BMW warranty problems

mawby

Hello,

Basically,

I bought a BMW warranty. All i got asked when completing the application was, how many miles on the vehicle and also is the car fully serviced in accordance with the manufacturing recommendations/intervals and has not been modified in any way.

I thought the car was fully standard and I knew the history is all up to date, it had been serviced at a bmw specialists a few times but still a VAT qualified garage.

BMW rang me and said they can't pay for any work carried out due to the car being 'tuned'. This was news to me due to no visual signs and to be honest, it didn't feel 'tuned'.

They then rang and said the service book isn't all BMW history (didn't say it had to be).

I have rang the garage I bought it from and they have rang the previous owner, both unaware to any tuning.

So now I'm wondering what to do as to be honest it feels as though the warranty was mis-sold. Why don't bmw ask you to bring the car into your nearest dealer for a health check?

Does any body have any idea what I can do next?

Also they are charging me for diagnostics...although they haven't found out what is wrong with the car.

Could I argue to get the money I paid for the warranty back do you think?

I am new to this site so I apologise in advance if I have posted in the wrong section.

Thanks

Paul

Iceweasel

Serviced outside the BMW network by a VAT registered garage using BMW parts does not invalidate the warranty.

What work were you claiming for and who was doing the work?

What kind of tuning are they saying it has had, and who discovered it?

With the benefit of hindsight perhaps you should have asked your local dealer to check if the car had been re-mapped at some time as any kind of power increase mod invalidates everything.

mawby

Iceweasel wrote: »

Serviced outside the BMW network by a VAT registered garage using BMW parts does not invalidate the warranty.

What work were you claiming for and who was doing the work?

What kind of tuning are they saying it has had, and who discovered it?

With the benefit of hindsight perhaps you should have asked your local dealer to check if the car had been re-mapped at some time as any kind of power increase mod invalidates everything.

Thanks for quick reply.

The car would lose all power, literally turn off while driving. I've read it could be faulty injectors or air in the fuel line, that is just going off bmw forums.

They say it is remapped which I now know will invalidate pretty much everything.

Due to it being the only car I test drove I didn't know any different, how tuned it is I'm not sure but it can't be by much.

My local bmw garage discovered it who were supposed to be carrying out the work under warranty.

Iceweasel

Hmm - air in fuel lines doesn't sound right - as the pumps are all self-bleeding these days.

And even 2 faulty injectors wont cause the engine to stop.

Did they tell you the fault codes?

BMW assume the warranty proposer to know the history of the car -which is a big assumption to make.

Depending on how long there is to go on the warranty I would be looking for a refund of what you paid.

You mention forums - have you posted about this one?:

http://www.bmwland.co.uk/

Great guys - sound advice.

mawby

I have just posted on that site now, thanks very much for your help.

Hopefully I will get an answer!

I would of thought bmw would check the car first to make sure it is okay for a warranty, a remap or tuning didn't cross my mind.

They haven't told the fault codes, they have just told me nothing is showing up, I did notice the engine management light wasn't coming on so whether the car is logging it or not I don't have a clue, hopefully a member of bmwland will have the answer, I was using bimmerpost and Bmwland looks much better so thanks for that!

neilmcl

Iceweasel wrote: »

Serviced outside the BMW network by a VAT registered garage using BMW parts does not invalidate the warranty.

The OP is referring to an extended warranty, not the standard warranty from new, in which case BMW can impose any terms & conditions including the car being serviced within the BMW network.

In fact the relevant part from their T&Cs is this

1. When servicing your BMW, failure
to comply with the service schedule
recommended by BMW may invalidate
this warranty. All service and warranty
work must be carried out by an
Authorised BMW Dealer or BMW
Service Authorised Workshop using
only Genuine BMW Parts. Your BMW
Service Booklet should be stamped,
dated and detailed with the correct
mileage at the time of service by the
servicing dealer

I'm not sure there's much you can actually do here OP.

Iceweasel

neilmcl wrote: »

The OP is referring to an extended warranty, not the standard warranty from new, in which case BMW can impose any terms & conditions including the car being serviced within the BMW network.

In fact the relevant part from their T&Cs is this

I'm not sure there's much you can actually do here OP.

Oops - apologies for my misinterpretation there.

I have an AUC warranty on my car at the moment and will be extending it - so that's certainly something I'll have to bear in mind.

mawby

I have just been back through the procedure of what I did to buy the extended warranty and it doesn't actually say that in the terms and conditions. Just that it has been serviced at the right intervals. No where does it say about bmw only. I also know someone who has a bmw extended warranty who doesn't have full bmwsh and they have no problem.

hopefully bmw can shed some light on this tomorrow

force_ten

neilmcl wrote: »

The OP is referring to an extended warranty, not the standard warranty from new, in which case BMW can impose any terms & conditions including the car being serviced within the BMW network.

In fact the relevant part from their T&Cs is this

I'm not sure there's much you can actually do here OP.

I think the quote from the T&C are out of date that is from the on-line document, but the wording in the latest BMW insured warranty policy handbook is different

it is now worded

care of your vehicle

you must keep your vehicle in an efficient and roadworthy condition and regularly service it in accordance with the manufactures recommendations and genuine parts, or parts of equivalent specification must be used, after each service please insure that the relevant service details are completed in your service records by the servicing garage and obtain a receipt for the service.you must keep all such reciepts for reference in the event of a claim

so as above no mention of BMW dealers or BMW Service Authorised Workshops now

mawby

And that is why I am so confused about it.. I wouldn't of bought the warranty otherwise. All parts used are bmw approved so I can't see how they can try going against this.

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

mawby wrote: »

And that is why I am so confused about it.. I wouldn't of bought the warranty otherwise. All parts used are bmw approved so I can't see how they can try going against this.

I think you should be discussing this with the garage you bought it from. They sold it as an unmodified car with service history and you bought it expecting to be able to have it warranted for your peace of mind.

You now discover that there is something amiss with it. If it has been tweaked then BMW can tell, and it raises questions about what its engine life will be and whether the fault you have is as a result of the tuning (it is clearly possible that the previous owner is not being honest). It may be that the car was tuned and then detuned for resale, but the detune may not have put it back to factory spec.