[TK - 421]

Is it just me or are BMW now taking ripping us off to a new level?
My recent experience at a BMW dealership has left me with a bitter taste in my mouth and a lighter wallet.

My cars ‘spend money on me light’ appeared on the dash, so I got the car booked in for its oil service. Went online, entered Reg details found my local dealership quoted £227 for oil filter service, which is reasonable for a G05 30d, didn’t want the pollen filter as they were charging an extra £120! Eurocarparts have it for £30 I think.

Anyway, dropped the car off and headed back home. Next day I get ‘the call’ …
“Hello sir, we’ve logged into your car and it needs a major service not the oil service we said it needed”, me “ ok so what extra parts does it need and what’s the cost”, BMW “it needs the pollen filter and the air filter doing as well, cost is £599”. Me “ ……… silence……..” BMW “ are you there sir” me “ sorry I thought you just said £599” BMW “ that’s correct sir” me “ for a fkn air filter and pollen filter?” BMW “yes sir” me “that’s £370 extra, for an air filter and pollen filter” BMW “that’s correct sir, do you want us to do this for you sir?”

You get the jist of the conversation, needless to say I said no just do the oil service and I’ll sort the air filter out myself…. End of conversation right? Nope.

BMW “ your vehicle also needs the vehicle health check sir, £80, plus it also needs the scope for £25” Me, “wtf are you on about?” BMW “ the vehicle health check light is also on so we need to do it, and the scope element basically means we’ll turn all the warning lights out and update the service record on the idrive” me” …..more silence….”

Surely the service reset light, check the car over etc is done as part of the service? Oh no they now split it all down and charge you 3 times for it!

I’m genuinely gobsmacked at this, enough to say I’m right on the edge of leaving BMW, after over 25 odd years of owning so many BMW’s I’m disgusted how such a premium brand could so blatantly just fleece the crap out of its customers because they think they can! It is absolutely criminal.

The icing on the cake was this…. BMW “ you pads front and rear need doing as well sir, they are showing as a RED warning ( this must be very serious as the colour red is, well, it’s red!) they are at 95% worn sir” me “ 95% of what exactly?” BMW “of what BMW consider it to be safe sir?” Me “ Ok but what does that actually equate to” BMW “ well it means you have 5% left sir” me “ just give me the fkn car back and fk off”

I checked the pads, the car has done 16k miles from new, easy miles as well. Rears I’d say have at least 5mm and fronts nearer 7mm.

By using loose percentages that relate to a BMW only formula for wear they wriggle out of giving any physical millimetre reports which we can all relate too. Instead we get, you have a RED warning sir, 95% wear, you need to spend, get this, near £800 of front and rear pads! Seriously now BMW please just FK off and let me enjoy my last BMW I will every own that’s in warranty!
Pagid or ATE pads from euro front rear quoted £160. I’m heading to my local Indy next week to have a proper look at the pads and get a report done on them.

I could go on about the fact they washed my car when asked not to (see other thread) or the fact the courtesy car had 18 miles of fuel left in it when I jumped in plus numerous other BS from the useless service bloke who didn’t know that BMW have a 3 year warranty? I kid you not.

Anyway rant over… for now.

[buze]

Where are you based? But yes my first service was ~450 or so, luckily they didn't go for the brake pads -- I have as service due in september I might have them measured by my indy beforehand. Car has 23k miles, and I need £920 for 4 new tyres too.
They have a "new" service plan too, which basically amounts to £1400 for 3 services, not even worth bothering.

I've looked at crossgrading to a 45e too, but the prices have rocketed up and some options are not even available anymore (that nice HK sound? poof gone) so I'll keep the car another year and probably with switch down to a loaded X3 nex year when its due.

[James_G0540i]

I always change my oil myself because its a Diesel and I like to use quality LL04 Diesel oil instead of that cheap volume $hi# they use at the Dealerships. I also change my oil around every 8 months regardless. An experienced Diesel mechanic once told me to change the oil around once every 12 months and she'll run forever.

The oil filter costs me about $35 (~20GBP), while the good quality Diesel oil costs me around $110 (~60GBP) - and that's for 10litres, the 30d motor takes around 6.5litres.

So all up it shouldn't cost you more than 80-100 quid to do it yourself.

Yep BMW are shafting you....

Its amazing how quiet I can get my Diesel engine using a quality oil. When the dealer used to change my oil, I used to get a hell of alot of diesel "clacker..clacker...", but using the quality stuff makes the motor almost sound like a petrol/gas engine.

[taek]

Woah they called you? My Mercedes dealers just adds filters and other addon jobs without my approval and I find out when I pick up my car. None of these maintenances are free either.

[TK - 421]

Originally Posted by buze

Where are you based? But yes my first service was ~450 or so, luckily they didn't go for the brake pads -- I have as service due in september I might have them measured by my indy beforehand. Car has 23k miles, and I need £920 for 4 new tyres too.
They have a "new" service plan too, which basically amounts to £1400 for 3 services, not even worth bothering.

I've looked at crossgrading to a 45e too, but the prices have rocketed up and some options are not even available anymore (that nice HK sound? poof gone) so I'll keep the car another year and probably with switch down to a loaded X3 nex year when its due.

Hi I'm in Cheshire. I should of moved this one on as well to be fair but same as you nothing out there with anything near my spec.

[zhangyi17]

Experience varies from dealership to dealership, so I am guessing this is the dealership problem rather than BMW problem. BMW should have a tighter control with those franchise dealership though

[Axxlrod]

Dealers are stealers.

My Acura/Honda dealer charged me $995 to change my cabin air filter on my NSX.

Of course they didn't mention the cost until I picked the car up.

[Timmer-Bimmer]

I went through this with my Lexus. A minor oil change was $250. A major oil change was $900. On my BMW I got the prepaid maintenance so I can just say, fine, do it.

[James_G0540i]

Originally Posted by Timmer-Bimmer

I went through this with my Lexus. A minor oil change was $250. A major oil change was $900. On my BMW I got the prepaid maintenance so I can just say, fine, do it.

What's the difference between a minor and major oil change????
...apart from the $650 bucks?

[Tenac]

Bad dealer for sure!! But at least they called first, I've seen it too many time when people pick it up they try to charge then.... Sad

[Timmer-Bimmer]

Originally Posted by James_G0530d

What's the difference between a minor and major oil change????
...apart from the $650 bucks?

It was generally a lot of inspections of the car's main systems: the brake system, the fuel system, the transmission system, the suspension, etc.

[sigmabody]

At the risk of stating the obvious: all car dealerships rip people off. That's what they do. That's their nature. They are scumbags, all of them: all brands, all dealerships (in my experience).

Hating on dealerships for ripping you off is like hating on mosquitoes for biting you: it's just their nature. They are a scourge which, unfortunately, we have not figured out how to effectively eradicate yet. Someday I hope that we will; until that time, we will suffer with this seemingly necessary evil, and as with politicians, just try to pick the ones which are the least terrible.

[lv42day]

Its not just BMW, my wife's Hyundai..... she took the car in for a tire change and they charged her close to $800 for the pleasure of tire change, oil service and car wash... the car wash was $120+!!!!!!.... and the car was still dirty!!!!.
All dealers are stealers...... its nothing new.

[-Vanguard-]

Doesn't matter if you own anything from a cheap honda civic to a premium BMW.

The dealer service department are all the SAME industry people.

They are NOT mechanics, they are SALESMEN. They have quotas, and they are not easy to achieve without up selling customers. Their quotas are reached much, much, easier with customers having to pay out of pocket versus warranty repairs.

Remember that folks. No matter what brand you have, your service advisor is a salesman who has to reach a monthly quota to make his commission for the month.

The positive part about them being salesmen is that you can always negotiate with them. Never take their first price. Always ask for a discount, especially BMW. They always give discounts off their first price. If they don't go to a different BMW dealer who will work with you. I get them needing to hit their sales quota, but there is definitely a buffer there.

I know some people may have a hard time asking for a discount when you just rolled in with a $70K, $80K, $100k+ car, but money is money. People don't become successful by just throwing it away.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by sigmabody

At the risk of stating the obvious: all car dealerships rip people off. That's what they do. That's their nature. They are scumbags, all of them: all brands, all dealerships (in my experience).

Hating on dealerships for ripping you off is like hating on mosquitoes for biting you: it's just their nature. They are a scourge which, unfortunately, we have not figured out how to effectively eradicate yet. Someday I hope that we will; until that time, we will suffer with this seemingly necessary evil, and as with politicians, just try to pick the ones which are the least terrible.

In the US, we get free maintenance for the first 3 years. I effectively eradicate by not paying for anything at the dealer. If its something that is not free under maintenance or free under warranty, I go straight to my indie. Luckily, our G05 has been pretty much perfect. The only indie work I've had to do is the in-between oil changes.

Is it possible to the OP to find a new dealer or an indie? The BMW is still a great car. It's too bad if he leaves the brand just because of one terrible dealer.

[-Vanguard-]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

In the US, we get free maintenance for the first 3 years. I effectively eradicate by not paying for anything at the dealer. If its something that is not free under maintenance or free under warranty, I go straight to my indie. Luckily, our G05 has been pretty much perfect. The only indie work I've had to do is the in-between oil changes.

Is it possible to the OP to find a new dealer or an indie? The BMW is still a great car. It's too bad if he leaves the brand just because of one terrible dealer.

They get shafted in Europe. I know is some countries, its 2 year warranty and no maintenance coverage.

[AndroidRobot]

I had my X5 50i's brakes and rotors replaced (99% sure they were full of it but) around 25K miles or so. They told me it was somewhere around $4000, I laughed, paid $700 for Ultimate Care+ which covered them and called it a day. Did I really need brakes? probably not but why not make them do the job for much less

[Frenetic]

Originally Posted by AndroidRobot

I had my X5 50i's brakes and rotors replaced (99% sure they were full of it but) around 25K miles or so. They told me it was somewhere around $4000, I laughed, paid $700 for Ultimate Care+ which covered them and called it a day. Did I really need brakes? probably not but why not make them do the job for much less

Good god almighty, $5k was the cost to replace ceramics on an older RS7. That’s highway robbery prices.

[AndroidRobot]

Originally Posted by Frenetic

Good god almighty, $5k was the cost to replace ceramics on an older RS7. That’s highway robbery prices.

I know for the front + rear pads and rotors resurfacing it was $1653 (I found the email) but for everything it was around $3-4K, I'm looking for the quote

[Marty in NY]

So now I'm confused I went to the USA Configurator and looked up the Ultimate Care + for $700 and found two conflicting descriptions depending on what link I clicked on, here, take a look, who can explain this? Possibly one is a mistake? Which one, the 2021 or 2022 description? or am I misreading something.

.

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by Marty in NY

So now I'm confused I went to the USA Configurator and looked up the Ultimate Care + for $700 and found two conflicting descriptions depending on what link I clicked on, here, take a look, who can explain this? Possibly one is a mistake? Which one, the 2021 or 2022 description? or am I misreading something.

.

Both are correct but you are looking at two different packages. Ultimate Care is what comes with the vehicle and Ultimate Care+ is an add-on purchase.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

Both are correct but you are looking at two different packages. Ultimate Care is what comes with the vehicle and Ultimate Care+ is an add-on purchase.

Ah ha, ok, now I see it, the little + sign in the description on the right is not there. So the + adds brake pad replacements and a few other things. Ya know, I read that like five times and yet still missed it! ha ha ha