Dead Battery + Other Fun Annoyances
 

Yippie! There's nothing like coming out to your 3-week old 2007 X5 after a long day's work to find it's battery is dead! When I exited the vehicle today for work, I pushed the annoying start/stop button for a minute to stop the car, then pushed it again to really "turn it off". Yes, I know you can push and hold the button and the car will turn OFF, but I forgot this time. Anyhoo, I exit the vehicle and use the key remote to lock it, I don't hear the satisfying "click!" so I push it again. Nothing. I open the car, the radio is still ON, I push the start/stop button AGAIN, it turns OFF. Close the door, click to lock the door...nothing. The door won't lock. After a few minutes of this, I get tired of it, the car appears to be OFF...I walk away, car unlocked. Fast-forward 6 hours, work is over and I walk out to the car. Doors are locked. What? OK....use actual physical key to open door, as there is no power to the vehicle. The car is dead. Super. Oh, hey...no problem, I'll just push the SOS button and get some help. Nope. SOS is dead...oh, yeah - that's right...no power in the battery...well, isn't that super duper! Call the dealer, get # for BMW NA Emergency Roadside Assistance. Cheerful operator assists in getting Mr. Tow Man out to my location. I suggest a jump first, car starts up and physically resets itself...it's malfunction city on the iDrive/Steering Console. Engine Malfunction! Limited Power! TCS Malfunction! 4x4 Disabled! Bite me! I limp the car to the dealer. They act like it's no big deal...see it before, etc etc... This is not good. I was planning on going on a long roadtrip this weekend, should I? Would you? Hrm. My faith in the reliability of the vehicle just went down the tubes. Stuck in the middle of the desert with something like this happening? No thanks. Let's recap:

Stupid.
* The car died due to the improper shutdown from earlier on in the day. Even though it appeared to be off, I had a bad feeling about it. In additionl, when the physical key was separated from the car, it should have turned itself off in X number of minutes. It did not. Yes folks, I killed my car even though it appeared off.

* Upon reset, the "malfunctions" are just sensors checking itself out, but they stayed on for several minutes. Does that scare me? Yes. Is their a malfunction or not? Make up your mind.

Aside from this issue and the fact that my dealer rented my a Ford EDGE to drive while they fixed it, here are the other issues I have had with my brand new wonderfuly reliable rock solid $73,000 car.

* Seat,mirrors and steering wheel memory does not work. They keep reverting back to different settings each time I start the car. Repeat: each time I start the car.
* iDrive is slow. It also sucks. Please, let me keep my opinion on it, no flames required. If you like it, great. I think it sucks.
* Navigation has made several mistakes in guidance that aren't just "map errors". I barely trust it. NAV is also really slow in calculating a route. Must be the fact that it has real-time traffic to content with... My 2004 NAV was instant.
* My seats were not finished from the dealer. The underbelly of the comfort access seats was not finished @ the factory, yet somehow passed inspection. If you saw them in person, you'd be appauled.
* When I start the car, the audio input changes to something else. Example: Playing a CD, stop car, get out, lock door, get back in, start car...FM Radio is now playing. Repeat sequence, then AM Radio.
* Option 6FL (iPod/USB kit) dealer claimed to be to be available even though I specified it while ordering. It was not put onto the vehicle, dealer says "no problem". Nope, you can't get it. After-market, here I come (again, reluctantly). BMW NA says "Sorry". I call BS.
* No tow hitch? Oh, right - this car is for GROCERIES, not BIKES or other stuff that might need towing. Right. OK. After-market, here we come... I'm pissed at myself for not better researching this.
* (Again) SOS button does not work if your car is dead. I just figured out what SOS stands for in all BMW's, SHIT OUT of luck SUCKER.
* The new key system sucks. Yes, I have comfort access...yes, it's sorta nice from time to time. But (again) ...door locks don't work right, passenger-side door locks to not always unlock (sometimes they do, sometimes they don't). My 2004 330 did this with the older key system, when will they get this right?
* My convenience buttons on the steering wheel keep resetting themselves to "nothing".
* The CD seek is slow (OK, this is just a bitch - it's not broken).


Dear lord, I could go on and on...but I think I'll stop. I expect to hear some comments back about how I am wrong about a few things, no worries...drive over to my house and I'll show you myself! You'll be amazed!

Frustrated X5 Owner,

Scott
Living the "OC" dream. Driving a rented Ford EDGE while my X5 gets fixed.

....oookay then.

:xoutpost: Nice to have you here.

When you get the car back let us know if things have improved.

hi sorry to hear that, but i have to say you posted the funniest rant i have heard in a long while.

btw is the Edge really faster than the X? well really doesnt matter because i think it sucks anyway, your dealer should have given you a bimmer loaner.

A rant? Maybe...but it's all true..
 

I suppose it could be viewed as a rant, but the sad fact is that it's all true! If they squeezed the 6FL USB/iPOD "Factory Only" option into the car, I would be willing to forgive them for all of this - even live with it. That's the one that really gets me... I ordered that option and they forgot it! I'm an idiot for taking delivery on it, but they assurred me it would be available as a dealer install. Those asshats.

btw what is the production date of your e70? hopefully your stealer will redeem itself by fixing all the issue promptly and properly.

Good Post Rant, KC...

Nothing that a few more trips to the stlr won't fix, sorta.
Many of those niggling nits have come up here on the Juke Box,
with the E70. Some are living with it, some have been luckier,
some are pizzed, like you. (As well you should be...)

Even many of us early MY E53 gang have had our share of
glitches. BMW may have been targeting the WalMartNation/
sSoccerMom gang with this model, and the driving enthusiasts
got lost in the mkting bs and gizmo race. Hope you get it all fixed.
GL,mD

Thanks...
 

Oh, it's at the dealer @ the moment....they will fix what they can, what else can I do? I can complain - and I sorta did, but I have learned if you bitch too much, sometimes people spit in your food.

First model year runs......

I agree on the spitting; I tried love and tenderness, then firmness, then
beefing, then carefully directed anger: all to little avail. I have simply had
very few "good" experiences at the 3 stlrs I've had to encounter...
you may be more fortunate.

On a poz note, some of the year to year snags tend to get sorted out in the longer run, if one is patient and persistent.

I would rec'd making lists and starting the documentation process. My guess is some of those glitches are not going to
"go away" or get fixed permanently, any time soon.
GL,mD

guys, this isnt first year bugs...this is a f*cked up car. I have to ask, did you try the car out before handing over a check?

...at least they put you in a faster car.