Quote:
Originally Posted by kriskross
Hello, need your opinion here pls.
I've got a F30 330e M-Sport hybrid, very happy - until a year ago.
Had a few warnings on electric drivetrain issues, drivability deteriorated - went to dealership, took ages to diagnose, result: one cell needed replacing. Issues started within warranty period, but went to dealer just outside warrant period. BMW did not honour the warranty, and it took weeks of pushing until they covered parts as goodwill. I had to fork out nearly 2000GBP on labour. 
5 months later, same symptoms, same electric drivetrain warnings - went to dealership, took ages to diagnose, result: the remaining 4 cells need replacing. Cost: around 7500GBP. Took weeks of pushing, but BMW refused to show ANY goodwill.
The only "goodwill" they offered was to dispose of the car. Not joking! 
Now I'm faced with a repair of 7500GBP where market value is not much more than that --> this is effectively a write-off - after 7 years! I'm not buying BMW to write it off after 7 years. And what is even worse, they don't seem to care. At all!  Even though I've grown up with BMW over the past 50 years, and driving BMW for 30+ years. Time to say goodbye?
Any (constructive) advice appreciated. |
Just logged in out of the blue and saw this thread and thought to pitch in on the original subject, as it hits close to home. I think you have all the reasons to feel "mad" with your experience, and I disagree with the comments herein telling you to suck it up. New technology or (rather) not, it is simply unacceptable for a major component of such a relatively expensive car to fail at 7 years. For a BMW, by many measures, that's nearly a new car.
BMW dealers in the US, and I'm inclined to think elsewhere too, are no better, and perhaps worse, than any other car dealers. From very greedy pricing, to the value and competency of service. I have very mixed feelings on the brand about this. You cannot just blame the dealers - the company must know and share responsibility. I'm amazed at how little they care about the treatment of the customers post-sale, including allowing that obscene pricing for service. I've also got the same type of impression about BMWUSA headquarters, with their level of unresponsiveness. The fact that they afford to not care much may speak volumes about the entrenched power of the brand with people. But I feel that, unless things improve, a day of reckoning will come and what has now become a globalist brand will further lose its Germanic shine.
So, while I think that your case is rare, you're right to be mad at the lack of customer service, and you're right to consider brand alternatives (too few, though). For your practical purposes, I'd never undertake ANY further repairs at a BMW dealer if out of warranty. As a long-term owner, you probably have a good indie.
Secondly, forgive my ignorance, but can you drive the hybrid on combustion only? Perhaps as a spare, still luxury car, it's worth to take the reduced performance and keep it long term, for commutes and errands and stuff. Imo, any ICE BMW, with just an average level of care, should be expected to easily last to 300k miles in the main components (perhaps less for a hybrid).