VIBRATION ISSUE - hot off the press!

[JonnyG]

^^^^^^^

Exactly !!

This is the problem with MG customer relations.

We have the leaked TI, they know there is a fault (sorry characteristic !!!) since Oct 2023

They have come up with the steering damper which does'nt seem that great.

Yet they won't confirm when (or if) the vibration has now been designed out (now a year later from knowing about it) leaving all new buyers in the dark

 

[Tig170]

Reading between the lines, I think that that has been written by MG lawyers. Its clearly a fault from factory, no doubt a class action etc. will focus their minds. Must admit in the early days (1st few thousand miles, on certain road surfaces at around 70mph, i got some vibration (basic SR) - but in recent times (20k miles later), I just dont notice it/its gone away) - I've oftern wondered why some early examples with less 1000 miles on the clock are as low as £27,000

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

Who's to say that fitting lowering springs. And getting the Geometry absolutely spot on. Wont cure the Vibe?
Any Guinea Pigs?

I was sorely tempted for that exact reason, but bottled it due to giving MG a get out clause.......
Yes It could all be put back to standard but...........it's a bit of a bloody agg eh!

 

[JonnyG]

Who's to say that fitting lowering springs. And getting the Geometry absolutely spot on. Wont cure the Vibe?
Any Guinea Pigs?

I would nominate you but there again I don't think you have the vibes !!

 

[OriginalBigAl]

What are the differences to the newer models? better QC of rotating parts ? Different parts ? different geometry if they were to say it would admit liability for the older models! In need of another whistle blower.
British roads , camber to the left, French roads camber to the right same problem even with European roads being thought of as smoother .

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

What are the differences to the newer models? better QC of rotating parts ? Different parts ? different geometry if they were to say it would admit liability for the older models! In need of another whistle blower.
British roads , camber to the left, French roads camber to the right same problem even with European roads being thought of as smoother .

I don't think MG know or else they would just fix our cars? Surely Ta Gad!

 

[jamherber]

I don't think MG know or else they would just fix our cars?

Personally I think they do but it's way too expensive to implement for all complaining customers so they are just hoping a majority accept it as a 'characteristic'.

Here's hoping the class action changes their minds (again the caveat is this is just my opinion and so could be wrong).

 

[salty]

I would nominate you but there again I don't think you have the vibes !!

Yep, I'm pretty sure I will get it lowered.
But I'm also pretty sure I ain't got the, vibes. So wouldn't really prove owt.
But would look bloody good though!

I was sorely tempted for that exact reason, but bottled it due to giving MG a get out clause.......
Yes It could all be put back to standard but...........it's a bit of a bloody agg eh!

And not without expense! I've been quoted £600 for Demon Tweeks to supply and fit, H&R springs and change the Geometry to suit the new springs and ride height, so not cheap. But I know it will be done correctly.
So if you did have it done, and I didn't work, like you say you can get it reversed.
But would be another £600. Gulp!
But just say, it did work, what would happen then?

 

[LenEV2016]

My understanding is:

• It is a resonant vibration.
• These can be designed out, but you can't redesign cars already on the road.
• It has been designed out of new XPowers.
• For those with the problem, mitigation is the only option.
• The steering damper helps some, this is available.
• The driveshaft change failed in MG road testing (not in the factory and not with customers but with MG's UK engineering department), so it has been dropped.

It isn't clear if there will be another attempt to fix or not, we will see. They have tried twice, they may well try again.

How did they design it out? To design something out and spend money redesigning it would have to mean it's a fault and not a characteristic!

It's a shocking way to treat customers to be fair, their crappy attitude is ruining what should be one of the best value EVs on the road.

 

[Tig170]

My understanding is:

• It is a resonant vibration

You do wonder if you car drive through it then! - sounds like the 2 motors / drive trains are syncing at a certain speed / frequency (1st harmonic) - Im sure they have tried to resolve it with software (or maybe not given their track record on LKA ). In my view, we are producing too many software engineers and not enough traditional mechanical engineers.

 

[salty]

You do wonder if you car drive through it then! - sounds like the 2 motors / drive trains are syncing at a certain speed / frequency (1st harmonic) - Im sure they have tried to resolve it with software (or maybe not given their track record on LKA ). In my view, we are producing too many software engineers and not enough traditional mechanical engineers.

Agree, technology is all well and good. BUT, it's all getting a bit silly, far to much of it. And doesn't always bloody work.

 

[tsedge]

How did they design it out? To design something out and spend money redesigning it would have to mean it's a fault and not a characteristic

You can design in and design out characteristics, that's normal with any vehicle.

I have not seen any information on what they did, but it is plausible they made minor or major modifications to the design of multiple parts.

It's a shocking way to treat customers to be fair, their crappy attitude is ruining what should be one of the best value EVs on the road.

Agreed.

 

[LenEV2016]

You can design in and design out characteristics, that's normal with any vehicle.

I have not seen any information on what they did, but it is plausible they made minor or major modifications to the design of multiple parts.

I don't see why they would design out a "characteristic" if it wasn't a fault. Especially as they are telling all the current owners that it is all it is.

What message does it send to current owners about the characteristic excuse they are giving them and then in another breath they are saying, you see that characteristic we have told you isn't a problem and it's nothing to worry about, we are getting rid off it in the newer models but you lot just have to suck it up.

I am not having a pop at you here just not buying the "characteristic" excuse they seem so fond to wheel out for quite obvious faults (under tray is a case in point do they think people are stupid, it's was obvious the holes didn't line up spot on and it was too flimsy)

I drove an X power around various roads and speed limits for a good hour and a bit. When I stopped I felt a minor numbness and slight pins and needles in my hands. My grandad was a coal miner and he used to describe how his hands felt after working with heavy power tools for a shift and it sounded similar, the called it vibration white finger.i have been driving all sorts of cars, vans, small trucks for the best part of 34 years and I have never had that sensation before, even when taking old Landy defenders off road.

The legal challenge is an absolute certainty to win, MG and the dealers are doing all their work for them, it will end up costing them a small fortune to sort it.

 

[tsedge]

I am just stating that it isn't as black and white as people think. Makers design in all sorts of characteristics into a car (feel, handling, sounds) and adjust them with new models/versions. To win a legal case it would be necessary to prove it was a fault, not a characteristic - ie it causes some kind of long term damage, makes the car difficult or impossible to drive, or causes a medical issue as in your example.

For example, ICE vehicles make a loud noise at high revs, which is characteristic, not a fault, although someone could conceivably complain that it was a fault.

I do agree this is a fault in this case... but once the lawyers get involved things often get murky.

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

I know its a fault, you know it's a fault, the MG Techs Knew it was a fault, MG management know its a fault, MG dealers know there is a fault.

And from a generous member on here who dug out this nugget.... credit @jamherber


It's a bit like my friendly MG master tech at my local dealer - he freely admits to me that it's a major issue affecting many (I think he his word was a 'majority') x-powers and that it is unacceptable but that his hands are tied by his management who have to to tow the MG official line and that he genuinely feels sorry for customers.

He did confirm that it was widely known about by SAIC prior to it's UK launch as in July 2023, he went on x-power specific training at Longbridge where they had 6 x-powers and all had the vibration as all the techs there commented on it. So they've known about it for a minimum of 15 months.

Absolutely disgusting that they brought the car to the car buying public with an unresolved fault.
Despicable IMO.

 

[LenEV2016]

I am just stating that it isn't as black and white as people think. Makers design in all sorts of characteristics into a car (feel, handling, sounds) and adjust them with new models/versions. To win a legal case it would be necessary to prove it was a fault, not a characteristic - ie it causes some kind of long term damage, makes the car difficult or impossible to drive, or causes a medical issue as in your example.

For example, ICE vehicles make a loud noise at high revs, which is characteristic, not a fault, although someone could conceivably complain that it was a fault.

I do agree this is a fault in this case... but once the lawyers get involved things often get murky.

I disagree completely I think it is black and white, the fact that people have had successful rejections proves that in at least some cases people (dealer,lease company, MG) have accepted that it is a fault.

The fact we have certain master tech stating that it is a fault (in their expert opinion) and that MG are faffing around with different fixes trying to get rid of it because people are complaining seems to speak to them treating it as a fault. The way MG are tight with the purse strings they wouldn't spend a penny unless they believed that it wasn't just a characteristic.
They have already proved on numerous occasions reported on this forum, never mind any other social media, that they really couldn't care less about customers and their complaints

Rushed to market to get ahead of other cars/makers and sold knowing there was an issue

I know its a fault, you know it's a fault, the MG Techs Knew it was a fault, MG management know its a fault, MG dealers know there is a fault.

And from a generous member on here who dug out this nugget.... credit @jamherber


It's a bit like my friendly MG master tech at my local dealer - he freely admits to me that it's a major issue affecting many (I think he his word was a 'majority') x-powers and that it is unacceptable but that his hands are tied by his management who have to to tow the MG official line and that he genuinely feels sorry for customers.

He did confirm that it was widely known about by SAIC prior to it's UK launch as in July 2023, he went on x-power specific training at Longbridge where they had 6 x-powers and all had the vibration as all the techs there commented on it. So they've known about it for a minimum of 15 months.

Absolutely disgusting that they brought the car to the car buying public with an unresolved fault.
Despicable IMO.

As above you beat me to it

The Chinese member a while back who stated his car had it and it was a known issue in China proves they knew prior to it coming here

 

[T1 Terry]

You do wonder if you car drive through it then! - sounds like the 2 motors / drive trains are syncing at a certain speed / frequency (1st harmonic) - Im sure they have tried to resolve it with software (or maybe not given their track record on LKA ). In my view, we are producing too many software engineers and not enough traditional mechanical engineers.

If it as a software issue, it would be a "feature", not a "characteristic" .....

Maybe more an issue with robot calibration, more than one line of robots welding up particular suspension and engine mounting parts, some were calibrated correctly, some weren't, the factory fix was to trace back to the process line numbers and see which line had the "Characteristic" and which didn't and see where a common denominator was found .... look at what was different on that particular line, and rectify the problem .... no more "Characteristic" models coming off the production line.
If that theory is correct, the only possible solutions is to mask the problem until things loosened up enough to naturally absorb the resonance, or not actually be able to transmit it because the tension between the misaligned parts has eased with wear, a complete new chassis would be required to actually fix the problem, that would involve virtually replacing the unit with the "Characteristic" with a unit constructed after the issues were sorted.

Possibly the suspension mounting retro fit sorted some of the models where that part was welded up out of position, but if it was a motor mounting out of position, or a combination of the two, nothing is going to solve that issue but time for the parts to loosen up ...... or simply biting the bullet and giving the customer a replacement vehicle ....... That would be a factory thing though, not something a state or country distribution mob could do .....

Having worked in various manufacturer's new car workshops, I've witnessed some really strange work-arounds to disguise a fault .... from reaming out the metal centre of a bush to allow a trailing rear wheel on a FWD to find the angle it liked rather than shredding the tyre, to off setting the rear gearbox mount to shift a vibration caused by the two halves of a stretched body model not actually being welded together square all the way to filling a body cavity with mastic to stop a water leak caused by the two body panels not being spot welded together properly and allowing the seam joint to open up under certain conditions ..... can't say which brand or model ... one of those NDA type things, but back in the '70s they didn't have fancy names for it

T1 Terry

 

[Freeagain21]

Interesting podcast tonight fair play to Miles for reading out the communication from MG but they are sticking to it's a characteristic line and the only fix they are offering is the steering damper if you can prove you had vibrations.
Not the answer you will all be wanting to hear

I have the damper fitted, and it makes the vibration worse!

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

China.

I've got to take that back.
Sorry SAIC.

MGAUS are fitting the suspension components to our friend @ilukey77

MGUK are not pursuing it.

Hmmmm
I wonder who the problem is?

Why am I not surprised that it is the upper echelons of MG management that are doing their utmost to brush this fault under the carpet?
Not bloody I.
Thats for sure!