Advice : BMW warranty claim
Discussion
BlackLabel said:
+1
Twitter is great for this kind of stuff. Perhaps someone with a reasonable number of followers can get the ball rolling by tweeting the link to this thread. If the OP agrees to it of course.
Permission granted! The more publicity this gets the better as far as I am concerned. It seems that huge amounts of negative publicity is the only way to get BMW to do anything these days...Keys, cracking wheels etc etc. Unfortunately I'm a bit ugly to go on TV so they are probably safe from WatchdogTwitter is great for this kind of stuff. Perhaps someone with a reasonable number of followers can get the ball rolling by tweeting the link to this thread. If the OP agrees to it of course.
Good luck OP. Putting aside all other considerations, BMW should see sense and help you here. PR, the need to appear consistent with GetCarter's case and common sense should prevail.
In the interests of balance, I would like to challenge a few things I have read in this thread however:
1. The hate for BMW along the lines of 'same old BMW, screwing over the little guy' seems a bit unfair, given they don't seem to be alone amongst similar manufacturers of motorsport-inspired cars in their warranty stance.
2. 'M', might stand for Motorsport, but an M235i is plainly designed for road use. It doesn't come with slick tyres, a sequential box or a roll cage. It comes with road tyres, comfy seats, cruise control, etc. Let's not be silly....do you guys think drinking Red Bull is going to allow you to fly? It's a marketing ploy: establish a tenuous link to motorsport success in order to sell more road cars. Using this point as something to win over BMW is a bit of a red herring, in my opinion.
3. I expect that like many who go on track days, OP will not have been insured while on track - most insurers will specifically state that this is not covered (and won't say "unless you have an M car, because everyone knows they are basically the same as racing cars"). What would've happened if he'd binned it? We wouldn't be castigating the insurer for not paying out.
I realise the warranty in question won't specifically talk about track days but it's not a million miles from it in wording...i think the spirit of it would apply to track days.
[OP, apologies if you did in fact have track day insurance!]
In the interests of balance, I would like to challenge a few things I have read in this thread however:
1. The hate for BMW along the lines of 'same old BMW, screwing over the little guy' seems a bit unfair, given they don't seem to be alone amongst similar manufacturers of motorsport-inspired cars in their warranty stance.
2. 'M', might stand for Motorsport, but an M235i is plainly designed for road use. It doesn't come with slick tyres, a sequential box or a roll cage. It comes with road tyres, comfy seats, cruise control, etc. Let's not be silly....do you guys think drinking Red Bull is going to allow you to fly? It's a marketing ploy: establish a tenuous link to motorsport success in order to sell more road cars. Using this point as something to win over BMW is a bit of a red herring, in my opinion.
3. I expect that like many who go on track days, OP will not have been insured while on track - most insurers will specifically state that this is not covered (and won't say "unless you have an M car, because everyone knows they are basically the same as racing cars"). What would've happened if he'd binned it? We wouldn't be castigating the insurer for not paying out.
I realise the warranty in question won't specifically talk about track days but it's not a million miles from it in wording...i think the spirit of it would apply to track days.
[OP, apologies if you did in fact have track day insurance!]
M3CS said:
2. 'M', might stand for Motorsport, but an M235i is plainly designed for road use. It doesn't come with slick tyres, a sequential box or a roll cage. It comes with road tyres, comfy seats, cruise control, etc. Let's not be silly....do you guys think drinking Red Bull is going to allow you to fly? It's a marketing ploy: establish a tenuous link to motorsport success in order to sell more road cars. Using this point as something to win over BMW is a bit of a red herring, in my opinion.
It's not just the M badge though is it. BMW produced marketing video demonstrating the car on track, and many road tests were done on a test track as well. If you're trying to get someone to buy your car, showing it off on a track and then refusing to cover when something goes wrong when used on one seems a tad out of order to me.fourspoons said:
BlackLabel said:
+1
Twitter is great for this kind of stuff. Perhaps someone with a reasonable number of followers can get the ball rolling by tweeting the link to this thread. If the OP agrees to it of course.
Permission granted! The more publicity this gets the better as far as I am concerned. It seems that huge amounts of negative publicity is the only way to get BMW to do anything these days...Keys, cracking wheels etc etc. Unfortunately I'm a bit ugly to go on TV so they are probably safe from WatchdogTwitter is great for this kind of stuff. Perhaps someone with a reasonable number of followers can get the ball rolling by tweeting the link to this thread. If the OP agrees to it of course.
Give senior management a bit of time to realise the implications first; I'm sure you'll get a more reasoned response.
48/72 hours won't really make that much of a difference to your plight; after that, well...
TD
M3CS said:
Good luck OP. Putting aside all other considerations, BMW should see sense and help you here. PR, the need to appear consistent with GetCarter's case and common sense should prevail.
In the interests of balance, I would like to challenge a few things I have read in this thread however:
1. The hate for BMW along the lines of 'same old BMW, screwing over the little guy' seems a bit unfair, given they don't seem to be alone amongst similar manufacturers of motorsport-inspired cars in their warranty stance.
2. 'M', might stand for Motorsport, but an M235i is plainly designed for road use. It doesn't come with slick tyres, a sequential box or a roll cage. It comes with road tyres, comfy seats, cruise control, etc. Let's not be silly....do you guys think drinking Red Bull is going to allow you to fly? It's a marketing ploy: establish a tenuous link to motorsport success in order to sell more road cars. Using this point as something to win over BMW is a bit of a red herring, in my opinion.
3. I expect that like many who go on track days, OP will not have been insured while on track - most insurers will specifically state that this is not covered (and won't say "unless you have an M car, because everyone knows they are basically the same as racing cars"). What would've happened if he'd binned it? We wouldn't be castigating the insurer for not paying out.
I realise the warranty in question won't specifically talk about track days but it's not a million miles from it in wording...i think the spirit of it would apply to track days.
[OP, apologies if you did in fact have track day insurance!]
Trackday insurance does not cover mechanical breakdown. I knew the risks, or at least, I thought I did. I read the wording of the warranty as above and since the driving I was doing was not covered by the exclusions, I went on believing I would be covered in the event of a breakdown.In the interests of balance, I would like to challenge a few things I have read in this thread however:
1. The hate for BMW along the lines of 'same old BMW, screwing over the little guy' seems a bit unfair, given they don't seem to be alone amongst similar manufacturers of motorsport-inspired cars in their warranty stance.
2. 'M', might stand for Motorsport, but an M235i is plainly designed for road use. It doesn't come with slick tyres, a sequential box or a roll cage. It comes with road tyres, comfy seats, cruise control, etc. Let's not be silly....do you guys think drinking Red Bull is going to allow you to fly? It's a marketing ploy: establish a tenuous link to motorsport success in order to sell more road cars. Using this point as something to win over BMW is a bit of a red herring, in my opinion.
3. I expect that like many who go on track days, OP will not have been insured while on track - most insurers will specifically state that this is not covered (and won't say "unless you have an M car, because everyone knows they are basically the same as racing cars"). What would've happened if he'd binned it? We wouldn't be castigating the insurer for not paying out.
I realise the warranty in question won't specifically talk about track days but it's not a million miles from it in wording...i think the spirit of it would apply to track days.
[OP, apologies if you did in fact have track day insurance!]
tumble dryer said:
OP, please wait a day or two before blasting it all over Facebook etc..
Give senior management a bit of time to realise the implications first; I'm sure you'll get a more reasoned response.
48/72 hours won't really make that much of a difference to your plight; after that, well...
TD
Agreed, I will give them chance to respond to my letter before going much further. Give senior management a bit of time to realise the implications first; I'm sure you'll get a more reasoned response.
48/72 hours won't really make that much of a difference to your plight; after that, well...
TD
But if the first response is not timely and favourable I will be going both barrels. As of tomorrow, I will be paying for a hire car out of my own pocket and my former P&J is sat outside not being repaired so I can't wait for months....
zeduffman said:
It's not just the M badge though is it. BMW produced marketing video demonstrating the car on track, and many road tests were done on a test track as well. If you're trying to get someone to buy your car, showing it off on a track and then refusing to cover when something goes wrong when used on one seems a tad out of order to me.
They are not driving on a track purely to demo it on a track (though i accept that will be part of it). For example, Top Gear have to get all manner of permits to film on the open road, they have to stick to speed limits, have the unpredictability of other motorists to contend with, etc etc. Also consider it allows for more exciting camera angles (TG use a matt black car with a camera on a crane, even chris harris uses drones with gopros)....all much easier to do on a track.OK I'm turning in for the night but I just wanted to say thanks to everyone that has contributed with great help and information and (just about!) universal support for my case. It has certainly given me hope that a sway of public opinion might get BMW to see sense...
I will update the thread with any response I get.
I will update the thread with any response I get.
zeduffman said:
M3CS said:
2. 'M', might stand for Motorsport, but an M235i is plainly designed for road use. It doesn't come with slick tyres, a sequential box or a roll cage. It comes with road tyres, comfy seats, cruise control, etc. Let's not be silly....do you guys think drinking Red Bull is going to allow you to fly? It's a marketing ploy: establish a tenuous link to motorsport success in order to sell more road cars. Using this point as something to win over BMW is a bit of a red herring, in my opinion.
It's not just the M badge though is it. BMW produced marketing video demonstrating the car on track, and many road tests were done on a test track as well. If you're trying to get someone to buy your car, showing it off on a track and then refusing to cover when something goes wrong when used on one seems a tad out of order to me.(Warranty void if craft is taken beyond Stevenage)
Have they given a reason for the engine failure, or just refused the claim on the basis it was on the track?
I genuinely hope BMW see some sense then cover the repair if it was a mechanical failure and not self induced by badly over revving.
I read in the past of an Audi owner who didn't get their warranty claim covered as their dealer had knowledge that they had tracked the car.
Not good to hear dealers are snooping about to find out if the car has being tracked.
Why would they have done that when they could have just stayed quiet and be paid by BMW to carry out the repair under warranty?
I genuinely hope BMW see some sense then cover the repair if it was a mechanical failure and not self induced by badly over revving.
I read in the past of an Audi owner who didn't get their warranty claim covered as their dealer had knowledge that they had tracked the car.
Not good to hear dealers are snooping about to find out if the car has being tracked.
Why would they have done that when they could have just stayed quiet and be paid by BMW to carry out the repair under warranty?
Driver101 said:
Not good to hear dealers are snooping about to find out if the car has being tracked.
Why would they have done that when they could have just stayed quiet and be paid by BMW to carry out the repair under warranty?
That is a very good question right there. The service manager actually sounded pretty smug when he told me his mechanics told him it looked like it might have been on track and then he tracked down some evidence. It sounded like the dealership had actively offered this information to BMW when presenting the warranty claim.Why would they have done that when they could have just stayed quiet and be paid by BMW to carry out the repair under warranty?
Why they would take it upon themselves to do this to a customer that has purchased 3 new cars from them in the last 7 years I will never know.
M3CS said:
3. I expect that like many who go on track days, OP will not have been insured while on track - most insurers will specifically state that this is not covered (and won't say "unless you have an M car, because everyone knows they are basically the same as racing cars"). What would've happened if he'd binned it? We wouldn't be castigating the insurer for not paying out.
It's not really the same thing though is it?Insurance won't cover you because you're more likely to have an accident, either from your own incompetence or someone else's.
In the OP's case, he was simply driving his car and little more enthusiastically than normal.
He can't over rev it, as it's an automatic and I don't think he was driving round the track on the rev limiter.
So he was using the engine, within the limits of what BMW have deemed to be acceptable. If the engine can't take a few red line changes (a red line, BMW engineers have deemed to be the limit), without throwing a rod, then it isn't fit for purpose.
Fair enough, if he had over revved it, or had been drifting round corners on the limiter, it would have been his own stupid fault and I could accept why BMW wouldn't pay out. But from the sounds of it, I seriously doubt that is the case.
For BMW to flat out refuse to honour their warranty, and even go to the trouble to investigate the OP, by looking him up on the internet, is bloody disgusting, in my opinion.
It's almost as if someone in charge of the claim has spat their dummy out.
northwest monkey said:
A few years back, a mate of mine bought a CSL and was invited by his dealer to an Oulton Park track day with his car. Maybe they used to build them a bit better?
OP you need to include this in your letter saying'..Yeah and northwest monkey has a mate whom BMW invited on a track day..'
Joking apart though, manufacturers use things like 'ring times and motorsport connotations in their marketing to attract keen drivers to their brand but then fold their arms when their customer uses the car in a way that uses its ample performance.
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