Quote:
Originally Posted by JCL
I buy BMWs new because they aren't expensive for what I get. If BMW spent more money making the transmission good enough to last 500,000 miles, I wouldn't buy the cars in the first place because they would be too expensive. They have an appropriate level of durability for the price point.
We are picking on BMW a fair bit in this thread, but they aren't even BMW transmissions. They are built by ZF and GM, two companies that makes some of the best automatic transmissions in the world. Sure, BMWs will be obsolete in a few years, same as most other brands. That is the price we pay for the constant consumer demands for more power, lower emissions, more electronic options, more technology, and so on.
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I respect your opinion, and think you make good points regarding the advanced technology in today's cars causing much of the problems. However, I can't go with your logic regarding BMW's price-point justifying transmissions that only last 50-100k miles without a significant number needing replacement. Lexus LX's and GX's cost just as much as X5's, and their transmissions are quite superior. BMW's should be too. The fluid may indeed be lifetime and not be the cause of the failure's, but that does not excuse BMW for not doing a better job covering the other failures that basically demand a person replace the whole transmission before 150k miles. That's absurd. Moreover, the fact BMW doesn't make the transmission in no way excuses them. They still put the transmission in, and put their name on the vehicle (Toyota, as I understand it, doesn't make the throttle part that is the reason behind their recall either, but they aren't ducking their responsibility). Anyway, if we were just talking valve cover gaskets or thrust rod bushings, that'd be no big deal, but the transmission should be much more durable on a $60K+ SAV than they are on the BMW X5. And if they will not consistently last up to 150k miles, BMW should either demand the supplier improve their product, or cover at least half of the costs of a new transmission when ANY X5 transmission fails under normal use before 150k miles ...
AND Quicksilver: I agree that posting on here will not pressure BMW to change their policy regarding the transmission. This board is just a steam-release valve that can help those with trouble to both find solutions, and comfort. The formation of a website and Twitter account could ratchet up the pressure on BMW, but I think the best avenue is the legal one in which enough signatures are signed to an official complaint that BMW realizes they had better invest more in their "goodwill," and less in their spin/excuses when it comes to the transmission issues ...