[bmwbadboy]

Here is a letter I sent to BMWNA.

Jim

Please excuse any spelling, grammar and other errors, this is so much to write on the fly, and I don't have time to proof this 5 times. I am writing from my gut here. I purchased my BMW new on 12/31/2009 from BMW of Sterling, located in Sterling, VA. I am truly disappointed to have to write you this letter, however I can't seem to get BMW to resolve my problem. First I paid $41,000, for my BMW, out the door it was just a little under $45,000. WOW I never thought I would spend that much for a car, but I thought I was purchasing a premium automobile. This is not my first BMW I have owned. I purchased a few used. A 1989 325i and a 1995 325ti. Both were well built, handled extremely well and both had over 125,000 and not a creak, squeak, or any other interior sounds. So I decided to buy a brand new BMW based on my experience with my two prior BMW's .

Upon arriving at the dealer to pick up my new BMW with 2 miles on the clock, I found that it had scratches all over the paint. I was not happy about this, but I said if you can buff these out I will take it. They did come out. The next day I found additional scratches and informed my dealer, they buffed them out. Not what I call a quality delivery. The scratches were most likely caused by foreign matter in the washing process, before delivery. The first 2 weeks of ownership the car was flawless. The first problem to develop was the radio would stop working, no sound from the radio after starting the car. Also my Homelink does not work, funny how my 2001 Audi, 2001 Honda Odyssey, 2006 Acura and 2009 Honda Pilot all came with Homelink and worked the first time setting it up. I took it in for service to Sterling BMW and they could not duplicate the problem. I took it back again, they replaced the radio. Problem still not fixed. By the third visit with 2,964 miles on the clock on March 3, 2009 I had a problem with many interior cabin noises. My car could be best described as a creaky wooden boat. The dash makes creaking popping and cracking sounds. The driver and passenger side doors creak and even my seat creaks. This is during everyday driving. I drive about 500 miles per week. At about 9,000 miles the tires started to vibrate. So finally with 11,694 miles on the clock, I took the car back for service at BMW of Sterling. I was greeted by Brian Latimer, the service manager. He heard the creaks and said it was the door seals, he said the front tires which are run flats were quote "cupped" was causing the vibration in the floor and front of the car while driving. He said it was caused by under inflation or alignment problems. He offered to replace them at no cost -just the front tires that is. I was shocked that a car with 11,000 miles would have tire issues. After picking up my car several days later, I find my car still creaks like an old wooden boat and two new tires on the front, which resolved the vibration issue. However no explanation for the cause of the abnormal tire wear. In fact I looked up the cause for cupped tires and it was not low tire pressure or alignment, but typically bad shocks/struts. In addition my car was returned with body damage. I notified the service manager of this. I was to return on Wednesday July 22 for the Field Engineer to look at the car and have the body damage repaired.

I wrote my letter to BMW NA that you needed to fix my car since this would be the third attempt at the radio and interior creaks and rattles. This was received by BMWNA and I received a call from Seema Kumar, she set up a meeting with the Factory Engineer, Brian. I met Brian on a Wednesday July 22, along with Greg Miller the shop foreman. First Greg insulted me by telling me the body damage was my fault, however that is not true since I went out of my way to completely inspect my car when I dropped it off for service. I even made detailed notes on the check in sheet about 'NO Body Damage" This was reviewed by the check in folks at Sterling. It looks like it slipped on the lift. Anyhow, they fixed the body damage. After driving with Brian and Greg they acknowledged the noise and said they would fix it. Brian said interior noises are quite rare with this car. Now this is the 3rd attempt at fixing the creaks and rattles. I got a call the next day by Steve Kane who said the car was ready and Greg told me quote "its quiet as a church mouse" I return to pick up my car on Saturday the 25th of July, drive away from the lot and guess what, it's still creaking - doors, seat and dash! I return back to Sterling and Christal Waddy the manager comes along with a ride and I asked her does it sound like it's quiet as a church mouse and she said "no" "I think the techs are deaf". She was very helpful in identifying the creaking. I leave the car, pick up another loaner. Tuesday the 29th Steve Kane calls me and tells me its ready, when I asked what was the problem he tells me they put tape on your car. I said I was not pleased with a band aid approach to fixing my car. Greg Miller calls me, remember he is the shop foreman and I asked him the same question what was the cause of the problem- since it was "fixed" and resolution? Greg is trying to be polite but really sounds like he is tired of working on my BMW, Greg said that the cause is quote "its a 3 series" and it has an acceptable amount of interior noise" and we are not going to do anything more to the car" He said it was a used car now and they creak and make more noise as they age. I disagreed with him since I've had many cars with lots of miles that did not make noises. He then told me he would arrange it to be delivered yesterday to my home, since I live 50 miles from the dealer (did I mention that? Thats a lot of travel for service)

Jimmy shows up last night to deliver my car. First I notice a paint chip and dent on the passenger side fender. Again I always inspect my car with the check in clerk and I make detailed notes on the check in sheet. I am so pissed that it has a dent and paint chip. I did not give it to them with the dent and paint chip. Second time it's been damaged under the dealers care, actually third since it was delivered with paint scratches.Unbelievable. Second I test drive the car and guess what? It still Creaks on the inside, the doors, seat, dash etc! On top of that I have this scotch tape stuff all over my doors and car body where the doors meet. Again, BMW is using Band Aids to fix the car! It did not come from the factory with Scotch tape and it did not come from the factory with this problem so why is Scotch tape all over my doors. I am dismayed, unbelievable! Not what I would expect from a $42,000 car!

One I can't believe this - that you can't fix the creaking from the doors, seat and dash! A $45,000 automobile, the best of the industry! A premium german automobile should not have this many problems. My 2006 VW rabbit, that I bought new for my daughter currently with 23,000 on the clock, has been flawless, no creaks! no noises! My 2001 Audi A4 with 64,000 miles- no interior noises. My 89 BMW 325i and my 95 325ti, no interior noises both with over 125000 miles on the clock. My 2006 Acura TSX, one noise on the B pillar on occasion. Does VW and Honda make better cars than BMW? Seems like they do and they are less expensive than a BMW. Looking around the internet on BMW message boards, I find that I am not the only one complaining about e90 3 series with interior noises that sound like creaky old wooden boats. Do you want me to give you the url to the sites? If so let me know. This is unacceptable!

I have had 5 or 6 BMW loaner cars with my car in the shop so much. All 3 series, the last 3 loaners did not have interior noises like my 328i. So that proves to me that you can make a quiet car that does not sound like a creaky wooden boat.

My car is still to noisy and I have reported this since it had 2,964 miles on the clock. I want a quiet car that does not sound like a creaky wooden boat, I am NOT a satisfied BMW customer. I want tires that last longer than 8-10 thousand miles. To date nobody can tell me why the abnormal tire wear. Is it not reasonable to expect a car without creaks and rattles? Sounds like the car has frame issues, maybe bad welds. I don't know, I'm not the expert. I seems that your dealer is also not the expert since they have attemped 4 times to fix the creaking, popping and cracking, coming from the doors, dash and A - Pillar and they cannot tell me why the tires did not wear correctly.

I am asking for either a replacement BMW, a refund, or compensation due to the diminished value because nobody would buy my car that creaks like an old wooden boat. My preference is a refund and I give you back your BMW.

PS I'm going to send this to various public centers of information like, My local NBC News, AutoBlog.com, The Consumerist, The Washington Post, etc.

[Neutrino45]

you are a time traveler.

[Noc57]

So you're *****ing about creaks and rattles?



Welcome to BMW.

The dealer "swirl" option is also pretty common. The only legitimate argument you have is the radio issues.

[MMAJNKE]

wow I can't believe I just read all that...seriously it seems maybe all that noise is coming from your head maybe...I mean most of our cars have noise its really impossible for the car not too make any..but ionno about the wooden boat phrase you got stuck in my head now thanks! I wouldn't want to make you a cup of coffee that's for sure haha.. gl with getting a new bmw!

[JayKay335i]

AUTO FAIL. You screwed up the date. WOW! Talk about not proof reading.

[MrDummy]

I feel the T/Cs pain though, I went through a TON of issues and still am on my bimmer.

[matts335]

I agree, the "dealer swirl" option, and the many creaks, while common, should not be considered acceptable. There is really no excuse for this.

[Franciebaby]

totally unacceptable. I would start the lemon process by calling the customer service number in the back of your manual and putting them on notice. They will automatically investigate the number of times it has been in for service and escalate the process.

[bmwbadboy]

Guys yeah LOL on the date goof. I sure BMWNA can figure out when I bought it. I already received a call from Seema at BMWNA, sounds like they are moving a little faster now that they read my letter.

[hugo330i]

Any updates on your case? Where you able to come to a resolution with BMWNA?

Let us know.

[doggiedog]

You should have been more consistent with your prices. You quote $41K, then $45K, then $42K, then $45K again.

I don't have creaks but my Logic 7 did not turn on several times before. I took it in and they said they upgraded the software. Someone on this board also mentioned that leaving a CD in the player will also solve the problem. I did that as well and haven't had an issue since.

Good luck with your case. I hope it gets resolved to your satisfaction.

[bmwbadboy]

The issue is resolved. The dealer bought the car back - No new car purchase required. I did not get a full refund however I felt the offer the dealer initially offered was fair. I returned the car Friday. I am not aware if BMWNA contributed any monies to the deal. Per the Sales Manager, they did not.

I'm driving my 88 325is now and I'm also working on buying a 2005 330ci with the ZHP package. I'm much satisfied buying something used, and if it creaks and rattles I really don't care since I'm getting them for 40 cents on the dollar.

[bmwbadboy]

Originally Posted by doggiedog

You should have been more consistent with your prices. You quote $41K, then $45K, then $42K, then $45K again.

I don't have creaks but my Logic 7 did not turn on several times before. I took it in and they said they upgraded the software. Someone on this board also mentioned that leaving a CD in the player will also solve the problem. I did that as well and haven't had an issue since.

Good luck with your case. I hope it gets resolved to your satisfaction.

Mine (my disposed e90) stopped working again last week, but a CD was already loaded, it froze on the CD display.

[rkick08]

Originally Posted by bmwbadboy

Mine (my disposed e90) stopped working again last week, but a CD was already loaded, it froze on the CD display.

my radio has stop working about 3 times now but when I turn off/on the car it comeas back up.

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by bmwbadboy

The issue is resolved. The dealer bought the car back - No new car purchase required. I did not get a full refund however I felt the offer the dealer initially offered was fair. I returned the car Friday. I am not aware if BMWNA contributed any monies to the deal. Per the Sales Manager, they did not.

I'm driving my 88 325is now and I'm also working on buying a 2005 330ci with the ZHP package. I'm much satisfied buying something used, and if it creaks and rattles I really don't care since I'm getting them for 40 cents on the dollar.

Good to hear it workd out. btw..It's customary for BMW techs to use felt tape in an attempt to quite down cabin noises. IMO..it's a byproduct of the extensive use of plastic interior pieces. All those seams are prime for rubbing.

[Perfectus]

Glad everything worked out for you. I was thinking about bringing my 335i to Sterling to have my oil consumption issue looked at but now you've scared me into thinking I'm going to get my car back with dents and such!

[Gregg C]

Did you not get a full refund because they calculated your usage ??
I think that is incorrect, you spent your money when you made your purchase,
At that point in time I assume you had not planned on realizing any losses for some time.
Now just one year after your purchase you have a monetary loss due to no fault of your own. IMO BMW should have issued you a FULL refund.
I'm a huge BMW fan however this kind of story along with others can only do damage to BMW, whatever the dollar amount that was not refunded to you would have been cheap
PR for BMW.

[hhkim]

Why threaten BMWNA?? Its more so the incompetence of the Service Department at Sterling BMW than it is BMWNA's fault.

[kqgone2da]

My car creaks and rattles endlessly: door pulls, dash, aluminum trim, belt moldings around windows, rear window, exterior side skirts. Patrick BMW has failed to fix a thing. Truly a shame that such a beautiful 'driver's' car is ruined by these problems. My dad's 16 year old Lincoln Town Car makes no noises whatsoever, and it's got 230K on it!

[bmwbadboy]

Originally Posted by Gregg C

Did you not get a full refund because they calculated your usage ??
I think that is incorrect, you spent your money when you made your purchase,
At that point in time I assume you had not planned on realizing any losses for some time.
Now just one year after your purchase you have a monetary loss due to no fault of your own. IMO BMW should have issued you a FULL refund.
I'm a huge BMW fan however this kind of story along with others can only do damage to BMW, whatever the dollar amount that was not refunded to you would have been cheap
PR for BMW.

It would have been better to receive a full refund - I am out so far about $5k. I was told that I would be getting back about $1600 which was the refund from the extended warranty, but the dealer is now changing their story on the refund of that-telling me now after I gave the car back that I will not get that refund. Based upon their offer I figured that I would be out about $3500. I agree, the right thing would have been to refund all I paid. My decision to return it and lose the money was based on the fact that I was tired of the aggravation of taking it to them, having the service department screw up something and not fix the problem. So I figured I would be better off getting rid of the problem and buying something else that I could get repaired locally or fix myself. I don't mind used cars, Ive bought plenty in the past, but new is always nicer.

[bmwbadboy]

Originally Posted by hhkim

Why threaten BMWNA?? Its more so the incompetence of the Service Department at Sterling BMW than it is BMWNA's fault.

The service department is the heart of the problem. If they had made a real attempt to fix the problem and told me they would work to resolve it then I probably would have kept the car and not gotten so pissed off at them. When the shop foreman tells me he's not going to fix it anymore, that's bad. My service advisor admitted that it wasn't handled well. Dealer service is for the most very poor, its all about billing shop hours. I'm sure a few good dealers exist -have not found one yet.

[bmwbadboy]

Originally Posted by kqgone2da

My car creaks and rattles endlessly: door pulls, dash, aluminum trim, belt moldings around windows, rear window, exterior side skirts. Patrick BMW has failed to fix a thing. Truly a shame that such a beautiful 'driver's' car is ruined by these problems. My dad's 16 year old Lincoln Town Car makes no noises whatsoever, and it's got 230K on it!

My 1988 325is makes less noise than my 2009 328 did. That's after 21 years and 160k miles on the clock.