I think is was simply a cost-reduction move by BMW NA for profitability reasons, not Munich.

Good assumption, but fact is, the general public will never know why they decided to remove that part in some countries, and not in others.

I cannot see any "liability" in the strut either. The only far fetched possibility I can imagine is if the strut was failing and allowing the lid to fall onto peoples' hands/heads, etc. But, if that were actually happening, why would BMW still put these in European versions? Perhaps Europeans are less litigious!

How about you try to remove the stut and see if that fixes the rattle. If it doesnt stop then you know its not the strut. Sorry if someone suggested it...I just did a quick scan of the thread.

- DaRip

Europeans are most definitely less litigious but unfortunately we are catching you guy up fast :(

I was told (but dismissed at the time) that it was because owners in the US had opened the load floor with items on top and then the strut had not supported the weight and allowed the floor to close.

It is possible that its something that daft as I do know for a fact that some Audis have had their jacks removed for the US market in case owners didn't position them properly and the car fell off !!!!

Where that all ends I don't know ? No doors in case someone shuts their fingers in them ?

Back OT, I can't see the strut would rattle as it's under pressure when the floor is closed.

All BMW had to do is add on a cord with a hook on it to allow a person to hook the cargo hatch open. Went to the new car auto show last week, and I must have seen a dozen different makes and models with that approach to hold a hatch door open. Simple. Cheap, and it works.

I have now applied some rubber bumpers around the latch...we shall see.

There are lots of Urban Legends out there.

For sure and the strut story may well be one of them but the Audi jack story is 101% correct (I'm afraid)

That speaks more of the stupidity of Audi management than of the U.S. legal environment.

I am always suspicious of these sorts of stories. Years ago BMW quit selling motorcycle helmets in the U.S. The story going around was that the German vendor of the motorcycle helmets refused to sell them to BMW for the U.S. market because of liability concerns. In actual fact, the newer version of the helmet could not pass the DOT tests and therefore could not be imported and sold. I often wondered if BMW started the "U.S. Legal Climate" rumor...

You have to admit there are some ridiculous liability cases both brought and won in the USA but I often wonder if some manufactures are using it as an excuse for cost cutting.