BMW CERTIFIED WARRANTY ISSUES
 

Hey there,

I am having some issues with BMW certified warranty. It is regarding my dad's BMW 545i. (I have an X5) Anyways, he purchased a 2005 BMW 545i @ Sterling BMW in Newport beach. It was pre-owned and was bought as a certified series. He imported it in to Vancouver Canada. A few weeks ago while driving the car, the brakes simply decided not to work. The car was limped home, and Roadside assistance was contacted. They informed you that the certified warranty is only covered in the country that the car was purchased, so the vehicle must be taken to the nearest BMW dealer in the US. He said ok, and asked them to tow it there. They declined saying that they can't tow the car across a border. After looking in to other transport costs to get the car from Vancouver to Bellvue Washington, it was not cost effective to do so. He then contacted our local dealer (Brian Jessel BMW) and they informed him that they cannot perform the work under warranty, but they would contact BMW North America. Before performing the work they informed my Dad that BMW NA said that they would likely be able to get the parts covered by BMW USA, but not the labor. After doing all the work, (Vacum pump, brake booster, master cylinder and hoses) and $4,091CAD later it was fixed. Now comes the trouble of getting BMW NA or BMW USA to pay the labour as indicated. Well about 6 hours and many phone calls and transfers later, no one is paying for the parts ($2223) and everyone just seems to be "passing the buck"......."oh that bmw usa" "oh thats bmw na" Anyways....is there anything my dad can do to get this taken care of? Never will he, or I buy a certified BMW from the states, and bring it to Canada again.

Thanks in advance

Ryan

that right there is your problem. My guess is that since it is not done too often, nobody knows what to do about it. everybody is sitting there shaking their heads :dunno:.

Why dont you cut your losses, sell the car in the US, and go buy a certified car from canada?

oh btw, why is this in the e70 forum? how does this have anything to do with an e70 x5?

Where else would I post about a 545 in an X5 forum??? Sorry i am new to the site. It would be in the best interest to sell the car in Canada, and then buy another one in Canada.

Sorry to hear about your trouble. It is documented in the CPO warranties that they don't apply outside country you purchase it in. BMWNA (who represent the US) and BMWCA (who cover Canada) are two different companies, and dealers have a relationship with one or the other, not both. Some posters have had parts covered under an out of country warranty, usually by pleading their case or having a supportive dealer. One important factor is whether you relocated from the US to Canada after purchasing the vehicle, in which case they are more likely to be sympathetic, or whether you just bought the vehicle in the US because it was cheaper, in which case they are not as likely to be sympathetic. If it is the former, talk to the Service Manager at Jessel, and see what he can do. You can't demand that they cover it, but you can ask for consideration.

Also, you would post about a 545 in the Other BMW forum. There are many forums on this site, dedicated to E53, E70, X3, Other BMWs, etc.

Good Luck.

in "other bmw's" section.

Other BMWs - Xoutpost.com

Good luck.

Re: BMW CERTIFIED WARRANTY ISSUES
 

Very good points JCL. If all else fails, the best bet would probably be to find a really good independent mechanic specializing in foreign cars. I know that once my warranty runs up, I will probably rarely visit the dealer. Their prices are just outrageous.

And btw sorry if I came off harsh before, I didn't mean to..

The M5 board is probably one of the best on the net. Huge number of enthusiasts and they are REALLY into serious mods.

I would approach it via the issue with Roadside Assistance. You needed to have the car towed to a dealer in the USA and they wouldn't do it. What the hell kind of service is that? By the way, how much would towing have been from the Canadian dealer to the nearest US dealer if you had to pay out of pocket?