Re: Need Advice Quickly, Please

[Seeker <rfg@xxxxxxx>]

	My thanks to all those who replied to my request for advice about a
failed clutch at 33K....and here's the story so far.

	When presented with the bill for $1,010.00 for the clutch, I told
the service rep with whom I was dealing that I had been chewing over the
whole business of a quality, well-made, expensive German car requiring a
clutch at only 33K and, while I recognized that according to the warranty
on the car that items that wear out like brake pads and clutches were
specifically not covered, it was fundamentally unfair and unreasonable to
expect me to have to pay for a new clutch in a car which was, one year ago,
designated by BMW as "Certified Pre-Owned".  Had I chosen a car off their
lot that was _not_ Certified Pre-Owned, then I would have been taking my
chances after the 90-day or whatever warranty ran out.

	So I asked him to pull all the maintenance records on the car, as
it was originally sold and maintained by the dealership from which I
purchased it.

	No argument.  We went through them and the only troublesome - to me
- - thing was that the car needed new tires at 20K miles.  With a new clutch
at 33K and new tires at 22K, I suspect that the previous owner has this car
on a track.  I suspect it was at a BMW driving school.  Anyone disagree?

	If that's true, I am hoping that someone in my local BMW chapter
will know or remember the car/owner and can confirm this.

	To continue.  The service rep pulled the BMW manual on the warranty
and showed me that clutches were not covered.  I did not argue with this
(how could I?), but continued to point out that it was simply wrong and
unfair for me to have to fork out that much cash for something that should
not have gone south at 33K.  He could do nothing, so I asked to speak to
the Service Manager.

	Service Manager seemed like a nice, reasonable guy and I repeated
what I told the Service Rep, and I told him (true) that I lived some
distance away but had specifically come to that dealership to buy my BMW
because I had heard good things about it on this Digest.  I also told him,
(true) that I planned to eventually replace either my 1992 5251 or the 1996
328i with an AWD BMW wagon.  Did it not make sense for them to keep me as a
happy customer?

	He heard me out and asked me what I would like. I told him I would
like the dealership to split the cost with me: drop the bill to $500.  He
said he didn't think he could do that, but played around with the bill for
awhile and agreed to knock 15% off the bill, reducing it to $850 and
promised to contact the regional BMW folks and see if they would agree to
absorb some of the cost of the repair.  And he promised to call me back and
let me know the results of his call.

	$850 is certainly better than $1,010, and I am hoping that the
local BMW folks may eat some of the cost, too, and brng the bill down to
$500.

	I'll report back here what happens when the Service Manager calls me.

	Bob G.

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