TAmes

A couple of days ago, I posted a note that Google Maps stopped working in my car. A few of you wrote in to say that the function was working fine, but at least one wrote back to say that it was not working for him/her as well.

I just got off the phone with BMW Assist and discovered what the issue was, and this might have broader applicability to the group. It turns out that a similar car to mine was sold across the country at the end of February. Our VINs were identical except for the last digit, and the dealer that sold that car in February mis-typed the VIN in the information they sent to BMW -- this dealer typed *my* VIN instead of the other customer's VIN. As a result, my file at BMW Assist was wiped out, and none of the information that I originally filled out for my vehicle, including my email address that allows Google Maps destinations to be sent to my car, was accurate. This is why the Google Maps function didn't work -- my email address was no longer part of my BMW Assist profile, and hence my email address wasn't connected in any way to my vehicle's VIN.

When I called BMW Assist, they could not locate my name or phone number (because my information had been overwritten), and they were only able to identify my vehicle by its VIN, which is when they discovered the mixup.

For those of you with BMW Assist, it probably makes sense to, at some point, verify that your account is updated and accurate. I spent only 10 minutes on the phone with BMW Assist clearing things up over this minor issue (i.e., Google Maps functionality), but probably better to do this now rather than debating my identity with them if I were involved in a serious accident of some sort.

-TA

JSpira

I will add to this post by suggesting that drivers regularly (once every 4-6 weeks) place a test call to BMW Assist and make sure they correctly identify the vehicle and its location.