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BMW 740 Series

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Teresa of CA (4/26/04):
Brand new top-of-the-line 745Li BMW sedan. About an $85,000.00 vehicle. First 10 days of ownership the car starts "lurching" either forward or backward depending on last gear used after engine had been turned off and parking brake had been set. The lurch occurs about 5-6 seconds after engine is shut off. Took vehicle to dealer, was told it was an "autopark" function and that it had been corrected. Got back in car at dealership, same problem. Was told to wait for mechanic who after about 30 minutes sat down with me and explained that it was a parking function delay and was normal for this vehicle.

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

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

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

Dr. John of Cincinnati (10/6/03):
I purchased my 5th BMW in 1993 -- the Flagship 740IL. Within several months the transmission started to act up and eventually went completely out. The car was under warranty, and transmission was replaced. I was told that this was very unusual and should never happen again. At about 68K miles the replacement transmission in my 740IL started to act up again, and eventually went completely out. Now out of warranty I replaced the transmission at a cost of $8,800.00 out of my own pocket.

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

David of North Hollywood CA (4/14/03);
Purchased the brand new 2002 745i series and have had nothing but problems, I found the car to be unreliable and I am not happy with the performance. The car now as I speak is in the shop, it has been there for a week already. This is the second time that BMW has had to tow the car in. Mind you this is a brand new car, that I paid a lot of money for, it misfires, it stalls, the lights start going crazy and I just don't want to deal with the problems, I am afraid to take the car out of town and unfortunataly I have to travel quite often on business.

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

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

Christina of St. James NY (8/28/03):
My BMW 323i (2000) has had nothing but problems -- at 24,203 miles the front contol arms were replaced, now at 51,000 the car has the same problem. I called BMW of North America and brought the car to a dealership and they are telling me this is typical performance of this car and asked me how I drive and what kinds of roads I drive on. Well, I am not doing any off-road driving with the car and a road is a road -- shouldn't this car withstand any typical road hazards?

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

Thomas of New Castle iN (9/3/03):
I purchased a 1997 BMW 740iL in January of 2003 and the vehicle had 68,000 miles on the odometer. Earlier this summer I started experiencing cooling system problems ranging from a stuck thermostat (which required the vehicle to be towed in for repairs) to a broken radiator tank requiring a replacement radiator. The tank is a plastic material and broke at the neck where the upper hose connects to it. According to the mechanic, this has been a problem with 8 cylinder BMW's because, according to him, the engine torque causing undue strain due to the twisting motion caused by the torque. I contacted BMW customer service and was politely advised that (in so many words) these things happen!

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

Eugene of Ridgecrest CA (3/5/03):
On 2-12-03, while driving my 1995 BMW 740i with only 65,000 miles on the car, one of the oil pump mount bolts fell out into the engine timing chain breaking the chain and causing the engine to fail. The engine is ruined due to what now appears after intense research by my mechanic and myself to be a common problem and would appear to be a major design defect. This is a well maintained, garage-kept car and BMW extended the warranty to 6 yrs/100,000 miles due to engine problems. The car is out of warranty in years but has very low mileage. This problem needs to be addressed by BMW which they are refusing to do.

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

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