BMWJIMT

I must admit that I am concerned about the software problems on my E60. Its fine now as the car is covered by 3 years warranty, but what happens when that runs out?. My last 'upgrade' took 2 days, now my LEDs dont work & window anti trap keeps on going off. So back to the garage for another couple of days no doubt, to get that sorted out. How much will that cost me when the I drive dies after the warranty expires?. I get a lot of pleasure from the car, but not enough to justify huge bills in the future. Maybe I should get rid of it while it is still worth something & buy something more reliable. I want a car, not a computer on wheels!.

Maybe BMW should get a software level which works & is reliable. Recall all E60's & upgrade to this level. Give a lifetime guarantee on it & then leave it alone.

sixgun95

What did they do to fix it?

300TTto545

My car has original software (delivered 10/04). I occassionally reboot (once a month) and occassionally have an anti-trap malfunction. I think it might be nice if BMW did extend the warranty for software issues to 6/100. But I also think that once you get a working software, then you should be done - it doesn't deteriorate. The only problem comes from wanting more features....

UUronL

Actually, the thing to do is walk away from the car - your phone should warn that you are too far away from the handsfree (BMWXXXX) and ask if you would like to switch to the handset. When you say "yes", the car is released from its duties. I actually intentionally did this once to see how the car would behave.

On the topic of trouble/warranties, etc... that played heavily in my decision to buy a new car instead of looking for a 1 or 2 year old model. These systems are just too complex for it to be any other way - this is the new reality.

MaxBuck

I hate this!! The more I read about the "software problems" the more I begin to lean towards other cars. This sounds more like buying a $1500 computer from Bill Gates, or a $14.95 software program, than buying a car that costs upwards of 55K.

..................................us.." or somthing along those lines. Are they really???

Regrads,

Santiago
[/quote]


Honestly all of the new cars have software issues more or less...... VW, Audi.... eveb MB..... what about MB Eclass.....with sowtware bug there your car even stops and no way to start it up......
So I think the little problem with radio and lights is just a little price for having this beautiful E60.....
[/quote]

A car this expensive, really, shouldn't be a crap shoot. You shouldn't have to stress over "when is mine going to crap out" - you know? Now, if BMWNA had stellar tech and customer service it would be a different story - then it would not be too stressful since they'd take care of you, but I also see in the forums how dissatisfied people are with the after-delivery service they get when the car systems go T.U.

knowwhatImean Vern?
[/quote]Santiago, I understand your concern and can even relate to it a bit. Hondas are basically very reliable vehicles (I've owned several) and looked at the Acura RL when shopping for my new car, knowing it would likely have the typical Honda reliability profile. Then I drove the 545i and I was hooked. But I figured I would probably have problems with the electronics and computer controls: I-Drive etc. I also figured those headaches would be worth it given the excitement, comfort and luxury provided by the 545i.

After owning the car for 3 weeks, I can happily report that I have experienced no computer or electronic problems whatsoever. All systems work as advertised, and the car is a blast.

Remember that when you read complaints about the e60, you are hearing from a very small fraction of the ownership. People complain much more readily than they praise a lack of problems. Also, the e60 has an unusually tech-savvy and Internet-literate driver population, which means two things:

1. They probably demand more from the electronics of the vehicle than the average human (e.g., my wife).

2. They articulate their problems and concerns very precisely, which can sometimes make the problems sound more troublesome than they actually are.

I do NOT mean to downplay the very real problems that some e60 owners have experienced, nor to claim the car is perfect for everybody. It sure is for me, though!

E604EVER

I hate this!! The more I read about the "software problems" the more I begin to lean towards other cars. This sounds more like buying a $1500 computer from Bill Gates, or a $14.95 software program, than buying a car that costs upwards of 55K.

..................................us.." or somthing along those lines. Are they really???

Regrads,

Santiago
[/quote]


Honestly all of the new cars have software issues more or less...... VW, Audi.... eveb MB..... what about MB Eclass.....with sowtware bug there your car even stops and no way to start it up......
So I think the little problem with radio and lights is just a little price for having this beautiful E60.....
[/quote]

A car this expensive, really, shouldn't be a crap shoot. You shouldn't have to stress over "when is mine going to crap out" - you know? Now, if BMWNA had stellar tech and customer service it would be a different story - then it would not be too stressful since they'd take care of you, but I also see in the forums how dissatisfied people are with the after-delivery service they get when the car systems go T.U.

knowwhatImean Vern?
[/quote]Santiago, I understand your concern and can even relate to it a bit. Hondas are basically very reliable vehicles (I've owned several) and looked at the Acura RL when shopping for my new car, knowing it would likely have the typical Honda reliability profile. Then I drove the 545i and I was hooked. But I figured I would probably have problems with the electronics and computer controls: I-Drive etc. I also figured those headaches would be worth it given the excitement, comfort and luxury provided by the 545i.

After owning the car for 3 weeks, I can happily report that I have experienced no computer or electronic problems whatsoever. All systems work as advertised, and the car is a blast.

Remember that when you read complaints about the e60, you are hearing from a very small fraction of the ownership. People complain much more readily than they praise a lack of problems. Also, the e60 has an unusually tech-savvy and Internet-literate driver population, which means two things:

1. They probably demand more from the electronics of the vehicle than the average human (e.g., my wife).

2. They articulate their problems and concerns very precisely, which can sometimes make the problems sound more troublesome than they actually are.

I do NOT mean to downplay the very real problems that some e60 owners have experienced, nor to claim the car is perfect for everybody. It sure is for me, though!
[/quote]


I couldn't agree more!
I have a 2006 525i and everything works just great!

BurgessMW

...Why are we putting up with this crap? I see some of you live dozens of miles from the closest Bimmer dealership and it has to get old to have to take time from work to drop off a car that should be 100% fully operational. And if you didn't buy it from them, and they do not give you a loaner, what do you do without a car???

I don't know guys, I'm salivating over the 550i, been waiting a year to order it but the more I read the forums, the more I start to vacilate and gravitate towards "lesser" cars - Volvo is starting to look good. The V60 R or the V70 R are nice cars and the interiors are surely nicer than the E60. You may not be able to match the materials or the Bimmer feel, but it sure is functional.

Anyway, I'm just raving and ranting...

Any comments from the peanut gallery? What do y'all think about this software issue and what are our options - if any? I read in one topic yesterday someone said "they're finally listening to us.." or something along those lines. Are they really???

Regrads,

Santiago
[/quote]
Why? Spend an hour or two behind the wheel and you'll have your answer.

I had a V60 as a loner. Not impressed. There's more Ford in that interior than there should be. The quality of materials is a quantum leap better in the E60. I know there are folks that love those cars but personally, I just don't get it...

Understand, many of us have not had problems. Nature of a message board is to discuss issues. If there are no issues there's little to discuss therefore the threads regarding any problems will always be the focus of boards such as this. Other words, if everything is going great with your car you are probably not going to start a thread about that, however, if things are going badly you'd likely be more vocal about it.

correction:
I think the Volvo I had as a loaner might've been an S60??? So my thoughts probably don't apply to the V60. Apologies.

UUronL

I'm actually shocked that there aren't more problems considering the complexity of these systems. You can't support such a vast array of features without problems cropping up. Maybe I'm just used to this stuff because of my line of work but really, this sort of thing has pervaded every part of our lives... you even have to update DVD player firmware nowadays.

We used to get updated software images from Cisco -daily- to correct stuff, so no need to go bashing Microsoft...


If I had one criticism, it would be that BMW shouldn't be charging for the updates. I can understand that the dealer needs to be compensated for the labor hours, but really - if they knew what they were doing, flashing an image should take about 30 seconds - max.

sixgun95

What is firmware?

phototalk123

Firmware is some sort program that is stored or embedded into a chip (reprogrammable ROM), it will always be there even you turn off the system.
The chip can be reprogrammed as often as needed to correct problems.
or add new features. Whenever you boot up your computer. there is this thing
called Basic Input Output System (BIOS), that is some kind firmware too.
You probably heard somebody said, "you need a BIOS update", that is
a firmware update too.