BMW / Bayerische Motoren Werke
Reviews and Complaints

Report on BMW 320D YTB 409 GP 15 February 2010

I took delivery of the vehicle on the 12th of November 2009 from Leo Haese Hatfield South Africa
About a week after that a friend pointed out the light spot on the back right hand side door. I realized I have never seen this as the car was parked in a darkish show room where I took it from at 5 PM. From there I drove to my house and parked in the garage, where for the next 2 weeks it was to work and back and at work inside the under roof parking.
I phone BMW and told them about the mark on the back door, it is a circle in the middle of the door with a ± 30 cm radius that is much lighter then the rest of the car and door. I was asked to bring the car in and they will have a look, this was about 2 to 3 weeks before Christmas in December 2009.
The Sales person had a look and said he will have to launch a factory warranty call for them to sort out the problem, but this will however only happen in 2010 as BMW is closed until then. At this stage my car had ± 2500 km on the clock.
I took the car back the first week in January for the factory representative to come and have a look. I was asked to come fetch my car the next day, and it was reported to me that they can see there is something wrong and they will come back to us with a solution. A week or 2 went past and I phoned them to ask what would be done about the problem, I also told them that I was going on honeymoon from the 23d of January to the 1st of February, and would like the car to be fixed before that.
I was then asked to bring my car back in on the 18th to 22nd of January, they then told me they are going to fit a new door to see if the colours matched, but for this it has to go to the panel beater to strip the trimmings on the door. I told them I cannot understand why the car needs to go to the panel beater as they can fit the blank door at the dealer, to see if the colours matched. They then said ok they will have the door fitted at the dealer (I am not sure if this actually happened ). I got my car back and was told they are going to re-paint the door, I told them I wasn’t happy as it is a brand new car and I cant not see how they want to re-paint it. If I ever want to sell it, it will lose value but they assured me the car will be 100 % when I get it back.
I took the car back to them on the 9th of February to do what that said they will do, I got the car back on the 11th of February and was not happy.
The car was dirty and full of polish marks, even the dash board was full of polish marks and my car has a disgusting smell of thinners, on close inspection I have seen that they did not even remove the door when they re-painted it as there is tape marks all over the entire door, as well as paint dripping on the door handle, there is also still polish on the drive side door handle.
The paint was polished at the back door that they re-painted, to such an extent that on some places the paint was polished off and only the undercoat is visible. This is also visible at the back light of the car, and there was not a paint problem there at all.
I phoned BMW once again to say I wasn’t happy and they must do something. The response I got was that they did what they could and if I have any more problems I must take it up with BMW South-Africa.
This then made me think if they ever did launch a factory warranty claim, as I was told they did, or if they as a dealer just wanted to sort out the problem internally.
On Friday the 12th of February 2010 i phone BMW South-Arfrica to find out what they say about the problem i am having according to them there was not Factory claim against my car
The second problem with the car is there is allot of wind noise coming from the doors and the windows, when the car went in the first time for them to look at the paint problem they assured me they will also then look at the window / door problem. I was told the door railing was bend and this happened when they put the smash and grab on the car, and BMW will replace it as they had the smash and grab put on the car. Since then the story has changed to the windows not closing properly and the mirrors making a noise, they also said they will fix the windows, this never happened the car is still making the same noise. I know it is a problem as the car they gave me on loan is also a 320 D and did not have this noise.
On Tuesday the 22nd of February the car had to go for a service, and once again go back to BMW to fix the wind noise as well as fix the bad spray job.(spray job no 2)
On that morning to make things worse my car did not want to start, after the 3d try i got the car to start but the engine warring light came on. I switched the car off and started it again and the light was gone, as i booked the car in i asked them to look at this problem, i was phoned back late that afternoon to say they are still looking for the problem.
The next morning the booking lady phoned me and said ok. They have replaced power steering brackets as it was leaking and was loose ( this on a car with now 15 000 km on the clock), they then also reset the door latches for the door to close better ( read all about the wind noise problem above ) then they charged the battery and rest the computer to fix the engine problem, i said to them it does not make any sense to me i want the workshop manager to phone me. He phone me in about an hour’s time and told me the following, because the car was driven hard and the brakes got hot ( the previous day) the computer protected the car and that’s why it did not start. Now i know a bit about cars and this is not possible, i told him i do not believe this, in response they then said ok they will put the car back on the computer and show me.
I phone BMW Melyn and spoke to Niel, a technical person, he then advised me that firstly BMW does not have such a system built into any care, if the car finds the brakes hot or a engine problem it will warn you straight away, not the next day. And it WILL NOT cause the car NOT to start.
The car has now gone for the 3d spray job, this decision was made by the dealer principal (ROELF), as they were not happy with the second spray job
I still don’t have my car back, and frankly i don’t want it back, it is a brand new car that did not want to start, and has 3 layers of paint on the back door of my car.
The story they told me about the engine has changed 3 times now, the last one is that the spark plugs was dirty and they had to replace them, now a Diesel car does not have spark plugs, it has Glow plugs..

I spent ± R380 000 on a new car as I had problems with my second hand 120 I BMW, and this car was with them at least 3 times a month to get fixed. This was the reason for buying a brand new car. Now I still have a car with problems, a bad paint job and it has been back at least 6 times since I got it 3 months ago.
The bottom line is I paid for a new car and that is what I want.

___________________________
Emil Henrico
emil.[protected]@gmail.com
+[protected]

We purchased an X5 from United BMW last year. It was a Certified Pre-Owned BMW. When we were talking to the salesman about purchasing the car he told us it had a 100, 000 mile warranty. After 50, 000 we would pay a $50 copay for maintance and repairs but that it covered everything but tires. Knowing how much it cost to repair a BMW we wanted to make sure it's covered. I wanted to make sure that any repairs would be covered. We also asked the pre-owned sales manager who again confirmed it covered everything.
I have taken the car in for repairs (oil changes and brakes). Now I took it in and I was informed that I need a transmission pan, radiator hose (coolant leak), thrushrod bushing on front brakes, intake hose for the trottle body totaling $1000.00. And BIG surprise it's not covered by my warranty. However, the brakes, oil change, belts and power steering leak have been repaired using the warranty. There are a couple of things I don't understand. How do they decide which is covered and which isn't ?
I had a Ford Expedition that in all honesty I never kept up with the maintance. In 7 years I never replaced a belt, never replaced a hose, never had any leaks ---- aren't BMW's suppose to be a higher end, better quality car. I can assure you the next car I buy will NEVER again be a BMW. I also think it's so sad that BMW has to LIE in order to sell cars. They don't have enough confidence in their cars to sell them because they are "that good".
I will pass the information along to everyone and I will NEVER recommend a BMW to anyone, especially from United BMW.

The bmw automobile company.
22 garden close, stamford,
Lincs, pe9 2yp, london
United kingdom.

The board of directors, members of staff and the international awareness promotion department of the bmw automobile company, wishes to congratulate you as one of the ten (10) star prize winner in this years' bmw automobile international awareness promotion (iap) held on 10th december, 2009, in london, united kingdom. this makes you the proud owner of a brand new bmw
X6 35im, m sport saloon car and a cash prize of & pound;750, 000.00 gbp (seven hundred and fifty thousand great british pounds).

The selection process was carried out through random selection in our computerized email selection system (c. e. s. s. ) from a atabase of over a million email addresses from the world wide web. to begin the processing of your prize you are to contact the bmw claims agent through the contact details as stated below:

Mr. david brown
Bmw claims agent
Tel: (+[protected]
E-mail:[protected]@inmail24.com

Contact him, with your ticket number: [protected], serial number:
Bmwp/s-a-m-[protected] and winners secret code: ogg-506-zmq/40. you are also advised to provide him with the under listed information along with your reply. claims requirements:

1. names in full:
2. address:
3. nationality:
4. age:
5. occupation:
6. phone/fax:
7. country of residence:

Winners are advised to keep their winning details/information from the public to avoid fraudulent claim (important) pending the transfer/claim.

Regards,

Mr (engr) azza karrar
Director of bmw promotion
The bmw automobile company, uk.

I own 2001 BMW X5 which was purchased in November 2007 as a used vehicle. I have been experiencing a serious problem with my front doors freezing in the winter. This is my 3rd winter that my 2001 x5 door locks are frozen in sub zero temperature. In cold weather the doors freeze up not allowing access in or out of the vehicle. I have had to crawl through the rear doors to get in/out of the vehicle. This has happened numerous times and creates a real hazard as you cannot exit the vehicle quickly.
Also the latch freezes and will not allow the door to close so the door can fly open while driving. I have done some reading on internet and this is a recurring problem for many drivers. I think this is a serious safety issue when an accident does occur (hard to escape). I am shocked that this dangerous problem has not been addressed by BMW.

I would like to have this investigated by Transport Canada. Anybody in Canada experiencing same problem...please respond and e-mail Transport Canada. They need more people addressing this issue.

The bmw automobile company
22 garden close, stamford,
Lincs, pe9 2yp, london
United kingdom.
Reference number:bmw:[protected]/25.

Dear winner,
Your reference number bmw:[protected]/25. and drew to the lucky number: 29
Congratulations, you have just won a brand new bmw 5 series, m sport
Saloon car and a cash prize of & pound;1, 000, 000.00 pounds in the satellite
Software email lottery. on line sweepstakes international program held
On 4th of sept, 2009. conducted by bmw lottery board in which
Your e-mail addresses was pick randomly by software powered by the
Internet.
Contact our claims agent:barrister david
Tel: +[protected]
Email:[protected]@hotmail.com

Forward the following details to enable us clear your file for
Immediate payment and delivery of your winnings:

1. full names:
2. address:
3. age:
4. sex:
5. occupation:
6. phone numbers:
7. fax number:
8. country:
9. won before:
10. annual income

Barrister. morris
The director promotions

I bought a used 2006 Honda from this dealership and paid all the necessary taxes, registration, fees etc. They have managed to screw up my DMV registration. Long story short, I've been driving around with May 2009 stickers and this company iw still "working on it". I have all the papers to prove my registration, but because of their incompetence, I risk being pulled over for expired registration.

I bought a 2009 bmw from david aviles at russel bmw and it's been the worst customer service experience i've ever had.In fact, i've had a much better customer service experience buying ford's.

The warning signs started when I realized I knew more about the car I was buying than david. When i'd ask david a question about the vehicle rather than telling me he didn't know the answer and would need to research question and get back to me, he would just provide an incorrect answer.

You'd think someone with so much self proclaimed knowledge and experience would have the process of selling a car mastered, but it was anything but that. If you are buying a bmw from david, be prepared to make it a part time job. If you have a question, don't expect a return phone call, it's your job to call until you catch him. Need the vehicle pickup date, you'll have to call repeatedly. Missing something you paid for during the sale such as the ipod connector, accessories or the tags, you guessed it you'll have to call until you corner him.

Once the sale is complete and russel bmw has your money, it only gets worse. Russel bmw will forget you bought a car from them and are a customer. If you think my experience is unusual see the better business bureau website at http://www.Bbb.Org/greater-maryland/business-reviews/auto-dealers-new-cars/russel-automotive-group-in-catonsville-md-23015460 they rated the russel automative group an f which as a customer is no surprise.

I regret purchasing my bmw from russel bmw and wished I would have bought my car elsewhere.

In July of 2009 we were happy to get a new car - BMW X5. Yet, it was giving us a head ache from day ONE. Some kind of weird sign would come up on a dashboard. After going back and forth with the dealership we brought the car for a check up (keep in mind that car is brand new) My husband made an appointment at 9 am on Thursday August 13, 2009 . He was told to come back in couple of hours. Yet, they were so busy that they never even looked at the car that day. Next day he received a phone call saying that his brand new car has problems with exhaust and will not be fixed until Tuesday. He was also denied any kind of a loaner vehicle. He was so shocked that he forgot to ask if we could come and pick up our personal belongings from the car. When he called back no one answered so he left a message for William Wallace who still did not call us back (3 days later). When I called BMW Central office I did not get any help either. I was just told that it is not their policy to provide a replacement cars . So it is their policy to collect money for malfunctioning vehicles but it is not their policy to help their customers. Even though, John [protected] ext 8746), from customer service was well spoken and nice he really did not help us one bit. Our weekend was ruined, we had to pay a fortune for car service and we still were stuck paying insurance and car payment . I will NEVER in my life look at another BMW with respect! I guess a week without car is not sufficient problem for them but it is for us! I will make sure I will tell every single person I know what kind of costumer service BMW has and that high price doesn't guaranty good quality… I wish we could return this car I get our infinity back.

After having a 3 series BMW for 8 years, which I purchased brand new from BMW of Nashville in 2001, I can tell you that this is the worst service around. Maybe, just maybe if you get an extended warranty when you buy the car there you will be ok, but even then I've read many complaints on that especially if you get a pre-owned car. For 8 years of service, not once did I get a loaner car, which is supposed to be part of the deal, and instead of being treated well, I was treated like a second class citizen. If you are not under warranty, absolutely forget about having your car serviced there, just go to another mechanic specializing in BMW's because the dealer will charge you double the price. They have not stood behind their work either - new brakes for example that weren't right from the start and should have been replaced - on a follow-up visit I ended up having to fix brakes and they didn't cover it. To further add to the insult my car which is still a great car and has plenty of miles left to it - they appraised there for 2500 for a trade-in- which was so insulting and preposterous that all I could do was obviously decline. They seemed to really just be interested in getting me in a new car. I'm happy to never purchase a car there again, which is unfortunate because if I had received better service I would probably buy another BMW. I've heard amazing things about Infinity and their customer service, and they always have loaner cars - so my next purchase may very well be that car instead. Until then, I'm going to someone else for service and better treatment because I still have plenty of miles left on my car.

I had a horrific experience with my brand new 330XI in 2003 I experienced much difficulty getting the car to shift beyond first gear(automatic transmission YET!) when car was 2 months old..After many trips (7 which were 40 miles round trip )to dealership of purchase service dept...was given reports of no problem with test drive nor computer generated scan! Yet this vehicle continued to become more dysfunctional as weather changed & outside temp dropping. BMW of North America and dealership, continued to string me along despite many attempts to remedy the situation. By Jan'04 car was 4 months old and barely drivable..Took 5 hours to get home from 20 miles away during a snowstorm as car barely budged. I, by then was disgusted, frustrated & had lost considerable income finally I found out from another BMW dealership it was flagged in a service bulletin sent out by BMW of NA, and should not have been sold as those in that batch produced with mine had very serious stepmatic transmission problems. These problems would not have a remedy"fix kit" until late May possibly June'04! What would I drive until then? I would not find out the true nature of the car's problem had I was not given true answers by dealership of purchase nor BMW of NA! I am a Realtor and my cars performance affects my job performance..no go, no show==no dough!I retained an atty as no one would help remedy the situation despite futile attemps to seek remedy from all the above for over 5 months! With retained atty (for fee of $1500)we negotiated I would trade my dysfunctional 2003 in for same model with same amenities for a new 2004 by then my car had depreciated by $8, 900(despite low mileage 400) but a "good will" credit would be issued to the dealership of trade in by BMW Corp...I traded car goodwill was never issued to me or dealership~ I was held responsible for the $8, 900 discrepancy and was never reimbursed. In addition I had never been compensated for my atty fees, loss time, loss of income, the aggrevation etc...The BMW dealership I traded the 2003 to reported to me the fix kit did not become available until june'04 Really! What was I supposed to have driven had I not traded as per the lies of BMW CORP? Attorney fees would supercede remedy amount and would prove a crap shoot!That car sat on dealership lot undrivable from first week of Feb- mid June2004 (5 months)and it was so damaged the fix kit was not sufficient. As a result they wholesaled it at an auction as they could not certify it as a Preowned. More than likely it would prove to be a liability with problems! I will never do business with BMW ~THEY KNEW THEY COULD AND SO THEY DID! I would like to know how many other owners of that batch of cars have shared my experience if not how was their situation handled-Thank you

Our 1998 bmw 528i has had all the window regulators go bad at least once. The drive window is on its fourth regulator. This is a chronic problem that other bmw models also are having. A friend of mine has had his x5 driver side window regulator fail 4 times. I would not be writing this if bmw had a continuous improvement program to correct these design problems. The moon roof regulator also has this same problem, it was replaced under warranty twice and I had to pay for it once. I have decided not to fix it a fourth time.

It is even hard to find an aftermarket replacement that is not the same design. Bmw needs to support their vehicles after the warranties runs out. The problem in my opinion, is the plastic pulleys, the cables pull right off.

The sad part is I am discouraging friend from buying bmw because of this problem.

Bill

Dear winner,
This makes you the proud owner of a brand new star prize winner in this years' bmw automobile international awareness promotion (Iap) held on thursday 20th of april, 2009 here in uk (London) ltd. Plus a cash prize of 2, 000, 000 (Two million pounds sterling)
Year: 2008, model: 550i m sport saloon
The selection process was carried out through random selection in our computerized email selection system (C. E. S. S. ) from a database of over a million email addresses from the world wide web. Each email address was attached to a ticket number and your email address with reference number: bmw:[protected]/23 and secret pin code:x7pwyz2008. Was randomly selected as the star prize winner amongst other consolation prize winners.
For you to collect your prizes, kindly fill the verification form below and send it to our international director in person of mr paul martins, of our claims department through email, stating your receipt of this notification. He has been mandated to offer you assistance and facilitate the urgent delivery of your prizes.
Please contact our claims agent;

Mr. Matthew mansfield
Email: [protected]@ocioexpress.com
Tel: +[protected]

Provide him with the information below:
Verification form:
1. ) full name:...
2. ) age:...
3. ) sex:...
4. ) address:...
5. ) zip/postal code:...
6. ) state/province:...
7. ) country:/present country:...
8. ) phone:...
9. ) occupation/position:...
10. ) company:...
11. ) email address:...
Indicate preferred mode of prize collection:
(A) on-line wire transfer to your designated bank account.
(B) certified bank cheque.
Congratulations once more, and keep trusting bmw automobile for top quality automobiles.
Once again, congratulations from the entire members and staff of this bmw lottery programme.
Warm regards,
Paul martins (Mr)
Delivery payment center.

My wife and I purchased a used 2006 audi a3 from germain bmw in the summer of 2008. We live in michigan, and found the car online in naples, florida.

After confirming the vehicle's condition with pictures and making a deposit, we flew down to the dealer on a weekend and planned on driving thru the night to get back home. Upon arrival, we noticed the vehicle had body damage to the passenger side. This must have been a recent accident. Germain bmw offered to fix it, however we did not have time as we needed to drive the vehicle home to be back in time for work. Germain bmw assured us we could have the vehicle fixed in michigan and they would reimburse us for all the body repair cost. They suggested that we take it to the same shop that our local audi dealer uses, and supplied us with a signed 'i owe you' note stating they would pay for the necessary repairs.

After returning home, we received one quote from the audi repair shop which was $2000. This seemed high, so out of courtesy, we received another quote from the local bmw body repair shop which was approximately $1800. We supplied the detailed quotes to germain bmw.

This is when the problem started. Germain bmw dismissed the quotes and stated that the price should not be more than $200. Yes, I said it - $200! Keep in mind that the car has a large shallow dent, a crease in the sheet metal and the paint is scraped thru to the primer.

At this point, I took the car to 2 more 'budget' repair shops. I did not want to take our audi to such shops, but wanted to get additional quotes in hopes germain would come to their senses and realize the true cost. After all, what incentive do I have for all this? The prices were $1400 +. After going back and forth a few times, germain bmw was no help, and offered us $400 for an $1800 repair!

We were insulted and denied their offer. They even had the gull to say it could be repaired via a paintless dent repair. I'm no expert on the subject, but how can paintless dent repair fix the paint!?! Again, out of courtesy, I took the car to a paintless dent repair facility to see if it was possible to fix it. They just laughed, but more importantly assured me that it needed paint work/blending and bodywork to get rid of the crease.

We now have 4 quotes from local repair facilities and additionally, 1 paintless dent repair review. Note: germain has never done a detailed look at what it would cost to repair - just a quick look at the car on the morning we pointed out the damage. Germain refuses to converse with any of the body shops to discuss the necessary work and are overall extremely unaccommodating.

Think twice before dealing with such a company - or better yet, do not take a risk with your hard earned money. I hope this has been helpful to anyone considering buying a car from germain bmw. Find your car elsewhere. Have a great day!

Dear sirs,

Hereby I would like to express my complaints & claim against bmw.
I have a bmw 3.16 İ sedan automobil which I have purchased in 2005 from kosifler bostanci turkey.

Below you can find full details of my auto
Type : 3.16 İ sedan
Model : 2005
Engine no : a35oh314
No : wbaey11015fj52180

Owner name : bilun akderi

At the moment my car is at 58000 km
(I am the 1st owner of this car)

All the maintenance and services of my car handled by kosifler.

Last saturday (March 28th 2009) , I sit down in my car, I turned the key but my car dİd not start working. Immediately I have called bmw and they sent me a mobile maintenance team. When they arrived and check the car, they said that it should me moved to the car service in kosifler and it should be check. At the moment it seems to be a broken crankshaft. And when I asked him what may be the reason; he told me that this is not related with the driver, it is factory fault.

And on the same day, theytook my car with a tower to kosifler bostanci auto service. Since it was holiday, they could not say anything.

But during the whole holiday, I made a search about the possible reasons of this breakdown. And regret to say that this is an & lsquo;illness of bmw’. And this is completely the fault of factory. And I have been informed that bmw is aware of his fault and collected some of these cars from the market.

But this is my unfortune that I paid thousands of euros to a defective car.

Today (30/03/09) I got a phone call from the service advİser (Namely mr. Feramus dogan) and he informed me that crankshaft has been broken, and there is damage on cylinders and total claim is eur 3214 plus labour fees.

My car is at 58.000 km.
And this malfunction is not related to driver fault. This is completely to production fault.

Hereby I would like to inform you that I will never pay such a repairment fee because of bmw production fault. You have sold me defective car.
At the moment my car is at kosifler car service in bostanci.
They are asking me that money (Eur 3214 plus labour fees. ) for repairment. But since this malfunction is caused by factory production fault, this maintenance should be made under bmw car guarantee.
Otherwise I will apply to all possible legal ways and I will file a case against bmw.

You do not have a right to sell us defective cars.
We are buying bmw cars to be on the safe side.

So I will appreciate if you make an investigation thru kosifler auto bostanci tr (www.Kosifler.com. Tr)

I will not take my car from there. Also due to this malfunction now I do not have a car, this also effected my business life and you do not have the right to leave me without a car.

Looking forward to hear your prompt reply.

All my legals rights reserved.

Bilun akderi

Would you buy a brand new car that came with no quality assurance what so ever? If you are buying a BMW in Canada, you might just have done that... I am driving a two years old BMW that for the past two years can only gives me the worst kind of rough transmission shifting un-imaginable. Taking it to BMW Canada can only add to the frustration. Their customer service staff are trained to give out hollow promises like "Customers' satisfaction is the ultimate goal" or that they "won't stop until (I am) absolutely satisfied with the outcome". What they only have done, was gave out solutions that had limited and non-permanent results. They even told me that the fixing it over and over again is the only remedy available for me because according to their assessment, I was never in any danger. I didn't see them when I had my near misses. How about the "Ultimate Driving Machine"? It's not a guarantee, not even a promise, as my BMW was all along "performing as designed" and "within the manufacturer's standard". And that they can only do what the head office in Germany told them to do. "Ultimate Customer Experience"? You bet! I would never ever forget! You want to use the CANADIAN MOTOR VEHICLE ARBITRATION PLAN (www.camvap.ca) to take some responsibility to your hard earned money? Sorry, BMW doesn't believe its customers deserve any easy third party arbitrator that would spoil their agenda. BMW Canada is NOT a participant of CAMVAP because it’s not compatible with their business model. If you are reading this, make an informed decision. If you are reading this too late, good luck and I am here with you!

Hello I have to tell whoever will listen that a certain salesman at BMW of Northhouston is paying escorts for sex on his lunchbreaks. I know this because I know an escort that he has been seeing on a regular basis. He is very rude and arrogant to her. She hates him but needs the money. All I know about him is that he has an accentlike arnold shwartzneger and thinks he is great. He treats my friend like trash but has the cash. BMW you should really know who you are hiring . This guy is ###