BMW Helmet Recall

[rastuscat]

Anyone have any experience of this?
I have one of the BMW Sport helmets which are subject to recall by BMW International. The visor mechanism isn't fully Euro certified, or some such issue.

Anyway, on 23 Nov 2015 BMW issued this media release

Munich. BMW Motorrad is recalling the motorcycle helmet model "BMW Sport
Helmet". Owners are asked to hand their helmet in at an authorised BMW
Motorrad dealership. Regardless of the age of the helmet, the relevant model
can be exchanged for another BMW Motorrad helmet or another BMW Motorrad
product of equal value.

The helmets in question can be identified by the eight-digit number to be found
on the label on the chin strap. Only helmets with the ID 059241/P are affected.
There is no safety risk to users of the helmet.

The helmet models "BMW Helmet Sport" do not fully meet the approval test
requirements according to the European standard UNECE R 22.05.

BMW Motorrad has therefore decided to take these helmets off the market.

No other BMW Motorrad helmets (e.g. "System helmet", "Race" and "Enduro")
are affected by this campaign.

Anyway, I took my helmet back to the local BMW dealer. They queried NZ Distributor as to what to do, and I was surprised to hear back that the Distributor is going to send me another Sport helmet.

Now, according to the release, BMW Motorrad has taken the Sport helmet "off the market".

I have advised the local guys (I don't blame them) that I won't be accepting the Sport helmet replacement, and that I want a different helmet, specifically a System 6 Evo. This appears to accord with the recall notice.

The cynic in me feels that the local distributor is seeing this as a way to clear his shelves of old stock Sport helmets. It basically means that NZ consumers are not being afforded the options available overseas.

Anyone else have any experience of this?

The recall notice is attached.

[AllanB]

Recall details appear clear. Stick to your guns.

Good score though - new lid for free

[Gremlin]

Plenty of cases where just because a recall is issued overseas, nothing happens here.

However, if BMW is effectively saying bring in your Sport helmets and we'll replace, then being given another Sport helmet doesn't actually solve that problem.

[rastuscat]

This is the bit from the release that rips my ration card.

BMW Motorrad has therefore decided to take these helmets off the market.

Nice. They want to give me a helmet that's been taken off the market.

[Gremlin]

This is the bit from the release that rips my ration card.

BMW Motorrad has therefore decided to take these helmets off the market.

Nice. They want to give me a helmet that's been taken off the market.

"They" is the NZ (or probably AU) distributor. They're probably taking a bath on the Sport helmet, but even if some accept a Sport as a replacement, they're winning. There might be one or two noisy buggers and you might have to shut them up with a new Evo 6

I had similar with a supplier. A storage device failed about 2.5 years into a 3 year warranty, and the replacement wasn't functionally the same, but the same capacity. They tried to encourage me to accept it, which I refused, so got a full credit (and buying that now would be even cheaper).

[nzspokes]

There are very specific requirements around product recalls. Ive been involved in a couple and there is a ton of work in it. And at times you will find out about it from a local consumer as the owners of the brand have not passed the information down to NZ. A quick call to the Commerce Commission will tell you your rights and may start an investigation into the local agent.

But dont think it is your right to get an upgrade. Its not.

[pzkpfw]

If the recall is for that model, and they give you that model as replacement, what's to stop you handing it straight back and saying "this has been recalled"?

[pritch]

Nice. They want to give me a helmet that's been taken off the market.

Only if the new helmet has the same ID number quoted.

"Only helmets with the ID 059241/P are affected."

[Old Steve]

But dont think it is your right to get an upgrade. Its not.

I would think that the phrase from the recall, " Regardless of the age of the helmet, the relevant model can be exchanged for another BMW Motorrad helmet or another BMW Motorrad product of equal value" might easily be taken as that you can put the value of the helmet towards a more expensive one and pay the difference. If I was the dealer, I'd let customers upgrade to a better model at their cost, build customer loyalty and the next helmet they'll buy will be from you and most probably a higher end model (no-one likes to downgrade).

If they insist on replacing your Sport helmet with another Sport helmet, then all you do is immediately pass the new Sport helmet you have just been given over the counter under the recall notice for replacement.

[rastuscat]

Only if the new helmet has the same ID number quoted.

"Only helmets with the ID 059241/P are affected."

Interesting. Note that in the release they say that the Sport Helmet has been taken off the market.

It's no longer available on the BMW Motorrad website. No mention of a partial withdrawal, it's the whole series.

In the UK they even offer cash back if you produce the original receipt. I don't want that.

[nzspokes]

I would think that the phrase from the recall, " Regardless of the age of the helmet, the relevant model can be exchanged for another BMW Motorrad helmet or another BMW Motorrad product of equal value" might easily be taken as that you can put the value of the helmet towards a more expensive one and pay the difference. If I was the dealer, I'd let customers upgrade to a better model at their cost, build customer loyalty and the next helmet they'll buy will be from you and most probably a higher end model (no-one likes to downgrade).

If they insist on replacing your Sport helmet with another Sport helmet, then all you do is immediately pass the new Sport helmet you have just been given over the counter under the recall notice for replacement.

What you would like to think is irrelevant. They will probably be getting replacement product from the supplier.

Sent from my GT-I9300T using Tapatalk

[rastuscat]

I would think that the phrase from the recall, " Regardless of the age of the helmet, the relevant model can be exchanged for another BMW Motorrad helmet or another BMW Motorrad product of equal value" might easily be taken as that you can put the value of the helmet towards a more expensive one and pay the difference. If I was the dealer, I'd let customers upgrade to a better model at their cost, build customer loyalty and the next helmet they'll buy will be from you and most probably a higher end model (no-one likes to downgrade).

If they insist on replacing your Sport helmet with another Sport helmet, then all you do is immediately pass the new Sport helmet you have just been given over the counter under the recall notice for replacement.

Thats where my point of view comes from. The release says it's the choice of the consumer. Not the choice of the distributor.

[Asher]

Since the helmet failed euro standards and not AU/NZ standards does the recall actually apply here?

[HenryDorsetCase]

Plenty of cases where just because a recall is issued overseas, nothing happens here.

However, if BMW is effectively saying bring in your Sport helmets and we'll replace, then being given another Sport helmet doesn't actually solve that problem.

Indeed. small shallow pond at the end of the world

there was talk early on that the R1 gearbox issue would not be addressed by Yamaha in NZ. I can report that I know a guy who has an R1 with a new gearbox as of yesterday though so they did see the light eventually.

Were the Aprilias with the rear suspension linkages made of chocolate ever recalled?

[Asher]

Indeed. small shallow pond at the end of the world

there was talk early on that the R1 gearbox issue would not be addressed by Yamaha in NZ. I can report that I know a guy who has an R1 with a new gearbox as of yesterday though so they did see the light eventually.

Were the Aprilias with the rear suspension linkages made of chocolate ever recalled?

Also with those R1 gearboxes the Yamaha recall statement was different for the USA market and the OZ/NZ market. The USA recall letter to owners pretty much said to stop riding it immediately because of the high risk of injury/death and a stop sell order was issued to dealers. The NZ letter basically said there is a minor issue with the gearbox and to bring it into a dealer at your leisure.
The difference is likely caused by our different liability laws and stronger consumer laws being that if Yamaha admitted the bike was unsafe the customers could demand a full replacement/refund rather than a few new gears.