Huge quantity of warranty work

JandS

Hi guys,

Am looking for advice on what I can do here.

We bought a BMW from a main dealer BMW garage in Sligo, in April 2016.

Since then, not including servicing, it's been back with them 6 times for warranty work. The car, being a premium used BMW, came with 2years warranty (thankfully).

Not only is it frustrating to have this many issues with the car, each time we have to drop the car back to the garage, it involved 4 hrs of travel each time ( drop to Sligo, return home, pick up car in Sligo, return home).

When I initially complained to the sales man, he said “we’re just unlucky”, as you can imagine, this drove me insane.

We spent roughly €18,000 to purchase it and I wouldn’t expect this amount of issues from any brand of car, let alone a premium marque such as BMW.

On top of that, we’ve had a number of occurrences when they've returned the car saying it has been fixed, when in fact we discover the issue remains, and we have to drop the car back again.

Two concrete examples of this:

Handbrake tightening:

• Issue reported in November 2016 as part of the normal service, not fixed
• Car back in the garage in January 2017 to be fixed, issue not fixed (dates are from recollection and may not be perfectly accurate)
• Car back in March (I think) to be finally fixed, after a very concerning incident when the X1 rolled out of our driveway with our children in the backseat and the drivers door open. My wife had to run after the car to stop it rolling onto the road.
• Only when we complained did they finally fix it.

Transfer case hiccup on low revs

• Issue reported but couldn’t be reproduced by the service guys
• I travelled down to the garage (luckily I was on holidays so I didnt have to take time off work), and showed the issue to their service dept
• Recommendation was to replace all 4 tyres (all tyres were currently at ~3mm) at a cost of ~640euro (!) due to the sensitivity of transfer case of differences between front/rear axles
• Reluctantly we agreed to this once a test was performed by service dept that the issue couldn’t be reproduced with new tyres
• We took the car back and the issue was still appearing (we saw it immediately after returning from Sligo).
• Car back in for service (this time they agreed to send someone to collect the car)
• 3 weeks later it's returned with new transfer case and drive shaft
• 2 days later, the issue isn't fixed and lots of warning lights come on to do with 4wd system, abs not active etc
• The current explanation is that it now needs a wheel bearing (i'm not sure if this is related to the hiccup)
• We're waiting for the car now

As of now, because the car has been in to them so many times, our insurance company won't let us transfer insurance anymore to the loan car they give us. It's that bad...

When I asked them to give me a price to take back the car, the best they could do was 7000 euro! (we asked a different garage for trade-in and they offered us 12k)

So I'm asking, what are my rights?

I was hoping to go through the SIMI complaints service, but the website doesn't show the SIMI logo, (which I find really surprising as it's a main dealer), and I can't find them listed on the SIMI website.

Thanks

corglass

This place is full of BMW fanboys so this isn't likely to go down well, but the latest generation of beamers are seriously unreliable and issue prone. They're falling majority behind much smaller, cheaper alternatives like KIA. High price does not buy reliability.

Just be glad it's under warranty and make sure you get as much work done as possible before it expires.

SIMI is neither impartial or customer focused. Save your efforts.

JandS

Ive loved BMWs since I was a kid, but this experience has kind of ruined it for me unfortunately.

Is there anything to be done through the small claims court?

Toyotafanboi

Dealer name removed, please don't post it publically

So I'm asking, what are my rights?

You bought a used car, with a used car warranty. It's had issues, which were fixed under the warranty.

The salesman is right, you've just been unlucky, the dealership didn't build the car with those issues and they most certainly don't want you coming back the whole time complaining so you can be sure they want the car fixed right.

I'd speak to the service manager or dealer principal to see if they would do something for you against a similar car but that'd be your best shot at rejecting it. You can't really drive it for 18 months and expect to get what you paid for it back again.

SIMI won't be interested in this.

Gmaximum

Complain to BMW and see where that gets you, car is under their “approved warranty” programme. I’d an issue some years ago with an Alfa, that was out of warranty but the dealer was incompetent and I had issue after issue. In the end Fiat Ireland paid for around €1k of parts (retail price granted) and I paid for the labour at another dealer. Miraculously no more issues with the car

JandS

You mean complain to BMW Ireland? Or the dealer themselves?

commited

This appears to warrant a show of good faith. You should seek another years warranty, unlikely they'll take the car back though.

bazz26

corglass wrote: »

This place is full of BMW fanboys so this isn't likely to go down well, but the latest generation of beamers are seriously unreliable and issue prone. They're falling majority behind much smaller, cheaper alternatives like KIA. High price does not buy reliability.

Just be glad it's under warranty and make sure you get as much work done as possible before it expires.

SIMI is neither impartial or customer focused. Save your efforts.

I see the anti BMW boys got here first. You must live a bit of a sheltered life if you think BMWs are the only cars out there that can be unreliable or issue prone. The likes of Audi, Mercedes, VW, etc all give their problems but I guess everyone should just buy Kias. BMWs do give problems just like many other makes but the OP's predicament seems to be just more with a poor dealer as it is with an unreliable car.

OP, I'd go talk to the dealer service manager and let them know you're not happy with what they have done to date and ask what is going to be done to rectify the situation. If that goes on deaf ears then take it up the chain to the dealer principal and then BMW Ireland. Like most main franchised dealers their customer service is always measured with the distributor so don't be afraid to take it up the chain of command if necessary.

corglass

bazz26 wrote: »

corglass wrote: »

, but the latest generation of beamers are seriously unreliable and issue prone. ..

You must live a bit of a sheltered life if you think BMWs are the only cars out there that can be unreliable or issue prone..

😒

Gmaximum

JandS wrote: »

You mean complain to BMW Ireland? Or the dealer themselves?

BMW Ireland

elperello

Just on the money side.
When you say 18k to buy was that straight or did you have a trade in?
When you say they offered you 7k to change what was the deal?
What was the deal with the other garage for 12k?

khaldrogo

JandS wrote:

When I initially complained to the sales man, he said “we’re just unluckyâ€, as you can imagine, this drove me insane.

It's a BMW. Your chances of getting a lemon would be around 80% f it's an Irish car and about 60% if it's UK. (In my experience)

Over priced rubbish with expensive and regular fixing required.

high horse

khaldrogo wrote: »

It's a BMW. Your chances of getting a lemon would be around 80% f it's an Irish car and about 60% if it's UK. (In my experience)

Over priced rubbish with expensive and regular fixing required.

Any chance you could show how you worked out the 80% and 60% figures above or did you just make it up?!

@ OP: I lived in sligo and brought my BMW to the main dealer there just once. After that I brought it to Fred the German as he is known just off mail coach road. I could not believe how bad the dealer treated customers and I was always impressed by by Fred's garage. I know that you have a warranty but I'd go to Fred once the warranty is up if I was you

khaldrogo

high horse wrote:

Any chance you could show how you worked out the 80% and 60% figures above or did you just make it up?!

I run a garage. In my experience the percentages are correct.

high horse

khaldrogo wrote: »

I run a garage. In my experience the percentages are correct.

So you just made up the figures yourself?

Also, how does any of it help the OP?

porsche boy

Am i right im thinking the X1 & X3 are badge engineered, its in the back of my head they are built by Brilliance in China and a BMW badge glued on and sent to EU & USA.

On BMW being a 'premium brand', their better built & more relible then the current batch of Merc's but in general Asian stuff is better built & less problematic. Even some French stuff is better built.

Its not the 80's folks, German cars are nolonger the yardstick to measure against.

mullingar

khaldrogo wrote: »

It's a BMW. Your chances of getting a lemon would be around 80% f it's an Irish car and about 60% if it's UK. (In my experience)

Over priced rubbish with expensive and regular fixing required.

Agree.

Modern BMW's are just average in terms of reliability.

Yes, premium brand, premium comfort, premium driving feel, premium price.....but all the greasy bits are just average at best

elperello

porsche boy wrote: »

Am i right im thinking the X1 & X3 are badge engineered, its in the back of my head they are built by Brilliance in China and a BMW badge glued on and sent to EU & USA.

On BMW being a 'premium brand', their better built & more relible then the current batch of Merc's but in general Asian stuff is better built & less problematic. Even some French stuff is better built.

Its not the 80's folks, German cars are no longer the yardstick to measure against.

Honestly I read your post and said to myself "that can't be right" and then I did a bit of research and you are right.

http://europe.autonews.com/article/20170531/ANE/170539989/bmw-wins-license-to-export-from-china

Tonights the night the dream died!