BMW Reviews

The second safety complaint involves the easily breakage of both, driver and passenger door handles. The main safety concern involving the door handles is the high possibility of occupant (s) being trapped inside the vehicle during an event which may cause a person to react and quickly exit the vehicle for safety after grabbing and breaking the handles.

BMW and I have transmitted several emails back and forth in lieu of correcting and addressing my complaints. However, the end result was that they paid for a rental for a week for me; refused to give me a copy of the electrical engineer report, whereas the engineer himself admitted not being registered in California; denied my request of credentials and his citizenship; and the return of my vehicle without repairs because I refused to sign their General Release? form.

This form involved me not being able to sue, alert the media, send emails to the consumer, etc. I could not sign their general release not just because of my Airplane Technicians oath to up hold safety for airplanes and or mechanical devices, but it was also unfair, and or racially motivated also. Tension started to grow between us after I accidentally drove away in one of their rental cars forgetting to leave the light bulb.

However, I could not understand why they could not inspect the vehicle and work up to that point anyway; they never intended to. I finally brought the light bulb in, in which they held in their possession for at least a week, and still failed to complete any inspection. I believe they were only trying to see if I and or someone else placed the wrong bulb inside the plug and ultimately the housing wrongly.

It wasn't, though. In fact, their very own repair manual calls out a 12 Volt, 21 Watt bulb (technically to much current 1.75 Amps), or the exact same one which caused the damage and the potential FIRE hazard, inside the plug or the original part. Ive also contacted the DOT who has FWD my complaint to the applicable department. Fires are serious dangers to consider and I though that BMW would realize this. I also believe they have somehow shut down the medias emails in which they gave me as they are now not responding.

I know that there is no customer negligence from my side because I took the car to them as soon as it started overheating, I have not driven it in that condition for more than a mile. I hardly think it can be blamed to me. Furthermore, a 5 year old car should not be overheating especially if it has less than 80,000 mileage. The car clearly has a manufacturing error. Trying to blame it on some one who has had several cars over the course of his life and trying to portray me as a novice driver can clearly not be the solution.

BMW has a great reputation for manufacturing cars of exceptional quality. My car unfortunately is not one of them. I have had problems with this car before. The check engine light kept burning from the time of purchase. I have had it repaired more than a dozen times probably. I think BMW should look into that problem first before blaming me for incompetence. I have driven for many years and clearly know enough about cars to know that something like this cannot be blamed on me.

Additionally, the service manager has been ignoring my calls and messages for the last 10 days. Only after I talked to BMW NA several times and complained about him not calling me and told the receptionist that I was going to report my car stolen if they would keep ignoring me the Manager picked up the phone and talked to me. the car is not even worth 14k to pay them that much money to get it repaired. I have a full warranty and want them to repair my car and stop ignoring customers. It sheds bad light on them.

I was taken to a local hospital and released and the car is totaled. I haven't contacted BMW yet, but it sounds like they aren't too helpful with getting things resolved. I will update again when I hear something.

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Repair from BMW $ 6883.00....

Things escalated and it got to the point where I felt threatened, and I started to fear for my children's safety, because these two individuals were saying things like you don't deserve to own a BMW, and literally THREW their business cards at me when I told them I was going to complain to BMW of North America for their lack of customer service. They then proceeded to lock me and my children on their lot, behind a gate.

It was at that time my children began to cry. I was starting to panic, wondering what was going to happen to me and my children. Luckily, my brother was coming to pick us up, and he had arrived just in time. I am scared to think what might have happened. They finally unlocked the gate and let my children and me out, and then threatened to call the police for leaving the car (I was returning) on the lot, since it was private property. I just do not know what to do about this whole situation. Please someone help me.

BMW dealer checked it out and said that he had never heard of such a thing. Repair costs are excessive for a new transmission.

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The mechanic that I have used for years and trust spent a day and a half with it trying to figure out what exactly the probelm was, without having to lead me down the road of a new transmission, but, of course, that would be the remedy. I subsequently checked with the service manager at the local dealership to see, (after having read the hundreds of complaints here), if he had seen a lot of similar cars come through with this problem.

At first he tried to say he hadn't, but then when I reitterated that later in our conversation, he said, Well, I didn't say that. I just said they'd been random. He wouldn't even run a diagnostic on my car. In fact, he refused - he just immediately told me to come in and he'd replace the transmission. REALLY!? If I call my doctor with a stiff knee, is he going to immediately sign me up for knee replacement surgery without even seeing me? Gee, thanks - I was wondering what I was going to do with that extra $4800 in my pocket. btw, when I mentioned the 300+ complaints that I'd read about on just one website alone, he said, Well, that's not very many. Uh-huh. Let's see - I'd say those of us who have written here make up only about 10% of the people to whom this has actually happened.

Engine coils/misfire, starter, fuel pump, vacuum hose, etc. all resulted in time & money loss,frustration,even spent $2000 xtra warranty on top of the car price all for certified piece of crap which was never worth the money it was even bought for. Paid excessive amount for the car and could never get back the loss but is outraged and wants to get a refund or a new car from dealer that sold me a lemon.Informed by service advisors that time after time problems on the car would be fixed, told by mgrs car was ok and it was certified from the beginning , falsly led to believe this car was worth it. All it gave me was loss of time and money despite my the absurd excuses and promises given to me by the service advisors and mgrs of the dealership.

Estimated repair costs are $6,000. I esentially have a fairly new vehicle that is undriveable and worthless as is. The car was regularly maintained by BMW and was driven less than 10,000 miles per year.

I was informed that there was a faulty seat belt tensioner on the front passenger side and it was replaced under warranty. A couple of weeks ago, when I went to get into my car, I noticed I had a flat on the front passenger side ( theer was a small nail in it). Changed it, problem solved. within a couple of days, the dash warning light once again indicated a problem with the airbag. Routine maintanance was close so I planned on taking it in the following week. A couple of days later driving thruogh my nieghborhood at about 15 MPH ( on a VERY WELL MAINTAINED road) I heard a loud pop and watched in shock as the passenger door panal popped off and the head liner pulled away from the door. The airbags themselves never actually deployed or expanded. I was not traveling at a high rate of speed, nor did I hit any pot holes (as I was initially told was probably the case. I informed them at the time that this had not happened)I took the car in on Friday. Daniel, the service associate I spoke with walked out to the car with me and upon looking at the airbags and hearing what had acured commented you didnt buy this new, did you? I informed him no that it was certified pre-owned. He then stated that the airbag in the door at some point had been deployed and must have been JUST PUT BACK IN!!!

I was told they would keep it over the week-end and check it out completely. Now its Tuesday and I just called to see what was going on with the car when Daniel informed me that there was damage to the uder side of the car and the code told them that I had hit something hard enough to simulate a roll over which had caused the problem and my best bet was to turn it in to MY insurance company!!!! I once again informed him how this had accured and taht they had already replaced one fauly part (supposedly!) on that airbag side (this was at the same time they replaced a tail light bulb for seven dollars that I did not need only to replace a faulty assembly later. Daniel seemed very unawrae that I had had an issue with it in the past. He then told me the little sensor would tell him exactly when it happened and he would review the service records and get back with me in 15 minutes.

That was over an hour ago. I still havent heard anything. This car was purchased for its QUALITY, SAFTY RECORD AND BMW'S SUPPOSEDLY EXCELLENT SERVICE ! I will pursue the to the fullest extent!The most frightening part of the whole thing is when the panels popped, the air-bags DID NOT DEPLOY LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE! I thank god I wasnt in an accident because from what any reasonably intellegent person can fgure out, If they dont deploy, How could it possibly help in an actual crash! I await word from Daniel. Maybe he can do his job and look at the actual history of the things they have worked on on come up with a better solution. Sadly my husband and I have been discussing trading in for a new one because of the service plan but I think I may be looking at other Makes of autos now.

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However, upon delivery of the car when I showed the mechanic that the noise did not subside whenever I was turning the steering wheel, he brought a can of power steering oil and poured into the car. The noise disappeared immediately. The Ann Arbor dealer refused to reimburse the money though the change of stabilizer joint was not unnecessary.

Again, on March 22, 2006, I took the car to BMW shop to discuss about that noise that started coming back again. The mechanic I talked to, asked me to set up an appointment for oil change and full check-up within a few weeks. I went inside the Service counter area while the mechanic opened the hood and poured some power steering oil. He also did something else.

When I got back to the car after setting up the appointment, the hood was down and the car was ready to go. My wife who was all along sitting in the passenger seat of my car said that the mechanic closed the hood after pouring the oil and some other fluids inside the car. Since the car was ready to drive, I and my wife drove the car out of the dealer's shop. However, we did not drive even 2 miles, when I noticed that the temperature gauge needle was moving towards the red zone. Fearing that something might have been wrong, we drove back to the BMW Service shop.

I told the mechanic about the problem. I had never experienced such heating problem before in any car I drove including the BMW. The mechanic and another Service person asked me and my wife to leave the car in the shop. After a day or so, the BMW dealer called me to give him an authorization to replace the thermostat to correct the problem and informed me that the repair would cost me about $180.

However, after several hours when I called them, they told me that the heating problem was persisting and they needed an unlimited authorization to diagnose the problem by checking the entire engine. They told me that the car was not ready for delivery since the engine would be getting heated up. When I refused to give such authorization and wanted to take to their head office and also BMW, they held back the car in dealer's shop from March 24 to April 10 without doing anything. BMW mecahnic gve me an estimate of $1500 for them to fix the problem.

They did not give me any substitute car either though I complained about the difficulties I was experiencing without my car that I drive everyday to my work and other places. Finally, I decided to get the car towed to another service shop who are also specialized in BMW cars. Upon taking the delivery of the car, I decided to drive the car at first to find out whether the engine would get heated up within a couple of miles.

I told the towing company to be ready to tow the car if it gets heated up. I drove for several miles and then several months, it never got heated up. It was clear that the BMW dealer was agian trying to squeeze out $1,500 from me by falsely reporting about the heating problem, which was corrected after they replaced the thermostat on March 24, 2006.

However, instead of releasing the car, the dealer demanded unlimited authorization for unspecified work that would cost me at least $1,500. Using that pretext, it did not release the car for 18 days, thereby causing an immense amount of personal and business inconveniences for me and my wife. We had to make several oral and written complaints to BMW North America and Sonic Automotive, the owner of Ann Arbor BMW dealer.

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Then one day when the weather dropped to 15 degrees I went out and I had no brakes it was like stepping on a rock! I took it to BMW they said that I didn't clean out my filters and leaves had gotten in and cause water to drane into my brake booster and then it froze! and BMW wouldn't pay for it cause it was my fault for not cleaning it out and it was from the envoriment! It would cost me $2000k to replace the brake booster, I looked a brake booster up online it costs $210 so I guess 1800 in labor????? Plus if they change my brake booster don't you think the problem with water getting in is still going to get in????? anyway I later find out that it is washer fluid that is leaking into it! I am over my 50k now so BMW won't pay???

I cannot afford the $4,855 they are asking to fix this problem with the transmission. I am currently riding to work with a friend and do not have the use of the car.

The consequences are that I cannot afford to repair a transmission. I am paying $400 a month for the next three years for a car that I cannot drive and thus, must take Metro North to work in Manhattan at a cost of $300 per month and I don't even have a car to get to the station. My wife must get up and leave the kids at home alone to get ready for school while she drives me to take a train at 6:00 a.m. We plan to do everything we can to get BMW to be held accountable for this. They know of the problem and refuse to deal with it. I will work with an attorney, go to the TV news and local newspapers to get the word out about this abuse that BMW is doing to their customers.

I picked the vehicle up that night and was told that the front brakes, front roters and front brake sensor were replaced and the back brakes were fine. After leaving the dealeship the warning indicator came back on. The next morning 4/11/2007 I called Fields BMW and explained the problem. They explained how to reset the computer and then said if that didnt work, I could bring it back to the dealership. I explained that I couldnt return to the dealership because I was leaving that morning to drive back to NJ. (~1200 miles). I called Morristown BMW in NJ and explained the situation.

They said as long as it was just the sensor and I could prove that it was serviced by Fields BMW before the warranty expired I should be fine. Upon returning to NJ I scheduled a appointment with Morristown BMW. I dropped the truck off on 4/17/2007 with about 51,300 miles on the truck. After examining the vehicle on 4/18/2007, they determined that the sensor was fine and that I needed back brakes and they could not bill warranty because I was over the mileage. I contacted BMW customer service and spoke to some arrogant individual named Jason. After I explained the situation, he proceeded to tell me that the brakes failed on my return trip home and that it was not covered under warranty and that BMW was not going to pay for the repair.

I felt hesitation for the past month, but I thought it was the engine/spark plugs so had them changed...but oh no...it is the transmission, and from what I have read it costs $4500 to $5000 to replace/fix it! Shame on you BMW...SHAME! Why don't you do a recall on all these transmissions?????!!!!!

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It was incomprehensible for me why the car swirved like that; however, not knowing the mechanics of it, I felt responsible and had the car reparied through my insurance. The car was taken to Braman BMW and it took them three months to repair during which I was never offered a loaner customer car. The whole experience was quite long and frustrating as a couple of advisors were changed in the process and I was never updated on the progress. I received the car back in August and immediately experienced various problems and had taken it to be serviced and checked a few times. In addition, I kept feeling that the steering was just not quite right and that the car was not handling the road as a BMW should; and always brought it up to the service advisors attention. On Tuesday, March 20, 2007 I brought the car to Braman BMW to be serviced due to the fact that I kept experiencing a louder and stranger noice while steering and a faulty blinker. The blinker was fixed but I was advised by the service advisor that they did not find any problems with the steering.

On Wednesday, March 21, while driving straight on 195 highway at about 55 mph, the car suddenly jerked to the left and spun 360 degrees. Luckily, I did not hit anything and even though I was a bit shaken thinking perhaps it was a slippery patch, I kept driving at a lower speed. As I continued to drive straight on a I-95 North, once again the tires of my car just went towards the left and I had absolutely no control over the steering.

This time I was not as luck as I was spinning all over the lanes on a major highway and ended up crashing into the side wall. Immediately, I brought the car on Thursay, March 22, to Braman once again and told Mr. Rouco, the Service Director, that the car was in his department the day before. His reply was that he never heard of such a problem and to contact Customer Relations which I did by speaking to a representative who advised me that a BMW engineer would come to inspect my car. After waiting few weeks, the inspector did not find any problems with the car but was not able to drive the car due to the faulty alignment which he assumed was from the accident.

However, he stated that the car hydroplaned due to the severely low thread on the tires. The car has about $13000 miles and has been driven for only about one year. It was brought to service a couple of times, it should have been noted that the tires were low. I am extremely frustruated with the dealership for not advising me of any potential danger of the tires which they believe caused the cause.

Thinking that I must have select Neutral, I visually look and No, sure enough it was in Reverse. I pushed the car backwards and put in Drive and it worked fine, then I toggled over the SD and that forward gear work fine and then I shifted in manual mode and all 5 speeds work fine. However, whenever drive forward 5-10mph; I could hear a grinding sound coming from the transmission.

I contacted the BMW Dealer in Bellevue, WA, where the car was original purchased and spoke with a Service Rep. with no help. I was informed that this was not a known problem. The VIN was check for warranty status, (which had expired). The Service Rep. est. the repair cost anywhere from $1500 to $5000. Results: The transmission was rebuilt by a reputable transmission shop. End Result: The Total Cost I had to pay (out of pocket) For a known BMW Premature Transmission Failure was $3325.26

I constantly have to cancel or rearrange appointments to have the car serviced, the car has been unavailable to me at critical time in life, I have lost clients due to the unreliability of the car. The car has caused me undue stress and is still not working properly.

I was dealing with Mr. Collura on a lease turn in that I was not happy with. However, the longer I dealt with this man, the more money it cost me. After witnessing this exchange, I commented that he followed a nice practice. He then turned to me and said, How about if I take all these calls and print this paper work out in a hour or two. I saw this man commit fraud, refuse to honor a customer's request to not hav work done and then show pride in his deceit to his underlings. NOT TO BE TRUSTED!

All these cars were bought before I realized that these cars typically have bad transmissions. I was told by a mechanic that the transmission was going out on the red BMW and any day I could be left stranded. I traded it in right away for a new car(NOT a BMW). And then within a couple months the transmission in the black car went out. I can only hope that the 1999 won't have a problem. All three of these cars have also had air conditioning problems. When you own more than 1 of these, you really notice the things that are of poor quality in the vehicle.

Over $3000

These are bizzare problems that should not be found in cars costing so much. See the rest of the communication with BMW in chronological order. I have not heard anything tangible from BMW as of today.

When I took it to the first shop, the guy told me that on the same day, he already had 2 people with exact same problem at about the same mileage...so, trendy BMW's barely make it to 100,000 miles???

Cost to replace the transmission was quoted at $6,000.

I have to get the vehicle fixed which will put me in a big debte by paying ~cnd$7000 which at first place must be fixed with (covered) big giant BMW.

The bottom line is that I believe BMW knows they have a head gasket leak issue that causes overheating and blown engines.

I believe they know my car had the issue but failed to diagnose it early enough to save the engine. below is the letter I sent to the President of BMW: Mr. Tom Purves, President BMW North America LLC PO Box 1227 Westwood, NJ 07675 Dear Mr. Purves, I am very disappointed with my 2000 525i BMW as it overheated at 114,000 miles and now requires a new engine.

There was no sign of a problem with the car other than the interior heating system had failed. The car was brought into Ridgefield, CT BMW were it was diagnosed with an overheating problem causing catastrophic service repairs. See enclosed write up Ridgefield BMW. The car gave me no warning of an overheating problem.

No warning light; no temperature gage, no smoke from the tail pipe or radiator. No warning. However, in January 2006, the radiator did burst open. Since the Midas shop was close by I asked them to take a look at it and they told me they saw “foreign substance� in the radiator indicating that there was an engine issue.

I had the car towed to Ridgefield BMW and told them the Midas folks saw foreign substance in the radiator and that there may be an engine problem. Ridgefield put a new radiator in and said all was well.

I was told it is going to cost been $3,000 - $4,000 to fix. I am out a lot of money for a car that is suppose to last. Walking to work and dealing with the stress and the run around is getting old.

Was deeply concern when I got home because when I tried to restart the engine, the idle was flexing from 600 rpm to 1800 rpm. Repeated restarting the engines about 5 times but same thing happened. Went to bed determine to call a local dealership in the morning. Once morning, I called the local BMW dealership but seems everyone was busy, weird thing was that my car started fine that morning. Went through the day and it worked like normal, no problems what so ever.

Figure if it happens again, I'll call BMW right away.

Months went by and now it's Feb. 14th 2007, on my way to pick up my girlfriend for a nice Valentine's Day dinner, the car suddenly shutsdown again, this time I was going about 45 miles an hour on an expressway. Luckily with my quick reaction, I was able to restart the engine while rolling about 40 miles an hour to regain control. Brought my car in the next day, after couple days of troubleshooting, they told me it was a software problem and had to reload my software but my warranty expired on Jan. 29th 2007. Told them the problem was prior to the warranty expiring but all the service manager said was BMW doesn't warranty it's car forever.

Correct me if I am wrong but couldn't they find the problem happened before I brought it in by checking the logs? Also since it's a BMW Sofware Malfunction, isn't it an engineering problem? Also this problem was due to BMW Engineers writing a bad software why should I pay to get this fix? And they want somewhere around 2,000 usd to fix this...

If this problem happened again but this time on the freeway, I am concern for my safety, I can loose my life!

New transmission cost $4000 and do not included the labor. Plus, my family needs two cars and now we have to share.

I called the dealer and they quoted me $14,200 to replace the engine and do what ever else is wrong with it. This is ridiculous!!! The truck clearly has a mechanical default, and need to be serviced by them for free.

My insurance company declared it a total loss and hired an independent professional company that specializes in vehicle fires and causation. The conclussion of the report was that it was an electrical short, originating in the center of the dash.

I have since gone on the web have found other BMW's that have also caught on fire after being parked/or driven a short distance. Something is terribly wrong and a dangerous situation. BMW needs to address this dangerous situation before someone losses their life or the life of a loved one.....

All the warning lights came on a couple seconds later, and large amount of smoke and burnt smell came from the back of the car. It only has 49,000 miles on it and has been maintained on schedule.

I called the dealer, but of course, they can't help me since it was no longer under the warranty. They quoted me $13,350 to replace the engine. This is ridiculous!!!! I have contacted the BMW Headquarters and am waiting for a reponse.

The truck clearly has a mechanical default, and need to be serviced by them free of charge whether or not the warranty expired. To be continued.... Certainly very disappointed with the BMW service and the truck.

I will never buy or suggest to anyone to buy a BMW and will post as many times as I need to to get the word out that these expensive well manufactured cars are no more reliable than a $12,000 Kia (no offense to those that own a Kia since you can drive your car and I can't drive mine).

Once it reach normal temperature, i turned off the car, started it back up and the transmission was fine. Still i was worried. This was the winter of 2005. Just two weeks ago, i took my car in to the dealership because i heard strange sounds coming from the engine compartment which sounded like grinding and clicking. They said they found nothing wrong with the transmission and racked up a bill of $3000. I asked the dealership to give me a detailed list of the problems they found with the car to decipher what was critical to fix (also, i wanted to get a second opinion from our mechanic). I did not recieve a list upon recieving the car, nor did i recieve the list upon calling them and leaving five messages.

Just this weekend, i had our mechanic take a look at the car, i listed every problem i could remember bmw mentioning. He fixed a couple hoses, changed my breaks, and the next day when I was pulling out of a parking lot, my car jumped and it sounded as if i had hit something. I slammed on the brakes and hopped out of the car, but nothing was there. I got back in the car and drove home.

When i was planning on driving back to Austin from Houston, i placed it in reverse, stepped on the gas but the car did not budge (as if it was still in neutral). However, i could heard what sounded like grinding gears below me, and much louder than before. I'm lucky that i realized it had broken when i did; driving at speeds over 70 miles an hour with a busted transmission can't lead to anything good. That's an accident waiting to happen that BMW didn't help me avoid.

i declined to have the repair done at the time and picked up my vehicle. this past jan. 12th 2007 i took my vehicle to a reputable service center and requested my rear pads and rotors be replaced,and submitted the parts list i was given by schaeffer bmw back in september. when i picked my vehicle up,i was surprised to learn that not only were my rear pads and rotors fine,but there was hardly any wear,and the problem was w/ my front pads and rotors. i also was informed that my fronts were factory! the remarkably loud grinding was gone as well. i took my old pads and rotors back to schaeffer bmw wanting some sort of explanation,as well as compensation. the service tech took measurements of my old front pads,made a copy of my service receipt from the other center,and i was told that Glenn Sharpe would be in touch the following monday.

i also decided at that point to get bmw north america involved just to be safe. well the following monday i was contacted by bmw n.a. and was told that they spoke with glenn sharpe and he claimed that the vehicle now has 8k more miles then it did back in september,and that the after market pads were the cause of my problem,and that they must have loosened up and stopped grinding.i told bmw n.a. that i find that hard to believe being all of this transpired the moment the front pads and rotors were replaced!they informed me that i was over my 50k mile warranty at this time and that my brake sensor light never came on,and that because of all of this schaeffer bmw wasn't going to do a thing.@ this point i had serious doubts as to whether my rears were in fact aftermarket or not,so i returned to the reputable service center to find out.they claim they are indeed factory and should have been covered when i was under the 50k mile warranty. i then went to schaeffer bmw with this new info,and spoke w/ glenn about this,he was very stand offish,and offered to have his people take a third look. a little while later glenn returned and said they were indeed aftermarket,(and that even though it was obvious to me the problem was the fronts the whole time), it still could have been the rears and since i am now over the 50k mile mark we'll never know.

He also made several remarks about me calling bmw n.a.,and him having to answer to them,as well as the fact i bought the vehicle used. i bought this car w/ 36k miles on it,and did not have any brake issues until 49k miles,the service center that ended up fixing the problem could have charged me for the rears as welll and i would have never known the difference.

i found out later that rear pads should last at least 100k miles,and that they wear at half the rate the fronts do. i cannot understand why not only can't bmw diagnose a simple brake issue that was fixed by a non-bmw service center in a matter of 2 hours,but also why can they not even come close to admitting they may have made a mistake. Mr. sharpe also stated to me that no one ever said my problem was with the rear pads and rotors,but that they only implied the rears were aftermarket. that is a flat out lie,i have a service rep. on record stating my problem was my rear pads and rotors,but unfortunately they were not covered by the warranty because they aftermarket.

i am out approximately $400.00 for front pads

The amplifier for the sound system got wet and immediately destroyed everything attached to it. When removed, it had obviously been on fire, but luckily this fire did not spread. Battery also partially submerged. BMW quotes over $2000 to replace convertible top, and over $1000 to replace stereo. I had the top replaced. After it is replaced I notice several scratches in the paint which were not there before. Complementary repair refused. Automatic top no longer worked. Complementary repair refused. New top looks different than old one, I suspect that an aftermarket top used rather than a BMW factory part. New top lasted about 6 months before failing. Complementary repair refused.

To this day I cannot store anything in the trunk that cannot get wet. Trunk lining mildewed. Visible water damage in convertible top stowage tray. During wet conditions, windshield fogs due to water in the car.

During winter I have to scrape frost off the outside and inside of the windshield. 2) Drivers power window failed. This is highly inconvenient since I am in the military and have to frequently show ID to get onto different parts of base. 3) Glove box supports failed, disconnecting from dashboard. Local repair impossible, must replace entire dashboard. 4) Oil drain plug strips almost every time I have the oil changed, requiring the oil pan to be tapped for a new one. Will have to replace oil pan soon. 5) Parts of the suspension mysteriously bent for no apparent reason. Ruined a set of tires in addition to having to replace these components. 6) Vacuum hose in engine catastrophically failed, disintegrating. I have no idea how this could possibly happen. 7) Exhaust started making horrible noises. A piece of the system had fallen off in the pipes, rattling around. Required removal and re-installment of exhaust. Still doesn't sound right, I think there is a leak. 8) Airbag light never goes off, despite being reassured that the system has no faults. 9) Seats are not anchored well. Frequently shift while driving. 10) Sometimes I can't get manual transmission into gear, specifically 1st. 11) Dashboard LEDs failed. Minor problem, but a pain to fix. 12) Recently I have noticed power losses.

It feels like the rev limiter kicks in at 3500 RPM, but RPMs continue to rise. Accelerates like a Geo Metro, no kick at all. Makes passing on the interstate impossible. I am not sure yet if this is a computer or engine problem. This is the most expensive and lowest quality vehicle I have ever owned. I had a Plymouth which lasted to 300k miles with only minor repairs that I could do myself. After that I had a Ford that I sold with 170k miles, running well with only tire and fluid changes, and a gasket here and there.

BMW is a car for those who have the time and money to invest in keeping it road worthy, otherwise you are going to find yourself frustrated.

This is untrue! I know what happened. I'm an outstanding driver and am 100% positive that I did not confuse the brake with the gas pedal, as they suggest. In addition, I had a passenger in the car with me who can attest to the fact that the vehicle jolted forward from a complete stop. BMW will not take responsibility and the matter is deadlocked. I am now working with the dealer, as I am stuck with a leased vehicle that I am afraid to drive.

Fortunately no one was hurt as a result of this incident. However, the vehicle has been at the dealership for almost a month. It has frame damage and other cosmetic damage totaling an initial estimate of $3,600 to repair. I am out approximately $7,000 counting the money due at signing and the payments I've made on the lease. While the matter is still pending a possible work-out with the dealer, BMW North America's positon of non-responsibility is apauling.

On another occasion I turned on the car and the mileage on the screen displayed 999999999. I have advised the BMW of North America of this issue and have it documented as well. While I can continue to list the endless problems, failures and violation on behalf of the BMW of North America that seems redundant. I have obtained all documentation in support of my claim. The ongoing problems with this vehicle constantly forced me to take time off my busy schedule and bring the car for service. I have notified the employees of the BMW service that this vehicle is unacceptable and needs to be replaced. However, time and time again I was assured that everything would be fixed. Nonetheless, I would be back at the dealership service station the following month with the same problem. This run-around has caused me not only severe inconvenience, but significant monetary losses. I am self employed and each day that I had to spend trying to get this vehicle repaired meant significant monetary loss for my business. Now, to my great surprise and disappointment, after all of the problems that I've endured and time wasted, the BMW of North America sends me a bill for excessive mileage?!

Forgive my frustrations, but this seems absurd. Instead of BMW replacing the poorly constructed vehicle when they first learned of the problem, I was forced to keep the vehicle. Upon the request of the dealership I did not contact the Lemon Law attorneys previously, nor did I report this problem to public factor and consumer affairs. However, at this point I feel that I personally cannot this issue with the BMW of North America. Thus, I turn to you for help. I feel that BMW of North America and Open Road BMW specifically, have bluntly defrauded me from obtaining proper services and appropriate resolution to this issue.

The staff at the dealership kept reassuring me that everything will be resolved in my best interest and now, after speaking with a Lemon Law attorney, I learn that this was just a clever scam on behalf of the dealership to get me to return the vehicle. As it turns out, in the state of New Jersey (where the vehicle was leased from) Lemon Law states that the vehicle must be in my possession in order for me to file a claim. It is now clear to me why the dealership is not responding to any of my phone calls or letters, as they were so eager to do while I still had the vehicle in my possession. I have sent numerous letters and made numerous phone calls to Open Road BMW, their branch manger David Branch, BMW Financial Services, all with no response. I turn to you for help, as I feel that the fees I am presently being charged with are unfair and fraudulent.

This vehicle was clearly a LEMON. The approach taken by the dealership further shows disregard for NJ State lemon law. The dealership was aware that this vehicle needed to be replaced, yet they did everything in their power to stop me from doing so.

Loss of time at work, frustrated, feel unsafe on the road not to mention the thousands of dollars out of pocket.

I urgently need a new car! I have been renting cars on the weekend and I will need to take the bus and metro to work. Not only is BMW not willing to replace the transmission at any discount, they are not offering any special trade in beyond a lease at a fair market value. It is clear from this website alone that BMW has issues with its transmissions, which the BMW dealers and BMWNA should be willing to fix for free in the ultimate driving machine. Perhaps they should change the slogan to the ultimate forward driving machine. What is SO infuriating is that there is clearly a problem, but that the sales staff act as if this is a rare and infrequent occurence when this seems like a BMW-specific issue. How many BMW owners are there out there who have had this problem, but have not bothered to write in?

It needs fixing...they quoted $900.00

$4000-$5000 to replace the transmission.

My damn engine light just came on again with the check filter cap light, and gues what when I called BMW about the check filter cap light because it was not in the instruction manual they had no idea what the check filter cap light even was. The mechanic said he had never heard or seen that before. This is a mechanic from Murrary Motors BMW in Denver Colorado.

I now have a BMW which costs me $44,980.52 with the dye wearing off the seats after only 3,198 miles. What are they going to look like after 20,000 miles? This has got to affect the resale value of the vehicle.

The biggest propblem for me right now is the fact I dont have insurance coverage. My policy was up for renewal a week prior and had not had the chance to renew. This was my only means of transportaion as well. I cant imagine what would happen if this car was parked in someones garage. Im very fortunate I was not injured. This very well could happen to other cars like mine. I really need help with matter and would very much appreciate some advice.

I made a complaint to BMW of North America by phone and the response was that the regional rep , Neil Ashton, had the final say and there was nothing that could be done to correct the seat problem. I have owned 5 new 325 BMW's since 1994. I have never had a problem with the seats or felt they were uncomfortable. I now own a 2004 325i and the new 2006 325i. Due to the back pain caused by the seat problem in the 2006, I am unable to drive the car and have to drive my 2004. In addition, on 8/7/2004, I requested a written decision by BMW of NA and BMW of Chattanooga but have not received as yet. I have called the General Manager of BMW of Chattanooga and left messages for him to call but he will not return my calls. I have purchased 4 of the 5 BMW's that I have owned from BMW of Chattanooga. I have been a loyal BMW customer but apparently BMW will not stand by the car warranty so I will never purchase another BMW. I now have a 2006 325i sedan that I cannot drive longer than an hour without having significant low back pain.

I've personally paid $3,500 for repairs while other failures have been covered under warranty -- still costing me time away from work. With time factored in, I've probably paid 25% more for the car relative to the original purchase price. Biggest issue...the dealership where I have it repaired tells me that I've been very fortunate with my car's problems -- there seems to be no concern and no apology for a number of engineering defects on this automobile. I won't pay a premium to own another BMW. They are just another troublesome car.

I have had to replace 3 of the 4 window regulators, which I am seeing that this is normal for this car. I have had to replace the front control arms and all the lights in this car. I bought a BMW thinking that this was a car of superior production and that having a 2001 model that these issues should not be happening. I also have issues with my A/c that no one can seem to figure out as well.

Having known all the money and heartache associated with this supposed ultimate driving machine, I would have walked on to the Toyota dealership or Honda or another automaker.

Neither my wife or infant daughter were injured, but all of us -- and passersby -- were shocked by the unexpected deployment. I was hit in the left arm by the airbag and bruised when the airbag flung my arm and watch into my body. I took the car in for service and did not think of the problem further at this point.

Later, the unexpected airbag deployment prompted me to contact BMW of North America who logged my problem and indicated that someone from BMW would contact me to investigate the matter. Within 48 hours, Derek of BMW of North America contacted me to understand the problem. I indicated that the spontanious airbag problem was a safety-related concern. Derek/BMW requested the technician to send him the airbag, sensor, and control unit for investigation/analysis.

My car was repaired, and the BMW diagnostic software showed that the system was not throwing a fault code. Derek/BMW contacted the technician and indicated that based on the system's current performance he could return the car to me. When the technician started the vehicle, however, the driver's side airbag deployed once again on him!

The technician contacted Derek/BMW and informed him of the 2nd airbag deployment. Derek/BMW indicate to me that BMW would fly an engineer from New Jersey to Illinois to inspect the vehicle. April 20, 2006: I learned from the technician that the BMW engineer had inspected the vehicle over two days on April 18 and 19 but did not indicate the source of the problem to the technician or how to resolve it. BMW instructed the technician to leave the vehicle alone and await further information after they reviewed their findings.

April 26, 2006: Between April 21 and April 26, I have contacted BMW/Derek several times and requested information or status on the vehicle, indicating that I would like to resolve this safety-related concern quickly and amicably so that I could receive my vehicle back in proper working order without fear of future, possibly dangerous airbag detonations. As of today, I do not know the condition of my vehicle and whether or not it is repairable. BMW/Derek has maintained contact with me, but has indicated only that the enginers have not concluded their analysis.

Having to pay $200 a pop to have windows fixed. Ruined tint on one window; when it broke it scratched the tint up.

So much inconvenience taking car to the dealer regularly. And also I could not sell the car with so many problems, my conscious won't allow. Economic loss on this car is roughly $26000 which is not obviously performing as such.

$8300 in damage on my car and it's still in the shop. I have contacted BMW at least 3 times + my service requests before the accident. BMW could care less. They said they were sorry and to give them my VIN # etc. I have never heard from them since and I have emailed them twice more after this response. At this point I have a car when it comes out of repair from the accident that still has defective air bags and BMW has no interest in fixing the problem.

Unfortunately, at 145,000 miles, my 328-now needs an entire new ignition system at the cost of close to $800. Compared to my other (less "ultimate") cars and trucks, many of which have much more mileage, I feel this displays a defect in new BMW ignition design that I had not seen with my other BMWs or any other vehicle that I have owned. I request if you want my continued support (I am waiting for the 2006 coupe to become available), that you repair this at no cost to me.

The warranty expired and I still have problems with the vehicle, now I am expected to pay amounts over $600 for repairs that they could not find from the beginning which would have been covered by the warranty. This vehicle has been one big problem from the time of purchase affecting me in time spent from work to constantly take it in for repairs. As of today January 18, 2006 the vibration of the steering wheel is getting worse and worse.

BMW was supposed to send an investigator from the corporate office in New Jersey to inspect the vehicle to try and determine the cause of the fire. I was told that would take 48 hours. I informed the rep. from New Jersey and the service manager at the dealership that my insurance company and I wanted to be present at the inspection. Keep in mind that all this happened on Dec. 1 ,05. After several phone calls and 2 weeks later I was told that the rep would be at the dealership on the 14th. I was assured that I would be called when he arrived.

On Monday the 19th I received a phone call from the service manager at VOB and he informed me that the inspector had been there on Friday the 16th. Of course I was not present and neither was my insurance company. In short BMW was unable to determine the cause of the fire. It should be noted that the inspector had no fire training and that the car was never taken apart. (Big surprise no cause could be found) So BMW won't do anything because it's not their responsibility. To add insult to injury they want the loaner car back and now the insurance company doesn't want to pay without proof that it wasn't a manufacturer's defect. Now we're out $40,000.00 and no car.

The car despite its elegant lines and performance of a Ferrari has a fatal flaw. I have had cars in the past with issues, like blowing the tranni on a 911, or blowing up the rear end of my Corvette. Never, and I say never have I encountered a problem like I did with this M5. I hate to say this but its “The Ultimate money guzzling machine.” I was not aware of the Vanos issues this car has.

If you search for Vanos failure or oil leaks it will really surprise you. This is a serious problem that BMW refuses to recognize on their prize gem. They don’t want to admit that their precious baby has a fatal recurring flaw. I would understand if this was a freak occurrence, but ITS NOT. Not just the research but also certain BMW mechanics no longer under the yolk of BMW have attested to this. I have seen 100’s of examples of the Vanos failure on the E39 M5. If it hasn’t happened to you, just wait. Whether it was under warranty at 10,000 miles or at 70,000 miles like mine. There is no excuse for a $10,000 repair not related to replacing the engine for a car of this statute.

I know damn well the E55 does not have any kind of Vanos issues. They have had their problems, but as I can see their cars runs much better then BMW. The problem is the beauty and sophistication of this engine. I hate to say it, but I miss my meat and potatoes days. My old 96 vette with the Lt4 engine may have been a simple 350, but they just seem more reliable. My hat is off to the ridiculous efforts of the Motor ports guys for taking an F1 engine and throwing it in a sedan. They forget one important rule when doing this. The engine’s roots come from a million dollar car designed to run the 24 Le-mans not everyday driving.

A perfect example is the issue with the new E60’s Vanos line failure. The car is brand new and is already having problems. BMW is becoming a Mercedes in their pursuit for all automatic cars. SMG, AMG is there really a difference? Its sad really, The Ultimate driving machine is no longer there. I said it once and I will say it again, not letting some computer assisted squirrel sequential transmission do all the driving. Therefore BMW becomes no better then a Mercedes.

I can’t imagine what the cost will be in 6 years when the warranty is up on that silly intricate 7-speed tranni. I bet people will be selling their second cars to pay for the SMG.

Then the looks are another story. If the majority of the community has to adjust to the E60, then something is wrong. I am sure as hell not going to buy a car for a 100 grand and have to adjust to its looks. Whether or not its mechanics are beyond perfect is not the issue. What good is driving fast if you can’t look good doing it?

Compare the CL 55 to the E60 on looks and even performance and the Mercedes walks away with the Cover of Sports Illustrated. I have said my peace on this already. I am getting off track. That’s another story, but kind of related. Furthermore, the integrity of the E39 is at risk. Now that it is 2006 those M5’s that are not garage queens are easing closer to the 100,000 mark. Now things are becoming quite apparent on the longevity of the S62 engine.

I remember when the E34 and E28 cars could run into the 300,000-mile range, some on the original clutch if you can believe this. If your car has 150,000 miles consider yourself a good driver and really lucky, but for the most part there are too many of these Vanos failures to just let slip through the cracks. Remember there is a handful of these cars on the planet, and I believe more than 60% of them have Vanos issues. Not to mention the annoying clutch that is as weak as a 525i, actually same clutch. How can that be? I am not going to even touch on Carbon Build up and the severity of the cost.

Car hesitates bad at 3,000 rpms and at other speeds. Transmission vibrates at low speed. Car leaks wind and rain. This all happened under 16,000k miles. The car stalled after toll on I-95 in NJ while I was in left lane with traffic cruising at 65Mph. Almost got into very bad accidents with cars behind. Road side assistance told me they can pickup car and bring it to local Bmw Dealer in Nj but we had to get our own ride from there. I live in eastern Long Island.

This car has had more problems and been in the shop more then all my cars together that i have ever owned. Bmw cars are not what they are advertised and belived to be. I will never buy another Bmw, same with any and all of my friends and family. Bmw does not help in any way. They dont want to face it that this car is a lemon. I have no other choice but to take further action.

Took vehicle home and had same problem plus vehicle started hesitating when accelerator was engaged. Car would then lunge forward throwing myself and passengers back into seats. Warning light came on a few days later saying transmission was slipping and to take it to a dealer. Before I could get it to the dealership, another warning light came on saying transmission problem, "drive with caution". I decided at that point the car was unsafe to drive to the dealership and had it towed instead. Tow truck driver could not get car to go into drive or reverse.

Ironically, this tow truck driver told me he had the same exact problem with his BMW which was a 2000 model. I have had this car 59 days and was told it needs a new transmission. I have about 2000 miles on the vehicle. It had 70 miles on it when I purchased it. I questioned the sales manager about this when I received the car and he explained that this was not unusual. I have complained about this problem to the dealership, customer service survey team, customer service in New Jersey. And I requested to talk to a field rep. I was told that the field reps don't speak to customers. How's that for service?

I no longer want this vehicle as I am concerned that the transmission may fail me again and cause a safty issue. I voiced these very same concerns to all of the above as I seriously felt that a passenger could get hurt trying to exit the vehicle. I am also concerned that I will have to disclose the transmission problem when I go to resell the vehicle, drastically reducing the value. I have requested a replacement vehicle (less the mileage) So far this request has been denied. I also requested that the dealership NOT replace the transmission until I know what my rights are.

I drink a lot of water and I had finished the water, there was approximately 1/4" of water in the bottle and I threw it onto the back seat. After the visit that lasted around 1 to 2 hours my daughter noticed the car smoking and ran to the back. She immediately picked up the bottle and underneath was a depression in the seat that was smoking very extensively.

As we picked up the bottle, flames engulfed the seat. My husband brought the car to BMW in Ramsey and three service mechanics looked at the car. Our question was, "has there been any recalls of any convertibles on BMW's starting up on fire in the heat with any kinds of bottles laying on the back seat?" Their answer was that they had "never seen anything like it." They had no answers for us, but said do get in touch with your insurance company because the seat is going to cost you $1,500.00. (on top of the $64,000 we just paid for the vehicle.)

Our answer was that the water bottle acted like a magnifying glass and set the leather seat on fire; which tells me that the leather seats are combustible at certain temperatures. I then brought it to BMW in Woodcliff Lake to Mr. Brian Babcock and told him of the situation. He said he would get back to us. He wrote us a letter and his response was - I will give you a few quotes - "Since the damage to your seat appears to have been caused by an outside source and is not a defect in material or workmanship the repair cannot be covered by your new vehicle warranty."

My question is, Is this a safe vehicle to drive? What if you're stuck in traffic or at the beach? And if it is the case to keep water out of the back seat then their should be a warning telling you that fires could be a hazard if left with the convertible top down. If there is any help you can give me, I would appreciate it.

For now I am left with a 5 month old $64,000 car with a burnt up back seat that BMW is telling me they are not responsible for. If I knew the sun would do such damage I wouldn't have gotten a convertible, actually to tell you the truth, I will change my brand of cars!

The sun is very hot, Ellen. Also, leather, cloth and other materials used in upholstery will burn if they get hot enough (as will just about everything else). The lesson to be learned from this is that nothing should be left on the seats of a car, convertible or otherwise, that's parked in bright sunlight. We agree with the BMW dealer that Ellen should contact her insurance company.

Service Manager said that BMW would do nothing because of being out of warranty. I complained and asked for regional service manager ... never responded. Sent letter to BMW and no response. Guess what, now at 86K miles transmission #3 is starting to act like the previous two lemons. The car is low miles and treated like a princess even though 10 years old. At a price of $63K I expected to own a masterpiece that would be trouble-free; instead I got a lemon drive-train and cold shoulder from BMW. After 5 new Bimmers you would expect a little support from those who propound to manufacture "the ultimate driving machine".

High-performance cars are expensive to maintain. If that prospect is daunting to him, Nathaniel should get rid of the BMW and buy a Honda, Toyota or something similar.

It would seem to me that a $75,000. automobile owner deserves a little more than a politically correct answer. As I told BMW in my e-mail, Hyundai offers a 10 year, 100,000 mile warranty on a vehicle costing about one-fourth what the 740il does.

Other problems: both driver and passenger side window motors needed to be replaced as well as the stereo, and the thermostat and housing and the power steering line. Is this normal? The service managers tell me yes it is and basically every BMW needs these type repairs. I am not rich and work hard for my money. I saved for months so I could have a down payment to buy myself this car and the disappointment with the performance of "THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE" makes me so upset and frustrated that i feel sick. No one can help me and i get the runaround from BMW of North America as well as the dealerships.

First I was two turns from getting on to Rt. 21 when this happened. And I am literally afraid to drive -- as I turn the vehicle the feeling that my steering will feel haunts me.

Based on my experience I believe there is a defect in the operation of the 2000 323i power windows. My hope is that I can get out of the second 2000 323i without too much of a financial strain and find another make and model that is more reliable.

We took the vehicle to BMW and were provided a loaner vehicle to use until a decision was made about what would be done. Our vehicle has 52,500 miles on it (2,500 miles past the 50,000 mile warranty). Apparently, the 50,000 mile warranty includes the 13,000 miles which were already on the vehicle when we purchased it. As a result, the factory has stated that the factory defect on the vehicle is actually our responsibility and has offered to pay half of the $4,600 repair in what they referred to as a "good faith" offer. We should not be responsible to pay $2,300 to repair a factory defect and be forced to continue paying on a vehicle whose floor pan will have been weakened by cutting and welding.

In typical arrogant BMW fashion, they blew me off as usual. I contacted the BMW executive line and was promised the world and that they would call me back with a solution. Of course they never called. Then a service manager had the gall, or ignorance, to call me and recommend a $600 tune-up and inspection even though the car has only 45,000 miles. After I told this idiot this he added, "Well sir, I get paid to sell parts." Now I know that BMW stands for "big money wasted."

After many phone calls it turns out that BMW and Motorola made a phone switch and I recievd one of the last cars with the old phone harness but there are no longer any old phone available and I would have to wait for the new wire harness. I have contacted BMW's Custoer Service Hotline, I called the BMW headquarters and spoke to several people, I even asked to speak to the President and CEO who as you can quess was not available.

The result of this I am unable to use any of the communication systems whih was the big selling feature on this vechical. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

So much for customer service, they have done and said nothing. I have faxed over pages and pages of service history done on the vehicle and they keep telling me that they will get back to me. They don't seem to know what the problem is and don't seem to care either. I don't know when I will get the car back from service, but I do know that I want my deposit back and I do want to be credited my car payments for all the times the car has been in the shop. I am not paying $1300 a month for a rent a car. I am at my wits end and don't know how or who to complain to anymore, I want this problem resolved.

I drive clients around and have not been able to do that, because they give you a rinky-dink rental. I am afraid to travel long distance in fear that the vehicle will stall on me at anytime, the warning lights are constantly going off. Just stressed out by not getting any answers or even some compasion from BMW relations.

The car is disabled and the engine ruined. This is a very expensive repair and has left me without the use of my car for a lengthy time.

My payments are 547.00 per month. I have problems with the wiondow rattle, total computer went out on me..had to be towed, etc. Nothing compared to what I soon found out!

This last Nov. I took my daughter to buy a Dodge through some friends that I have worked with. I asked the used car manager to " appraise" my car as well. He proceeded to ask me if I had been in an accident? When I said NO, the car I had only had for about 9 months or so. He showed me where the car had been totally "RE-PAINTED" about 3/4 of the way. He showed me where there was "bondo" bubbles in one of the fenders.

The car is silver and it is hard to match. He showed me where there was "over-spray"...and told me my car was virtually worth about $13,000, then take $2,000 away for smog and saftey and then however much to paint the "WHOLE" car about $3500.00, making my car worth about $8-10,000. I paid almost 30,000, and still owe 26,000.

I called the dealership IMMEDIATLY and went there by myself to meet with the manager in sales.
After I got there, I was met by "Sam Chaalan, Service Director" who led me into his office after checking the car.

He let me know "he understood how upset I was", please wait til Monday and come back and he will "get me out of the car". I asked for this in writing and he refused so, I refused to leave with the car, so he called the sales manager. He basically told me, he could do nothing, but sell me a NEW car. I told him, after the down $ on this one , and all the payments I can not afford to buy another car from them!

I then asked to speak with the General Manager and was met with Mr. Chip Irwin. He and MR. Chaalan left the office to once again look at the car, I could see them through Service dept. camera's. (not much checking of the car), plus I was told to stay put!

By this time, I was crying alot out of frustration. They came back to the office I was in and Mr. Iriwn, shrugged his shoulders and said it was not "that bad!". I said to him it is not that bad, it is not his car he paid all this $$$ for. We went back and forth about the value being nothing to what I paid, how it is supposed to hold value due to the car being a BMW! I asked to please take the car back and I would walk away. I did not ask for any $ back, just get the car back, let me please walk away. He was cold, condescending, and smirked at the request. He flat out refused to help.

So, I reqested the owners name, he replied " I REPRESENT THE OWNER". I once again asked for the owners name, he refused it.
I told him, i would be contacting an Atty., the DMV, and anyone else to get this matter resloved. I told him I felt they mis-represented the car to me and my husband.

He told me "this conversation is over!". So I left.

As i got into my car...i turned to get in, and Mr,. Irwin and Mr. Chaalan were walking out of the office. Mr Irwin was actually laughing! I was totally appalled.
I then contacted BMW of North America, stated my complaint and got the name of the Owner Mr. Damon Shelly. (located at Long Beach Mercedes and Irvine BMW)

Afer 4 messages left for Mr. Shelly he finally returned our calls. He reqeusted we once again meet with Mr. Chaalan and his General Manager of the Body shop on the following Monday. I agreed. This time, my husband took the day off.

Prior to this meeting I took the car to another reputable BMW Dealer here in Orange County. I had the Used Car manager there appraise my car! (plus got a body est. of $3500.00 to repaint whole car from a body shop)...he proceeded to look at the car with a "paint diameter" tester and told me BMW paint should be between 3.5 and 4.0 in diameter. The hood of my car was 13.0! Right side was 12.0 and the rest was anywhere from 8.0 to the left side which was actually (driver door) 4.0.

That is sick! He showed me where the hood had been re-aligned and was not lined up correctly, that there was possible "under carriage" damage.

They told me a BMW dealer should have never sold this car retail, it should have been wholsesaled, because of the condition. He gave me a written estimate of about the same as the Dodge dealer. I have both written estimates.

That Monday we went to our meeting. The GM of Body shop did the same test,and some results were the same. I will imagine they will not be the EXACT same, might cost them.

At this time, Mr. Irwin, came into the picture ( I had requested to NEVER meet with him again after the way I was treated!), and introduced himself to my husband.

My husband said to him "Yes, I heard how you treated me wife", GM could not say alot..my husband also told him "and you refused to give her the Owner's name", Mr. Iriwn stood there and lied until I quoted him VERBATIM, what he said, and then he changed it to "ohhhhh I thought you meant the owner of the car". We both told him he was lying he knew whose name I wanted.

After once again "checking out" the acr, the 3 Manager's went to an offcie to decide what should be done...
They called my husband and I in and the GM Mr. Irwin inform uys they were not taking the car back that was HIS FINAL decision!
My husband said, that is it? He and yes and we left.

I have since written 1 letter to the owner about disappointed I was and how badly we were treated, and recieved a letter form Mr. Irwin that ended with a very strong THREAT to me.

I doi have any atty. and the process in in place....I want to let any and all know what a horrible place this has been to do business.

I was in the car bus. for 14 years and have recommended alot of dealership's and helped people buy cars for years, my husband works for the OC Sheriff's Dept, and I have helped at least 100 or so form there.....NEVER would I recommend this place, and word of mouth says alot in this business!!!!

My car is in the dealer waiting for investigation. BMW is denying malfunction. I suffered bruises and cuts on my left arm and my left thigh. My back hurts and I am scared to drive.

However, over the past six months, I have noticed that the paint has begun to fade and peel in certain spots. I've consulted two auto detailing experts about this problem, and both of them have said that this is an unusual problem with a BMW and indicates a flaw in the original paint job. They suggested that I take the car back to BMW and request that BMW repair the damage.

I took my car to the Stevens Creek BMW dealership in Santa Clara, CA, because that is where I have my car serviced. The customer service manager recognized that there was a problem with the paint, and asked the detail manager to try to buff out the blemished paint. That technique proved ineffective, so they said that they would have to have a BMW Corporate manager look at the car to get special permission to repair the paint damage. The BMW Corporate manager denied the request, saying that the car was out-of-warranty and over mileage and that the problem was mine to deal with. To add insult to injury, they scratched my existing paint finish as they were trying to buff out the damaged paint. They have so far been unresponsive to my requests for remediation.

I am furious! The reason I bought a BMW was to get a car that would hold up well over time. I wanted a car that I could keep for 10+ years and that would hold its value. Instead, I ended up with a car that's no better than a Chevrolet. Had I known that, I would have saved myself the money and just bought the Chevy. For a company that claims to be so customer service oriented, I am very disappointed by BMW's unwillingness to correct a flaw in the original paint job. Now, I am stuck with an expensive car that isn't worth a dime unless I spring for an expensive new paint job. I am so angry! They have lost a customer. Not only will I never purchase a BMW again, I will also never recommend BMW again to my family or friends.

The Z3 was a rolling lemon. I owned this car for a year and had only 3000 miles on it because every time I drove it it ended up in the shop. I finally went to the dealer, Leith BMW in Raleigh, NC and asked they do something about the car. They insisted that I pay $5000.00 on the existing loan in order to get a new car. I felt they should have replaced the car, but to no avail. BMW representatives were unprofessional, rude and obnoxious and not willing to back up their product. I was very surprised to see a lot full of the same year Z3 that had been traded or turned in.

I finally traded the car for a Mercedes, but the problem is this, we recently went for a refinance on our home and were turned down for this loan because BMW says we are past due 3 months payments on the Z3 and have been late several times on one or the other car. They are also saying we have not paid property tax on the Z3, which BMW is responsible for paying. First, we do not own the Z3 anymore, and have not had the car for 4 months. We contacted BMW and the representative says we do own the car and said we would have to prove that we do not own the car anymore in order to fix the credit problem regarding the Z3 as well as the misapplied payments during the past 3 years.

When we were having the problem with BMW misapplying payments, we furnished them with cancelled checks, received an apology and were told this would not affect our credit. It has. What a mess. We cannot get the loan through until we get this straight and it looks like we will have to get an attorney in order to do so. I am very disappointed in the way BMW has chosen to handle this situation, we have done nothing wrong.

The sales manager inspected the car and asked me if the car had ever been wrecked or repainted. I stated that the car had never been wrecked, but that it had been repainted. He stated that the car was worthless and that BMW would not buy back the car. I asked how if a BMW shop repaired the vehicle that BMW considered the car to be worthless. "You are telling me that your bodyshop does shoddy work?" I asked. He shot back "I never said that!" and then demanded that I leave.