[StealthM5]

So was super excited when I first bought my M5C in March and put 3,900 on the odometer before a CEL came on in mid-July then a DME failure. Had to wait a month for the new DME only to be told after they installed it that that a second DME had also failed. My dealer didn't have an ETA for the part but had I been in contact with BMW NA's customer relations team and they informed me that the part was not going to be available for two months. I told them that asking me to wait three months to get my car back was ridiculous and they subsequently offered to make payments on my vehicle for three months.

I asked BMW to replace the vehicle with a similarly equipped vehicle because I have a lemon on my hands which they refused and and so have contacted a lawyer to pursue a lemon law claim. I've now been driving a x4 for 52 days and needless to say incredibly frustrated, The Ultimate Driving Machine has turned into the Ultimate Nightmare.

[Billyboy]

Man, thats some bad luck. I totally feel you!

I've had a bad BMW once too, an F11 525D. It had a long streak of visits to the dealer until they found the root cause. By then the car had stopped on me @ the bottom of a tunnel (and fortunatly started again fairly quick so I could get out of the b****y place). Even though they probably fixed the root cause, I had already lost confidence in it and traded it in for a nice 535i Happy ever since.

Having the long wait before my M5 arrives in october, hopefully trouble-free!

[Pimpsy]

Sorry to hear this. Hope your dealer finds a way to make this right.

[TheRealBob]

What modifications had you implemented with your Carly adapter prior to the DME requiring replacement?

[ss_m5]

I dropped my 2019 M5 for my break-in service on Saturday. I get a call a few hours later saying they can't successfully update the 1200 mile reset into the car. They will need to keep the car till Monday and call BMW for assistance. Called again Monday morning and the advisor said he didn't have any update and would get back tome. I hope this isn't something with the DME because I've had the car less than 2 weeks with only 1100 miles on it.

[Aronis]

I was active on the RS6.Com website from day one in 2003. That car had scant issues and I drove mine for 140,000 miles. The only issue with that Audi was the Dynamic Ride Control which was a mechanical system designed to fail. Other issues were ONLY with those who tuned the car and killed the transmission.

The list of bugs and issues with the BMW's (not just the M5) is just growing too much. Maybe its all electronic gremlins, but the point remains, reliability is slipping. How about the X1 tire eater mobile? What's up with that?

I had my M5 go into limp mode out of the blue just driving in my neighborhood, not racing my neighbor or barn burning on the highway, but the CEL gave little information. The friGGEn onboard computer should give us DETAIL. That CEL cleared at next restart and I could not be bothered going to the dealer to have them scratch their heads about it.

So you want to drive the car, the way it was meant to be driven, and the friggen thing just FAILS out of the blue without mods, without excessive engine speeds, without crazy shifting up and down, etc.

Yup, Ultimate Frustration Machine.

Mike

[StealthM5]

Originally Posted by TheRealBob

What modifications had you implemented with your Carly adapter prior to the DME requiring replacement?

Nothing except active sound.

[Archimedes65]

Meh, every make has some lemons; cars have become very complex. But I've had way more problems with my Audi's over the years than my BMWs or my Porsches. The most reliable cars we've owned have been Toyotas and Chevys.

[StealthM5]

Originally Posted by ss_m5

I dropped my 2019 M5 for my break-in service on Saturday. I get a call a few hours later saying they can't successfully update the 1200 mile reset into the car. They will need to keep the car till Monday and call BMW for assistance. Called again Monday morning and the advisor said he didn't have any update and would get back tome. I hope this isn't something with the DME because I've had the car less than 2 weeks with only 1100 miles on it.

I'm sorry to hear that, hopefully it's not the same issue. Any update on your end?

[ss_m5]

Originally Posted by Alan R.

I'm sorry to hear that, hopefully it's not the same issue. Any update on your end?

All good after talked to BMW support. They were able to get the computer to reset but It took them all day Monday to get this done. Now I need to drive the piss out of it the next few thousand miles to make sure nothing else goes wrong.

[vitaly]

Yup, cars are exceedingly complex these days, made up of components built and spec'd by 3rd party vendors. Individually they might be fine but I suspect the interplay between all of them is beyond the reach of simulation/testing that manufacturers have in place. In other words, feature development is outpacing QC. Plus they're pushing ungodly perf and tolerances on these high end cars like the M5 - margin for mistakes is minuscule.

Probably all the more important to not buy first year production of any major revision.

[Jo-Sta07]

I'd love to find a good independent mechanic and get a 575m for the daily. At least if something goes wrong it's a quick fix. I agree with the others that cars have gotten way too complex with the electrical systems.

[Archimedes65]

IMO, it's not so much whether a car has problems or not, but whether the manufacturer stands behind its product and makes things right for the customer. Porsche is a great example of a company that is willing to admit its mistakes and make sure the customer is taken care of in the event there is an issue. That goes a long way in building customer loyalty and goodwill. I've never had a major issue with any of my BMWs, so I have no experience with their support.

[vitaly]

Originally Posted by Archimedes65

IMO, it's not so much whether a car has problems or not, but whether the manufacturer stands behind its product and makes things right for the customer. Porsche is a great example of a company that is willing to admit its mistakes and make sure the customer is taken care of in the event there is an issue. That goes a long way in building customer loyalty and goodwill. I've never had a major issue with any of my BMWs, so I have no experience with their support.

Their response figures into the experience, but would it *really* matter if they're obliging and polite when your car is in for service every month? It's a hassle and time sink no matter how they handle it.

I guess we can ask Range Rover owners