As some of you may know by now I recently bought a 2007 i6 with 103K in good condition (although it now has the starting issue unresolved, but that’s another story) and we picked it up from Peterborough and drove home the 300+ miles without incident, nice drive actually. Upon looking at the FL2 at the dealer I noticed the passenger side steps were a bit “wobbly” but secure, I didn’t even look at the drivers side as it was there and in place!

Anyhoo......while trying to sort out this startingnissue I was looking underbelow and held onto the drivers side steps and realised they too were loose! But no....not loose....just resting on the three bars that bolt to the cill, the actual step could be just lifted off the bars, nothing holding it on at all

We drove 300+ miles along Motorway and A Roads with a side step that could have just fallen off if braked hard or done a Timi at a roundabout. I am sure the dealer had no idea as they seemed to be a wash and dry and sell place......don’t believe they even opened the bonnet.

Anyway the culprits are the two rivets used on each support bar which join them to the steps had literally just corroded away.



The plastic step covers just pop off and under are the (supposed to be) rivets in the channels of the alloy steps






I cleaned all the rust and mud from everything, punched through what was left of the rivets (could have blown them out!) and ordered some stainless rivets and repaired the brackets/steps, if you happen to do this you will either need a long nose rivet gun or as I did use a small steel nut between the river and the gun to lengthen the nose, if you see what I mean as the side steps have channels which the rivets are in.

Click image to enlarge

..... all said and done ....... gravity was on your side........

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Nice. I'll be checking mine soon!