Bloody bmw

[pjs]

Evening all - I've got a challenge on with bmw customer services should anyone be remotely interested on a merc forum. Read on and have a guess what the outcome will be, answers on Monday night I hope. Car is less than 3 years old hence covered by unlimited manufacturers warranty and has done 63k miles, virtually all moteorway miles

Drive home yesterday, 'Puncture' warning comes on, so with Run Flats no great concern, get home, check pressures, 3 at 30, 1 at 20.Visual check - all ok. So add some extra air to the low one then wait until this morning - all at 30. 'Puncture' warning couldnt be cleared however so down the local dealer, Scothalls.

Outcome was that I've got 2 splitting rear alloys, which the dealer puts down to the pressures being lower than they should be and the state of the roads around Leeds. Told not a warrenty claim, and it's going to cost £656 for 2 new wheels and £271 per tyre.

So 9am Monday I'll be on the phone to BMW asking for them to stump up.

So will I be told?
1 - Hard lines, my fault
2 - We'll contobute but not the full amount
3 - no problem, we'll pay for it

Oh, the suspense....

 

[recycled]

regular problem this .a lot just change to normal tyres, especially on the m- sport models.
Look on PH to see how many cases were resolved

 

[pint6x]

Well how about this:

A distant acquaintance was riding his BMW R1200GS on some unmade roads in the Alps. For those that don't know, the R1200GS is the on/off road bike that Ewan McGregor used in his "Long way down" trip - it's designed to be taken off road.

So matey finds a crack in his rear subframe - bike is only 15 months old.

He nurses the bike back to the UK, takes it to the dealer, and was then asked if he had taken it off-road. "Yes" he replies. So they turn down a warranty claim because the bike was taken off road - although it's designed to be so.

Curiouser and curiouser......

PJS's claim sounds like a cast iron warranty claim - for the dealer to try and wriggle out of it is ridiculous - how the hell do they know what roads you've been driving down? I think I would be straight onto BMW head office if there's any mucking about by the dealer.

 

[mercboiuk]

The ALLOYS themselves are splitting?!

Surely that would be a manufacturing fault. Alloys no designed for a particular type of road - ie. a poorly maintained one???

My guess is, though, they'll want payment in full unless you can prove it's the car/wheel design.

Darren

 

[pint6x]

Another suggestion, if you get messed around, might be to park your car outside the dealership with some large posters inside the windows explaining how you've been treated. Lock the car after leaving it somewhere very prominent.

Print the case history out and hand a copy to anyone straying onto the dealer's forecourt.

 

[recycled]

Have you had it from new? The excuse is normally that someone has used regular tyre changing equipment to change the tyres earlier, causing wheel damage

 

[stevesey]

Outcome was that I've got 2 splitting rear alloys, which the dealer puts down to the pressures being lower than they should be and the state of the roads around Leeds. Told not a warrenty claim, and it's going to cost £656 for 2 new wheels and £271 per tyre.

Where is this "splitting", if it's around the rim the lower pressures would be an expected symptom (and not the cause).

 

[recycled]

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=72&t=554261&i=0

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=170979

see this thread

 

[Rory]

3 - no problem, we'll pay for it

This is a "fit for purpose" thing. A reasonable person wouldn't expect wheels in normal everday use to break within 3yrs (or even 5-6 years).

If you have a problem, and there's some other indication of this happening to other owners, then very gently suggest to BMW UK that you will suggest to VOSA that BMW recalls every similar car to have its wheels examined.


ETA: I'm not so sure after reading that E90 forum thread!

 

[pjs]

The ALLOYS themselves are splitting?!

Surely that would be a manufacturing fault. Alloys no designed for a particular type of road - ie. a poorly maintained one???

My guess is, though, they'll want payment in full unless you can prove it's the car/wheel design.





Yes, the alloys themsleves are splitting

 

[pjs]

Have you had it from new? The excuse is normally that someone has used regular tyre changing equipment to change the tyres earlier, causing wheel damage

Had from 6000 miles, an ex sytner demo.

 

[pjs]

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=72&t=554261&i=0

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=170979

see this thread

wow, that E90 thread is full of them, doesnt look promising, but forearmed is forewarned, or something like that

 

[davidjpowell]

My brother has had the same battle and lost to a large extent. I think that he may have got a goodwill contribution from them towards the tyre or similar.

Pleased to say my new car from the dark side does not have run flats...

 

[whizzkid11]

It is down to BMW goodwill....

I would confirm the mileage limitations on the warranty as well some of them are only upto 62K miles....

I don't think you stand much chance - and "THE WORST THING YOU COULD HAVE DONE WAS GO TO SCOTHALLS" (not shouting - just highlighting the point)

The 3 nearest dealerships to me are all Scothall - so every time I have anything done on my car I travel 35miles and go to Berry in Chiswick - the service is great, they are very understanding towards the private owner, unlike Scothall - they are a corporate/business friendly dealership.

Just to a search for Scothall on any of the BMW forums and you can read the nightmare stories.

 

[gary350]

Every warranty issue I had with BMW and I had a few even over 3 years, I went in with all guns blazing and started shouting and banging the table, they do not like that and gave in, rightly so and I never had to pay even got the "sorry to cause you inconvenience". Tyres and exhausts may not be part of the warranty but wheels are. Threaten them with getting Gordon Brown to freeze their assets, that will work.

gary

 

[Smiley]

This is unbelievable. There is less hassle involved in changing a punctured tyre on an old fashioned wheel without run flat than all this business about buying new wheels. The BMW tech guys have lost sight of the wood for the trees.
I hope you are not going to pay up without pointing out the error of their ways?

 

[gIzzE]

This is a known problem, and it is said to be caused by the higher pressures needed on run flat tyres.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=170979

 

[Mudster]

I am by nature, quite a vindictive person.

Faced with a situation such as this, I would rent one of those mobile Van Sign things you see driving around London with a list of facts (very careful to list facts only and not opinion - so no possible libel occurs).

I would display a few examples of the cracked wheel and provide a copy of the report produced by MIRA.

Park myself up on the public highway outside the BMW dealership making sure I was not on their land or impeding access to their site on Saturday and Sunday each weekend.

I'd handout factual flyers and invite all customers entering their site to view their goods and make their own mind up on quality, customer services and the actions of the dealership.

 

[mattc]

I am by nature, quite a vindictive person.

Faced with a situation such as this, I would rent one of those mobile Van Sign things you see driving around London with a list of facts (very careful to list facts only and not opinion - so no possible libel occurs).

I would display a few examples of the cracked wheel and provide a copy of the report produced by MIRA.

Park myself up on the public highway outside the BMW dealership making sure I was not on their land or impeding access to their site on Saturday and Sunday each weekend.

I'd handout factual flyers and invite all customers entering their site to view their goods and make their own mind up on quality, customer services and the actions of the dealership.

I think Mudster is related to this man

 

[SilverSaloon]

i'd say #2