Dealer made a big mistake on a repair... shouldn't I get something for it?

Rando · 01-22-2009, 11:02 AM

I'd appreciate any advice on how to handle a little bit of a strange situation. (I am deliberately leaving out some details to be fair to the dealer, etc...)

A repair was done by the dealer to my car, and an incorrect part was used, causing performance that was definitely out-of-spec. Though clearly they did not notice in their checks, nor have others in their test drives.

I've noticed handling issues for a while, but only recently (many thousands of miles after the repair) have I been able to track down the actual error. As you might guess, the mistake that was made is absolutely idiotic.

So basically the dealership robbed me of a properly handling car for many thousands of miles, and the fair thing seems for them to (1) fix it, of course, and (2) offer me some compensation. I imagine if I disclose the stupidity of what they did to BMWNA, they are going to get in some serious trouble. But I'd rather talk with the dealer and work out something that I feel is fair. The question is how to define "fair" in this context.

Some of you may have been in similar situations in the past, so I thought of asking for your advice.

Thank you in advance.

cn555ic · 01-22-2009, 11:04 AM

what part exactly?

StephenNg · 01-22-2009, 11:10 AM

It depend on what parts and the nature of the repair. Also depend on the size of the dealership. In some case, after so many thousand of miles, you will be lucky if they will just fix it for you.

toughluck · 01-22-2009, 11:12 AM

What is it - the steering wheel?

Higgs1 · 01-22-2009, 11:12 AM

would the incorrect part damage the vehicle at all? we need more information to really gauge the severity of the issue

ENINTY · 01-22-2009, 11:20 AM

What, are we playing 20 questions, or something?

Rando · 01-22-2009, 11:40 AM

LOL, sorry. One shock absorber was replaced, and the replacement was non-sport instead of sport (the other 3 are sport). Which, as you might imagine, causes some shaky handling in certain situations.

blakjack23 · 01-22-2009, 11:41 AM

Is it blue?

ENINTY · 01-22-2009, 11:42 AM

I doubt they will compensate you for the mistake. Strange you had a shock failure.

montreal red · 01-22-2009, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rando

LOL, sorry. One shock absorber was replaced, and the replacement was non-sport instead of sport (the other 3 are sport). Which, as you might imagine, causes some shaky handling in certain situations.

i doubt they would compensate you with cash but what you can do is probably make a big fuss and make them give you something for free... maybe a set of floor mats or alu pedals or something else in the parts dept... its usually pretty hard to get a dealership to cough up actual cash to compensate you.

GmanJeff · 01-22-2009, 11:48 AM

You're not injured, your car doesn't seem to be damaged. You've just had sub-spec performance for a period of time, which is unquantifiable. Your "damages" are intangible. You might suggest the dealership offer you a good-will gesture in return for your inconvenience in having to bring the car back in to be repaired correctly, but I wouldn't think it would amount to much - perhaps a free oil change, or a detail, but I wouldn't expect much more.

Hoothout · 01-22-2009, 12:35 PM

ya i wouldn't expect alot, that is if there is nothing permenatly wrong with your car, but they will def replace the shock free of charge (atleast they would at BMW of Nashville)

Potty_Pants · 01-22-2009, 12:47 PM

Dont forget having a different strut or shock will offset the alignment as well as induce additional tire wear.

at the very least I'd have them fix the mistake and perform an alignment.

ppp

david @ eas · 01-22-2009, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Potty_Pants

Dont forget having a different strut or shock will offset the alignment as well as induce additional tire wear.

at the very least I'd have them fix the mistake and perform an alignment.

ppp

Me too... But I think they would do that regardless if they replaced anything with the suspension right? I'm not sure, since BMW seems to be getting a little bit more shady...

I would suggest them replacing for the correct part, and getting an M5 as a loaner car till they figure that out

StephenNg · 01-22-2009, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GmanJeff

You're not injured, your car doesn't seem to be damaged. You've just had sub-spec performance for a period of time, which is unquantifiable. Your "damages" are intangible. You might suggest the dealership offer you a good-will gesture in return for your inconvenience in having to bring the car back in to be repaired correctly, but I wouldn't think it would amount to much - perhaps a free oil change, or a detail, but I wouldn't expect much more.

Totally agree. You will not get anything more than maybe a free oil change or a detail. If it is from BMWSF, you may not even get anything. Good luck and keep us posted.

sailvi767 · 01-22-2009, 02:15 PM

I don't think you will get anything. As the owner you did not notice enough of a change to even have it checked out. Whats the big deal. Have them fix it with the correct part and be on your way. Why does everyone have their hand out these days?

noro · 01-22-2009, 02:36 PM

BMW NA isn't going to do anything to the dealer. Your best bet is to have the car repaired and ask for something small as a favor. For example a nice detail of the car. Assessing financial damages in this case is almost impossible and I wouldn't milk them especially now that dealers are having hard time as it is. The bottom line is that they did this by mistake and mistakes happen.

DenverJayhawk · 01-22-2009, 02:55 PM

I'd bet BMWNA will side with the dealer if it came down to "he said, she said".

Similar to how judges generally side with a police officer's account versus what you said.

Maestro · 01-22-2009, 03:04 PM

I had a similar experience a while back, the dealer put in the wrong ECU chip for my car which ended up dumping unburnt fuel down the exhaust, which obviously reduced my overall gas mileage and toasted the Cat Converter. After a fight they replace the Cat Converter and put back the right chip, I attempted recover the cost of the gas and they just wipe their hands of it. I tried real hard with not luck but they really did not care if I bought another car from them in the first place.

So my opinion is it does not hurt to ask and see what you can get.

StephenNg · 01-22-2009, 04:43 PM

Doesn't seem like keep their existing customers happy is BMWNA main concern. They don't care whether you will buy another BMW from them down on the road. Very sad.

Maestro · 01-22-2009, 04:58 PM

It was not a BMW dealer it was another manufacture which I never bought another one of their cars since and do not ever plan to buy in the future.

Mr. BMW · 01-22-2009, 06:07 PM

I would not ask for a detail. If they are going to detail your car for free, you can bet that they will not put too much time or effort into it and they will most likely do it half-ass and in the process will put scratched and swirl marks on your car.

01-22-2009, 11:02 AM	#1
Rando Lieutenant 52 Rep 487 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	Dealer made a big mistake on a repair... shouldn't I get something for it? I'd appreciate any advice on how to handle a little bit of a strange situation. (I am deliberately leaving out some details to be fair to the dealer, etc...) A repair was done by the dealer to my car, and an incorrect part was used, causing performance that was definitely out-of-spec. Though clearly they did not notice in their checks, nor have others in their test drives. I've noticed handling issues for a while, but only recently (many thousands of miles after the repair) have I been able to track down the actual error. As you might guess, the mistake that was made is absolutely idiotic. So basically the dealership robbed me of a properly handling car for many thousands of miles, and the fair thing seems for them to (1) fix it, of course, and (2) offer me some compensation. I imagine if I disclose the stupidity of what they did to BMWNA, they are going to get in some serious trouble. But I'd rather talk with the dealer and work out something that I feel is fair. The question is how to define "fair" in this context. Some of you may have been in similar situations in the past, so I thought of asking for your advice. Thank you in advance.
	Appreciate 0 Tweet Quote

01-22-2009, 11:04 AM	#2
cn555ic 442 Rep 18,331 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: US iTrader: (6)	what part exactly?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-22-2009, 11:10 AM	#3
StephenNg Private First Class 2 Rep 140 Posts Drives: 335i coupe Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA iTrader: (0)	It depend on what parts and the nature of the repair. Also depend on the size of the dealership. In some case, after so many thousand of miles, you will be lucky if they will just fix it for you.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-22-2009, 11:12 AM	#4
toughluck First Lieutenant 45 Rep 360 Posts Drives: 2007 e92 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Pie in the Sky iTrader: (1)	What is it - the steering wheel? __________________ r56 MINI Cooper S pepper white/redwood lounge leather (sold) e92 335i red/saddle leather e90 325i red/beige/clearbra - retired. Last edited by toughluck; 01-22-2009 at 12:40 PM..
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-22-2009, 11:12 AM	#5
Higgs1 Lieutenant 43 Rep 434 Posts Drives: 2020 Tesla Model 3 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Queens, NY iTrader: (7) Garage List 2020 Tesla Model 3 [0.00]	would the incorrect part damage the vehicle at all? we need more information to really gauge the severity of the issue
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-22-2009, 11:20 AM	#6
ENINTY Banned 173 Rep 3,415 Posts Drives: 2006 325i Sport Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	What, are we playing 20 questions, or something?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-22-2009, 11:40 AM	#7
Rando Lieutenant 52 Rep 487 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	LOL, sorry. One shock absorber was replaced, and the replacement was non-sport instead of sport (the other 3 are sport). Which, as you might imagine, causes some shaky handling in certain situations.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-22-2009, 11:41 AM	#8
blakjack23 Major 33 Rep 1,074 Posts Drives: like a bat out of hell Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Minneapolis, MN iTrader: (3) Garage List '06 325i [0.00]	Is it blue? __________________ '06 325i - AT (bite me!) - Jet Black - Black leatherette - Aluminum Trim - Blacklines - 189's - M3 Spoiler
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-22-2009, 11:42 AM	#9
ENINTY Banned 173 Rep 3,415 Posts Drives: 2006 325i Sport Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	I doubt they will compensate you for the mistake. Strange you had a shock failure.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-22-2009, 11:48 AM	#11
GmanJeff Private First Class 84 Rep 171 Posts Drives: 2021 X3M, 2016 X5 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	You're not injured, your car doesn't seem to be damaged. You've just had sub-spec performance for a period of time, which is unquantifiable. Your "damages" are intangible. You might suggest the dealership offer you a good-will gesture in return for your inconvenience in having to bring the car back in to be repaired correctly, but I wouldn't think it would amount to much - perhaps a free oil change, or a detail, but I wouldn't expect much more.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-22-2009, 12:35 PM	#12
Hoothout Colonel 59 Rep 2,799 Posts Drives: 2008 BMW E92 328i Join Date: May 2008 Location: Brentwood, TN iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 e92 328i [0.00]	ya i wouldn't expect alot, that is if there is nothing permenatly wrong with your car, but they will def replace the shock free of charge (atleast they would at BMW of Nashville) __________________ 2008 SG E92 328i iDrive,Premium Pkg,Sport Pkg,Cold Weather pkg,Black Dakota Leather,GP Thunder 8500k cornering,drl,and foglights, ,Blacked Out Grills,Painted Reflectors,Shadowline Emblems,Hardwired Beltronics V-995, AFE Intake, Muffler Delete, Berger tune
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-22-2009, 12:47 PM	#13
Potty_Pants Colonel 67 Rep 2,189 Posts Drives: 2012 Genesis Sedan Rspec Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Southern NJ iTrader: (0)	Dont forget having a different strut or shock will offset the alignment as well as induce additional tire wear. at the very least I'd have them fix the mistake and perform an alignment. ppp __________________ Olds Starfire > Chevy Malibu > Isuzu I-mark RS & Honda Magna 500 > Grand Am GT & YSR50 > Nissan Maxima & Ninja 750 > X-Wife > Hyundai Excel > Honda Prelude > Honda Accord > Honda Prelude & Ninja 250> Infiniti G35 > E90 335i > Hyundai Genesis Rspec, Hyunadai Sonata > Kia Sorento > Honda CRV-EX
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-22-2009, 02:15 PM	#16
sailvi767 Private First Class 22 Rep 112 Posts Drives: 95BMWM3(full Dinan) 2007 Z4MC Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: N.C. iTrader: (0)	I don't think you will get anything. As the owner you did not notice enough of a change to even have it checked out. Whats the big deal. Have them fix it with the correct part and be on your way. Why does everyone have their hand out these days?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-22-2009, 02:36 PM	#17
noro Colonel 90 Rep 2,707 Posts Drives: '91 M3, '04 E46 ZHP, '72 2002 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Boston iTrader: (0)	BMW NA isn't going to do anything to the dealer. Your best bet is to have the car repaired and ask for something small as a favor. For example a nice detail of the car. Assessing financial damages in this case is almost impossible and I wouldn't milk them especially now that dealers are having hard time as it is. The bottom line is that they did this by mistake and mistakes happen. __________________ zhpregistry.net - ZHP stats and free classifieds.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-22-2009, 02:55 PM	#18
DenverJayhawk Major 72 Rep 1,217 Posts Drives: 2006 E90 330i Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Denver iTrader: (0)	I'd bet BMWNA will side with the dealer if it came down to "he said, she said". Similar to how judges generally side with a police officer's account versus what you said. __________________ 330i, Black Sapphire, 6MT, Sport, Active Steering, Flux Capacitor
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-22-2009, 03:04 PM	#19
Maestro Major 1014 Rep 1,268 Posts Drives: 2007 335i Sedan, 2021 X3 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Philadelphia iTrader: (0)	I had a similar experience a while back, the dealer put in the wrong ECU chip for my car which ended up dumping unburnt fuel down the exhaust, which obviously reduced my overall gas mileage and toasted the Cat Converter. After a fight they replace the Cat Converter and put back the right chip, I attempted recover the cost of the gas and they just wipe their hands of it. I tried real hard with not luck but they really did not care if I bought another car from them in the first place. So my opinion is it does not hurt to ask and see what you can get. Last edited by Maestro; 01-22-2009 at 04:57 PM..
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-22-2009, 04:43 PM	#20
StephenNg Private First Class 2 Rep 140 Posts Drives: 335i coupe Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA iTrader: (0)	Doesn't seem like keep their existing customers happy is BMWNA main concern. They don't care whether you will buy another BMW from them down on the road. Very sad.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-22-2009, 04:58 PM	#21
Maestro Major 1014 Rep 1,268 Posts Drives: 2007 335i Sedan, 2021 X3 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Philadelphia iTrader: (0)	It was not a BMW dealer it was another manufacture which I never bought another one of their cars since and do not ever plan to buy in the future.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-22-2009, 06:07 PM	#22
Mr. BMW Major 262 Rep 1,389 Posts Drives: 2012 E92 M3 Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 M3 [0.00] 2006 330i [0.00] 2018 Jeep Grand Che ... [0.00]	I would not ask for a detail. If they are going to detail your car for free, you can bet that they will not put too much time or effort into it and they will most likely do it half-ass and in the process will put scratched and swirl marks on your car. __________________ 12 M3 Interlagos Blue/Black 18 Jeep Grand Cherokee (Yeah, it's got a HEMI) 21 X3 Silver/Black(Wife's) 06 330i Monaco Blue/Black (retired) 02 X5 3.0 Topaz Blue/Black (retired)
	Appreciate 0 Quote