Car written off through electric tailgate malfunction.
Discussion
I’ve just experienced the most crazy thing and I really need some help.
A week ago, my wife was unloading some things from our 2012 F31 3 Series. She initiated the electric self-closing mechanism to close the boot. It made all kinds of creaking noises while closing. On inspection we noticed that the passenger-side hinge of the tailgate has malfunctioned and somehow pushed up and into the panels above.
So here’s where the horror begins. We booked it in with our mechanic and he told us that ‘because there’s some damage to the roof then they wouldn’t be able to pass it through any future MOT’!! They can’t safely repair the roof either, which means that the car is a potential write-off!!
So I honestly don’t know what to do from here. Firstly, I don’t want to write off a perfectly good car. Secondly, I can’t believe that a part malfunction like this could be so catastrophic.
We’ve been advised to have it inspected by our insurance company. But before I do, does anyone have any advice? Do I have any grounds for taking this issue up with BMW. If so, who should I contact and how?
Any advice you could give would be great...
The comments about the MOT seem odd - as I recall failure points are limited to sharp edges , rot or being insecure eg wing flapping about.
Ditto the roof repair
I can believe the mechanism is a nightmare to get at and fix - you could talk to an independent BMW specialist
I assume the car does not have full BMW history but in any event I dont think BMW would be interested . 6 years is as far as any liability would attach to the manufacturer who would say its an old car and you need a new one
As this did not happen due to an accident you would not normally be able to claim on car insurance- this would fall under the exclusion of electrical or mechanical breakdown as well as the exclusion relating to wear and tear . It may be worth a go but bear in mind once reported it may appear on your insurance record for 5 years
Ditto the roof repair
I can believe the mechanism is a nightmare to get at and fix - you could talk to an independent BMW specialist
I assume the car does not have full BMW history but in any event I dont think BMW would be interested . 6 years is as far as any liability would attach to the manufacturer who would say its an old car and you need a new one
As this did not happen due to an accident you would not normally be able to claim on car insurance- this would fall under the exclusion of electrical or mechanical breakdown as well as the exclusion relating to wear and tear . It may be worth a go but bear in mind once reported it may appear on your insurance record for 5 years
Hopefully these pictures will help. You can see that the roof edge has been forced up about 5mm, and the tailgate panel has been forced up and out.
So I asked a couple of mechanics. One wants me to take it up with BMW. The other told me to go down the insurance route.
To be honest, I’m just shocked by the whole thing, and at a loss to know what to do for the best.
A couple of years ago I helped a mate change a rear seatbelt in his BMW X5, the amount of awkward dismantling needed was astonishing and we ended up having to strip out every item from the rear interior. A horrible all day task that I regretted agreeing to assist.
The same job at a garage would have cost a fortune and probably rendered it economically unviable, I imagine the same may be true with the OPs Touring.
The garage owner may have been bitten before with this type of job and was unwilling to become involved.
The same job at a garage would have cost a fortune and probably rendered it economically unviable, I imagine the same may be true with the OPs Touring.
The garage owner may have been bitten before with this type of job and was unwilling to become involved.
Pericoloso said:
Pics of the roof damage required for the forum to give opinion on please .
There is no reason BMW should pay for repairs to an 8 year old car.....but you can always ask .
A little dent or crease in a roof panel doesn't instantly make it a death trap .
We fully expected to have to find the repair ourselves, but if the mechanic is right then it changes things. Is it fair to argue that a design flaw is responsible for compromising the safety of the vehicle? In which case it’s not a warranty issue.There is no reason BMW should pay for repairs to an 8 year old car.....but you can always ask .
A little dent or crease in a roof panel doesn't instantly make it a death trap .
loskie said:
Avoid the insurance co for two reasons:
1: It a malfunction NOT accident so they won't be interested
2: They may though if they have knowledge put a "marker" on the car.
Who knows as honourable as insurance co's are they may even increase your premiums!
OP as per point one above it’s not an insurance matter. 1: It a malfunction NOT accident so they won't be interested
2: They may though if they have knowledge put a "marker" on the car.
Who knows as honourable as insurance co's are they may even increase your premiums!
The rest of the quoted post is utter drivel of the highest order.
If it is caused by a hinge seizing then if you have been having it serviced regularly, hinge lubrication should be part of the service schedule. That being the case, pursue the service centre. Of course if you self-service then its your problem, sorry. I must admit that the hinge part that's visible didn't look corroded or even dirty so maybe seizure is not the cause...
motco said:
If it is caused by a hinge seizing then if you have been having it serviced regularly, hinge lubrication should be part of the service schedule. That being the case, pursue the service centre. Of course if you self-service then its your problem, sorry. I must admit that the hinge part that's visible didn't look corroded or even dirty so maybe seizure is not the cause...
BMW removed greasing hinges from the service schedule many years ago.If you do decide to scrap it OP, I'm happy to give you scrap value for it. 
I'm with the bloke that said.
a) Prevent water getiing into it PDQ. Otherwise the broken hinge will be the least of your worries.
b) Removing the boot lid, hammering the roof flat, and welding in (if required) a new hinge.
c) Removing the tailgate motor, and hurling it as far as you can into the bucket marked 's
t to be disposed of'
d) Possibly fitting some gas hinges.
Coz, you know, it's really hard to manually operate a boot lid.
fkwittery of the highest order.
I'm with the bloke that said.
a) Prevent water getiing into it PDQ. Otherwise the broken hinge will be the least of your worries.
b) Removing the boot lid, hammering the roof flat, and welding in (if required) a new hinge.
c) Removing the tailgate motor, and hurling it as far as you can into the bucket marked 's
t to be disposed of'd) Possibly fitting some gas hinges.
Coz, you know, it's really hard to manually operate a boot lid.
f
kwittery of the highest order. Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff