Agent24

Actually had BMW do a buyback on my '04 545 in December. They replaced it with an '05 with the exact same options and all I had to do was resign the lease documents that reflected the new car information. The lease I signed in May for the '04 remained in place as is, and I actually got the benefit of my mileage starting over again with the '05. Now I have 27 months left on my original 36 month lease and 45,000 miles to use. My dealership, along with BMWNA, handled the entire transaction beautifully. My '05 even had my CD's loaded in the same slots and my child seat in place when I picked up the car in December.. I was very impressed!

As a side note, I can tell you there seems to be alot of improvements made to the '05 as far as ride and reliability is concerned. Haven't had a single problem in two months and the Bridgestone runflats seem to be an upgrade from the Dunlops I had on the '04.

Hope this is of some help.

bmwin14rsm

It is good to here you had a good experiance with this. So far, I have been pleased with how my dealer ship and SA is handling the situation. My SA explained to me the process would be similar to what you described. He is even working on replacing my window tint and the red reflectors. Not to jump the gun, but the way BMW is handling this is the way I would expect a premium company to handle this. Yes it is an expensive car, but my SA wants my business in 2-3 years when this cars lease expires.

Agent24

That is very true...in the words of the BMWNA rep, we want to keep you "brand loyal" and that they did!

pharding

It is not a good idea to bring a lawyer to a meeting with BMW or the dealership. You may wish to consult a lawyer, but you do not need to mention them. If you overtly get a lawyer involved, it will take forever to get resolved.

kscarrol

Glad to here they are being so professional about the buy back! Let us know when you've got the new wheels.

wassy

actually the term is not collateral buyback, but rather a "substitution of collateral".. what that means is they are keeping your lease or loan in place, and substituting the collateral (car) with another like vehicle. it will simply be a VIN # change. you will order a new car, or pick one from stock, and go from there.

BMWNA has been very accomodating to customers who have problems. They are really trying to make everyone happy, as best they can.

no need to waste your money on an attorney in this case (not to say that lawyers aren't needed for other issues). The regional rep, the dealer's manager and you will work it out together, and you will be happy.

good luck, and hope your second 5'er is better than your 1st.

andy

bmwin14rsm

I called another dealer today to see if my car is available. No such luck. I will have to order the car if I want it the same. I was told the car would be a 2006 545i SMG rather than a 2005. It seams the 05's were a short run.

wassy

Part of the process is that you will have to deal with ONLY the dealer you bought the original car from. That is part of their franchise agreement.

Also, at this point, you might even be getting a 550?

bmwin14rsm

As of tomorow, I will no longer own a BMW 545i. BMW is buying my car back and I will get my depost back. I don't know what I want to do now. I am a little timmid about another one. I really liked the car, but it is really complicated.

Agent24

For what it is worth, I am extremely satisfied with my new 545. I also had the option of just getting my money back (and gave it serious thought), but took a new 545 instead and couldn't be happier.

The chances of you getting another lemon is pretty slim, and after many test drives in competitor cars, there really is no equal.