Shocker !

Ok I'm hoping to have a scoop here...but probably won't be ! I was in Mill BMW last week getting my car MOT'd and as I was paying for it I overheard an interesting conversation betwwen another customer and a service adviser. The customer was there to renew his warranty and the service adviser said he should be quick as BMW are changing the Terms and Conditions of said warranty.

The adviser was not sure exactly of all the changes as BMW had not informed the dealers yet, but it was going to exclude some items from the warranty, one thing he mentioned was ball joints. Also he said there was going to be an excess to pay when claiming !

To me that sounds like there have been a lot of warranty claims and they are losing money so decided to pass the cost on, but that also means BMW's must be breaking down more....not the customers fault surely ?

in my experience, the main reason for failure of suspension parts such as cracked springs and knackered ball joints are speed humps...maybe they're sick of replacing them for free because everyone goes over transit van sized speed humps at 40mph these days

just a thought

Worth keeping an eye on, it might be on the BMW website in the next few months. Anyone got a warranty renewal early this year ?

In June last year I put a claim in for a broken spring on a 750,it was refused. I called BMW Customer Service Bracknell and appealed, if it had sagged well thats just one of those things. The fact it had fractured whilst driving on a motorway. It was a rear offside spring I may be overweight but not much and the boot had never carried more than a camera bag and a few tins of polish with associated rags. I was stonewalled nobody would give an explanation why. I asked to speak to the Customer Services Manager and apart from being very abrupt the only thing I got from him was it was due to the age of the car. The car was 5 yrs old at the time and BMW had sold it with a warranty that run for another year. Sad really that they cannot make a spring to last longer than 5 years. I serious thought of going to Trading Standards but chose to write to CEO. The same CEO who writes a column in Straight 6. Obviously he was to busy to reply as I recieved a   phone call from the same Customer Service Manager who said aggresively " I have already told you the claim has been declined " I asked that it was put in writing he agreed but I have never recieved anything. Murkitts Service Manager was appalled at my treatment.       

Not sure about BMW, but most Warranty's are insurance backed. So it may not be BMW who are putting up the prices but the Insurance Co. So BM pass this on,as any other manufacturer would do, and have. Back down to risk assessment and profit from ins. co.

Yeh thats what it cost me as well. A real can of worms this, to renew with BMW or not. Most people reckon it is the finest available and I have to say until I see a company that can equal it I will continue to pay it, even though its so much...I just could not tke the chance considering how much even a relatively small repair can cost. I have need to use it in the past and had more than my moeys worth.

I know it seems strange but I almost hope that something goes wrong so I do get my moneys worth ! Anyone else thought like that...or is it me