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Re: M3 Missed Shift BS

> 
> Brant M. Miller wrote:
> 
> I disagree strongly with those who seem to feel that BMW should be held
> responsible for missed shifts.  We as individuals are responsible for
> understanding the world we live in and for interacting with it in a responsible
> manner.  That includes not missing shifts!  (Although I agree that manufacturers
> should be held accountable for true incompetence and for gross negligence.)
> 
> For Example:  Porsche should not be held responsible for an accident that
> resulted when a driver pressed firmly upon the gas pedal and the car accelerated
> beyond the driver's ability to control it.  Piper should not be held responsible
> when the pilot of a Cub ran into an obstruction on the runway - adapting to the
> limited forward view from a taildragger is the responsibility of the pilot.  The
> makers of Halcion should not be held responsible when users combine it with
> alcohol, against the maker's recommendations.  Ford probably should not be held
> accountable for Pinto gas tanks - we can not all afford to pay for Mercedes Benz
> levels of safety.
> 
> Design trade-offs are reality. ...<cut>
> 
> Brant
> 

In that case, let's get rid of all rules and regulations and let the
manufactures decide as they please.  Mandated recalls...forget it, if
the manufacturers feel like recalling, they'll do it.  As a
manufacturer, I say let's start cutting corners and save cost.  I hear
that seat belts from Thailand can be had at half the cost.  We'll just
re-word our manufacturer's recommendations to minimize our risk of being
sued by those deadbeat consumers.  We'll put the good seat belts in the
Mercedes and screw those poor folks.  True incompetence and gross
negligence (what ever that means)?  Let those poor folks sue and try and
prove this in court.  We'll drag the case out for years, lawyer fees
will total many times the cost of the car.  Besides, we'll call it a
design trade-off and it's the user's fault anyway (e.g., had they not
have been driving 2 mph over the speed limit, the belts would have
held).

In other countries, it is buyer beware and consumers have little or no
recourse.  This may be an extreme scenario, but do we really want the
doors open to this possibility?

Steve
Not a Lawyer