[Mike_Rob]

Took my car to the dealer to have the battery replaced for the emergency call system malfunction and turns out water has been leaking underneath the shark fin. My car is still under it's CPO warranty but this isn't covered, needless to say as soon as I get the car back it's good as gone.

It's a issue that ranges throughout BMW no matter the model. The service tech somehow made it seem like I loosed the antenna. Lol. Having my leaking coolant tank replaced with the same kind of tank is one thing, but having me pay for a faulty design has lost me as a future BMW customer. It's a $2400 repair by the way.

[Hachima]

What evidence did the tech provide that you loosened it? Is or has the car been wrapped and the antenna previously removed? If they can't demonstrate you did anything they would need to repair it...

[AHall]

Originally Posted by Mike_Rob

Took my car to the dealer to have the battery replaced for the emergency call system malfunction and turns out water has been leaking underneath the shark fin. My car is still under it's CPO warranty but this isn't covered, needless to say as soon as I get the car back it's good as gone.

It's a issue that ranges throughout BMW no matter the model. The service tech somehow made it seem like I loosed the antenna. Lol. Having my leaking coolant tank replaced with the same kind of tank is one thing, but having me pay for a faulty design has lost me as a future BMW customer. It's a $2400 repair by the way.

What does the warranty cover? I saw other postings indicating the battery is $100 and the total for a dealer to replace it is less than $500. However this was posted on the G30 forum. I am guessing they use the same battery, but maybe not. At any rate $2,400 seems really high. I would get an estimate from another dealership.

[Maxlude]

I guess the dealer wants to replace the whole telecoms control module as it's so expensive.
My 2019 had the emergency call function not available message last week.
The car is not used much unfortunately since covid so I charged the main batt for couple of days and the message has gone away...for now

[Mike_Rob]

Originally Posted by Hachima

What evidence did the tech provide that you loosened it? Is or has the car been wrapped and the antenna previously removed? If they can't demonstrate you did anything they would need to repair it...

It wasn’t loose at all, he made assumptions because he’s clueless. It’s not wrapped and I’ve gotten the message before and it always went away.

[Mike_Rob]

Originally Posted by AHall

What does the warranty cover? I saw other postings indicating the battery is $100 and the total for a dealer to replace it is less than $500. However this was posted on the G30 forum. I am guessing they use the same battery, but maybe not. At any rate $2,400 seems really high. I would get an estimate from another dealership.

Originally Posted by Maxlude

I guess the dealer wants to replace the whole telecoms control module as it's so expensive.
My 2019 had the emergency call function not available message last week.
The car is not used much unfortunately since covid so I charged the main batt for couple of days and the message has gone away...for now

Correct. Water damage to the antenna, TCB module and battery. It also has to be reprogrammed and resealed. I got the message around the same time we had a lot of consecutive days of rain and due to the circumstances my car was mainly outside. I’m guessing that’s why some people get the message and it goes away if it’s not completely soaked by water. My car has about 54000 miles so I’m assuming that seal around the antenna wears over time.

[Aronis]

I'll step into this discussion without fear of the BMW fanboys jumping (word changed) all over me. I no longer give a darn (word changed). I have been waiting for a (word removed) return call from BMW NA for two weeks. I call them daily and leave a (another word removed) message. My car is running fine. I have a new $2000 battery and so far no issues. They told me they would pay for it, but my dealer cannot figure out how to invoice BMW and refund me my $2000. I get random 'intermittent' error codes but no CEL. The dealer saw these codes and did NOTHING to diagnose and repair. They gave me the printout showing all the error messages. Some voltage thing on the BDC module. At some point the car is going to just die. And my local deanship is useless.

I have a standing offer of $57000 for my car in trade. Perhaps I'll be driving a Macan S soon.

I had an issue with a blown fuse and they would not honor the cars ORIGINAL Warranty because the car had been repaired. That is bullshit. I made the mistake of buying out my lease, but at the time there were pretty much no new cars to be had due to, you guessed it, COVID. The "Ultimate Dealer Excuse". And I bought the extended warranty which the dealership outside Albany swears they will stand behind. It's just a (word removed) pain in the (word removed) to go there for service.

BMW is no longer the company it once was. The company is a dying company. No longer the 'Ultimate Driving Machine' The technology in these cars is not reliable. Any module in the complex system can screw up the car. The service departments are wholly unqualified to diagnose and repair these complex systems.

Water into the Shark Fin mount? WHAT THE (*&)(*&*B HELL. Of course that should be covered by BMW warranty. That is a Design Flaw. Doh' let's put a hole in the top of the car for a friggen wire. Dumb.

$2000 lithium ion battery to save 30 pounds, dumb.

No spare tire and jack, dumb.

Selling any M5 without a sunroof, dumb. (JK, had to put that in there)

At least with WW3 starting soon we can stop worrying about our 100k cars shitting the bed.

Mike

[Maverik259]

Originally Posted by Mike_Rob

Took my car to the dealer to have the battery replaced for the emergency call system malfunction and turns out water has been leaking underneath the shark fin. My car is still under it's CPO warranty but this isn't covered, needless to say as soon as I get the car back it's good as gone.

It's a issue that ranges throughout BMW no matter the model. The service tech somehow made it seem like I loosed the antenna. Lol. Having my leaking coolant tank replaced with the same kind of tank is one thing, but having me pay for a faulty design has lost me as a future BMW customer. It's a $2400 repair by the way.

i wouldnt put too much stock in what a "service tech" thinks to be honest. What did the service manager say? after him i would go to the dealer manager.

had to do this when my M5 got sat on and required the hood to be repainted and the service manager didn't call me back for 2 days after it first happened and then broke an oil cap in half on my wifes x5 and proceeded to lie to her when they told her a loaner was ready but made her wait over an hour for them to clean one while on her lunch break only for it to smell like dog shit when she got it. She waited so long that i was able to stop by when i got off of work early and i walked right into the dealer manager's office and asked if he had a moment to chat. Worked out well for me and not to say this had anything to do with it but within a month that service manager was no longer the manager.

[Mike_Rob]

Originally Posted by Aronis

I'll step into this discussion without fear of the BMW fanboys jumping (word changed) all over me. I no longer give a darn (word changed). I have been waiting for a (word removed) return call from BMW NA for two weeks. I call them daily and leave a (another word removed) message. My car is running fine. I have a new $2000 battery and so far no issues. They told me they would pay for it, but my dealer cannot figure out how to invoice BMW and refund me my $2000. I get random 'intermittent' error codes but no CEL. The dealer saw these codes and did NOTHING to diagnose and repair. They gave me the printout showing all the error messages. Some voltage thing on the BDC module. At some point the car is going to just die. And my local deanship is useless.

I have a standing offer of $57000 for my car in trade. Perhaps I'll be driving a Macan S soon.

I had an issue with a blown fuse and they would not honor the cars ORIGINAL Warranty because the car had been repaired. That is bullshit. I made the mistake of buying out my lease, but at the time there were pretty much no new cars to be had due to, you guessed it, COVID. The "Ultimate Dealer Excuse". And I bought the extended warranty which the dealership outside Albany swears they will stand behind. It's just a (word removed) pain in the (word removed) to go there for service.

BMW is no longer the company it once was. The company is a dying company. No longer the 'Ultimate Driving Machine' The technology in these cars is not reliable. Any module in the complex system can screw up the car. The service departments are wholly unqualified to diagnose and repair these complex systems.

Water into the Shark Fin mount? WHAT THE (*&)(*&*B HELL. Of course that should be covered by BMW warranty. That is a Design Flaw. Doh' let's put a hole in the top of the car for a friggen wire. Dumb.

$2000 lithium ion battery to save 30 pounds, dumb.

No spare tire and jack, dumb.

Selling any M5 without a sunroof, dumb. (JK, had to put that in there)

At least with WW3 starting soon we can stop worrying about our 100k cars shitting the bed.

Mike

Couldn’t have said it better myself. I love the car and the buying process with BMW, I’ve bought 4 in the last 3 years. I no longer trust them or the car.

Originally Posted by Maverik259

i wouldnt put too much stock in what a "service tech" thinks to be honest. What did the service manager say? after him i would go to the dealer manager.

had to do this when my M5 got sat on and required the hood to be repainted and the service manager didn't call me back for 2 days after it first happened and then broke an oil cap in half on my wifes x5 and proceeded to lie to her when they told her a loaner was ready but made her wait over an hour for them to clean one while on her lunch break only for it to smell like dog shit when she got it. She waited so long that i was able to stop by when i got off of work early and i walked right into the dealer manager's office and asked if he had a moment to chat. Worked out well for me and not to say this had anything to do with it but within a month that service manager was no longer the manager.

I’m picking it up and taking it somewhere else. It’s so hard to find a decent service department. The one I took it to is further away because of a falling out I had at a previous service department. You can’t sell cars north of $150k and carry yourself like a Ford service department.

[Maxlude]

Originally Posted by Mike_Rob

Correct. Water damage to the antenna, TCB module and battery. It also has to be reprogrammed and resealed. I got the message around the same time we had a lot of consecutive days of rain and due to the circumstances my car was mainly outside. I’m guessing that’s why some people get the message and it goes away if it’s not completely soaked by water. My car has about 54000 miles so I’m assuming that seal around the antenna wears over time.

My car only has 18000 miles but is outside all the time. I live in the UK and even though I have a double garage, it isn't quite big enough for the M5! Garages here are small.
But I also have an E90 with a shark fin that was outside for 12 years and no probs with water leakage. A decent seal shouldn't leak. Its either a different materials or badly fitted on newer BMWs as it's a common issue across the range it seems.

[Stück]

Could be worse... my carbon fiber roof has (no exaggeration) thousands of cracks in it and BMW told me to go pound sand. They will not cover the replacement, blaming it on anything but defective resin. Some of the cracks are beginning to blister and split away the top coat now.

Per the Area Director ( Richie.Haricharan@bmwna.com ) who apparently has last call on these declines of warranty they stated it will not be covered due to:

1. It was sold new in California, but resides in Texas now.
2. I am not the first owner (2nd)

Per BMW of North America LLC calling me to tell me on a recorded line the decline reason, it is not being replaced because the car was tuned, a fact that Irvine BMW concealed despite knowing full well the DME's had 61 & 63 flash counters when they sold it "with fully intact warranty" then reported the DME tampering to BMW / DCS several months later once it was in Texas.

Strongly considering suing them for breach of contract, deceptive trade practices and violation of well established Federal Law (The Magnuson Moss Warranty Act)

Looking at $12,000 to replace the roof out of pocket.

[Stück]

Oh, and FYI while the KSD labor guide pays like 8 hours to change the emergency call services backup battery (and this is a super common failure) no tech actually drops the entire headliner. They just pull and pry the back lip down and reach up there blind to access and replace it.

8 hours in the bank in less than 1 for a dealer tech that knows what they are doing.

[Egrunt]

Originally Posted by Stück

Could be worse... my carbon fiber roof has (no exaggeration) thousands of cracks in it and BMW told me to go pound sand. They will not cover the replacement, blaming it on anything but defective resin. Some of the cracks are beginning to blister and split away the top coat now.

Per the Area Director ( Richie.Haricharan@bmwna.com ) who apparently has last call on these declines of warranty they stated it will not be covered due to:

1. It was sold new in California, but resides in Texas now.
2. I am not the first owner (2nd)

Per BMW of North America LLC calling me to tell me on a recorded line the decline reason, it is not being replaced because the car was tuned, a fact that Irvine BMW concealed despite knowing full well the DME's had 61 & 63 flash counters when they sold it "with fully intact warranty" then reported the DME tampering to BMW / DCS several months later once it was in Texas.

Strongly considering suing them for breach of contract, deceptive trade practices and violation of well established Federal Law (The Magnuson Moss Warranty Act)

Looking at $12,000 to replace the roof out of pocket.

Googled Richie Haricharan and found this video on Youtube. Part of the ownership or aftersales of any product is the customer support one receives when things go bad. Reading post such as this give me pause. I paid my M5 off in under 3 years with the intent of keeping it for the long haul. Living in Southern California we do not deal with much rain. However, once I retire for the second time (retired from the military in 2004) me and the wife are departing California. My M5 is a garage queen and only has 10,700 after 4 years and 2 months of ownership. Reading post such as this, I am thinking of selling or trading the M5. As it is I don’t drive it that much. I have a take home vehicle from work and when I am off, I ride my motorcycle (2018 BMW R1200GSA). Maybe it is time to look at a Porsche. I was contemplating transitioning from the M5 to new 911 GTS but the markup in SOCAL is 40k over MSRP, no thank you.

[Stück]

Yeah, he doesn't work there anymore. Hasn't since 2014 per his Linkedin.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/richie-haricharan-931b9023

BMW is more concerned over how I got Richies email address, because Richie is LIVID that I emailed him directly as he is supposed to be protected behind the dealership network and "isn't client facing"

IE doesn't deal with peasants like us.

Right after I emailed him I caught wind that employees that worked on my car at the dealer all got pulled into the Directors office to ask who disseminated his super hard to guess email address following a nastygram to the manager from Richie.

I am waiting for my custom license plate frame to come in.



Mike I wholly encourage you to email Richie about your issue, and please please let him know I sent you. He won't email you back, but BMW of North America LLC will call you not long after asking questions lol.

[Egrunt]

Originally Posted by Stück

Yeah, he doesn't work there anymore. Hasn't since 2014 per his Linkedin.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/richie-haricharan-931b9023

BMW is more concerned over how I got Richies email address, because Richie is LIVID that I emailed him directly as he is supposed to be protected behind the dealership network and "isn't client facing"

IE doesn't deal with peasants like us.

Right after I emailed him I caught wind that employees that worked on my car at the dealer all got pulled into the Directors office to ask who disseminated his super hard to guess email address following a nastygram to the manager from Richie.

I am waiting for my custom license plate frame to come in.



Mike I wholly encourage you to email Richie about your issue, and please please let him know I sent you. He won't email you back, but BMW of North America LLC will call you not long after asking questions lol.

I read that as well and I should have elaborated. How his customer support has changed. I think I am done with further BMW purchases. I have owned more Corvettes dating back to 1991 when I bought my first C4 Corvette and my last was a 2014 C7. No problems with my Corvettes and my favorite were my C6 Z06. If the C8 was not so hard to purchase I may consider the C8 Z06 instead of the 911 GTS. My personal feelings is the current M5 is a boat (in size) with great power and it is comfortable to drive and my wife of over 36 years is likes it when we drive it on the weekends. Back in 2018 I considered a 911 instead of the M5 and my wife looked at me and she stated, “You think I am driving to Vegas in the car you are sadly mistaken”, well I believe in happy wife happy life. Now we fly to Vegas and the drive is no longer an issue.

My favorite Corvette, I miss the Z06, I should have never sold it.

[Hachima]

When I was denied a request to resolve an issue under warranty by an area manager, I emailed the BMWNA president of the time and CCed the area manager. After that, things turned around in my favor very quickly.

[Mike_Rob]

Originally Posted by Stück

Oh, and FYI while the KSD labor guide pays like 8 hours to change the emergency call services backup battery (and this is a super common failure) no tech actually drops the entire headliner. They just pull and pry the back lip down and reach up there blind to access and replace it.

8 hours in the bank in less than 1 for a dealer tech that knows what they are doing.

This particular dealership sends you a video of maintenance inspections. 2 hours after I dropped the car off the tech had that antenna off. I said to myself he didn’t drop the liner to get that off.

[Mike_Rob]

Originally Posted by Egrunt

Googled Richie Haricharan and found this video on Youtube. Part of the ownership or aftersales of any product is the customer support one receives when things go bad. Reading post such as this give me pause. I paid my M5 off in under 3 years with the intent of keeping it for the long haul. Living in Southern California we do not deal with much rain. However, once I retire for the second time (retired from the military in 2004) me and the wife are departing California. My M5 is a garage queen and only has 10,700 after 4 years and 2 months of ownership. Reading post such as this, I am thinking of selling or trading the M5. As it is I don’t drive it that much. I have a take home vehicle from work and when I am off, I ride my motorcycle (2018 BMW R1200GSA). Maybe it is time to look at a Porsche. I was contemplating transitioning from the M5 to new 911 GTS but the markup in SOCAL is 40k over MSRP, no thank you.

Same. My wife and I are retired military. I wanted to keep it long term also. I don’t mind paying for things after the warranty but I never had so many issues with a car before (low pressure fuel pump, coolant tank, creaking armrest, cracked hvac screen and now this). And the whole idling rough thing after not being driven, don’t trust it. The last straw was them determining this water leak is a wear issue.

[Mike_Rob]

Originally Posted by Egrunt

I read that as well and I should have elaborated. How his customer support has changed. I think I am done with further BMW purchases. I have owned more Corvettes dating back to 1991 when I bought my first C4 Corvette and my last was a 2014 C7. No problems with my Corvettes and my favorite were my C6 Z06. If the C8 was not so hard to purchase I may consider the C8 Z06 instead of the 911 GTS. My personal feelings is the current M5 is a boat (in size) with great power and it is comfortable to drive and my wife of over 36 years is likes it when we drive it on the weekends. Back in 2018 I considered a 911 instead of the M5 and my wife looked at me and she stated, “You think I am driving to Vegas in the car you are sadly mistaken”, well I believe in happy wife happy life. Now we fly to Vegas and the drive is no longer an issue.

My favorite Corvette, I miss the Z06, I should have never sold it.

Funny, my wife loves the vette. I’m pretty dead set on a ZL1 though.

[Aronis]

Originally Posted by Stück

Oh, and FYI while the KSD labor guide pays like 8 hours to change the emergency call services backup battery (and this is a super common failure) no tech actually drops the entire headliner. They just pull and pry the back lip down and reach up there blind to access and replace it.

8 hours in the bank in less than 1 for a dealer tech that knows what they are doing.

That battery in my dad's car went and they said the same, 8 hours, I sent him the PDF of the repair process but took a look at mine, you can pop out the battery without prying anything down! The thing is right at the hatch to access the high stop light. The battery flips right out. Takes may 6 minutes if you are all thumbs.

If the module has to be changed that may be more difficult, but I will bet my left nut that a decent mechanic could do it without taking the head liner out. And the fool who designed it should rot in hell.

Mike

[Stück]

Originally Posted by Aronis

That battery in my dad's car went and they said the same, 8 hours, I sent him the PDF of the repair process but took a look at mine, you can pop out the battery without prying anything down! The thing is right at the hatch to access the high stop light. The battery flips right out. Takes may 6 minutes if you are all thumbs.

If the module has to be changed that may be more difficult, but I will bet my left nut that a decent mechanic could do it without taking the head liner out. And the fool who designed it should rot in hell.

Mike

Techs live and die by learning by experience how to do something faster than what the book time pays, that said most BMW dealer short pay techs on warranty time. What the customer gets billed (hours wise) isn't often what the technician was allowed to flag.

I agree though with such a large disparity it is a bit silly, at the end of the day you have to blame the engineer that wanted to prove his worth...


For anyone who is interested the current President & CEO of BMW NA is:
Sebastian Mackensen ( sebastian.mackensen@bmwna.com )

I think forwarding unrequited emails to him while CC'ing the ignoring party is a fantastic idea.

[mjr24]

I don't see the issue. This isn't a BMW issue. It's a "you have a shitty dealer issue". Go to another dealer and have them replace it (and make sure you trash the old dealer in reviews). It's covered under warranty, this is a common issue.