Habberstad BMW of Bayshore

[echo46]

So I received my notice in the mail from BMW NA to have my tailights repaired on the safety recall. I called up BMW of Bayshore to schedule an appointment. The lady was very nice and got me right in and arranged for a loaner. So far so good.

I showed up a 9:00 a.m. yesterday and met with a service rep. Nice enough guy. He takes me over to my car and starts feeling the tires with a look of concern. The following conversation ensues:

"Looks like you got a bad case of cupping here. You are in bad need of an alignment."
"I say really, I don't see it."
"No, you need an alignment."

Then he takes me back to his desk and indicates that because my car has 71,000 miles it is in bad need of a carbon flush. He shows me a picture that is taped to his desk showing a gunked up engine next to a clean engine. He states that my engine looks like the former and BMW will do the flush for $218.

He also says my engine probably has a substantial amount of gunk in it by this point. I respond that that's funny because I recently did a vanos rebuild and had a good look at the cams and everything was crystal clear. He sort of backs off and still insists I need the flush. I refuse.

We continue to have a very nice conversation about my e36 and about all the maintenance I've done on my ZHP.

I get the loaner and off I go. I return around 4:30 to pick the car up. The service rep quotes me $2,300 to replace the tires with Pilots with an alignment. I say thanks but no. He says my car will be brought out. At first they can't locate the vehicle. Then some guy comes zooming in with it. I get in and the AC is blasting. As I'm in a hurry, I fail to look over the car.

THe first thing I do notice is that the car was driven 8 miles and the invoice only shows it was driven 4 miles while at the dealership. At that point, I don't think much of it and I proceed to drive home. I get home, get out of the car and immediatley notice a nice inch long deep scratch in the black frame cover between the front and rear window. I'm pissed. I think to myself how I baby this damn car, keep it garaged, wash it once a week, detail it etc.

I have to take my son to a baseball game so I jump back in the car and leave, still fuming. I tell my wife and, God bless her soul, she gets right on the phone with the dealership and lights up the service manager. She tells him that I waited a long time to find the car and flew all the way out to Detroit to get it. The service manager starts to fight her a bit but she is on her game and describes in deatail how the car is cared for and all the mainteneance that I do on it. The service manger says please bring it in and we will do the right thing.

First thing this morning I am back at the dealership ready for a fight. Much to my pleasant surprise they did not say a word. They looked at the car and then immediately went to the parts department to see if they had the frame cover in stock. The service manager returns and says that there is only one replacement in the country and they have ordered it. Assured me as soon as it is in I will be contacted and the car will be taken care of. So as of now, I am optimistically hopeful. I will post the outcome.

[danewilson77]

Gawd how I hate the dealership.

Sent from SIGFest-2012, USA on HTC via TTv2

[AzkotikBMW]

Sadly, this is what I've heard about a LOT of dealership experiences.

Very good to hear that they are going to replace the damaged part for you though. At least they are doing the right thing there!

[echo46]

I sure hope so, this scratch just reaches out and screams at you when you go to open the damn door.

[HokieZHP]

Glad to hear they're making it right.

I wish we had dealer keys! haha give it to them and it doesn't allow the car over 30mph or something.

[ryankokesh]

Wow, mad props to your wife!

Hope it all works out for you...


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[echo46]

Yea, wifey did the job. I owe her something nice.

[echo46]

Back to the dealer I went, today. Yesterday they notified me that the shadow line trim piece, that they so badly scratched, was finally in. They told me that this particular price of trim was the only one they could locate in the entire country--a bit hard to believe. Anyway, showed up at 9 sharp for my appointment. I then proceeded to sit around for 2.5 hours. I really have a hard time believing that to replace the shadow line trim takes 2.5 hours. Indeed, it wasn't until I got irritated that the job was completed. Never again, I tell you, never again. From now on, if I can't deal with a mechanical issue or otherwise, I will take it to an Indy. However, it is interesting to people watch there. People actually bring their car in to have the tires checked for proper air and to get their windshield wiper fluid filled. Unbelievable.

[Oli77]

Man, that's a bum deal.

My experience has been OK.

How about the alignment? Are you hoping the cupping will diminish on these tires? Cause I am.

I recently had an alignment done because the noise from the cupping was making me a bit mad, and because there is a lot of life left on these tires (1-2 more years). I am going to take a picture /month of the cupping and watch the progression over the next year.

[johnnyrad]

Wow! Nice to hear they fixed it and your wife gets a +1 for the call, but my god that would make me sooo pissed. I have to think that most BMW owners roll in and have the dealer do whatever they say because they just assume the car they drive is so complicated and can't possibly be fixed by a mere mortal.