From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Customer complaint regarding unsatisfactory steering and the subsequent investigation and resolution.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 47\1\ Scan151 | |
| Date | 6th October 1925 | |
| 44117 BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. SFT.{Mr Swift} c. Hn.{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders} EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}/Thn6/H 6.10.25. re. 88-HG. Vonck We had a complaint from the above owner in Holland of unsatisfactory steering. We were able to arrange for one of our testers who was on the Continent, to call and see this car on his way back home. He found that the local agents had fitted a new steering worm nut and adjusted the cross steering tube, which Wright was able to demonstrate to the owner had entirely overcome the trouble. Wright reports that the car had run 17,000 miles, and was able to bring back with him the worn worm nut, which we are sending to you. The present position is that although the customer is now satisfied that his car is now O.K. he requires a guarantee from the Company that this trouble will not recur. He is most upset about this matter, as he considers he has been exposed to grave dangers whilst driving the car with a worn worm nut, which he has not experienced on his old Minerva car, which he has had for 13 years. We may say that recently this owner has had frontwheel brakes fitted, afterwhich, of course road reaction on his steering, about which he complained, was much accentuated. Incidentally, the fitting of the front wheel brakes was carried out by the Repair Dept . and it is felt that the trouble in the steering should have been noticed and steps taken to overcome this while the car was in our hands. The object of this memo is to point out that although this customer is now satisfied, he is expecting to hear from us that the trouble is not likely to occur in the future after further mileage. EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}/Thn. | ||