virgil

Well, my 530d is in for a scheduled service again today. I'm reminded of just how much I dislike and distrust my local dealer here in Sydney, Australia. After my last service, I've taken to providing a written letter to the dealer. Firstly, here's what happened 6 months ago:

I put my car in for a regular service. I picked it up, on a rainy day, all shiny and clean with the wheels freshly blacked, etc. My iPhone would not pair with the car and it took me about an hour to fix the following Saturday. My contacts had been deleted from the iDrive. One of my run-flats had an inch-long rip in the side wall which I didn't discover until the following morning, and I was charged $193 to replace the two windscreen wiper rubbers - yes, rubbers only! The following day, the dealer called to ask for my feedback in relation to the service and I explained quite clearly how I felt. She apologised, promised to look into it, and said she would call me back. I never heard back from her. A few days later, BMW Australia sent me an email asking me to rate the quality of service from the dealer. I did ... and I never heard back from BMW Australia either.

BTW, Sylvania BMW charges me to borrow a loan vehicle for the day when they have my car. My collegue has an E240 Merc and gets a loaner for free each service. His service is also free.

Back to my issues. So, the car is in again today. Being the second to last service under warranty, I went over the vehicle on the weekend picking up a number of issues. Remembering my previous experience, I wrote the following letter, which I handed to the service department on arrival. Verbal comments made to me in relation to each item are shown in red (well ... some of them made me see red). My opinion is then noted in blue

Att: Service Manager

Dear sir,

The following notes apply to the servicing of my, BMW E60 530d today:


Condition of vehicle

The vehicle is free from damage with the exception of the following:

• Minor damage to centre front grill;
• Trim to left, front window sill loose.

Please confirm condition of vehicle prior to my leaving.



Issues with vehicle

The following issues have been identified:

• Engine seems to ?miss? resulting in slight jolting during long periods of driving. This usually occurs at a speed of around 80-90km/h on fairly level road when travelling at a constant speed, ie: cruising. After several minutes, the engine will ?miss? 3-5 times over a period of 10-15 seconds. This repeats every minute or so and is temporarily relieved by either applying more power or by releasing the accelerator for a few seconds. If the car had a conventional petrol engine I would presume there was a problem with the leads; Nothing can be done to fix this as no error has been reported by the iDrive. When the dealer scanned my key there was no error relating to the engine missing. Dealer asked if I've been using bio-diesel fuel. Unbelievable! If I took my toyota, with no computer, to my Toyota dealer, I'm sure they would investigate the problem. "Strike 1" ... BTW, I have no idea where I would buy bio-diesel in Sydney anyway. I always fill up at the same Shell service station, opposite my office. I'd be surprised if the fuel is the problem.
• Noisy steering wheel. There is a rattle coming from under the BMW logo on the steering wheel. This was previously repaired when I first purchased the vehicle;Dealer will look at this. I noticed the problem noted in their history section on my job sheet.
• Trim to front passenger window sill loose; Not covered by my BMW Premium Selection warranty and will cost me to have it fixed. I said I would accept their position if I had had a collision or something but this is simply a case of the trim at the window sill coming loose. The dealer says its not his problem and the warranty is actually with BMW Australia, I should take it up with them. "Strike 2". There is a customer satisfaction problem here, and the dealer doesn't even seem to care.
• Left wing mirror dips after travelling approximately 20-50km;Dealer will look at this.
• Lamp holder to front right/right parking light is brittle. It seems to be disintegrating. There is an on-going problem with this lamp holder resulting in multiple failure of lamps in that holder. I have replaced several times. I have even swapped lamps from other locations to this location. I am careful not to touch the lamps with bare hands;Dealer asked me to show. Dealer will look into this. I mentioned this point on the phone when I booked the vehicle in for a service. The bulbs are 12v 5w5, one for each light. The front right blew and I bought a pair from Repco. The replacement blew so, to test the quality of the lamps from Repco I took a good lamp from the left and put it in the problem holder and fitted the Repco lamp to the left. The one in the problem holder blew again. When I took it out I noticed the holder has become brittle and is breaking. It is falling apart like chalk. Nonetheless, on the phone the service guy tried to tell me I was buying the wrong lamps. To be clear: my service manual recommends replacement with 12v 5w5 lamps. It is not specific about codes or manufacturers. It's a frickin' light bulb for God's sake !!!
• iDrive reports oil service due;Dealer will carry out.
• iDrive reports microfilter due for replacement. Do not replace. Lots of "tsk-tsk"ing from the dealer and shaking of head. I mentioned that the dealer quoted me around $200 on the phone to replace the microfilters. I didn't even know what they were, so I looked them up on Google. I can get a pair from Germany for around $50 including the freight. I found out how to replace them and where they are located. Forgive me, but $200 seems a little steep.

Work not to be done

Please do not undertake any of the following work:

• Do not add any fuel or oil treatment or conditioner if it is chargeable to me;
• Do not add any washer fluid if it is chargeable to me;
• Do not replace microfilter. I understand that the iDrive will continue to report that the mircofilter requires replacing. I have ordered the necessary filter kit directly from Germany;
• Do not erase my iPhone pairing;
• Do not erase my Contact List.

Work to be done

Please undertake the following work:

• Fix engine missing problem;
• Fix noisy steering wheel. I remember having the car in for several days to fix this once before. I recall being told it had something to do with the back of the airbag vibrating on the steering wheel and that it was removed, lubricated, and reinstalled (or something similar);
• Fix trim to sill of front passenger window;
• Fix left wing mirror;
• Replace faulty lamp holder;
• Undertake regular service.

I?m sorry to write such a detailed letter, but following my last service my iPhone would not connect, my contact list was gone, I had a damaged tyre that cost me $600 to replace and I was charged nearly $200 for two rubber wiper blades that I can obtain for $38. I would hope on this occasion that I receive better service of typical BMW standard.


Now, needless to say, they've already said that they won't be fixing half the things listed above. But that aside, I'm seriously disappointed in the way I get treated. I always have to pay extra for things that get done in the service. A BMW should have fewer problems and issues than a Toyota and actually cost less to maintain, especially during the warranty period. Mentally, a trip to the dentist affects me less than having my car in for a service.


I'm curious to know if anyone else on this forum uses the same dealer and what their experience is like. I would hope that I am the odd man out, but would then question why. What are other dealers like in Sydney? How do they compare with the dealers in the US?


Finally, I also have a 320i up in BKK Thailand (we spend a fair bit of time up there). When it gets serviced I get free pick-up and return of vehicle, free loan vehicle, free gifts, free fuel voucher and all servicing has been covered under the warranty. What a different attitude to service.


I shall report back in a day or two after the service.


Cheers


virgil

Cartmanizm

That sounds like horrible service. But I have to ask, why are you going back to them? Your BMW Premium Selection Warranty is Australia Wide, which means you can take it to any BMW dealership in Australia. Sylvania BMW is not owned by BMW Germany, but rather is a franchise. I would go to the flagship dealership or find out which ones are owned by BMW Germany.

Heres what I pulled from their website:
Zanardo & Rodriquez Sales & Service Pty Ltd ACN17000642517 trades as Canterbury BMW, Sylvania BMW, Sylvania MINI Garage and Canterbury MINI Garage.

There should be no charge to have a loan vehicle during your scheduled service, provided that you book it well in advance.