Dealer Blows my 4.8is engine!

[Bnagy4.8]

If you don't want to read all the posts I have edited with the latest update below my initial posting to this thread. old in gray, new in black.


So I took my car in 2 weeks ago to get my first oil change (since I purchased the vehicle) at the local BMW Dealership. after sitting for 2 hours I watched them pull my car out of the garage and blue smoke was coming out of my exhaust. after another hour they came to put me into a loaner car. According to the service adviser they put an excessive amount of oil in the engine 15 quarts instead of 10 for the 4.8is. This happened because there oil pump turned off unexpectedly and when they turned there system back on the pump was not calibrated correctly.

Long story short, they drained the oil and refilled the oil level to the correct level and then went to start the engine. after lots of " nasty " noises they turned off the engine and pulled the plugs, after tests they tried again. made another awful sound. they went to crank it manually and they realized that they seized the engine.

They went to their insurance company and the insurance tried to conclude that the car is deemed totaled and wanted to pay me off for 23k. (I owe 21k, haven't owned it for a year) The engine had only 52k miles on it for a fully loaded 2005 4.8is. After hashing it out with the insurance company for 2 days, they wanted to give me trade in value 19k plus compensation. WHAT?! The dealership will not rebuild the engine because it is to expensive and they cant find a brand new motor.

We sent in documentation showing the value invested into the vehicle, New air ride suspension, personalized tasteful modifications. So, they decide to lift the totaled title and they found an engine in Texas from a 2006 BMW x5 4.8is with 42k miles which was rolled. This engine will only have a 90 day warranty, and the dealership says they will warranty there work. What the hell does that mean!

They did however say that they will be looking over the engine first before installing it to make sure it checks out.

At this point my attorney is on stand by because I have a feeling this will be a mess.


Thoughts and opinions?



The Latest as of 5/29/13

UPDATE: So, I'm not sure how I feel at this point, I keep thinking back to when the service advisor said that they "will make good on this" and "[they] will take care of me". It is coming up on the 3 month anniversary of BMW's engine oil change fu** up. After the Insurance company came up with a repair option and price they were willing to pay out for the job to get done which was $3600 short of what BMW Northwest wanted for the job, BMW Northwest had the nerve to ask me to fit half the uncovered amount which would come to 1700ish out of my pocket for "THEM" to rebuild my engine.

So, let me make this absolutely clear.. my $100 oil change is now going to be a $1700 oil change? WTF. Now, because I refused to pay that amount they went with option B which is to ship my engine down to California to have the Job done at Bavarian Auto Recycling (which I have herd is shutting down).

So as a Manager at a grocery store I am a professional in customer service and if I made a customer unhappy I would eat what ever cost it is to make them happy. That is the basic fundamentals of CUSTOMER SERVICE. Now lets look at what BMW Northwest is doing... They went to there insurance company who is going to pay out an amount to fix my car outright one way or another. So, BMW is not taking any loss whatsoever on this issue. Instead, they were going to get paid to do a job that that is THERE FAULT, and they aren't willing to absorb the extra amount, instead they put out there had to me asking to cough up $1700! Absolute BULL S***.

Now lets talk about this "5 year portable warranty" that this company (BMR) claims to stand behind. This company is in California and I am in Washington state. If anything goes wrong with in the first 2 years I am suppose to rely on a junk yard to stand behind their work from a different state. Sounds to me like BMW is shifting the liability over to Bavarian Motor Recycling.

I think it is time to call BMW North America and express my concerns if they haven't already read this.

Personally I feel better about BMW doing the work locally, and covering me under warranty for two years (locally).

Oh, Don't let me forget, BMW has postponed any work on my car until after another car under warranty has its engine rebuilt first. So, now, My car is on the back burner in which they have just wasted the entire spring season of my potential home/yard prep for the summer (hobby).


Update 6/10/2013: HERE WE GO AGAIN!!! Today I receive a phone call from the service manager (who is pissed as well I must add) that informs me that the company down in California (Bavarian auto recycling) who WAS going to rebuild my motor with a 5 year warranty, wouldn't have my engine back for 60-90 days. This is after the insurance adjuster was told that their turn-around was 1-2 weeks. So now that option has gone out the window!

So what does BMW have for a plan B? How about a used motor with 46XXX miles on it WITHOUT a warranty. So lets to a fast speed replay on all the events that have taken place since March! I took my car into BMW for an oil change, they Fu** up my engine, they try to total my vehicle, that backfires and they try to get a used motor, the company they were getting the motor from pulled a bait and switch, they send a foreign motor from god knows where to BMW with out markings, vin etc., we deny the motor, they (the insurance company) takes a month to figure out what is going to happen, they come to a decision to rebuild the motor with option A (BMW rebuilds it and I pay $1750) or B (Bavarian auto recycling rebuilds it with a 5 year warranty), we choose option B (obviously), that falls through because it would take 3 months to get my engine back to BMW, Then BMW tries to step backwards and offer us another used motor with 46xxx miles and with out a warranty, we would not accept anything less than a rebuilt motor (total engine overhaul), they all of a sudden find a brand new engine in some where in the country that is brand new with 0 miles and if they cannot get their hands on that, then they are going to order one straight out of Germany (this I their promise) we will see if they deliver.


Update 6/11/13: BMW was unable to get ahold of the engine located here in the USA so they have placed an order from the Germany for a Brand new 4.8is engine! should be arriving on the 17th!! keeping my fingers crossed!

Update 6/30/13:

Update: So I guess the engine was 2 days delayed leaving Germany due to the computers crashing at the facility in Germany (so any one who was waiting on parts that were back ordered etc. they will be late too). Not a big deal though.. still waiting. the engine should have gone through customs and should be at the dealer or almost to the dealership by now.

I spoke with the service manager and asked him was part of the engine i was receiving (long block, short block as shown on real oem) as a request by a few users on here, and his reply was that i'm receiving a brand new replacement engine. The engine is complete and ready to drop in, 0 miles-0 hours. 2 year warranty unlimited mile warranty. no complaints there.

After the conversation he asked me if there was any more work that I would like them to do while it is in there. So of-course I asked him if they could replace my rear air bags and compressor (with parts i have ordered from home). So he gives me a quote of $800+ for 6 hours of labor at $125/hr. REALLY?!! after all the shit they still arent going to try and make good on there screw up. So I was able to talk him down to 85.95/hr based on an advertised coupon a few months back (while my truck was waiting in there shop) that will still be 600+. what blows my mind is that i paid $390 to have my 2 front air struts replaced (just the bags) at a independent shop. Stealership defined!

Any ways I told him if they make it $500 then they have a deal, we will see if they buy it. In the mean time i cant wait to update all on my new and improved engine.

Also thank you for every ones input on oil changes I completely agree with all the comments made 15k miles per oil change is a ticking time bomb, im a believer of 7000-8000 miles per oil change on fully syn.

Ill keep every one up to date though.

[COLOR=black]Update 7/09/13:

So as if nothing more could go wrong in this nightmare, the drama continues. After speaking to the service manager last week to get an update on the engine that should have shipped last month on the 17th along with the issue with BMW and the customs of in Germany preventing items from entering the USA I thought the engine should have arrived by now, but I was wrong.

Today I called my service manager to find out that he has taken on another job within the company and a new service manager has taken his place. He was however up to speed on the issue but I don't think anything tops living it. I spoke to him about bringing in my suspension part (which was discussed with the previous manager) to have them installed while my truck was in the shop. He agreed and told me to bring them in and he would "take care of it" (at the agreed price of $500? not sure.) I told him I would bring them in on Wednesday but I paid a visit to them a day early since I was in the area and the first thing I noticed was that my car was no longer in the shop. After I spoke with the service manager (who looks like David Cross in a way) who seems to be very apologetic toward my situation I asked him where my car was. He then asked a service tech and the tech pointed to the end of the garage (outside).

After walking through the shop which had about 7 bays open I see me truck out side next to the wall of the garage. Now the first thing I notice was my flat tire on the right front tire, rim on the ground (that one stewed with me for a while) he will be looking into my tires and rims when the service manager gets back from vacation. The tech hooks it up to the battery charger to unlock my doors (because my battery is unhooked) he pops the hood and with out the engine, daymnm, that engine bay is HUGE!!

Now the estimated time of wait isn't till the end of July sometime. Bare-in-mind my truck has been in the shop since 4/2/2013 so that will make 4 months. The service manager did say that I "will be getting all kinds of goodies" and I "will come out of this smelling rosey". I will let all of you decide on that.

UPDATE: If you haven't been following the thread, here is my latest update, I am taking my issue to the local press and to "Get Jesse" on this matter. I have typed up the entire story with everything that has taken place. Wish me luck!!

On the morning of April 2nd, 2013 at approximately 9:20am, I took my 2005 BMW x5 4.8is SUV to BMW Northwest in Fife Washington for a routine oil change service.
After about 45minutes I noticed them take my vehicle away for the multi-point inspection. After an additional 10 minutes they came back and pulled my vehicle into the shop to begin the oil change.
After approximately one hour, I was notified by the service advisor that there was a problem with the oil pumping unit that injects new oil into engines during servicing. The machine had shut off unexpectedly and there would be a delay, as they needed to turn the pump back on, finish the oil change and have my vehicle washed.
After another 30 minutes I watched as they backed my vehicle out of the shop and I couldn’t help but notice blue smoke that billowed out of my exhaust before my SUV disappeared around the end of the building. About 45-60 minutes later, the service advisor notified me that he needed to put me into a loaner car because the technician had accidentally overfilled my engine with an excessive amount of oil and that they needed to drain the overfilled engine, and refill the oil to the recommended level. He checked me into a loaner car and I headed home, somewhat confused about why it would take so long to simply re-fill my oil.
At 4:00pm, after not hearing from the dealership all day, I contacted the service advisor who informed me that the technician was still working on my vehicle. He also informed me that they have drained and refilled the oil to the proper level, however when the technician turned over the engine my vehicle made a really “nasty” noise. He told me that the tech was going to run a few tests, pull the plugs and he would call me back soon. Just after 5:00pm the service advisor contacted me with the horrifying news that they had pulled the plugs and turned over the engine again and it was making a lot of rattling and clinging inside the engine so the technician immediately turned off the ignition. The technician then pulled the belt to turn the engine manually and discovered that the entire lower half of the engine was seized. The service advisor apologized numerous times about the situation, and promised that BMW Northwest would make it right, even if that meant replacing the engine.
On April 3rd, 2013 I received a call at work around 10:30am from the BMW Northwest service manager, Ingell Pallumbi, who apologized for the terrible mistake and inconvenience, and told me that the loaner car, a 2013 328i coupe, was mine to drive until this situation is resolved. He stated that he needed to contact their insurance company and open a claim on this crisis in order to fix it. He told me to just keep filling up the tank on the car and he will make good on this issue, again apologizing greatly.
On April 5th, 2013 at about 11:00am I received a phone call from the service manager with the news I never would have expected; the insurance company has made a decision to TOTAL the vehicle, and offer me a cash settlement of about $23,000.
Due to the insurance companies LOW offer, I refused to accept my vehicle as totaled, so I sent supporting documentation in the tune of over 50 pages to support a much higher value, and the insurance company then agreed that the vehicle was worth repairing, and agreed to replace the motor.
ABOUT MY VEHICLE: I had just recently purchased the vehicle seven months back, in August of 2012, for $28,500, and have invested nearly $3500. The vehicle is rare, and a one of a kind, with only 45k miles on it at that time. It is not a standard X5, this one had the late 2005 larger motor, a 4.8is. The 4.8is was offered for less than 2 years in select models. This was the largest engine produced for the x5 with race car like horse power and torque that no SUV in its class could match. This vehicle was also offered with 4 corner self-leveling airbag suspension for ultimate ride comfort. Along with the rare mechanics of the vehicle it is fully loaded with every option available making this SUV stand out from the competition.
I find it ridiculous that I had to prove to the insurance company that my vehicle does not meet the requirement of being totaled. They disclosed that they were rating my vehicle based off the blue book trade in value of $19,900 when the cost of the engine was $24,000 (Why the insurance company would only give me trade in value for my vehicle is ludicrous). After a quick look on the internet to see the market price of my vehicle in similar condition proved that my vehicle cost and is worth much more than the $19,900 that she quoted me. For example, a 2006 x5 4.8is with 100k miles was selling for $23,000. A 2005 x5 4.8is with 120k miles is selling for $19,750. A 2006 x5 4.8is with 70k miles is selling for $26,000. These prices are based on supply and demand. The fact is that there are very few in existence; these SUVs are favored with a large fan base that is trying to get their hands on one. Once we proved the market for these SUV’s I then brought forward the amount of money that I invested in my SUV to bring this vehicle to a top notch personalized car of my dreams which amounted to the tune of $3500 in upgrades which included the replacement of my entire suspension to brand new with lifetime warranty (due to BMWs Air Suspension having chronic problems with users).
After all the documents were provided and proved, the insurance company pulled back their claim to total my vehicle. They decided on plan B, which is to replace my motor with a used motor. After searching online they found the alternative was to replace my engine with a used motor from a junk yard in Texas called Ronda Auto Parts. This early in the game we chose to accept the offer for an engine with 47k miles on it. BMW Northwest sent Ronda Auto Parts a check for the cost of the engine which covered all the costs to expedite shipping. After the deal was made I chose to contact the yard in Texas and check up on the engine that we have ordered which includes running the VIN number on CARFAX to find out the vehicle history. When I called down to Ronda Auto Parts I inquired on the engine that was purchased from BMW Northwest and they confirmed it. They then gave me the VIN upon request. After I ran the VIN number that they gave me it appeared that they gave me a VIN for a motor out of Washington (the state in which I live) that had the last odometer reading of 98k miles and failed emissions twice.
I immediately called back in thoughts that this was an error and I could not get ahold of them. After emails, text messaging and voicemail messages they did not call me back. I waited until the following day and made the call once again. This time I got through to someone and began to confirm the correct VIN number. Their reply was, “that is the correct VIN number,” I explained that the engine we ordered was supposed to come out of Texas, not Washington. The employee began to tell me that they found one in Washington because it would cost too much to ship the engine we ordered to Washington, so they were going to drop ship one, I explained that I will not accept any engine other than the one we ordered. (The employee began talking to someone in the background) He then told me, “Have the person who ordered the motor call us, we cannot give out any information to anyone other than the person who ordered the engine.” He then ended the call. I then contacted the service manager at BMW Northwest to fill him in on what took place with my phone call. The service manager assured me that he will get to the bottom of it. 20 minutes later I received a phone call from the service manager telling me that the engine is being shipped from Texas as originally planned and that he wasn’t sure who I spoke with or if what they were telling me was valid. Again he told me to rest assure that everything is fine and to trust him because he’s been doing this for a long time.
With the nasty pit in my stomach I decided to make a trip down to BMW Northwest and speak with the service manager face to face. I explain to him that he is being manipulated by the supplier, and he needs to get to the bottom of it now and find out why I was given false information and request documentation on the shipping location and tracking number. By doing so the service manager made the call down to the Ronda Auto Parts and requested the information. At that time the service manager had to hold the phone away from his ear as the employee on the other end of the line was yelling into the phone in frustration. The employee began saying that I the owner is making problems by contacting them for information. After defending my right to ask and request information the service manager repeatedly asked the employee or supervisor where the engine is coming from and finally got an answer of California. The service manager began asking the employee why he is being sent a different engine when he had paperwork proving the purchase for an engine out of Texas. The employee mentioned to the service manager that the cost of shipping was too steep so they are sending an engine from California. The service manager explained that they paid the full amount to cover all costs to get the engine but the service manager accepted the engine from California. I tried to deny the engine but the service manager gave us the impression to trust him once again. He also stated that if the engine does not look in good shape he will return the engine. He told me that this isn’t his first ball game and these are baby steps to getting a new engine. At this point, I requested that no engine is to go into my vehicle without proper documentation with a VIN number attached and records showing the vehicle history and mileage, the service manager agreed.
Two weeks later the engine arrived with no markings, no documentation and no information as to whether or not it was a good, bad, used, new, or a stolen motor. Due to the facts surrounding the motor, we rejected it, and would not agree to have it installed. BMW Northwest then tried to return the motor to the place that they purchased it and the company would not accept a return and would not refund BMW’s money. That engine is now sitting at BMW collecting dust. It was back to the drawing board, and I requested that BMW simply rebuild my motor. Once again they turned to the insurance company to request funds to do the job.
After 3 weeks of waiting for the insurance company to do the paper work on this issue they gave BMW Northwest the amount they were willing to pay for a rebuild. BMW came back to me with 2 options, either I pay $1750 to have BMW Northwest rebuild my motor with a 2 year warranty in which they are meeting me half way from the price of $3500 that the insurance company would not cover, or, I allow them to remove my motor and have it sent down to Bavarian Auto Recycling in California for a total engine overhaul with no money out of pocket and a 5 year portable warranty based on information printed on the company’s web page.
I agreed to have my engine rebuilt in California, as I could not afford to pay the $1750 for them to rebuild the motor. (It is ridiculous enough that I went in for a $100 oil change and they would even ask for $1750 out of my pocket to fix their mistake.) I was promised a maximum 3 week turn around including engine shipped and engine received. The Insurance Company said that this company comes highly recommended and they do fast work with minimal turnaround time.
Plan C is underway and I couldn’t help but remember hearing something about that company’s horrible customer service from the forums that I attend. I did a little research and learned that they are the worst at keeping their word and making deadlines. I chose to make a call down there to check on their rebuilding options and the amount of time they claim it takes to rebuild an engine. The employee stated that they no longer offer rebuilds and they shut down their rebuilding portion of the company. Again I went back to the forums and read that they are liquidating and selling off their equipment and are closing the doors on their rebuilding department. I contacted the Service manager and explained my new found information and again I was told not to worry. He explained his years of being a service manager and that he has it all under control. The Service manager explained that this company comes highly recommended by the insurance company and they are used all the time.
I contacted the service manager later that week and checked to see if my engine was shipped. I was informed that my car has now been put on the back burner because during this process another car came into the shop with engine problems (probably under warranty) and was taking up the engine lift bay, so as soon as they are done with that car they will lift my car and remove the engine. After three weeks the car was finished and they informed me that they are moving forward on the engine removal.
On 6/10/2013 I was contacted by the service manager who proved my claims to be correct. After my engine was pulled and they had it on a pallet ready to ship out, BMW learned that the company changed their terms on the rebuild and wouldn’t have the engine back for 3 months minimum. Frustrated while talking to the service manager, he gave me another option which is to receive a used motor, and do an engine swap without a warranty. At this point, that offer was completely unacceptable.
[Here is a quick recap of the situation:
• I took my nearly new SUV in for an oil change, and they seize my engine
• The Insurance Company tried to total my SUV with a cash settlement that was less than what I owed on my vehicle.
• I had to prove the value of the SUV to prevent them from totaling it. The insurance company pulls back their total claim and decides to pay for a used engine from Texas.
• We order the engine with a 90 day warranty and the company pulls a bait-and-switch to save money and make out on the deal. After I catch them red handed I am now receiving an engine from California. The engine arrives with no markings or information so I reject the motor in return BMW tries to send the engine back to get their money back and the company in Texas refuses the refund.
• BMW sends in a quote to the insurance company to rebuild my motor. The insurance company spends 3 weeks deciding the value and worth for a rebuild.
• BMW asks me to cough up $1750 to have them fix their mistake with a 2 year warranty on a rebuilt engine by BMW Northwest. I refuse the pay out $1750 and they give me the option to send the engine to California for a total engine overhaul with a 3 week turnaround and a 5 year portable warranty. I accept the deal.
• My car sits for an additional 3 weeks while another car has moved in front of mine on the engine lift bay.
• BMW finally preps my vehicle and removes the engine and gets it ready to ship when the company changes their terms and informs BMW that the job will take 90 days minimum to complete.
• BMW cancels the rebuild and offers me another used motor]
On 6/11/2013 after a long talk with the service manager explaining that I refuse to take a step backwards in this process and that the bottom line was that I want a brand new motor, he completely agreed. He found two brand new factory remanufactured engines left in the entire database, one in the USA and one in Germany. He tried to get his hands on the one located in the USA and that plan failed. He the attempted to get the one in Germany and that plan was successful. He promised us that the engine will be shipping out on the 17th of June 2013 and should take a couple weeks. After a few of weeks passed we still did not have the engine.
Just before the 4th of July, I contacted the service manager and asked for an update on the progress of my engine, he said that they still have not received it and that there was an issue with customs and that he has several parts on order for several vehicles that are delayed due to this, but it should be shipping out soon and that he would update me after the holiday. He also offered to do other work on my car while it was there so I took him up on the offer. I did want to replace a part and he quoted me for the job. After a bit of prying for him to lower his price and match another shops price he asked that I provide a statement of the quote. I e-mailed him a statement and awaited his reply.
On 7/9/2013 I hadn’t received any update on the situation or an e-mail back. I called down to BMW and asked for the service manager by name and I was told that he no longer works there (but they will not tell me where he went or why he changed position, if that is really what happened) and that there is a new service manager to take his place; would I like to speak with him? I got on the phone with the new service manager Kyle Canalizo and introduced myself and explained who I am. The new service manager seemed to be up to speed on the situation and explained to me that they are doing everything they can to locate the engine and get it shipped to their shop as soon as possible. I brought up the conversation that I had with the previous service manager about replacing a part for a specific price and he told me to bring it in and he would take care of it.
On July 10th 2013 I showed up unannounced to drop off the part that I would like replaced and asked for the service manager. After a minute the new service manager Kyle came out and introduced himself. I asked the service manager if I could see my SUV and he replied, absolutely. I then asked him where it was and he turned to one of his techs and asked him where they put it (for whatever reason the “service manager” didn’t know where my SUV was). The tech explained that it was at the end of the shop outside. We walked through the shop toward the very end which is outside on the street side against the wall (I was under the impression throughout this whole ordeal that my SUV was parked inside protected from the elements). I walked around my SUV to notice that it still hasn’t been washed and that it has had the blistering summer heat on it every day. I also couldn’t help but notice the tire on the front right was completely flat with the rim touching the ground. When I asked the service manager why my tire was flat, the tech jumped in and said that they have been pumping it up and it keeps going flat. I asked why I wasn’t contacted about this issue and been made aware and the tech did not have an answer (when I brought my SUV in for the oil change the tires did not have any issues).
The service manager and I spoke for a little while about the engine issue and he explained to me that AGA BMW in Germany had to get the engine shipped to them and then have it shipped here to the USA and it needed to go through customs which can take some time especially because their “systems” have been having issues. (Now, what I do not understand is how a company like BMW who ships products in and out of the USA and Germany daily is having such a hard time locating and shipping my engine. Not to mention that they deal with customs so regularly, why is this becoming an issue now?) After I finished the conversation with the service manager about the engine, I made a comment, “now you know I expect my SUV to be fully washed waxed and detailed when I get it back, right?” The service manager told me, “don’t worry, you will be getting all kinds of goodies.” “At the end of this you will come out smelling rosy.”
Throughout that day I couldn’t help but be concerned about the flat tire I had. I have been planning a trip to eastern Washington which is about a 4 hour drive and now I have been made aware that I need new tires. I expressed my concerns to the service manager about the tire and read that flat tires can develop bulging walls from the rim pressing down on the tire along with flat spots from sitting for extended periods of time. If there was anything I could do about fixing a leak in the tire, I can’t anymore because the tire was ruined. I requested that the service manager come up with a solution on the matter and he said he would replace that tire free of charge, but only that tire (that means I would have two completely different tires on my SUV which would contribute to uneven wear, I know this, and I’m not an expert). He then explained to me that because I have chrome rims, they do deteriorate over time causing pits that promote leaking (bare-in-mind that these are factory rims). He quoted me for the same rims in silver not chrome for $600 each for the back and $500 each for the front, not including tires. I was then able to work out a deal with the Service manager who gave me a deal on a package of wheels and tires for $1400 as compensation for all my troubles.
4 months have now passed and I have not had my SUV for all of spring and now almost all of summer. The service manager again tried to get me to consider a total offer for my vehicle after all this because he can’t get any answers from the people above him. It is clear to me that he apparently hasn’t read the notes from the previous service manager who had already tried to go in that direction. He informed me of his contact out at BMW NA named Nick who is helping to deal with this issue but has yet to have any answers for him. In the meantime I am again left completely in the dark and I am waiting on a hope and a prayer that we can get answers soon.

My last 4 cars have been BMW’s and I come from a family that owns BMW’s. It is very upsetting that I am left asking myself many the following questions.
• Why does a car with the reputation of the ultimate driving machine have the worst customer service?
• Why have I invested 8 years driving these cars with the impression that a luxury car company would stand behind their work and products to find that the company only cares about not losing money instead of how to make a customer happy?
• Why does BMW turn to their insurance company for answers instead of making customer service related decisions?
• Why did I feel that if I didn’t contact the dealership for an update then I would never be contacted?
• Why do I find that I am the inconvenience here and every time I spoke with the service manager he would end the conversation with, Trust me, I want your car out of my shop.
• Last, what incentive do I have to ever purchase another BMW or recommend this BMW to friends and family in the future, when this nightmare has never had a positive turn of events?

Final Update!!!

Sorry for the late update.
Well after the long awaited journey to get my SUV back I am thrilled to report that she is back in my possession and better than ever! We received promising updates from BMW NA that halted the need for lawyers, Thank God!

Four weeks ago we received word from BMW AG that my engine had arrived. The engine shipped and arrived at BMW northwest 3 weeks ago. The engine install took an additional 2 days from start to finish (swapping exterior engine parts). After they installed the engine I received word that my engine was fired up and they were driving her!
After they finished the install of my rear suspension, compressor, rims and run-flat tires, they found that my Control Module for my suspension was fried so they went ahead and replaced it free of charge. They also threw in the rims and tires free of charge. At the same time they replaced my front windshield which had a crack (damn semi-truck), replaced my door lock actuator that had issues, and took care of any and all expenses.

Upon receiving all documentation and signing off on all the work that had went into the SUV I spoke with the service manager who came clean on what happened in the shop the day my car went in. According to the service manager, the night before I came in for an oil change they updated their computer software from windows XP to windows 7. This software update was calibrated differently in comparison to windows XP in the sense of quarts to gallons. So when the tech input 8 for 8-quarts, the system ran for 8-gallons. Needless to say the they filled the engine entirely with oil.

None the less, I couldn't be happier! When I drove home I could not stop smiling !

Even though this has almost lasted 6 months my last few months went smoother than the first few. The new service manager performed the best customer service I could have ever asked for. I didn't feel like an inconvenience any more and I was not treated unfairly. Throughout my entire experience with the service manager Kyle, he was extremely apologetic and concerned for my comfort in the loaner vehicles. He kept me updated with any or no news regardless to keep in touch.

My experience with the service manager Kyle will be the reason I come back to BMW Northwest for future services. Even though my warranty is a parts and labor warranty he offered to cover my next oil change for engine break in.

At the end of our conversation I received a copy of all parts and labor that went into my truck to get it to pristine condition which amounted to the sum of $26,000.

[X5_Rob]

Yikes.. What an ugly story.. I hope it works out for you... My only thought is if you aren't receiving the proper satisfaction from the dealer bypass them and goto BMW North America directly. And I would press the dealer to give you a 1YR warranty on any "engine swap" related issues if possible..

[BigBlack48is]

X5_Rob is right, I would NOT accept the vehicle without a 1 yr warranty after all of that?? wow....

Wouldn't you think they would of started it up and realized it was in permanent Bond smoke screen mode and fixed it before they even tried to give it back to you?? unreal...

[TwinsPoppa]

Regardless, I would get BMW involved and maybe they can assist in making sure the dealer does right by you. Also, they may be able to offer you a longer warranty period.

I don't know that from experience but that would be what I would try. Sorry to hear but good luck!

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by Bnagy4.8

So I took my car in 2 weeks ago to get my first oil change (since I purchased the vehicle) at the local BMW Dealership. after sitting for 2 hours I watched them pull my car out of the garage and blue smoke was coming out of my exhaust. after another hour they came to put me into a loaner car. According to the service adviser they put an excessive amount of oil in the engine 15 quarts instead of 10 for the 4.8is. This happened because there oil pump turned off unexpectedly and when they turned there system back on the pump was not calibrated correctly.

Long story short, they drained the oil and refilled the oil level to the correct level and then went to start the engine. after lots of " nasty " noises they turned off the engine and pulled the plugs, after tests they tried again. made another awful sound. they went to crank it manually and they realized that they seized the engine.

They went to their insurance company and the insurance tried to conclude that the car is deemed totaled and wanted to pay me off for 23k. (I owe 21k, haven't owned it for a year) The engine had only 52k miles on it for a fully loaded 2005 4.8is. After hashing it out with the insurance company for 2 days, they wanted to give me trade in value 19k plus compensation. WHAT?! The dealership will not rebuild the engine because it is to expensive and they cant find a brand new motor.

We sent in documentation showing the value invested into the vehicle, New air ride suspension, personalized tasteful modifications. So, they decide to lift the totaled title and they found an engine in Texas from a 2006 BMW x5 4.8is with 42k miles which was rolled. This engine will only have a 90 day warranty, and the dealership says they will warranty there work. What the hell does that mean!

They did however say that they will be looking over the engine first before installing it to make sure it checks out.

At this point my attorney is on stand by because I have a feeling this will be a mess.


Thoughts and opinions?

First off didn't they pull the dipstick to determine the level of the oil after they refilled the engine? That is what every DIYer will do when they do an oil change. If they can't or didn't do that what make you think they can transplant another engine from a different car into your?

Looking it over??? LOL, anybody can Look it over. Since the car was in an accident will they perform any tests to determine if there are any stress cracks on the engine block?

[PetrieJ]

I would be furious. Their incompetence has ruined your vehicle. They owe you your X5 back and then some for the trouble. Accept nothing less.

[Bnagy4.8]

I feel the same way, I think I should be compensated for this screw up. But other than the nasty headache this has given me, they aren't leaving me with out a vehicle to drive. What makes me nervous is that; what if the engine doesn't perform to my liking? When you buy a car you get to test drive it before you purchase it. To be honest when looking at a 4.8is it's all about the engine. Now I don't have the opportunity to turn down the offer if I'm not satisfied. There is a 3 year statute on my claim with my attorney to press charges with BMW if some thing happens, I hope it doesn't. I guess we will see, the engine will be arriving this week. I'll keep this issue updated.

By the way this was BMW northwest in Washington .

[PetrieJ]

I wouldn't worry about the engine, but do get a clause in your agreement that you can return the vehicle for RCV (Real Cash Value) no questions asked.

[Bnagy4.8]

Originally Posted by upallnight

First off didn't they pull the dipstick to determine the level of the oil after they refilled the engine? That is what every DIYer will do when they do an oil change. If they can't or didn't do that what make you think they can transplant another engine from a different car into your?

Looking it over??? LOL, anybody can Look it over. Since the car was in an accident will they perform any tests to determine if there are any stress cracks on the engine block?

I thought the same thing. My only thoughts were that with the oil level that full the dip stick was probably all one color so they might have assumed the oil hadn't reached the lower level yet. Who knows though. BMW says they have never herd of this situation happening to a vehicle. So unfortunately they are just trying to Handle this with out losing money. Kind a crappy since it was there mistake.

[giodog2000]

Lots of great advice from previous members.... but as someone said before have BMW North America involved in this and choose another BMW dealer to do the work (if possible).

Good luck man!