Help - Advice needed!

PIMPHO

Friend bought new BMW 318D in Nov 08 from a BMW dealership. Car was a demo and originally came with 16" alloys but friend asked for 18" and eventually got them at no extra cost. After 3 months, sign on dash came up to say service was needed with only approx 5k km on clock. Friend rang up to query this and was advised by dealership to bring car in for service and would not be charged.

During service friend queried why there was no spare tyre in the boot and was advised by guy who sold him the car that this was standard, car has run flats, no spare tyre required and even with puncture can still drive over 50km. Had to pay approx €150 for service to replace "parts" eventhough only 3 months old. 5k km and was originally advised service would be free.

Friend brings car to tyre shop just before Xmas 09 as tyres were becoming bald and guy that changed tyres pointed out that the alloys on the car are not original BMW alloys but replicas. And if he got a puncture he would not be able to continue driving as alloys were not original and tyres are not run flats. Obviously friend is furious as he bought a new car for 40k and the alloys are replicas and dealer did not point this out and also said tyres were run flats and would drive fine with puncture.

Any advice as to the best way friend should proceed? I suggested he email BMW Head Office and inform them of his situation.

Thanks

mickdw

My new Audi in 2008 was fitted with replicas. When I came back to dealer about this, they pretty quickly replaced them with genuine wheels & new factory spec tyres.
For them to fit non runflats is crazy. BMW make a big deal of the runflat technology and for along time refused to entertain the notion that owners might want to change from runflats. They also say that removing th runflats will invalidate your warranty. If I was your friend, I would see if I could get written confirmation from any random BMW dealer or BMW Ireland stating that BMW regards the removal of runflats as a safety critical issue and that it will affect your warranty. Then hit them!

bazz26

Your friend got an upgrade from 16" alloy wheels and tyres to 18" alloy wheels and tyres at no extra cost. BMW like most car makers charge an arm and a leg for OEM upgrade alloy wheels and tyres, your friend would definately not get them for free.

In saying that it was bad form though for the dealer to let your friend drive off if knowing, that the new tyres were not run flats meaning he/she would be stranded if they got a puncture.

Pkiernan

Pay a solicitor to write a letter to BMW Head Office demadning that the original contract be rescinded, the car returned to BMW, and money refunded less a reasonable amount for wear and tear.

He will get his wheels replaced quickly.

PIMPHO

bazz26 wrote: »

Your friend got an upgrade from 16" alloy wheels and tyres to 18" alloy wheels and tyres at no extra cost. BMW like most car makers charge an arm and a leg for OEM upgrade alloy wheels and tyres, your friend would definately not get them for free.

It was bad form though for the dealer to let your friend drive off if knowing that the new tyres were not run flats meaning he/she would be stranded if they got a puncture.

Yes but he negotiated the 18" alloys and tyres before he agreed to buy the car. When the dealer agreed, he handed my friend a BMW alloys catalogue and asked him to choose his preferred alloy style. He chose as per the catalogue and was advised that it would take 2 days to order and fit the alloys. He collected the car 2 days after with the new replica alloys.

enviro

Would the dealer not be breaking agreements/contracts with BMW by supplying non BMW parts? Bearing in mind that it sounds like the non BMW parts were pasted off as genuine.

Henry Ford III

Pkiernan wrote: »

Pay a solicitor to write a letter to BMW Head Office demadning that the original contract be rescinded, the car returned to BMW, and money refunded less a reasonable amount for wear and tear.

He will get his wheels replaced quickly.

Waste of time and money.

He bought off the dealer, not BMW.

PIMPHO

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Waste of time and money.

He bought off the dealer, not BMW.

So what are you saying? That there's no point even contacting BMW Head Office about this? Why not?

Darragh29

The other side of the coin is that when your friend eventually has all of this resolved and has 4 "genuine" BMW alloy wheels fitted and 4 "genuine" BMW run flats fitted, you'll probably be back on here screaming that the cost of replacing a single run flat is anywhere between 400 and 800 Euro and what in the name of Jasus is going on there and rightly so. Pretty outrageous money to resolve a single puncture problem.

Also OP, your man who said the tyres and alloys were not genuine, ask him for the same opinion in writing and see the look you will get!

PIMPHO

I've emailed BMW Head Office to ask them to confirm if all new and demo 3 series comes with original BMW alloys and run flat tyres. And asked for their policy on removing original alloys and run flat tyres.