Read the whole saga below if you want. The summary is that I've had it. BMW has made a complainer out of me with their inability to deliver advertised features and the bad service department (at least at my dealer Passport in Maryland).

Several weeks ago I posted in another forum regarding poor AM reception for my '04 E60. The BMW lurker in that forum said that a rep would be in touch shortly. It took a few weeks but I eventually got promises that not only my AM reception would be repaired, but that I could get the Sirius package. He said the AM reception problem had a hardware fix and that he had contacted my dealer and they could handle it. Based on the information from online forums like this one I told both of them that I was surprised that Sirius was available for my car. They assured me that it would work so I set my service appointment for today.

This morning I drove 40 miles in the rain to drop off my car. My service team leader called me at my office this afternoon with the bad news. Neither the Sirius install nor the AM reception problem was solved. Turns out I knew more about the Sirius problem than my BMWNA customer service guy and the service dept. at my dealer (thanks to posters on boards like this). My dealer says the AM reception problem needs a software fix which they couldn't provide today (either he or the BMW customer service rep is wrong about this).

If I want the AM fix I have to drive up there again, back to work, back to pick up the car and back home, about 160 miles total. There is no solution in sight for the Sirius problem.

One footnote - on the way out of the dealership I ran into my salesman. He was great when I bought the car and I enjoyed my buying experience there with him. I told him my problem and he offered to send a driver to pick up my car next time I needed service. I told him I appreciated the offer, and that I liked him, but that I probably wouldn't return to Passport for service.

Thumbs down for BMWNA and Passport service dept.

 

Well I knew it was too good to be true. I think the lesson here is that statistically, this board is correct more than the dealers or even BMW NA. Sadly, the truth seems to be that if you hear something from a dealer, it's likely wrong...

 

Is there no one at BMWNA or anywhere who can give us a straight answer on the Sirius/Nav situation on '04 525i's? If they are not going to fix this thing, tell us that, and refund our $75 plus tax for the useless sat prep. This whole matter is very un-BMWlike and not making for customer loyalty. I might as well go back to buying Fords where I can get the same or better customer service for a whole lot less money.

 

I fully agree that the dealers know less than we do.
Do they get any training at all or do they sleep through thew trainig sessions?

You said that "BMW has made a complainer out of me". I see the same happen to me - I don't want it, but its happening. I was extremely excited about my e60 when I ordered it. I immediately had several problems with the car, which have not all been reseoved by the dealer. I am getting more pissed every day.

Jochen

 

Welcome aboard, jhr545i !


Where are you from in the US?

Please put at least USA in your profile, thanks. Makes it easier to answer questions, since E60's are country spec.

 

welcome aboard, jhr545i !

 

nickferr, maybe it's worth trying to reach the bmwna person you spoke with to fill them in on this. Is it possible they knew something the dealer did not? in any case, they should know that they are not informed properly. It really is bizzarre that a company would hire people to inform the public about their cars and arm with erroneous info on an ongoing basis.

I would also like to have sirius with nav and had been under the knowledge that I could have it eventually merely with a software update.

 

I think BMW thought it would only be a software update but after further testing, found that a change to the wiring harness was needed to solve the conflict. The 2005 MY cars have the new wiring harness so they don't have any issues with this. My understanding is that now BMW is trying to figure out how they can retrofit the extra wires on the 2004 cars -- if at all. I've been told by more than one CS rep at NA that it is still being worked on but they are not making any promises as to a completion date.

They said to keep calling and checking the status. (One rep said that she would do her best to update me periodically via email as to the latest status. Hopefully she'll do that to save me from having to call all the time.)

I think it would be a good idea for any forum member here that's affected by this issue to call NA and ask what the status is and calmly voice their concerns. They log calls/complaints so maybe if they get a bunch of them, they'll step up the priority of the wiring fix...

 

My '04 545 was in for software updates, recalls, etc. yesterday. I asked about Sirius and they checked on it. According to some BMW service web site, they are still looking at compatbility issues with NAV.

Strangley, my service advisor also said that '05s with NAV and Sirius had issues as well. I hadn't heard this before, so I'm not sure he's correct (they seldom are).

He said to check back in March regarding Sirius. That's a full year after I bought the car. This is unacceptable, as far as I'm concerned.

In the future, unless a feature is working when I purchase the car, I will assume it never will be.

 

I left him a message yesterday afternoon. As of 4:39 today he has not returned my call.

Nick