BMW

BMW • Airbags • "Certified, pre-owned" BMWs • Cooling fan failure • Flaming seats • Flooded trunk • Paint problems • Steering failure • Transmission problems • Warranties • BMW Financial Services • Miscellaneous problems • 740 Series • 740 cell phones --- News • Transmission Failures Plague BMW Owners • New BMW to Burn Hydrogen and Gasoline • Gay Automotive Website Takes on BMW

Big Money Wasted? We think that's going a little far. The BMW is a great car -- if you like high-strung racing cars in street garb. Unfortunately, lots of everyday consumers buy these things thinking that because they're expensive, they must be reliable and trouble-free, which is about as far from the truth as Stuttgart is from Santa Monica.

All cars require maintenance and high-performance cars require lots and lots of very expensive routine maintenance. Also they're notorious for being afflicted with all kinds of exotic problems. If you're really into cars, understand them and are willing to lavish time, money and attention on one, the BMW may be for you. If you're looking to raise your self-esteem by buying something really expensive, we recommend real estate.

A few of the more recent complaints ...

Tony of Sacramento CA (06/30/08)
I bought a 2000 323I about two years ago, I have replaced the rear window regulator, the expansion water tank, the radiator, the water pump, and now the latest problem is that the right blinker just keeps on blinking. I took it to the dealer and it's going to cost me another 300 dollars to fix this. This is ridiculous, i have pontiac fiero with 250K miles and neve had this types of problems...Never again BMW..

Kevin of Jacksonville FL (06/26/08)
i have replace 8 windows regulator on my 2001 325i. and now the ac fan is not working, I have to get a blower motor, and the gas cap need to replace due to the senser problem, check engine lights up. signal light head light bulb need replace 2 times every year maybe more. windshield wiper you can only get it from bmw part store, or order online. my 97 toyota never has those problems. I hate my bmw.

Katrine of Lake St. Louis MO (06/20/08)
BMW Owner's BEWARE! I drive a 2004 BMW 330CIcM and LOVE my car.... until this past Monday night. I was leaving work at 3:30 (on a hot afternoon)... unlocked my trunk and put in my laptop... unlocked the driver's door... got in... closed the door... put my key in the ignition turned the key to start my car the doors locked. NOTHING HAPPENED! I pushed the clutch all the way to the floor (althoughcome on!!! - I know how to start my car!) tried in neutral tried in 1st gear STILL NOTHING. So now I'm getting really hot so I go to open my door so I can get out. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! My key-fob won't unlock my doors my unlock button won't unlock my doors! I can't roll down my windows - now I'm really HOT and starting to panic. I crawled to the back seat thinking I can pull down the back seats and use the emergency release in my trunk to get out! That wasn't happening either! I called my BMW dealer thinking, certainly there's an over-ride on the locks that they know about. I spoke to someone in service who stepped me thru everything I had already done. He told me he had no clue and instructed me to call Roadside Assistance. They told me to call 911!!! I immediately called my husband (who is 28 miles away!) and told him I was in trouble asking him to hurry up and get to me with his key to my car (I'm thinking my key-fob went dead). I then called 911. As I was explaining to the man on the other end of the phone my situation and where I was my phone went dead!!!!! Okay I'm still trying to remain calm and in control. I calmly got my charger out of the glove box and plugged it in! NOTHING! Now I'm starting to panic. The police arrived in about 5 minutes (by now I'm in the car at least 20 minutes). He tried to use the jimmy to unlock my car. Each time he'd get the lock up the car would automatically lock itself again (sound like a Stephen King film!!!?). Now he's on the phone calling the fire department. Using a crowbar they had me pass them my valet key thinking they could unlock the door from the outside - WRONG! The fire department gets the lock up far enough so I can possibly try to pull it up. First off, at this point I am so hot and sweaty I can't grab anything! Using a napkin I grab a hold of the lock and pull with all my might - WOULD NOT BUDGE! Now the police and firemen are on the cell phone calling my husband to see how close he is - - of course it's now close to 4:15 and he's stuck in traffic! At this point I am beyond hot and starting to have trouble breathing! They called my husband again to let him know I'm getting distressed (that's putting it mildly!) and they might have to break a window while they continue to look through books they have trying to figure out how to get me out. My husband tells them to do whatever is necessary - just get me out. Before breaking the window they had me pop the hood. One of the guys pulled a cable from the positive side of my battery which did a quick reset and immediately one of the policemen yanked open my door right before it relocked itself! Once my husband got to me we found out that not even his key worked!!! My husband and I had the car towed in the next day to the dealer only to find out that my battery failed which put my car into some sort of valet mode - thinking someone was trying to steal it so there was no access to the car whatsoever. I asked the dealer shouldn't I get a warning indication that my battery is low - they're response was not necessarily - especially if a cell goes bad!!! I have done some research on the web and found others have experienced the same problem. This feature of BMW's is not even close to a safety feature! God forbid my car was on fire or I was sinking in water! I've watched all the What To Do In The Case Of shows and thought I knew how to get out of my car only to find I can't! BMW needs to own up to this problem and FIX IT before it causes someone's death unnecessarily! In the meantime I am going to order a Life Hammer so it's in my car. You can find them on-line.

Gregg of Monroe LA (06/19/08)
When we purchased our preowned 2004 325i,it was still under the original factory warranty, and, were told that the previous owner had also put an extended warranty on the car that would cover everything except tires.When our car needed brake pads, we made an appointment to have them installed. When we went to pick up the car, we were shocked to recieve a bill. Because we were both told at the time we purchased the BMW that the extended warranty would cover all except tires. Had we known at the time we purchased the car that we did not have warranty plan that would cover repairs, we would have gladly purchased the correct one ourselves. We tried to talk with both the salesman and the service manager, Dewayne, but got nowhere. During a one year period, our family purchased 3 vehicles from Hixon's. Another BMW 325i and a Ford F150. Today, my mother took her BMW into have the oil changed. At the time she purchased her BMW, we were also told she had the warrany that would cover repairs. Today, she took her BMW into Hixson's for an oil change and was told she needed to buy the warranty that would cover repairs, because she would need brake pads soon and that without the extended warrantly, it would cost her $900,.00. She called us and said, the same thing has happened to me. What should I do? I'm sure that this will also probably get us no where but I can assure you that we had owned Mercedes,Cadillacs,and Toyotas in the past and we have NEVER been missinformed about warranties. Obviously those companies want return customers. We have sent many customers to Hixson's but if this is the way they do business and represent BMW, we will never do business there again, nor send other friends and family to them.

Jennifer of Dallas TX (06/17/08)
I purchased a BMW in the certified used BMW dept. I had multiple problems with this vehicle. The vehicle broke down a total of 13 times in one year and had to be towed. Five of those 13 times if was due to the same gas problem. For some reason the vehicle would register it had a half a tank but would suddenly run out of gas. This would leave me stranded in dangerous situations. Finally, one of their mechanics admitted he had broken the fuel pump and sent all the pieces up into my fuel line thus clogging the system. I found this out after Mortiz and BMW of North Texas both assured me they had already checked the fuel lines. The last time the vehicle broke down I was almost hit by a semi. The vehicle also had a fault battery, brak issues, smoking cigarette lighter, etc etc. I was so disgusted and felt so bad selling this rotten vehicle to someone else I ruined my credit and allowed it to go back. I have had an attorney talking to Mortiz/BMW but we have not filed suit yet. I do plan on contacting another attorney to actually file a suit. This is wrong and BMW should not promote these vehicles!!

Elizabeth of Seattle WA (06/10/08)
I purchased a 2000 323i in the fall of 2000. At 25,000 miles, and just over 5 years, I had to have the brakes repaired. Warranty had just expired. In January,2007, I had to have the window regulator replaced. I just read that this is also a recurring problem on this model. And, here's the BIG problem. My car now has 33,350 miles and suddenly the transmission blew the reverse gear. Like so many other people are claiming. The BMW dealer denies there is a problem with this model, even though there are many consumer complaints to the contrary. Neither the dealership in Seattle or North American office has been of any help. Essentially, because the warranty has expired, it is just too bad. So what is one to do, put in another transmission that is likely to do the same thing? 33,350 miles on a luxury car and no support from BMW.

Edward of Alexandria VA (06/02/08)
I am suprised at how so many people complain about all the bad things about BMWs and about the dealership yet no one seems to take any action. I know that some European cars like Fiat and Renault are not sold here anymore because of how bad the products were why can't we do the same to BMW?

John of Fairfield CA (05/27/08)
I own three (3) BMW's I have owned five (5) altogether. I have a 2000 BMW 740i with the M package. In August of 2007 I purchased a new battery for the car, you can only use a BMW battery because they are the only kind that fit in the battery compartment. I payed over $200 for the new battery, eight (8) months later the battery is dead, so I get it jumped, take it to Roseville BMW and they charge it up. I bring it home after spending over $2000 for the 100,000 mile maintenance. The battery went dead again, I called BMW Roseville and was told the reason it went dead was because I didn't drive the car enough and that I would need to put it on a trickle charger at night to keep it powered up, I thought that was a load of hogwash so I called BMW North America and the cheerful young man on the other end told me yes they were right I didn't drive it enough and would need a trickle charger, this made me laugh, I was not just born yesterday, so I took the battery down to my local Firestone dealer to have it charged,( the battery didn't have to be charged by BMW only), they put it on their charger for 18 hours and it still registered dead, they say it is a bad battery and won't hold a charge.I am trying to get BMW to cover their faulty battery and replace it but so far no luck. I have been a loyal BMW owner for many years now but I am considering going elswhere for my next car, Audi's are looking pretty good right now.

Charleen of Alexandria LA (05/22/08)
The door system on the passenger door has failed completely. There is no way to open the door. There isn't a manual key hole to unlock the door and none of the provided systems work. This is a safety issue. And there needs to be a national recall and investigation. BMW denies any known problems, however, there are internet postings relating to doors being jammed, etc..

Regina of Hilliard OH (05/14/08)
i have a 2004 bmw x3 i leased new and have had considerable although non-harmful problems with the car since i've had it. six months into the lease i started having trouble with the sun roof and today 5-14-08 picked it up from the shop after 9 different attempts to fix it. Other problems have been broken cup holders to battery trouble. I expressed how unhappy i am to the service manager and was told legally theres nothing i can do and deal with it. although it may be an pain for me to bring it in to the shop i have no legal grounds to do anything and bmw has no obligation to do anything other than to try and fix whatever problems i may have.

Jackie of Alta Loma CA (05/12/08)
I leased a 2007 530I BMW from savage BMW on 12/31/06. My car was totaled on 2/22/07 by a man who ran a red light. My insurance company paid BMW Financial the agreed upon pay-off for the car. I received a bill from BMW stating I owe them $1085.00 still. A $500 deductible some administrative fees and $559.00 for that months lease payment. When I had called BMW Financial I was received by extremely rude customer service. I explained to them that my insurance company waived my deductible because the accident was not my fault, they stated that was not their problem. I also explained to them that they already agreed to a pay-off amount to my car and did not understand how they could ask me for an additional lease payment after they agreed to a pay off amount, the answer I received was Because we can. What they explained to me was that they received the payoff check on the 21st from my insurance but needed to receive it by the 20th in order for me to not have to make that months lease payment. ONE DAY!!! I will NEVER purchase/Lease another BMW again. The customer service was beyond horrible. They were so extremely rude to me that I am still in shock that a company like BMW can treat customers this way and still have customers. The sad thing is... it was not just one person it was many, even management.

Moe of Dallas TX (05/10/08)
bought my car 2000 BMW 323i, was enjoying it very much. i have to agree driving the car is a different experience i never had w/ any other car. but i had nothing but problems w/ it. first the window regulator went out, i could not roll the window up, i replaced it. another day all of a sudden the car stopped in the middle of the road, cam shaft sensor went out, i fixed it at the dealership, ofcourse at a high cost. then one radiator extension tank starts to leak, i never had any accident, dont know what happened, had to replace that too. by now i was kinds frustrated. never expected BMW to give me that much of trouble. final blow...it would not pull reverse, that damn transmission cost me $3500 to get that fixed, dealer asked for $5500. do hell w/ it...i sold it after getting it fixed. never again BMW.

Michael of Budd Lake NJ (05/06/08)
I purchased a 2004 325i new in June 2004. I have had nothing but problems with it. At 50,000 miles, this car began to fall apart. The A/C did not work and had to be recharged with freon each summer. The amplifier broke and needed to be replaced. Various transmission components failed, requiring a $2000+ repair each time. I have been stranded in places like Newark Airport's terminal highways, the George Washington Bridge, the side of I-80. The radio no longer works. Now a gear positioning sensor is needed. This sensor cannot be replaced without removing the entire transmission. Since reaching 50,000 miles, I have been afraid to drive this car more than 50 miles away from home. What an expensive, overrated piece of junk this car is. I gave up on repairs and leased a Pontiac G6 to last me until I'm done paying for the BMW. Tires were junk. They needed to be replaced every 15,000 miles. I do not recommend this car to anybody. I have learned my lesson the hard way, and I am sharing my story with anybody who is in the market for a new car.

Michelle of Georgetown SC (04/30/08)
i took my bmw to the dealer to check out a noise that i kept hearing for months when i use my sunroof. i also c/o my sunroof leaking when ever i go thru the car wash. they told me that it was not under warranty anymore, however, they took the car back to the work shop, to tell me what the problem was. when i got my care back the inside retracting roof had fallen apart and was lodged in the roof of the car. they handed me back my keys and said that they are not responsible for that problem. i took my car to be checked, intact, its only 5 mnths since i bought this 2004 suv. now i have a broken sunroof and customer service dept for bmw said that the only solution is for me to pay the labor which is about $800. and they will pay for the part which might be as much as $1,500. do i have rights to take then to small claims court?(the dealer)

Shane of Beverly Hills CA (04/26/08)
Brought my car to dealership to have repairs made, Paid $2500 to have fixed, drove it home, same problem was happening. When I brought it back to dealer they wanted another $2500.

Marc of Mesquite TX (04/23/08)
Bought the vehicle used. Since purchase have had back power windows fail,power steering unit fail.expansion tank fail,idler pulleys shatter,water pump pulley shatter, roof leak,air conditioner blows hot and cold at same time. I have had vehicle fail to go into reverse 2 times, and one coil pack has failed.I have had this car 2 years.

Barbara of Cheshire CT (04/16/08)
I bought a certified 2004 325XI 12/15/07. Within 2 weeks 2 different front headlights went out and had to be replaced. Within a week of purchase I put brand new snow tires with rims on this car. The tire dealer told me the car was out of alignment even though the dealer had assured me it had been totally gone over and everything repaired before I bought it.

On April 15, 2008 I had the 3 month old snow tires removed and the street tires put back on. The garage that did the tire change showed me the abnormal wear on the two rear tires. These two rear 3 month old snow tires that had about 3500 miles on them were now ruined. There was significant wear on the inside of both tires; the tread gone. The front two are in pristine condition.

I called the dealership and was told to bring the car back there (not the closer dealship where it was scheduled for routine service within 7 days). I would have to bring it in on a Saturday morning and leave it (this is half a tank of gas away from my home, and then be given a loaner for a few days. I asked about being reimburrsed for the cost of two ruined tires...and they will look into it and let me know. I have to bring the tires with me...I think I will keep one at home just in case.

There is no way tires can be ruined driving (not even on a highway) 15 miles round trip to work a day. I am an adult driver and do not speed or abuse this car. I am not pleased with the quality of this car so far....

The two new snow tires are ruined.

David of Wykoff MN (04/10/08)
My daughter bought a 2000 323i BMW. The dealer she bought it from repaired the transsmission, because reverse went out of it. When we bought the car, the motor must have gotten hot about 5,000 miles later. Apparently there was a bulliten that went out in 2006, stating that BMW cars that overheat, head bolt threads come out of the block and a new motor is necessary.

BMW is aware of these problems and will not stand behind their cars. This has been very expensive for us and between the transmission and motor we have been frustrated with BMW.

Our daughter spent over $1,000 on towing charges and trying to figure out what was wrong with her car. She missed work approximately 3 times due to the car troubles. She had to ride the bus and/or find rides for about three months while the car went from mechanic to mechanic to diagnose the problem. The estimate for a new motor is $5,000. She still owes approximately $9,000 on the car, and is now driving something else.

Andrew of Oakville, Canada (04/08/08)
My 2002 5 series BMW heated front drivers seat appears to have shorted and burned through the leatherette, my wool coat and a blazer that I was wearing at the time. I contacted BMW Canada with the information. They took the mileage reading (approx 104000kms)and then suggested that I take the car to a BMW dealer for inspection. The dealer told me that heated car seats often burn through and gave me a quote for a new seat pad. He would not make a report of the damage unless I booked the car in for an inspection and paid for the inspection. I then wrote to BMW Canada detailing my concern. About a month later I emailed BMW Germany and they asked for a copy of the letter. A few weeks later I got a call from the BMW dealer where I had taken the car. I am not a customer of theirs as I use an independent to service the car. They basically indicated that they were not interested. (This is reasonable as the issue is with BMW Canada) Another week or so passed and BMW Canada got back to me to ask again about mileage. I provided this to them and then thy told me that the car is out of warranty and that the burnt seat is my problem. I have asked them to put this in writing. Subsequent to the burn appearing in the seat I have asked a number of car dealers if they have ever experienced this. Not one (apart from the BMW service person) have ever heard of it happening. My concern is the neglect by BMW of what I do not think is an expected fault in the heated seat. I would have thought that they would want to investigate the cause to rectify any underlying fault in design to prevent this happening again. The lack of concern from BMW and the lack of interest in investigating a potentially dangerous fault is staggering.

Raul of Tracy CA (04/03/08)
Why does BMW not recall regarding the window regulator problem. There are so many people who has this problem. I wish I can do something.

Wendy of Corona CA (03/25/08)
I purchased a Certified Pre Owned 2004 BMW in April of 2007. When I purchased the car I was super excited because BMW always sells the fact they pride themselves on service. I also opted for the extended warranty. Since my purchase of the car it's been in the shop for Keys not working, A/C spitting water out when running, alarm activating unexpectidly, tire sensor activating since date of purchase even with new tires, side rocker pannels falling off, sunroof rattle, SRS restraint system malfunction, blue tooth not operating, oil warning sensor going off. and these are just the begining of my probelms. I first had the vehicle serviced at BMW in Bakersfield, of course the service department was unable to duplicate any problems with the vehicle and returned it to me promptly and said bring it back when it's having a problem, which turned out to be the following day. Only to find out I would be without a vehicle for 3 days and NO LOANER because I had to make a reservation 3 weeks in advance for a loaner vehicle. Then I took the vehicle to Savage BMW in Ontario expecting better service. on the first visit I waited 3 after my scheduled appointment time to get my car in for service and when they were taking it in I was told they would not get to the car that day and I would be without a vehicle for 3-4 days. It was not until I started getting upset on the sales room floor that the found a loaner car for me to take while they worked on my car. 3 days later they called and my car was finally being looked at. Upon receiving my car back they damaged the side plastic pannels around the window which took 3 weeks for them to get replaced. now that my vehicle finally went over the original 50,000 miles my extended warranty is supposed to kick in only to find out no one told me the extended warranty does not cover the vehicle like promised and I have to pay $50 deductible per item I'm having a problem with. Now all the items I am having problems with have still not been resolved. I called the dealership where I purchased the car and their exact words what do you want me to do? is all they say. I love the style of the car and how it handles but I will never buy BMW and I will tell everyone I know not to buy BMW due to the lack of service and disreguard for customer satisfaction.

William in Madrid Spain (03/24/08)
I am a US diplomat assigned to Spain. In 2005 I purchased a 2006 BMW 325i by ordering directly through BMW headquarters' Diplomatic Sales Division. The car was delivered from Bavaria to the local BMW dealership in Madrid, BMW Herranz. I took ownership in October 2005. In February 2008 I began to get a sensor light on the dashboard that indicated a problem with the steering wheel. Meanwhile, the car wouldn't start. I had to remove the fob, wait, and start again. I often repeated this procedure numerous times before the car would start. I took it into the Herranz dealership and had them look at it. Since it was time for a general tune up and oil change, I told them to do that too. I expected the steering column error to be fixed gratis. Boy was I in for a surprise. I was told the problem was a sensor that needed to be replaced and the software needed a reset. The total cost to me was about 850 euros or almost $1500. I argued that I bought the car through Diplomatic Sales with US specifications and that the US has a four-year warranty. But I was told rudely that in Spain the warranty expires in two years. In fact, that holds true throught the EU.

I am perplexed. I bought BMW only after a lot of research. I chose it in part because of its reputation. In fact, I shied away from Mercedes precisely because of similar problems that had been reported of late by Mercedes owners and the cavalier treatment that they had received from the company in reply. I note from some online research that this problem with the steering column sensor is not that rare, and I still believe that BMW should cover my costs. But I have been treated with what feels like contempt. I promise I will NEVER EVER buy another BMW, and I will make sure I get the word out to all my friends, family and acquaintances.

Bryan of Sylvania, Australia (03/20/08)
I bought a new BMW hard top convertible last May (2007). The car mat on the drivers seat came loose causing it to get caught on the accelerator pedal causing me an accident. BMW Australia have said that they have not had any other complaints. I want to put the word out there to other BMW owners and ask am I the only one? Toyota had this problem with their mats and recalled them.

Patrick of Alden NY (03/19/08)
2006 325i, rear pinior seal went at 34000 miles. My 1995 camery with 212000 has eld up better then this piece of junk.

Hisham of Sacramento CA (03/18/08)
within the first week of owning my 2007 brand new BMW m6 my clutch went out completely, it happened when shifting from first gear to second gear, the clutch got stuck in side and when it came back out it was super lose, i took it to niello on Fulton ave in Sacramento ca, a disrespectful person by the name hanz kept trying to get me to sign a work order for a new clutch in the amount of $2000, this car had under 1000mi on it at the time BTW, so asked to speak to the manager who is joe Detrick, he said its probubly my fault why the clutch went out but if i had bought the car from him then he would have fixed it no questions asked, anyways that night i had it towed to stevens creek bmw which is where i bought it from they fixed it, about 3 months later i start the car and the check engine light comes on and says low oil and to stop carefully and avoid driving the car all together, so i calll around and find out the oil for this car is $28 a quart so i call service in the new elk grove bmw which is also owned by niello, eric gomez is my service specialist i tell him the situation and he says hey just bring it in, so i tell him the what happened at the other niello and he assures me that he would never do that to me and that elk grove niello will take care of me, also the reverse lights dont work, about a week into it they fix the reverse lights and but cant get the reading of low oil pressure to go away, they put new switches and got new tools from the east coast to test it out, about 3 weeks in they find out a chain is broken in the engine and the finger pointing starts, eric asks me how far was the car towed because it could be the drives fault i assured him my car is manual and was in neutral as the car was pulled up the flat bed, not an automatic in park mode, so then it takes another week to get a specialist to fly in from LA to tell them how to fix the car, a week later from that time eric calls me and says that the engineer/specialist concluded that it was my fault the chain broke and that i over revved the engine first for nine minutes then he changed it to nine seconds which is equally absurd, because first of all theres a governor on the rev limiter and also i never drove that car hard ever since the clutch went out, i was infact scared to push that car past 4000 rpms and it has a redline of 8250, iranoutofspacetotype

Jamie of Commack NY (02/28/08)
I have a 330 bmw that comes with equiped with RUN FLAT TIRES for 31 months that i bought from RALLEYE BMW in NY. in this time i have had 24 flat tires at $450 per tire. They told me it must be my fault because there is no problem with the tires that I have. Anyway after spending almost $10,000 and going there 1 time per month to get a loaner and get my tire place i came across this! http://www.lemonlaws.com/2007/06/kabob_files_class_action_alleg_1.html

Heather of San Diego CA (02/28/08)
Last year when I took my car in for its 2nd service my husband was told on my model vehicle (325i)the tires do not need rotation. I went to BMW on 02-21-08 for another service and the service rep. He guaranteed they would do that. Upon picking up my vehicle I found out I need all new tires and alignment at $1,045. When I took my vehicle home my husband said they had not been rotated nor was it on the service form. I left a message for the manager.

Virgilio of Vallejo CA (02/22/08)
I have 1995 BMW 3251 sedan that almost stop me at the middle of the road. This is a dangerous car luckily no other car behind me, I pull over right away, cause i my car is losing speed until there is no more power , so I stop immediately and try to figure it out whats wrong. Then I found out to my mechanic that my transmission need a replace. The mileage on this car was 104000. Paid $6000. Never will buy this kind of car.

Gail of Chevy Chase MD (02/22/08)
Mini problems at 39000 miles. Radiator resevoir leaks, changed thermostate, engine gasket changed, belt tensioner replaced. All this at low miles. Not the type of quality I expected from Mini/BMW. High dealer repair prices too.

Wilhelm of Rincon OTHER (02/22/08)
I have 1996 BMW Z3, I took it to service in late September 2007, windows not closing, check starter and repalce key, I had my car keys stole at a robbery at my house. I knew it would take time so by November 28 I was told the car is ready. I went thereto pick it up witha hefty bill of over US Dollars 3200.00 wrote the cheque and was ready to pick up my car, surpise it was very dirty but I said , well I can clean thism, then I opend the door and the seat was broken by the personell of Auto Germania, the gear shift was broken. I called every day to get the car fixedno luch, noeoen even bothered to return the call, so no car for all of December and Jnauary and February, I am the GM of a deluxe Hotel in Peurto Rico and need transportation every day to go to work and back and business trips. the service attitude and non response of Auto Germania in Puerto Rico is awful,no respeonse, I left many messages with the manager , the service manager, the service attendent.. no call back, nothing. Then I was promised thye will send my car two weeks ago, I called every da, no respone, no car, promised every day, tomorrow etc. As of Today February 22 , 2008 no car as yet.

Kande of Jamul CA (02/22/08)
I was due to turn in a 3 series bmw sedan on lease from cunningham bmw and decided to lease the new 2007 530xi sportswagon. Everything was great for a while, then problems started windows malfunctioning,switches not working for any of the windows, took in 3-4 times to have them replace switches that were on back order blah, blah, blah, everytime, and in the mean time someone scratched my drivers front window in the process. By the way they wouln't take responsibilty and did not replace! I have the automatic tailgate which I loved, until it started to malfunction and my arm got smashed in it! Not good, no safety stopper on it! It is a very heavy door when it comes back down on it's own w/o warning! I have taken car in and complained over 4 times now within 1 year and they have not been able to do anything because of course they are never able to duplicate the problem because it is spuradic! Tired of the lies, the B.S. the hassle, inconvienece, frustration.

Joe of Charlotte NC (02/21/08)
My wife and I bought a certified pre-owned BMW for her to use as a daily driver. The car had 22,000 miles and the sales staff assured us that when these cars are certified....they are as good as new. Within 11,000 miles (and less than 1 year)of use, they now tell me the rear brakes are shot....$600.....the front suspension bushings need to be replaced......$500......they don't know why the service ngine soon light came on and we lost a cylinder firing for a while. Oh, but I am about due for a standard service.....an additional $1200.00!!!! None of these defects are covered under the certified warranty....in fact it doesn't appear to cover anything. BMW says that the car was certified ...not by my dealer....but by a Florida dealer over 14 months prior to our purchase. Of course no one can tell me what happened in that period. The certified program is nothing more than a markeeting gimmick to increase the price suckers like me are willing to pay for peace of mind.

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Gabriel of Santa Fe NM (02/20/08)
i too was at the store went to leave, no reverse! i called bmw, sorry your car is no long in warranty. what to do now?!!!!

Candace of Fayetteville NC (02/19/08)
The night I purchased this vehicle, I noticed 3 damaged areas on this vehicle one being a scratch on the front bumper, 2nd yellow stained headlights and side lights, and 3rd stained/faded no shine at all chrome window trimming on all 4 windows, I brought these damaged items to the attention of my Salesman that night and he ask if I would bring the car back the following Tuesday which was 1-29-08 the detailed guy they use for these things would be able to take care of them, When I picked the car up Wednesday 1-30-08 the only thing that was repaired on the vehicle was the scratch on the front bumper, I asked the salesman why weren't the other items taken care of and he stated, Oh! He wasn't able to do anything about the headlights and the window trimming, Of course no other suggestions were offered. My husband called Thursday and Friday of that week to speak to Management to explain the problem we were having, and stated how someone could have at least gave us a referral to have these items repaired, since the Service Department was unable to do anything for us. No one as of yet has been able to give a referral or assist with getting these items replaced/repaired. I have been to 4 different detail/body shops in Fay. NC and no one is able to repair these items, They suggest I take the car back to Valley BMW and ask why would these items NOT be covered under warranty when the car isn't old enough to have these problems with these parts. They stated how they have had vehicle as old as 2000 and they don't have this problem. They told me this should not be happening to a car so soon. I understand when you purchase a used vehicle there will be some wear and tear, but this is ridiculous, I can't find anyone to repair these items, It is not fair to me as a customer who has purchased a vehicle that is new to me. If BMW use quality parts, why am I having these issues? This is my second time purchasing a vehicle from Valley BMW there will not be a 3rd.

Antoinette of Detroit MI (02/12/08)
I purchased a 2003 bmw 745i series on 8/18/06 on 8/28/06 i complained about the car slow take off and putters when starting up. I was told no problems by the dealer. on 10/30/06 brake lining light came on, They serviced the front brakes on 11/06. every 2-3 months something going wrong with this car. 8/07 engine light comes on I tell the dealer there's ticking under the hood sounds like a rod knock, I was told there's nothing wrong all the 7 series makes this noise. 10/07 I complain about winshield washer fluid leaking, @ first I was told there was a worn out washer ring, I took it in, left it for 2 days, went back to pick up my car and was told nothing was wrong. Called 3 days later to complain about the same problem, and that my brake light was stating I needed front brakes and lining in which was suposenly done less than a year ago, and now i need new brakes, does not sound like they were done. 11/07 engine light is on again, call dealer and they claim they serviced the engine and changed the oil, still complaing about the leakage in the winshield washer fluid no satisfaction, complaing about the front brakes being replaced less than a year no satisfaction, still hearing the ticking noise, paint on the inside has peeled, asked for a history on this car. states that paint was peeling and was repainted in the same areas that's peeling now, also I asked for the scratches to be buffed out when I purchased, I was told could be done has yet to do. This dealer charged me $46,000 dollars for a used piece of junk and I still owe $36,000 dollars left to pay for this car. Can someone assist me as to what to do about this situation.

Raphael of Brooklyn NY (02/12/08)
,I purchase a new Bmw x5 4.8i which was picked up at the dealership on the 2nd of Feb 2008 at about 12:30pm,after a 21mls drive home the electronic damping control malfunction I took it back to the dealership the 4th of feb.After the dealership did their diagnostics they kept the vehicle for repairs,I was given a loner,on friday the 8th feb I went to pick up the vehicle that was ready,before the vehicle could be delivered to me the malfunction EDC delevoped again.so I was told to leave the vehicle and was given another loaner.On the 11th feb the dealership called me stating that they cannot repair the vehicle at the moment because they have to order a part from Germany.I paid $69,800.00 for a SAV drove it for 20mls ,it is at the dealership.I will like to know what are my options with regards to this fustrating situation.

At the moment I am using a loaner car.I ordered this vehicle,waited 8wks paid for it and it is at the dealer waiting for parts.very,very concern about the reliability of this very expensive SAV and will like to have a different SAV.

Chrishaun of Lithonia GA (02/11/08)
purchased the 2001 BMW X5 4.4I april 1, 2006. I guess I was the fool. every window regulator has been replaced. drivers window twice engine oil pan leak, electrical wiring issues with brake and fog lights, wiring issues triggering codes to fire off excessively, coolant leak leading to vehicle overheating and dealership never noticed the potential issue although i complained and bought to service department at least 4 times for this leak, etc etc. i would have to get the service records to tell you all the issues but no need to go on and on. you get the point. stay away from BMW. should stand for BE MORE WORRIED when attempting to purchase a BMW. I am very disappointed!

15K

Dale of Clay NY (02/09/08)
i bought a 2000 bmw m5. they advertise that they are a reputable independent bmw dealer affiliated with dinan. i flew to their facility and upon taking the test drive i found that the pixels are bad in the dash, they said contact bmw and they would fix it, why is this my job and why wasnt i told about it. then i took the car home thinking thats all that wrong with the vehicle. after getting it home i flew to europe and didnt have a chance to get to the car for a couple of months. when i got home i went through the car and og my god what a mess. the cd player cassette was missing, it has a engine oil leak, the rims do not match(paint wise), the zenon headlight system had been stripped from the car and worst of all the check engine light had been tampered with and the car will not pass inspection. they folded a piece of gauze up and stuffed it in the check engine light socket and put a new hampshire temp tag on it and sent me on my way with NO inspection! that is lower than low! also illegal as the new hampshire highway patrol has told me. i presently have a BBB claim in and it appears they have had complaints befor. also i have filed charges with the new hampshire highway patrol. my lawyer also is filing in federal court. i had hoped these guys loved bmw's as much as i do and would treat me fair and honest, boy was i the fool.

Jim of Glendale AZ (02/07/08)
I have a 2007 BMW K1200GT motorcycle. Previous to that I had a 2006 BMW K1200GT. The 2006 model developed problems almost immediately after I purchased it new. There was a loss of power, hesitation, and loss of fuel economy. I complained to several of the local dealers about it and had a BMW dealership in Tucson AZ look at it. They recommended I update the on-board computer with the latest software. I assumed these people were the experts and agreed to let them do the update. The technician made a mistake when he loaded the software and my bike had a negative reaction to it. It changed to a totally different bike and was 10 times worse. I complained immediately and they told me to ride it for the weekend and see if it got better. Come to find out this is a common phrase the dealers use because they don't want to deal with you if you have problems. Of course it didn't get better, it got worse, much worse. After 6 months of arguing with BMW dealers and BMW of North America they finally agreed to get me a new bike because I threatened to go to the biggest BMW auto dealer in AZ and tell all their prospective customers how they treat people that already have their product. I was called the next day and offered a settlement on a new bike. BMW absolutely hates for anyone to say anything negative about their product. After I received my new GT the worst possible thing happened. I had an accident with it and hit a curb and laid it down. I was right back in to the hell hole of dealing with BMW, but this time it was 10 times worse. I took the bike to Victory BMW in Chandler,AZ. They first repaired the bike cosmetically and called me and said it was fixed. I took it for a test ride and the bike swayed left to right on the freeway and buckled in high speed corners. I immediately returned the bike and complained of the problem. The shop re-looked at my claim and decided to put a whole new front end on my bike and had not diagnosed the problem for certain or correctly, according to the claims adjuster with Progressive. After my bike spent another approximately 10 weeks in the shop I received a call again to pick up the bike. The dealership made sure that I signed the insurance check so they would get paid and then left me test ride the bike on the freeway. I took the bike out and to my horror it did the same exact thing that it had before they replaced the front end. I was so angry I went back immediately and complained that the bike was not repaired correctly and I wanted it repaired. Their reply was that as far as they were concerned it was fixed and they told me I was not welcome there any more and they did not want my business. I was in awe, and couldn't believe it. To make matters worse they had complained that the insurance company had shorted them and they didn't make any money on the repair which is bs and the insurance company knows better as well. Next I complained to BMW of North America about it and it is like talking to the wall. These people could care less and refuse to work with you. They had a representative come out and ride my bike and of course he said he noticed nothing. He and all the dealers told me that all the roads tilt to the left, can you believe that bs. I certainly don't. When I asked him how many times and how many miles he has spent on a GT he said twice and about 100 miles. I have had 2 GT's, have been riding one for about 2 yrs and have over 30,000 miles on them. Who is the expert me, or him? I had taken the bike to the Scottsdale dealership and they refused to work on it. I had also had it to Tucson for the BMW rep to ride it. Next I had another accident on it and I am convinced that part of the reason is because the bike is so unstable from the first accident and was not repaired correctly. When I turned in the 2nd claim to Progressive they called the dealership in Tucson and they refused the work. This left me with no place to take the bike in AZ. I again called BMW of North America and again they didn't want to help me. It took them nearly 2 weeks to call me back and they gave me the website of an independent shop. They didn't give me a location in Phoenix, a contact name or number. Little did they know that I have met the gentleman that runs the shop and he had already looked at my bike. I made a call to him and asked him if he would be willing to repair the collision damage on the bike and also repair the bike correctly from the first accident. I also asked him about BMW of NA and he told me they had called him the week before and asked him if he would be willing to work on a GT. They didn't tell him it was mine. In fact when he called them back after he talked with me they lied and told him that I didn't want the dealers in AZ to fix it, that I wanted an Independent shop to work on it, which is the exact opposite of the truth. I have had no help from anyone at BMW unless I press them extensively. In fact they have argued with me about everything. The dealer in Chandler damaged one of my saddlebags and didn't repair the other correctly. When I complained they told me to pound sand and after extensive complaining and letters to the Better Business Bureau and the Attorney General they called me and told me Mr. Franz we are getting you 2 new bags. I told them it was about time. As far as my GT right now it is at a different Independent shop that an attorney's firm recommended. They are in the process of repairing the bike. I just am at a loss with BMW. They pick and choose who they want as customers and I just find that difficult to believe. As far as the Insurance company, they have sent me a check and I guess I am on my own to get it repaired. The paralegal that recommended the shop told me that an attorney wouldn't want the case because I wasn't hurt in the second accident and just had some road rash from the first. I am not sure how to take this. What ever happened to helping the customer. It is all about money and profit. It is not about making sure the customer is satisfied. My answer to this is sooner or later the word will get out about what has happened to me and consumers won't put up with it, I know I won't and I plan to tell as many people as I have to, to get something done. I won't stop until my bike is repaired and repaired correctly. I have to admit it would be nice if I received some assistance because I sure would appreciate it after all of the complete hell BMW has put me through.

Barry of Middletown NY (02/05/08)
No complaints about BMW dealers or service departments. My complaint is strictly about the car itself. My car is experiencing significant electrical problems, with fault codes up the wazoo. I brought my car into the dealer for repair each year I've owned it.

Hugo of Oviedo FL (01/30/08)
I took the BMW to the BMW Fields beacause they replaced the alternator about 15 months ago, and it is having the same problem. Since the service warranty that i have will not cover the alternator, BMW service warranty wil have to pay for the replacement, because it has a warranty up to 2 years. Bmw Fields say that they will not cover the warranty because the part got damage by and oil leak which if you look at the engine it is clean, you do not see any oil. I have not washed the engine compartment in 3 years and it never showed any kind of extreme oil leak like they said it has. Before i left the car there i inspected the car, touched the alternator and belt and they were not dirty/oily. Since it is their responsability to pay for the alternator and labor they are giving all kind of excuses not to pay for it. I do know for a fact that the problem is the regulator in the alternator and it can not be damage by oil or water.

Dotun of Beverly Hills CA (01/27/08)
I bought a BMW 645 CSI. This was supposed to be a well engineered convertible automotive. I have the car for about 2 1/2 years. From the first week it had transmission problems. The car would jerk going uphill or in slow traffic. The jerking was unpredictable and I became scared of driving the car because I was not sure when it would jump and hit another car. I have taken the care back to BMW Beverly Hills multiple times. They claim it is a software problem. They claim to fix it but they never do. Every 3-6 months, when I get frustrated I take the car back. They admit that this is a problem that many owners of the BMW 6 series have complained of. This is the worst car I have had in about 30 years of driving. I am waiting for my lease to end so I can return this expensive lemon .

Jeremy of Chicago IL (01/23/08)
The Maintenance Warranty Bait and Switch. I bought a low-mileage BMW from a dealer. The car was a demo with 10,000 miles on it. The dealer told me he would extend my warranty to 55,000 miles or five years and that all of my maintenance would be covered. Now BMW says there are actually two warranties: one covers maintenance and one covers everything else. They say the maintenance warranty ran out four years after the first mile was put on the car (Nov 2007). The other warranty is in place until next year or 55,000 miles. Buyer beware. Don't trust the salesman. I love my BMW but will never buy another one. I feel so screwed.

Francesca of Redwood City CA (01/22/08)
ive taken my NEW car into peter pan bmw 3 times for my speakers that were cutting out. They said all 3 times that there was no prob and that their foreman can take it over night to see if the prob occures. well, he wants to drive it over night to his home in SONOMA!Thats rediculous!I also have a check oil on my comp screen and its fine when i checked it.i told peter pan to check it out and again, they said there was no prob. they attempted to fix and diagnose the speaker prob but said they couldnt just replace it and that their hands were tied.my bluetooth stopped working after picking up my car also. my adviser said my phone wasnt compattible w/my car. ive used my bluetooth the day i drove out of the lot!this has been a nightmare!ive had to miss work on those days, ive also been late!now that their hands are tied. what am i to do?i want them to just finish this issue and replace the system speakers. they keep saying it costs them too much money and that they dont hear the prob.the speakers cut out every now and then. im not going to accept spending over 50,000 on a new car and not have my warranty honored. please contact me. thanks.

Syed of Rocky Hill CT (01/21/08)
My under warranty car (including maintance) had an oil change after 2 years. Even though in between I visited the dealship. According to BMW there is one change per 12 months.

Debbie of St.george OTHER (01/19/08)
i bought my dream car one year ago. a bmw x5. in the last year i have had to replace brakes, rotors, calipers. the battery and alternator just failed. both side mirrors have been replaced. sway bars both went. the hatch failed, brake light assembly replaced and speaker in drivers door. two door actuators since the car kept locking me out and then the alarm would go off. i have had the warranty to cover most of this but when you pay this much money for a vehicle, you should be getting superior service and in ll months my suv has had to have service on 10 different occasions. i just get one thing fixed and something else goes wrong. i have never had so many problems with any other vehicle that i have owned in my adult life. this is my first and last bmw. when you ask the dealership if this is normal, they tell you that some vehicles can be problematic and that you do have 65,000 k on it. thats nothing. ill go back to my jeep products thank you

Pat of Apex NC (01/17/08)
I bought my 2000 BMW 323 Wagon new. It actually came off the boat, no miles. Within the first 50k miles the engine had to be replace. Thank goodness it was under warranty. I also had the water pump replaced several times under warranty. After warranty, I have had the transmission replaced because my car would not go in reverse. I have had the engine replaced again. I have had three of my window regulators replaced. I have had most parts related to the steering system replaced about 1600 dollars and now I have to take it back to the shop on Monday. I have had my thermostat replaced at least 2 times. I have had my speedometer sensor replace twice. I have had so many things replaced in this car that it is too hard to remember them all. Just in the last 2+ years, I have spent about 13,000 dollars in repairs. My ABS light started clicking on and off while my car was still under warranty. I was told it was nothing. For the last 2 or more years, it has been on consistently, now I am told it needs to be replaced. I love my car when it is driving. i must say it has kept its stylish look. But to my family and close friends, my car is a joke. I am afraid to drive it outside of 50 miles.

Ming of San Jose CA (01/17/08)
2006 BMW 325i is using low quality tires making high level noise in driving. It's a well known problem within BMW for a long time(according BMW technicians, and BMW even has a program to phase out the tires). But Fremont BMW shift burden to customers in fixing the problem. I bought a 325i from BMW Fremont in early 2006 and I noticed high level noise and sent it for maintenance at 5700 miles, I were told it's normal. In the first 12000 miles service, I high lighted the problem and were turned away for the same answer. When came to 17000 miles service I started to know from technician that low std tires were used which is the root cause and being recommended to replace all tires and pay the half of the cost. My car is under 4 years warranty and I thought BMW should bear all the cost. When the problem is getting worse, I came back with 20800 mileage and service manager told me that I have passed 20K miles limit and I have to pay 100% now. I really have problem that I pointed out the problem in early stage and were turned away with false statement. And being set up step by step to pay all the cost for the mistake BMW made to use low std tires.

Larry of Mansfield TX (01/08/08)
I've had my BMW 323i since purchasing new in 2000. My complaint is limited to the defective window regulators. I've just had the fouth replaced to the tune of $406.31. We have three cars between two adults w/no children, I mention this because we don't have children playing window marathon. My company car is a base Dodge Charger and is driven everyday without these issues, why is BMW turning out defective junk like this? The dealerships attitude today was oh nthese happen all the time I've already scratched Ford & Lexus from my lists of cars I'll never buy again, suddenly my old hondas look pretty good.

Jasmine of San Francisco CA (01/08/08)
My family purchased a made to order BMW 3 series sports wagon in March 2007. On Thanksgiving Day, 2007, the car got out of control - seems as if it self accerlerated - lurged forward on its own - and crashed into our house. Minutes before this happened, the car was perfectly normal as it was being slowed down by my husband, the driver, to drive onto our driveway. It took a few seconds for the crash to occur from start to finish but its impact was great. Soon after the garage lifted, everything went wrong. The car accelerated on its own, even though the driver's foot was on the brakes and crashed into the garage, breaking off a structural column of the house from its base. The car only stopped because it hit a 6'tall pile of sheetrock, which was delivered by our Contractor the day before. Our two young kids, who were asleep, woke up screaming at that point and we all were in shock. Neither my husband nor I have been in any accident that was caused by us. (In fact, it was the first car accident that I have ever been in in my entire life. I am 40 and my husband is 41.) We are convinced that human error was not involved. Something terribly went wrong with the car in those few seconds. I am terrified of ever being in the car again, let alone drive it.

Walter of Carmel Valley CA (01/03/08)
Bought a pre-owned x5 with 40k miles. I was told this car was perfect by my salesman in Seaside California. We drove the car and a few days later as I pulled out of my driveway I got a heavy shock and noise as though I had been rear ended hard. Did my home work and went back to the dealership. Said they had a BMW computer program to remedy the problem. Went through that and it did not fix the problem. Here I am with a bum BMW that new costs 70K and what a great disappointment. Bring the car back for a 90% refund. Now I am out the sales tax and license plus out an extra couple of Ks. What happened to the great German engineering???

Darren of Huntington Beach CA (12/29/07)
I purchased my car brand new in 2005 a bmw 525i. I have had nothing but problems with my car, Not getting stuff promised when i purchased my car. Was blackmaled from one of the service advisors.

Tovah of Benicia CA (12/18/07)
The gas gauge in my 2005 BMW 325i had been acting up(fuel gauge would only read 1/2 tank, and the car would not take anymore gas). We have had no problems with this vehicle being that it is nearly brand new... until we brought it into Concord BMW. In October 2007 it was brought in for services and a month later we noticed the problem (up until that point the car was only used locally and I never tried to fill the tank up all the way.) Over Thanksgiving I used the car to drive to LA when I noticed the problem- the car would not allow any more gas to be put in the tank even though the fuel gauge said 1/2 tank. When i got back from LA and had time off of work I brought the vehicle in for a check up and to fix the gas tank-Kathy Danise left me with the impression that everything was fine and we would have our car back the next day and be able to pick our friends up from the airport. This was wed. dec. 12 2007. We get strung along until Friday, when our friends arrived we had no car to pick them up. BMW waited until the day was nearly over and then told me that they had yet to even START the service. I had to practically beg them to rent me a vehicle, and by the time they had finally took care of it, our friends had already rented a vehicle for themselves. Finally, on Monday December 17, 2007 I heard back that they would not service the vehicle due to the damage under the gas tank. I was told that I would recieve a call in a timely manner from the manager or the shop forman. It is now Tuesday 12/18 and I decided to call them again, seeing as it has been 5 days longer than originally anticipated, and the job had not been done, I called BMW customer relations. I was told that they would look into it and let us know.

S. of Forrest Park IL (12/12/07)
BMW, like any other vehicle is still Just A Car, nothing more nothing less These were the words of the Manufacturers Rep w/whom I spoke about my vehicle. On 11/30/2007, I had my 2001 330CI in the shop for some maintainence. I was advised that the vehicle needed a new thermostat for which I paid. My total repair bill was approximately $800. Ok, no biggie (so I thought). Exactly one week later the car is toast. On 12/7/07, the car started blowing cold air from the vents. As I investigated this anomally, I looked and discovered that the temperature gauge was in the red. I got out of the car to see if I could smell anything sort of burning. I found nothing. I got back in the vehicle and it ran fine, but the gauge was no longer lit. My first thought was maybe they sold me a faulty thremostat. However, as I headed home, car begin to drive funny. After about 10 minutes, I pull off the road, and the car went dead. That evening, I had the car towed to the dealership. On 12/8/07, I spoke w/the dealer. They advised that the cooling system had failed, $2800. However, I would soon learn the meaning of BMW. On 12/10/2007, I got a second call from the guy in the service department who begin by interviewing me. He asked several questions which I had previously discussed w/the Technician on 12/8/07. After a few moments, I asked whether there was any additional problems w/my vehicle. He replied that the car now needed a new engine. BMW of Westmont advised me that there must have been a crack in the cooling reservoir which exploded causing the car to cooling system to melt. As a result, this affected numerous parts in the engine; therefore, I would need to purchase an engine ($10-12K) installed. To date, I continue to wonder whether this was an issue which could have been averted. I paid thousands of dollars over several years to maintain the vehicle at BMW of Westmont, only to have a maintainence/service related issues virtually total the car. These vehicles offer very little in terms of overall value to the consumer. I would suggest using caution, or selling as soon as the warranty expires. My advice would be to hed the words of the manufacturer Rep noted above....BMW, it's still Just A Car, nothing more, nothing less!

Gigi of Seattle WA (12/08/07)
1st, thanks to the website available posting these common problems on the transmission of BMW. It is unbelievable and a shame that BMW of North America has been ignoring this existing problems because of costly recall that they have to deal with; however, it is the advantage for them to shine on customer service otherwise, the sales will be declined involving millions of dollars in the next few years. I will not buy another one again. I just experienced the same problem couple days ago with my well taken care of 2000 323CI WITH UNDER 50K MILES WOULDN'T REVERSE. I AGREE WITH CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT.

Fred of Mary Esther FL (12/07/07)
I have owned a 2000 BMW 323i since it was new. I have experienced the typical window regulator issues (all of them broke -two under warranty), camshaft sensor failures and even the failed lower control arm bushings that requires the replacement of the entire lower control arm and associated ball joints to be replaced. While all of this was a sign of poor design, I have put up with it due to the love of the ride. The fact that I am capable of doing all my diagnostics and replacing these components myself, has also helped keep the costs down so that I can afford it. However, now I have experienced the infamous car will not go into reverse syndrome (automatic ZF tranny with lifetime fluid). I have a lot of miles on this vehicle - 140K- but I have 200K on my 91 Chevy Pickup and put over 200K on a Datzun 240Z and never had a transmission problem with them or any other vehicle I have ever owned (except my BMW 330CI). I also own a 2001 BMW 330CI with a 5 speed manual transmission and it has an issue whereas the stick shift attemts to force you into 5th gear - from second- whenever the transmission is cold. I have read about this issue on the internet too. The stick shift rests under 5th gear, when it is cold and in neutral, and under 3rd gear after it is warmed up for 5 or miles of driving...this is Florida so cold means 60 or less. This makes it difficult to find 3rd gear during this cold running stage. It is apparent that while BMW makes a fine riding car, they have numerous issues with major component breakdown, making owning these cars very expensive. They had me hooked ( I also own a BMW R1200C cruiser motorcycle) but now I am seeing the true cost of the ride and starting to question whether or not I will ever purchase another BMW again.

Paula of Tofield, Canada (12/07/07)
I have spent more time, energy, and out of my pocket expenses getting my brand new Mini fixed than that of my old trusty, 1997 Chrysler Intrepid which, incidentally, has over 300 kms on it and only cost me $200 in a one time tune-up in addition to regular maintenance (ie, changing oil regularly, getting new tires and replacing a cracked windshield). Here's what happening with my Mini. In July 2007, I was travelling to Vancouver, BC for business. In the middle of the Rocky Mountains my check engine light started flashing.

I was nervous - a woman travelling alone in the middle of no where. So, I called BMW's 1-800 at the next gas station where I encountered a voice mail system. So, I left a message asking BMW to call me at my Vancouver number. I never did receive a return phone call from BMW (not a good sign)... but the Mini did seem to be running OK, so I continued on to Vancouver. While in Vancouver, I called that city's local dealership, and they advised that it was likely nothing serious if the car seemed OK (which it did). But since then, have spent over 20 plus hours trying to get this check engine sensor fixed on four different occasions. And as of December 4, 2007 - four months into this saga of personal stress and expense and dawning disillusionment with BMW's so called great customer service -- the check engine sensor remains unfixed.

Here's what happened. Since the check engine sensor was fixed (ha!), my Mini is noticeably worse off than before: the air conditioning is now stuck and my fuel economy has taken a nose-dive (costly), and now my driver's seat has a new greasy dirt stain on it that wasn't there on December 4, 2007 at 8:30 when I dropped the car off for servicing. In so far a the more important issue -- my passenger airbag -- well that sensor still blinks indicating that it is not deployed (discomforting optics for any potential passengers).

This means I must take my Mini in a second time to get its airbag fixed - a basic safety feature that hopefully will work if, God forbid, I get in an accident. This is in addition to my repeated and wholly unsuccessful attempts to get the check engine light fixed on many prior occasions over a five month period. In terms of pre-sales care, the salesman assured me that the model I was purchasing came with a block heater (not the case) - either he was lying or lacked the basic product knowledge expected of sales staff selling higher-end vehicles.

Block heaters are a necessity for many here in Edmonton, and I never would have purchased the vehicle had I known this about the car. I had purchased a used car once before that didn't have a block heater (it left me stranded), so I pointedly asked this question as it is very important to me. Oh yeah! I ordered winter tires and rims two months in advance in August, only to arrive on time for my October 28,2007 appointment to discover the tires and rims were never ordered. To give the dealership credit, particularly faced with my much red-faced ranting on my part to get my way, they did manage to squeeze me in on my time during my busy workday (i.e., I had to take time off work to do this task during a period of high stress and tight deadlines) to get my winter tires on before the snow started to fall.

The last time the defective sensor was scheduled to be fixed on December 4, 200. But this defective sensor was merely reprogrammed (again). As a result, my air-conditioning is now stuck (not nice in winter) and my fuel economy has dropped from 6.0L/100km to 6.9L/100km in an average of -20 below C weather (my car had good mileage before when the weather turned cold, but now its acting like most cars act when the air conditioning is on in that fuel economy dips).

My colleagues ecologically sensitive PhDs and graduate students from across Canada are horrified (future SmartCar and Mercedes buyers!). My story is now online for the world to see.

I just would like my new car fixed. And although I have no problem with my Mini other than my cars check engine sensor is stuck, lingering uncertainty that the airbags will deploy if needed, and air-conditioning stuck on full blast at 20 below zero (which has resulted in unacceptable fuel economy) - I would like to get these problems fixed with no headaches.

I am not asking for the world. Im simply asking competent customer after-sales care.

Tyra of Arlington TX (11/30/07)
I purchased a used '06 BMW 325I April, 2006. I had a warranty on the vehicle upto 50,000 miles. I had to take this car back every 3 weeks due to things such as door handles peeling(several times for this), lights inside of vehicle not going off, doors not locking/unlocking, retractable mirrors would not adjust properly, cupholder came detached, etc. I was ok the first few visits because I know things happen. However, after the third or visit for things that were supposed to have been fixed properly the first time, I have gotten furious! This company has the worst customer service I have ever witnessed! I am a customer service professional and there is no way I would treat a customer the way I have been treated. I think I have been treated so badly because I a female and I don't confrontations so I try to stay understanding, but this company has taken my understanding and mistreated me. I was told the I would be called back once a part that one of Autobahn's mechanic damaged in my car was ready. Guess what? It has been 2 weeks and I still have not gotten a call back. Today I had to call back once I noticed that for the third time the door handle inside my car is coming a loose again! This is ridiculous. I have called and tried to get answers and guess what? No call back yet. I am seriously thinking about trading this vehicle and not ever buy another BMW!!!!!

Kathy of Hutington Beach CA (11/23/07)
I bought a 1994 Used BMW with 75 thousand miles on it. After several repairs and hose replacements my car would not go into reverse after 115,000 miles. I paid over $4500 for a new transmission.. I immediately had a light come on that my coolant was low and took it right back and they added coolant saying they didn't touch the coolant level during the replacement of the transmission. Within 2 months again my car would not go into reverse. We have a 1 year warranty on the new transmission.  After I take it back I will let you know.

Charles of Belleville IL (11/08/07)
Great cars until you reach that 50K miles.Own both a 323i and a 330i and both turned into pieces of crap after 50,000 miles. Windows keep on failing to go up or down and have had them repaired twice on both vehicles. Check engine light keeps on coming on on both vehicles and dealer always says something has to be replaced on the sensors. Power steering pump and all hoses had to be replaced on the 323i.

Elizabeth of Miami FL (10/30/07)
I leased a 2006 BMW 750 LI in November of 2006 (new). This car has had major issues and the dealer has been extremely unhelpful in resolving my problem. The car has left me stranded 3 times; and has a tire blow out on the Miami Turnpike. This latest incident whereby the car left me stranded and has been in the shop for the last seven days; the dealer has not been able to succesfuly diagnose the problem and since their diagnostic system tells them nothing they cannot repair the car. This is absurd. I have two small children and this is a safety issue. I am also pursuing Lemon Law due to the fact that my car has now been out of service for 15 cumulative days and my car is unrepairable.

Ricardo of Merced CA (10/30/07)
I bought brand new z4 coupe roadster. Clutch broke after 166 miles the dealership sold it with 103 miles as new. They repaired free of charge but blamed me at 366 it broke again the following day after I received it.  They blamed me again but charged me $2,800 but dealership that sold to me wanted $4,000.

Justin of New York NY (10/29/07)
I bought a 2008 BMW X5. Within 1 week I started having all sorts of problems, mostly electrical. The first with the power seats- while I was driving the seat would move into the wheel and squeeze me until I hit the 3 memory button as the others did nothing. I took it to the dealer and they reprogrammed it. Two days later the same exact problem. This time I had them tow it because I refused to drive such a dangerous vehicle. The next day they said the computer was replaced. A few days later the car would not start. Towed again, they said it was a relay switch. When I got it back, it started but clouds of blue black smoke poured out of the muffler while the car shuttered to life just barely making it. Towed again, I refused to drive it. Got it back the next day. Was fine for about a month. All this time the sunroof didn't open but being that I don't use it much and didn't have the time to deal with it just ignored it. The Nav system one day just refused to turn on. Had it towed. Back 2 days later- system replaced. A few days later, the car refused to turn easy- was very difficult and made a loud squeeling noise. It seems to be differernt things each time so it does not qualify as a lemon but what else can I do. I need this to go back and forth to work.

Josh of Louisville KY (10/26/07)
In 2001 I purchased a Certified Pre-Owned 2000 BMW 323i. Long story short, I later found out after being assured the car had never been wrecked, etc that the vehicle possibly had frame damage. Next the transmission went out and had to be replaced, all four window motors have been replaced twice, the interior molding has been replaced, the computer system has an unknown failure, that I was told now requires replacing the computer (all brake lights are on even when not braking and without problems), the sunroof motor went out, the catalytic convertors were replaced, and water pump literally exploded off of my engine, the power steering has now gone out twice, the air conditioner and heater have both failed, my airbag's are suddenly faulty, and every light bulb on the car has to be replaced approximately 3 times a year. I'm appalled by the service at ANY BMW dealership, and the quality of the vehicle purchased, especially given that it was Certified.

Robert of Torrance CA (10/25/07)
I reported a consumer safety and FIRE hazard in which BMW has known for sometime, according to one of their employees. The original safety hazard involved a 3Rd break light which burned its way of its housing into the trunk of my car, resting on flammable material and next to my gas can, posing a serious fire and or a very potential explosion condition.

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.

Andrea of Redondo Beach CA (10/23/07)
I am presently leasing my 4th 3 series BMW; a 335I 2007. Love the car; HATE the Run FLat tires that BMW has chosen to put on these cars. These tires cannot be repaired and damage easily. They are $500 each to replace. The car is just one year old and I have already had to replace 3 of the tires one of them twice. These car models were designed without room for a spare or a jack so as an owner your only option is to continue to replace the tires every time the tire warning light comes on. Those associated with BMW are all aware of the problems with these tires but do not want to deal with the issue. But BMW is too reputable of a company not to take action. It is disappointing that one item on a car could sour my impression of this company. If my 4th lease was up today I would not choose to get another BMW just for this reason.

Garnik of Los Angeles CA (10/22/07)
I leased a BMW in 2002 and purchased the car 4 years later with a full warranty. Recently I had a problem with the vehicle and took it to the dealer for them to check it. They told me that the engine needed to be replaced because of overheating and it was my fault. Thus, it was going to cost 14K to replace the engine which was according to them not covered by the warranty because of customer negligence.

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.

Ross of Winter Park FL (10/17/07)
I purchased my first BMW, a 530i, one year ago. My wife spilled less than one quart of drinking water in the trunk (from a cooler) due to placing a small sandwich cooler in the trunk. As it turned out, the water later seeped into the bottom of the spare tire well, where of all places, BMW puts the ECU, a main logic box controlling all the electronics for the whole car, totally unprotected from any trunk moisture.

Mahvand of Studio City CA (10/16/07)
On September 15, 2007, I returned my leased 2004 BMW 325i to Pacific BMW in Glendale, CA. After my car was inspected, I was told there was $300 (excluding tax) in wear charges. At that time, I told both representatives that I disagreed and wanted to dispute the charges, at which point I was told the following: 1) Both representatives told me that it was not up to them and that if I want to dispute the charges I should contact BMW Financial Services to resolve the matter. 2) Since I was under the miles I was allotted for my lease term, I should speak with BMW Financial, who would grant me credit for the wear damages that they (Pacific BMW) had estimated. 3) By disputing and the not signing the end of lease statement, I would be incurring additional charges for not releasing the vehicle at the requested due date. 4) By signing the end of lease agreement I was not agreeing to the cost, I was simply releasing the car to Pacific BMW. The representative (Sebastian/ Ben Dela Vina) than gave me a contact number for BMW Financial Services and assured me that they would rectify the issue. I contacted BMW Financial Services who in turn told me that the representatives gave me inaccurate information? and that there was nothing I could do. I again contacted Pacific BMW, both the GM and representative who I dealt with were extremely rude and unprofessional. Basically, the representatives at Pacific BMW lied. I have been referred back and forth from the BMW Financial to the dealership and been told each time that the other party is responsible for the charge. The rate of customer service at Pacific BMW is appalling, based on online customer reviews on Google Maps for Pacific BMW, I am one of may customers that have lied to and treated extremely poorly. It evident they continue to get away with it and simply to not care.

Lynn of Yorba Linda CA (10/04/07)
I previously made a complaint , I now see 2 others with the same complaint on your site with the same problem Amber from corona 4/30/07 and another 7/28/06, in reference to molding problems I too was told that the heat caused it to happen. Have had them replaced numerous times. Was told BMW was aware of the defect, and are still trying to fix the DEFECT in the body. They have had engineers look at it also. I am now being told it is out of warranty and that I will be responsible for costs...at 400 to 500 $ a door. I was told that this was a Defect, how can they stop covering it, when they have been unable to correct the factory DEFECT. I have gone all the way to Corp. Office...very rude. I'm done.

Beverly of Washington DC (10/03/07)
Wow! I had no idea that this problem was so widespread. My 2000 BMW 323i has 82K miles on it. I just paid over $3,000 three months ago for brakes and maintenance. On October 1 (2 days ago) I went to the car wash and then proceeded to go to a shopping center. When I left the store, I was unable to back out of the parking space. I was shocked because I had driven the car the day before and was able to use reverse with no problem. No warnings were ever displayed and the car, I thought, was in great shape. I am scheduled to take the car in on October 11 but based on the comments on this site, I am terrified at what it will cost! Yes, a recall is definitely in order. BMW should be ashamed. I will never purchase another one and will warn all friends & relatives. This goes to show that BMW cares very little about their customers - it's all about their bottom line. The ultimate driving machine.

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Peter of White Plains NY (09/29/07)
I brought in my 2002 525iT (30000 miles)to Westchester BMW, to exchange the left-front indicator light. Dealer told me I had to leave the car; that the entire light assembly needed to be removed to get to the indicator light because of a design error. I thought they were joking - this could not be true to the ultimate driving machine? They were not joking.

Heather of Clarksville TN (09/27/07)
I have a perfectly maintained late 2002 BMW 325i. It was garage kept in NY. But, I recently moved to TN and this summer had record highs over 100. Within a 2 month period, THREE window regulators broke when I put the windows down to cool the car. Then, after picking up the car after a repair for 2 of the regulators (two broke on the same day), I went to put down the most used (and only NOT broken) driver's window and I heard a loud crack and then something falling within the door. I have been afraid to touch that window since, because the inevitable $300 window regulator repair is surely waiting. This seems ridiculous to have AlL window regulators fail within 2 months when having to operate in very hot conditions.

Jean of Toronto, Canada (09/22/07)
Twice since I purchased my 525 series BMW I have had water problems. The first water problem consisted of water flooding the car.On inspection all wiring was found to be totally corroded and had to be replaced. All electronics could have failed on the highway causing serious injuries or death. The second water damage problem I was informed that the vapour barrier was defective and would have to be replaced. That was done. The vehicle was purchased on October 2003 and I have just taken it in for its last check prior to the four year warranty period. The vehicle has 51,000. km. I have been informed that the cost to carry out the final inspection is over $600.00 and that would be the only way to determine if there were any other problems. Unfortunately it would appear that I was sold a lemon. Never once have I ever received a call from the dealer about anything. Once the car is sold thats the end of their responsibility. I feel that I have been extremely reasonable throughout all the problems that I experienced. Others woul most likely have sued or at least demanded another vehicle. I feel that I am at their mercy now that the 4 year warranty is soon to expire. Isn't there anything they should be checking at their cost within the 4 year/80,000. km period?

Kenneth of Baltimore MD (09/22/07)
when driving either my bmw 525 or 325 at speeds over 40 mph if you lower the back windows the car shakes violently.

Elizabeth of Arlington VA (09/20/07)
I took my BMW 325XI model, with 30812 miles on it, for repair. The technician found that the right front brake caliper locked-up which I understand should not happen at this low mileage, and could have caused a serious accident had I been on a highway, particularly one with a steep grade. Also, the right axle boot was split, which I also believe is unusual for such a new, low-mileage BMW. The car is no longer under warranty, but I believe that BMW (should they wish to retain their good name) should have provided a substantial price break on this repair. They provided none. The Service Manager claimed there were no safety implications.

Jill of Hanover NH (09/10/07)
My 2007 BMWX3 has had what I would call lurching problens with the transmission since day one. I took it back to the dealership and they claim it is just the way the car is made - that it is a High Performance Engine and has to run this way. I have again requested it be looked at by the service dept. and they have ignored my calls. Nice! A very expensive vehicle and I hate to drive it!!

Jose  of Chino CA (09/05/07)
I purchased a 2002 BMW 325Ci convertible, certified pre-owned, from Sterling BMW in Newport Beach, CA on Feb 26th 2006. ISSUE #1 When purchased, I was told that the car was still available for the Extended Maintenance Program thru BMW where I would not have to pay for regularly scheduled maintenance (ie. oil changes, 15k maintenance, breaks etc.). A week after my purchase, I received a call from the lady in the finance department that handled my deal and was told that she had made a mistake and the car was not elligible for the extended maintence program. After a month of debates and being brushed off by the Finance Director, they agreed to accept the maintence program at their dealership and that if I had to take the car to a different BMW dealership for services that they would reinburse me accordingly. I received a letter from the dealership regarding this agreement by them and all has been well except now I feel locked into taking the car to their facility. ISSUE #2 A week after I purchased the vehicle, I drove thru an automated car wash and experienced a large amount of water spraying in from the driver side window. I set an appointment and brought the car back into Sterling for diagnosis. I was told that all seals on the convertible top needed to be replaced and that it would cost ME $2,500.00 to repair. After explainin that I had recently purchased the vehicle from THEIR lot, I declined the repair and took the car home. I called the Better Business Bureau and was told to take the car back once they had spoken with the service manager. The dealership said they had adjusted the door and the window and that the car should be fine. To this day, I have taken the car back 7 times regarding the same issue. They have changed ONE seal between the driver side front and rear windows and the car continues to leak when taken thru a carwash. I was recently told by the technician/service manager that ALL convertibles leak as they were not meant to be sprayed with water of a certain pressure directly. My ultimate wish would be that this dealership buy back my car so that I can find a vehicle with less problems. The car is currently in the service department at Sterling BMW for the same issue. I plan to video record my future conversations with the service manager and of the vehicle passing through an automatic carwash and posting the recording on YouTube and other sites so that people do not purchase vehicles from this dealership.

Bibhuti of Columbus OH (08/27/07)
While driving my 2001 BMW 330 coupe around Columbus, a belt tensioner failed along with the water pump in my engine. Consequently, the engine suffered damage to overheating. I was glad to have made it out of the situation safely because once the belt went, my power steering also failed. It was quite frightening trying to steer this vehicle safely off the highway. I was also glad because my car was under warranty and even though I didn't know how much the damage was, I thought it would be covered. However, after I had the vehicle towed to Kelly BMW, they said that BMW would cover the faulty water pump, but the engine damage would have to be paid by me because it was my fault the engine overheated. BMW failed to acknowledge that while I have had regular service on this car in their dealership, they failed to spot a faulty belt and water pump. These defective parts caused the engine damage. All I did was navigate me and my family safely off the highway. However, BMW came back with a gesture of goodwill where they would pay half of the parts costs and I would pay the other half along with labor. Since I needed the vehicle, I had to do something and I eventually relented. The total cost of the fix came to over $6000 for me.

Frank of Landing NJ (07/28/07)
1997 z3 the paint is peeling and fading on the entire car.

Theo of Charleston SC (07/27/07)
I am the owner of a 1994 740i BMW with automatic transmission. The vehicle has always been serviced by a local BMW service center. Currently vehicle has 102,000 miles. Most recently I left home using the reverse to back out my driveway. Upon reaching my destination and returning home I placed the car in reverse and nothing happened. I was able to drive forward with no problems; however, I am not able to go into reverse.

Raquel of Murrieta CA (07/20/07)
Today was the last day of my lease. I called Chase Financial several months prior to find out exactly what I needed to do with the car to prepare it for lease-end. I was informed that any BMW dealership could handle the lease return, so rather than choose the dealership I bought the car (~160 miles roundtrip), I chose the closest one, which was Escondido BMW, which was still 84 miles roundtrip. My two small children were with me, and when I arrived on the lot, I pleasantly stated I was here to return the car--that the lease was up today, and that Chase Financial instructed me to bring the car into the dealership, fill out some paperwork, and that they (Chase Financial) would then pick the car up from BMW. The sales managers I spoke with  immediately became defensive in tone and said that I couldn't bring the car to their dealership, and that I had to go to the one in Irvine, where I bought the car.

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.

Diane of Temecula CA (07/19/07)
I own a 330CI. The door moldings keeping falling. After applying interior glue for auto moldings, and a few months later...they fall. After the third time of this happening I went to a BMW dealership and asked the person in parts if they had a special glue to hold down the molding. He said no. You cannot glue them. They have to be entirely replaced. I went to the service department and without telling him what type of beamer I owned this gentleman said this happens in 3 series and only thing I can do is have it replaced entirely. It would cost about $500.00 Doesn't seem right that they cannot correct this obvious flaw with the 3 series car!

Bobby of Plymouth MN (07/16/07)
I bought a brand new BMW 325 Xi 2005 in Colombus OH from the BMS showroom. Its in 2007 when I reached 15000 miles, I hear a weird noise every time I drive the car and I took it to the showroom guyz and asked for the reason, Its a known problem, the sound is from the tyres, cannot be resolved , we all know it at the BMW This was the reply I got from the people and they balme bridgestone tyres. Well, if they know its a known issue, why the heck cant they fix it and then sell the no-problelm product to the consumers, rather than selling these problametic products and put us into problem??

Avtar Randhawa of Richmond, Canada (07/16/07)
My 2001 330ci has decided not to go into reverse just out of the blue. I have read other horror stories and am not looking forward to seeing my mechanic. HELP !!!!

Temple of Pisgah Forest NC (07/09/07)
This dealer had our BMW for 2 weeks apparently ordering a part from Germany. When they called us to pick up the car they said it was fixed and driveable but it needed a 1350.00 computer to run perfectly. We picked up the car and drove about 100 ft and it did the exact same thing that we originally brought it in for. They charged us $591.00 to do absolutely nothing. We took the car to a different mechanic they repaired the car in one day for $122.00. We told them that we had taken the car through a car wash and it died. The only problem with the car was that water got into the computer and needed to be dried out and corrosion cleaned off the bottom of the board. The car runs fine now with a whole 30 minutes worth of labor. I will get our money back from BMW and rest assure this car will never see the light of their service dept. again. The better business bureau will also get a letter. Also when we walked back into the dealer to let them know the car was not repaired, the service manager said and I quote What do you want me to do about it? I have somewhere that I need to be.

Harold of Flower Mound TX (06/30/07)
My 2 year old BMW 545i has been in for service several times for uncontrolled reving of the engine and also for failure of the transmission to engage after depressing the accelerator for a few seconds. When it does engage, the car bolts forward. This happens about once every few hundred miles, but has now become so severe that I am affraid to drive it, and certainly have any passengers that could potentially get their neck hurt from the sudden jolt. The car has been in several times for the transmission problem, and each time the response is that it is a software problem, but they were sorry but it could not be fixed. The last time, a week ago, the jerk was so severe that I had them come get the car and keep it till they identify the problem and get it fixed, for it is unsafe to drive. I note that there are a couple other complaints on this site with similar or related problems, Douglas and Anderew.

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Reggie of Spring Valley NY (06/01/07)
Car bought so called certified august 2004,more like a lemon instead since I it owned less than 3 yrs, been in BMW dealerships 20 times or more. Engine coils,misfires (recall), defaulted starters,vacuum hose, cracked gearshifter,driverside window seals, default fuel pump.Engine service lights(numerous occasions-told many false reasons even right after service for another job was done on why service light came on.

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.

Deranda of Portland OR (05/28/07)
My 2000 BMW 323ci has transmission failure at 52,000 miles.

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.

Barbara  of Tucson AZ (05/19/07)
Have a BMW 323i and drove to friends home about 2 miles from my home. When I parked the car and hit the alarm, the car started a fire under the hood. I am being told that the cause was the auxiliary fan and that this is not common but a freak thing. Has anyone else experienced this?

Susan of Smithtown NY (05/10/07)
I brought my 1997 318IS to Bert Smith BMW for servicing. This dealership has been servicing my car since 2001. On Saturday 3/10 the car overheated and the service department at BMW was closed for the weekend. A mechanic stopped to help and said it looked like a leak in the radiator. He refilled the radiator and said it would most likely cost about $400.00 to replace the radiator and I should do it immediately. On Monday, March 12 I brought it to Natalie. I do not dealing with Natalie because I find her very rude however, about an hour after she took my car she told me that the radiator needed to be replaced and it would be almost $900.00. There was also a problem with the radiator not being in stock. Something sounded wrong so I told her I wanted my car back. She told me that oit would cost $98.00 to get my car back. The charges was for the tests to determine the problem with the car. She refused to give me the document with the estimate on it. I paid this charge on my credit card and immediately brought the vehicle to BIll Gramley's auto repair. It took them about 10 minutes The cost for the replacement radiator was just under $300.00. The mechanic showed me spark plugs and filters that were supposed to have been replace at a recent servicing and was never complete. I am upset that I wasted my time at the dealership that should have been taking care of my car. The cost was obviousely excessive and they refuse to release the car till I am forced to pay a bill for $104.86. I e-mailed Bert Smith through their website over 14 days ago and have not been contact. I would like to report Bert Smith for incompatence in mechanical responsibility and excessive service charge. Thank you so much for your consideration.

Amy of League City TX (05/01/07)
I bought a CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED 2002 325i in July 2004 from BMW of Murray in Salt Lake City, Utah. I was assured that this car was LIKE NEW with only 11,000 miles on it. Over the course of two and a half years there have been numerous little things that have went wrong. All 4 window regulators have been replaced, parts have literally fallen off (for which I was told, that is a cosmetic problem, not a DEFECT so I was expected to pay), one part that fell off , I had fixed only to discover that it was not repaired correctly and it fell off again!(They expect me to foot the bill for a neww repair!)several dash warning light repeatedly come on ( tail lights that I was charged as much as 7 dollars because it was supposedly the bulb only to discover later that the whole assembly was faulty. This is one of my issues now. The other has shorted out!) But the worst by far is the passenger side airbags. Within the last year, the dash warning light indicating a problem with the airbag system came on. I took it to Advantage BMW in League City Texas.

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.

T

Amber of Corona CA (04/30/07)
2001 BMW 330CI, 60k miles Door seal around passenger side failed. Got quote to have it replaced at Irvine BMW,CA Just the part is almost $300.00 laobr would add another 280.00 or 300.00 they said. Less than 5 days later door seal around driver side door failed. Was told its the weather in california, andhad tolaugh. The car is miticulous cared for and kept in th gargage my work even has underground parking so its never exposed to weather as if southern california has severe enough weather to cause the faultly door seals both nearly at the same time. Also the myrtle wood trim is lifing on driver side,wow california weather can sure ruin a BMW ha ha. Dont know anyone with a care with 60k here in CA that isnt a BMW that has faulty door seals. And funny thing is its happening to alot of 330CI owners at about 60k. Costly repair for a part failing on most 330 ci's BMW should recall this part.

Pinaki of Ann Arbor MI (04/29/07)
I have a BMW 528i which I bought in May 2000. On May 02, 2005, I took the car to complain about some noise was being generated when I turned the steering wheel, the dealer did not even diagnose the problem thoroughly and instead charged me over $675.72 after changing the Stabilizer Link and Ball Joint.

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.

Gene of Sheboygan WI (04/27/07)
Wow! After having purchased my 2000 bmw Z3, I took it to Milwaukee onpersonal business. On the return trip on I 43 heading north I smelled something burning. Something electrical. I pulled the car over, got out, as the cockpit was filling up with smoke. I opened the passenger side and saw smoke coming out of the seatbelt housing. That was weird. Dont know why or how but I'm trying to find out

b

Holly of Alexandria VA (04/24/07)
I have a 2003 525i I bought with 36k it ran fine until about 40k then the engine light came on and the car made alot of noise and started shaking! I took it to Bmw they said they fixed it and it was because I moved the car 10 feet in the cold and then turned off the car. They fixed that then about 2k later my brakes started sticking so but went away the next day! So i never took it in.

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???

Bill of Bethel OH (04/22/07)
I have a 2000 323i BMW that out of the blue would not go into reverse. There was no indication that any thing was wrong with my transmission twenty minutes prior when I backed out of my parking space at work. When I stopped at the post office and tried to back out, my car would go in reverse. I contacted the BMW store of Cincinnati Ohio and was told that I probably burned reverse out of the transmission. I told them that was impossible and that I had never even spun the tires on the car. They told me that I was the first person to complain about the transmission in this make and model of this particular BMW. I noticed that several other people are having the same problem. Is it possible to file a class action law suite against BMW? They are asking almost $5,000 to replace the transmission. Bill Fields Bethel, Ohio

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.

Shelley of Charlottesville VA (04/20/07)
i purchased my new bmw x5 last year. i haven't had it 7 months and the locks, brakes and gas gasket have failed. the other day i picked it up from having all this repaired and my cd player doesn't work. i'm told that i need a new amp and that will be $1300. apparently my warranty will not cover it. (so what the heck did i pay thousands extra for it?) i am so disgusted and will never do business w/carmax again much less purchase another bmw

Vincent of Whippany NJ (04/20/07)
I leased a 2003 BMW X5. Warranty was good for 50,000 miles and included brakes. While on a family vacation in Orlando, Florida the check brake linings warning indicator came on. 4/9/2007 - Mileage was at 49,925. On 4/10/2007 I took the truck to Fields BMW (407)345-1118 to have the brakes serviced under warranty. I was without a vehicle for the day and was stuck at the hotel.

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.

William of Tulsa OK (04/19/07)
I have a 2000 BMW 323i with just over 100K on the clock. The other day I got in the car, started it and there was no reverse. There were no bad sounds, clunk or warning and the car drives fine in all forward gears. I have been told that the tranny is gone and I'm looking at a $5 - 6 K replacement. Apparently this is a common issue with these cars and they (the transmissions) typically fail right at 100,000 miles. This has happened too much to be anything other than a product defect - probably some German engineering to get some cash out of there customers at a known interval.

Babak of Salt Lake City UT (04/17/07)
I am very upset and wish I could sue BMW because they do not have any recall on the faulty transmission they have equiped their cars with! I just bought my BMW 2000 323i 7 months ago and already I have had $3000 in maintenance! Today...my transmission went out when I put it in reverse, I am happy it happened in my Apartments rather on the commute to work!!!

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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Mariana of Aventura FL (04/16/07)
I am writing to you directly with the hope that you can assist me with the following problem I am having with the Miami Brahman BMW Dealership. I leased my car in the beginning of November 2005. I never felt truly comfortable with the way the car was handling the road, always pulling towards one side. It turned into a nightmare one clear sunny day in May 2006 when I was driving on a straight residential road in Miami. While hitting a bump at a speed of about 30 mph, the car suddently swirved right and I collided with a parked car.

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.

O