Coil Spring failure.Recall Notice.

[Caskin]

My reason for giving up Rover 75,s and leaving the Forum in 2008 was due to Devastating suspension failures, namely the coil springs.
Unable to stay away from my favourite car and Forum I am now back ,this time with a tourer, which was unaffected by the recall. But still have the recall notice which I will copy onto this thread in case some members may still be affected by same;(Have fitted protectors, belt and braces!)
Model Derivative:
RECALL ACTION BULLETIN No:ADI 89 Issue 1
Rover 75 Saloon only

Date: 27.04.2004

Section: SUSPENSION Title:

FRONT ROAD SPRING TYRE PROTECTOR

Affected range:
RJ 133300 to RJ 247257 (affected markets only)

Description:

To prevent tyre damage where in isolated instances a road spring has failed, a tyre protector has been developed for fitment to the road spring damper cup.
Action required: (for detailed procedure - see page 2) Fit tyre protector to both front road spring dampers.
UK Registered vehicles - MG Rover will write to the registered owner using contact details supplied by the DVLA at Swansea.
VEHICLES UNDER YOUR CONTROL:
It is essential that you check ALL vehicles which come under your control to establish if any require attention under the terms of this Recall
Categories of vehicles which need to be checked include:
• Vehicles passing through your workshop for servicing or repair.
• Demonstrator vehicles.
• Secondhand vehicles being taken in for resale (this category should be reviewed weekly).
Pasts information:
RSC000I 31 Kit - Tyre Protector (1 kit required per vehicle) Kit contents:
• Tyre protector -2 off (these are not handed)
• M6 domed headed screw —2 off
• M7 flat headed screw —2 off
Warranty information:
UK
Use Campaign code: A189
Quote option code: A
This will credit you with 0.60 hours labour plus the value of material.
EUROPE! REST OF WORLD Use Complaint code: 0189
Use S.R.O. 60.20.88132 Time allowance: 0.60 hours
RECALL ACTION BULLETIN— A0189 ISSUE I ENGLISH Page 103
3
© MG Rover Group Ltd 2004

[T-Cut]

Useful information, but spring fractures happen. All car marques, all years, all the time. Since that era, springs on other models, other years continue to be reported. It's basically a matter of luck. Certainly the fitting of tyre protectors is always recommended to anyone with a 75 or ZT that hasn't got them. A good reminder.

How many fractures did you have?

TC

[andrewinpopayan]

So, if my car was one that slipped through the recall net at that time, I could theoretically have them fitted FOC today?

[Caskin]

Originally Posted by T-Cut

Useful information, but spring fractures happen. All car marques, all years, all the time. Since that era, springs on other models, other years continue to be reported. It's basically a matter of luck. Certainly the fitting of tyre protectors is always recommended to anyone with a 75 or ZT that hasn't got them. A good reminder.

How many fractures did you have?

TC

2003 V6 connesiour auto 19,000 miles.2003 2.0 Cdti Diesel auto conesiour 15,000 miles. Managed by sheer luck to walk away from both. When these springs go they take out the tyre and wheel jamming the steering!

Go back to 2008 when the debate was at its highest. There were fatalities, and injuries.....which is why I gave up until now, Rovers!

Don't be fooled by other car manufacturers failures. Rovers recall was due to a bad batch of steel, failing normally in very cold temps when steel became brittle.
You need to go back to the original threads...and if you fall within the recall zone definitely fit protectors...but then the choice is always with the owner.

[klarzy]

Originally Posted by Caskin

2003 V6 connesiour auto 19,000 miles.2003 2.0 Cdti Diesel auto conesiour 15,000 miles. Managed by sheer luck to walk away from both. When these springs go they take out the tyre and wheel jamming the steering!

Go back to 2008 when the debate was at its highest. There were fatalities, and injuries.....which is why I gave up until now, Rovers!

Don't be fooled by other car manufacturers failures. Rovers recall was due to a bad batch of steel, failing normally in very cold temps when steel became brittle.
You need to go back to the original threads...and if you fall within the recall zone definitely fit protectors...but then the choice is always with the owner.

hardly a walk away issue....?
a pair of springs and protectors for either car would cost less than a good night out...

[Caskin]

Originally Posted by andrewinpopayan

So, if my car was one that slipped through the recall net at that time, I could theoretically have them fitted FOC today?

NO way Jose, mine slipped though the net because Rover went bust. My local dealer at the time had 45 sets to be fitted to known vehicles in the area, but on the close of Rover the recall was not completed. It cost me a lot of money, some grey hair, and the loss of two superb cars. But then I was not the only one, hence the recall....

But let me say as I did to the other member this is old news, my only reason for thread was to remind those who may have joined forum much later....go back to threads around 2006/08...don't shoot the messenger.

Originally Posted by klarzy

hardly a walk away issue....?
a pair of springs and protectors for either car would cost less than a good night out...

ONLY IF (like now you knew about it) many like me didn't! So I lost my faith in Rovers.

When you are sliding across the road out of control, you tend to leave a brown trail, and any emotion attached to the car, way behind you!

In hindsight, on the 2nd one, (which was a car supplied by Jules, absolutory superb in every way,) I should have had new springs from a reputable manufacturer plus protectors fitted, then I would have still had that car now, but I didn't, I got rid, walked away, to a Honda S2000 of all things!

But Ise is back now, and the strange thing is the I'm surprised to see the amount of discussion coil springs can still cause!

[klarzy]

Originally Posted by Caskin

ONLY IF (like now you knew about it) many like me didn't! So I lost my faith in Rovers.

When you are sliding across the road out of control, you tend to leave a brown trail, and any emotion attached to the car, way behind you!

In hindsight, on the 2nd one, (which was a car supplied by Jules, absolutory superb in every way,) I should have had new springs from a reputable manufacturer plus protectors fitted, then I would have still had that car now, but I didn't, I got rid, walked away, to a Honda S2000 of all things!

But Ise is back now, and the strange thing is the I'm surprised to see the amount of discussion coil springs can still cause!

A good reason to use places like this to research a bit before buying...

[T-Cut]

Originally Posted by Caskin

Go back to 2008 when the debate was at its highest. There were fatalities, and injuries.....which is why I gave up until now, Rovers!

Have you any links to the fatality threads? I'm very interested.

Between the two forums, there were around 51 threads raised on the problem between May 2007 and November 2014 (when I stopped keeping a record), but I don't recall fatalities. Your own experience in 2008 is typical of the majority. http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...ad.php?t=29787 and later http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...ad.php?t=31295 records a 20mph incident.

But historic record tracing is a tedious process and I've probably missed some. Similar statistics are kept by the AA, etc, so the global picture is well documented. The Nissan Versa is one model recently under intense scrutiny: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/47334458.cms

Obviously I have an academic interest in spring fracture statistics for 75/ZTs. Most fractures reported on this and the other forum in recent years indicate a move from rest condition is a common factor and cold conditions figure predominantly. Fracture at speed is certainly discussed on two or three occasions as I recall, where the driver raised the topic.

I guess most springs orignating from the batch which figured in the recalls are long gone, but cold weather fractures from rest continue to be reported. I'd expect them to start any time soon.

TC

[FLYER]

Originally Posted by T-Cut

Have you any links to the fatality threads? I'm very interested.

Between the two forums, there were around 51 threads raised on the problem between May 2007 and November 2014 (when I stopped keeping a record), but I don't recall fatalities. Your own experience in 2008 is typical of the majority. http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...ad.php?t=29787 and later http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...ad.php?t=31295 records a 20mph incident.

But historic record tracing is a tedious process and I've probably missed some. Similar statistics are kept by the AA, etc, so the global picture is well documented. The Nissan Versa is one model recently under intense scrutiny: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/47334458.cms

Obviously I have an academic interest in spring fracture statistics for 75/ZTs. Most fractures reported on this and the other forum in recent years indicate a move from rest condition is a common factor and cold conditions figure predominantly. Fracture at speed is certainly discussed on two or three occasions as I recall, where the driver raised the topic.

I guess most springs orignating from the batch which figured in the recalls are long gone, but cold weather fractures from rest continue to be reported. I'd expect them to start any time soon.

TC

Had front springs break on my Y reg saloon and my 03 saloon.

No such problems with my 53 tourer yet .

Fingers crossed.

And yes all fractures happened at moving off in very cold weather.

[David Lawrence]

I am curious why they tend to go just when gently moving off rather than under the stress of a speedhump or pothole. Seems like resting overnight sets them up for it first time you move. Mine snapped one morning and it had been a genuine rimmers one fitted 90k earlier. It had a small ring of rust around the snap. Paint was virtually intact everywhere else