**Lots of problems with my M3 - Bad Motor - Bad BMW Support**

[raunchm3]

Hello guys,
I haven't been here in a while as I've been busy with life, family and my career. I am in need of your opinion on what to do with BMW and my 2012 E93. I will attach a few pictures of the car below for those of you that have not seen it before. I would like to apologize for the lengthy threat ahead of time but I would like to paint a high level picture of the situation.

I purchased the car brand new in 2012 ( video here

). I loved it since the second I laid eyes on it; specially when the top is down and I can hear that V8 signing to me. Most of my driving has been on road trips and highway driving back and forth to work. For a while, this was my daily driver. I then purchased a 2014 Mercedes ML350 BlueTec and then stopped driving the M as much. When I first purchased the car, I started to notice the high consumption of motor oil. To me, a brand new car that was not driven hard should not be consuming that much oil. I did some research across the forums, asked a few E9x owners in person, brought it to my BMW dealer’s attention and they all told me it was normal on those engines. I never thought that was a valid justification but I learned to live with it. Always kept 2 quarts of motor oil in the trunk of the car. It was very embarrassing that a car this expense had to be seen in public with the hood open because it needed oil. Not to mention the inconvenience of it.

From the beginning, the car was ALWAYS serviced on time by the BMW dealer. As time progressed, the problems started to happen:

• Excessive oil consumption – a quart of oil every 500-600 miles
• Multiple bad ignition coils
• Bad trunk gasket which caused the amplifier to get wet and short circuited/burned most of the radio wiring and blew a few speakers. I was driving and out of nowhere, smoke started to fill the cabin .. another long story there
• Bad navigation screen
• Raddle/squeaking roof top
• Bad idle
• Etc …

The bad idle situation was the issue that filled the glass. The car usually idled at about 800 rpms. Out of nowhere, the car used to accelerate to about 3000 rpms and then stall. I used to turn it on with no problem and never threw a check engine light. This started to happen more and more frequently. Dropped it off at the dealer and they couldn’t determine the root cause. They gave it back to me and asked me to bring it back when I could make it do that in front of them. Of course, I was never able to. A few months passed by when the issue because more frequent. I dropped it off and told them that they HAVE TO figure it out and that I didn’t want it back until they did. The car has now been there since late November 2014. At first they thought it was a vacuum leak. They checked every line with no luck. They then took the head apart and noticed that one of the cylinder walls has a slight indentation that is causing the issues; perhaps the reason of the increased oil consumption. They then informed me that they will replace the engine with a refurbished motor from BMW. As of right now the motor is being built in Germany.

I contacted BMW of north America and filed a formal complaint to ensure all of this issues are corrected at no cost to me. Additionally, I would like some extra compensation for all of the headaches, time and money I have wasted on this car due to all of the problems I have encountered since I purchased the vehicle. The car currently has approximately 62K miles. I purchased the extended platinum warranty from BMW when the car turned 48K miles so that’s an additional $5k invested into this car on top of the what I paid to purchase it. BMW comes back and tells me that they will replace the engine at no cost and will compensate me with $1500 for the time the car has been in their shop. Granted, the car has been there for about 2 months and will be there probably until the 1st week of February.

There is much more details and history behind all of this but that’s just a high level overview. When I was searching for an SUV, I considered purchasing the new X5 but with this experience with BMW, I decided to buy another Mercedes. From your perspective, considering what I’ve mentioned, what would you do in this case? This has been a very stressful situation so please I would appreciate any helpful input.

NOTE: The picture of the car on the lift were taken two weeks ago when I went to the dealer to see the car. Notice the damaged engine/tranny off the car.

Thank you,

Mauricio.

[ilikebmxbikes]

Sorry your having these issues. Glad bmw is replacing the motor and congratulations on getting the $1500. Did they give you a loaner car for the time too?

[raunchm3]

Originally Posted by ilikebmxbikes

Sorry your having these issues. Glad bmw is replacing the motor and congratulations on getting the $1500. Did they give you a loaner car for the time too?

Yes, they gave me a 2014 BMW 535i loaner which I've had all this time.

[grantmax]

Rod bearings?

[SunnyD]

I'm failing to see the bad BMW support. They're replacing the engine at no cost to you + $1,500 + loaner car. I know this whole issue has been inconvenient, but how is that bad support?

[Hierlevelz]

Originally Posted by SunnyD

I'm failing to see the bad BMW support. They're replacing the engine at no cost to you + $1,500 + loaner car. I know this whole issue has been inconvenient, but how is that bad support?

+1 Loaner, motor, and 1500 in compensation does not equate to bad service imho.

[raunchm3]

Originally Posted by grantmax

Rod bearings?

I'm not sure yet what caused the damage on the cylinder wall. Factory damage or something else? Will know when they provide me with the full diognostic report.

[raunchm3]

Originally Posted by SunnyD

I'm failing to see the bad BMW support. They're replacing the engine at no cost to you + $1,500 + loaner car. I know this whole issue has been inconvenient, but how is that bad support?

Which is exactly why i am seeking for an un bios opinion. Maybe im too emotionally involved here and fail to see the big picture.

[SunnyD]

Originally Posted by raunchm3

Which is exactly why i am seeking for an un bios opinion. Maybe im too emotionally involved here and fail to see the big picture.

I hear ya...I'd be pretty pissed too if this happened to me, but I'd also think that BMW is handling it exactly how I thought they would. That alone wouldn't prevent me from buying another BMW. You never know, you may have problems with the Mercedes and they could handle it worse than BMW did.

[Prince_of_Persia]

I agree, with loaner, $1500, and free motor, BMW has provided you with good support / customer service.
I hope the new motor resolve all your issues.

[apollo322]

Honest initial reaction: If I got a loaner car, $1500 for my time and a new motor in a 62,000 mile car I'd think I got a good deal. I know it's a hassle but I'm not sure they could have handled it any better. I don't blame you for getting a different brand after having a bad motor, that would scare me off the brand a bit as well. But I wouldn't be unhappy about how this was completed at all

[Bimmed Out]

Originally Posted by SunnyD

I'm failing to see the bad BMW support. They're replacing the engine at no cost to you + $1,500 + loaner car. I know this whole issue has been inconvenient, but how is that bad support?

^^^^^^^

[Amirsm3]

I think you're overreacting. They did a splendid job of taking care of your situation - even though it is an inconvenience to you, they're doing the best they can to make sure you're back on the road.

[ilikebmxbikes]

I would be stoked for a motor replacement, $1500 and a 535i loaner. I get being bummed that you have to deal with it. It is a total pain in the ass and always disheartening when your car is down but I would feel compensated if I were you.

[Ashley Schaeffer BMW]

Lmao. Sounds like BMW did an awesome job and came through for you.... You haven't had a hard life at all have you? Trust fund?

[raunchm3]

Originally Posted by JAM3S

Lmao. Sounds like BMW did an awesome job and came through for you.... You haven't had a hard life at all have you? Trust fund?

Not really - I am rich.

Lol all jokes aside, im from Colombia and came here with nothing. Worked 2 jobs and paid for school as i attended full time while working. Ive been working hard to have the quality of life i have; which is why im concerned going through these types of issues with an asset that was not cheap to acquire.

[raunchm3]

I really appreciate all of the input guys!

[Wilsel]

Definitely not that bad of customer service. I would still hate to have my engine replaced at 62k miles. Be glad you got the extended warranty, because had you not they would of likely not done anything except present you with a $15-20K quote to replace the engine.

[GLZ]

I had a ton of problems with my 335 convertible with M sport. After a year, BMW offered me $. As a lawyer, I threaten a lawsuit. Eventually they offered more $ which I used to trade it for the e93 I'm now driving. Hang in there, keep screaming and negotiate more. BMW should do more on the $ if you scream louder.

[Agent-GHQ]

Despite the inconveniences, BMW provided the proper compensation as to be expected from BMW. I don't understand how you'd call this a poor service?!

How did you managed to get the $1500-?

[gsmooth33]

subscribed as mine consumes oil a lot....but I do drive her hard

[raunchm3]

Originally Posted by Agent-GHQ

Despite the inconveniences, BMW provided the proper compensation as to be expected from BMW. I don't understand how you'd call this a poor service?!

How did you managed to get the $1500-?

After i dealt with the dealer and they informed what they are doing to resolve the issue, i called the 1800 BMW North America number and filed a formal complaint. I expressed my concerns respectfully. They called me back later that day saying that they will be contacting the dealer to obtain the history information on the car since they do not have access to dealer level service info. From there the negotiations started. I originally asked them for them to keep the car and cancell my loan and they offered nothing. As days passed, negotiations continued and this is where we are as of right now.