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Re: BMW's biggest quality problem
I guess BMW is to blame for the inconsistencies between dealers... I have
had nothing but great experiences first with Reeves Imports in Tampa and
now Ft. Laud Imports. Loaners, good people, and very knowledgeable... my
car is 8 years old (101010 miles cool number huh?) and it was serviced by
those two dealers and now me... my cars runs better than a 2001 330i (and i
took one the other day)....
Nicolas Roman
Senior Engineering Consultant
North Miami Beach, FL.
E3
<general@ecub To: bmw-digest@domain.elided
ed.com> cc:
Sent by: Subject: BMW's biggest quality problem
owner-bmw@dig
est.net
11/07/2001
01:48 AM
Below is a copy of a letter sent to the Roundel. I'd like to hear your
thoughts.
- -Ed
BMW's biggest quality problem
It is no secret that BMW has been taking great strides over the years to
improve the quality of its cars and recent survey results from J.D. Power
has shown that, indeed, the initial quality of BMWs today are much better
than just a few years ago. However, recent service experiences with my 1998
M3/4 have proven to me that BMW has been focusing too much on initial
quality and not enough on long-term reliability (and thus perceived
quality) by seriously neglecting the service departments of it's dealer
channel. Poorly trained mechanics, tight service time periods,
unknowledgeable service advisors, low warranty service margins, strict
warranty part coverage and no loaner car provisions are all contributors to
a very unpleasant service experience for BMW's customers.
My latest service experience illustrates my point perfectly. Over the past
year, my dealer has been trying to fix a loud metallic noise that would
occur at 3800 rpm. During the first service appointment in February of this
year, I mentioned that it sounded like an alternator bearing. After having
the car for a week, they said the problem was a cracked honeycomb in the
catalytic converter and replaced it at a cost of $1200 to BMW. The problem
remained and continued to get worse.
On the second service call four months later I again mentioned the
alternator bearing could be the problem but they concluded the sound was
due to the rear main seal. (After supposedly consulting with the corporate
BMW TechLine.) After dropping the transmission and replacing the seal
($800), the problem still remained.
On the third trip about a month later (earliest appointment available), I
again mentioned that the alternator could be the problem and suggested that
they remove the serpentine belt when the engine was cold to see of the
noise went away. They said they would take my suggestion into
consideration. After two weeks, the dealer called to inform me that they
had replaced the exhaust ($600) header but the sound still remained. They
went on to explain they have spent considerable money and time on the car
and were unwilling to continue working on the problem. Frustrated, I
reluctantly picked up the car and began to wonder when this "noise" would
turn into a serious problem.
Within two days of picking up the car, the car failed to start. After
calling BMW roadside assistance getting the car towed ($400) to the dealer
(75 miles away), they called to report that there was nothing wrong with
the car and suggested the "big amplifier" in my car was probably causing
the problem. After reeling from disbelief of what I heard, I demanded they
replace the alternator. Reluctantly they did so. I picked up the car only
to find the battery would completely discharge after an hour of driving.
The problem remained.
I decided to take matters into my own hands and attempted to find the
problem myself. Within minutes I found the problem- a loose ground cable.
During the last "noise repair attempt" when the dealer replaced exhaust
header, the mechanic failed to tighten the body ground strap bolt. So much
for the dealers "big amplifier" excuse.
But perhaps even more pathetic was the fact the noise I originally had
taken the car in for was gone. The culprit? The alternator.
My story isn't much different from others I have talked to in my area. It
is clear that BMW's dealer service channel is broken. So much so, it is
affecting not only the long-term quality (from poor repairs) of cars
brought in for repair, but also the perception of quality (from the owners
loss-of-use during the repair and the sight of a BMW on a tow truck) by
BMW's current and future customers.
How many more unneeded $3000 warranty charges and letters like these will
it take for BMW to take notice?
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