an M? Being different to other zeds I'd imagine they cost a fortune! Unless they are shared with a 3 series or something. But yeah both should have been picked up on the mot for sure.
Click to expand...

Not sure on cost, but think the coupe shares the same as the CSL, but it might be a difference part number if that makes sense.

I haven't heard of a steering rack go before. I wonder if the steering rack failing was due to excessive play wearing it. How was it failed?
 
It depends on whats happened to bush and steering rack..

If the rack has blown a seal,then it either leaks or doesnt..... Similarly a bush can become detatched from its inner mounting point..The fault only becomes apparent when it fails,until that point it functions perfectly..

An MOT is only good for the day it was issued...Even though its been a short time since,if the fault wasnt apparent at time of test,then it cant be failed.

At 75,000 every bush and joint will be worn on the car...
 
Jeez - scary :cry:

Regarding the steering rack, if your car has a FBMWSH then (depending on the cause - and I have no idea what could cause a failure like that) I'd be seeing if BMW can contribute to the cost - unless it's warrantied ? I can imagine a CSL steering rack + labour is not a cheap outlay.
 
Z4M-2006 said:
Seriously Bing,why would BMW warrant a part thats done 7yrs and 75,000 miles?
Click to expand...

I have no idea - wouldn't have to be warranted by BMW, lots of people have 3rd party warranties. And if the car is under a warranty of some kind, would this part be covered ? If it is then they would pay... Well, because you're paying for them to :?

Or do steering racks tend to go after a certain number of miles ? Don't know, I was just thinking out loud... And warranties are something I've only recently started looking into.
 
I hope they do... For the Op sake,but i doubt they will to be honest..

Components just fail,sometimes there is no rhyme or reason.. A car has thousands of things holding it together and make it go down the road... A checkover for 40 mins a year doesnt make it good to go for the rest of the year..

Anyone of the people that have touched the car (MOT inspector/mechanic at garage where car last serviced) could blame any of the faults on fitment of non OEM wheels or non OEM suspension ..
 
Yeah, I get that - understand where you're coming from. Sometimes my optimism gets the better of me, and I forget the £000s that I've had to spend on just two cars over the last 6/7 years :oops:
 
I see the other side of the coin as i work on cars everyday..

I have even had customers blame us for punctures 3 weeks after the car has been serviced,body damage (already there and rusty) amongst other things..

Modern performance cars with wide low profile tyres put massive strain on all the suspension components,especially something like the Z4M which has a very low COG and can corner at an obscene rate..

I hope the OP has a good outcome ,but i do think its a litle unfair to blame the MOT inspector.
 
I don't get this "good will" from BMW that everyone keeps banging on about on this site (no offence Bing). Serviced or no service, eveything fails eventually. How do they know if it's been thrashed to within an inch or it's life, regardless of mileage.

It seems as soon as something breaks, people suggest goodwill, but I just don't see it myself! If there is a faulty batch of parts, a recall should fix it!
 
Thanks for all your comments guys...

I do understand that 'certain' components will be hard to identify during a 40 minute test and that parts can go through wear and tear. It was also mentioned to the garage my woes of the car feeling slightly imbalanced when I handed it initially.

My issue isn't trying to get something fixed for nada or discounted, as you don't buy a car like this if you are a tight wad. I have the funds and an aftermarket warranty. My main concern was that they simply didn't check major suspension components, that in my opinion may have led to injury or serious accident.

Anyway, I leave the judgement and findngs with the inspector and will take it from there.
 
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