BMW are they at fault

covlass

I put my car in a BMW garage as there was a fault with its stearing. It turned out it needed a new switch fitting. They done the repair on the tuesday then called to say they had crashed the whole of the electrics and the on board computer and needed to keep it over night to fix it all. Mu DHcollected the car late wednesday when it had been fixed.
On thursady I drove the car for the first time since it had been repaired and a fault came up telling me not to stop the car as I may not be able to restart it (a light with a key and a cross came up on screen). I drove straight to my DH place of work which was the nearset place. Stopped the car and re started it no problem then drove home. Called the garage and told to take it back, they started and stopped the car no problem said it was just a blip. Monday I drove the car when I got back in it, it was dead the key symbol came up on screen but I couldnt start the car. DH came with his key no problem. Phoned the garage again and took it in they have had it 48hrs and have now said they want £100 for a new key as my key is faulty.

I dont agree with them as before the car went in and they crashed it I had never had a problem with driving using my key, warning only started on screen after the gargae had crashed it.
Also when in went in for the steering fault on the invoice (which my DH dodnt pick up on) they have charhed me £56 for realinging sunroof and window??? I dont have a sunroof and there was no fault with my window. If a problem had shown when car was on computer should they not have called me to ask if I wanted the work carried out.

Should I complain Im not very good on consumer law etc any help would be great

Premier_2

covlass wrote: »

...Phoned the garage again and took it in they have had it 48hrs and have now said they want £100 for a new key as my key is faulty.

I dont agree with them ...

Why not?
Sounds logical to me based on what you said, especially:

covlass wrote: »

Monday I drove the car when I got back in it, it was dead the key symbol came up on screen but I couldnt start the car. DH came with his key no problem.

£100 for a key sounds expensive, but I suspect it actually covers labour in identifying fault

covlass wrote: »

...Also when in went in for the steering fault on the invoice (which my DH dodnt pick up on) they have charhed me £56 for realinging sunroof and window??? I dont have a sunroof and there was no fault with my window. If a problem had shown when car was on computer should they not have called me to ask if I wanted the work carried out...

This is obviously an invoicing error. You obviously realise they can't charge you to re-align a sunroof if you don't even have one. Ask them to explain. I'm sure they will credit you with the value of this once they are shown the error.

covlass

Hi Thanks for your reply.

I still dont see why I should have to pay for the new key when I have had no problem or warning light when using my key until I got my car back after they crashed the computer & electrics on my car. The problem occured after they reprogrammed the car.

I will question them re windows my DH didnt pick up on it at the time.

thescouselander

£100 is about the going rate for a BMW key - and that's without labour.

From what the OP says I'm not sure its the key that is at fault though.

ArsenalFC

Do not pay for the key as it didn't have a problem when you took the car in also did you authorised them to do the work for the window/sunroof, if not then they cannot charge you. Demand to have your key working or free replacement as they messed it up.

Goodluck with that and if no joy then seek assistant from consumer direct/trading standard.

Hintza

For £100 is it worth chasing around getting a second opinion?

Perhaps not?

It started with the other key ok (am I reading that correctly?) so OP you will really have to pay your money or take a chance. But certainly have a word with them.

goldspanners

firstly i would be wanting the money back for them realigning your non existent sunroof.
then i would be asking if your key was in the ignition when they "crashed" the ecu.
if they did then there is a good chance it could have caused some damage to the internals of the key,they could have damaged the circuit boards in it or wiped the memory in it.
£100 for a bmw key seems a bit cheap,so this suggest they may not be too sure who is at fault.

hewhoisnotintheknow

things break on cars, it sounds like a coincedence

100 for a key is not that bad

ArsenalFC

goldspanners wrote: »

£100 for a bmw key seems a bit cheap,so this suggest they may not be too sure who is at fault.

£99 is the price I can get from a bmw dealer from London Wandsworth, so they are charging full price.

hewhoisnotintheknow

goldspanners wrote: »

firstly i would be wanting the money back for them realigning your non existent sunroof.
then i would be asking if your key was in the ignition when they "crashed" the ecu.
if they did then there is a good chance it could have caused some damage to the internals of the key,they could have damaged the circuit boards in it or wiped the memory in it.
£100 for a bmw key seems a bit cheap,so this suggest they may not be too sure who is at fault.

dont know how you can break a transponder

covlass

Thankyou for all replies, I have decieded to write and request refund for the Initializing of sunroof & windows and the key also. My point being that I had no fault or warning before they crashed the copmputer & electrics and secondly when I returned the car when the fault shoed the first time they checked the car and my key and siad it was a blip.