BMW loaner car gripe, tarnishing BMW rep?
 

I am on my 2nd BMW vehicle (2008 x5, love the style) but I have owned other "luxury" brands which offer GREAT service (infiniti, lexus, mercedes) w/ free name brand loaners and not so great such as (lincoln) no more lincolns for me.

On my old bmw I owned 10 years ago the service was exceptional with bmw loaners etc., BUT today in needing my car routinely serviced which is just out of warranty due to mileage I was shocked to learn that loaner cars for BMW are now at dealership discretion, and they wont let you have a loaner UNLESS you bought the vehicle directly from them.

Now i am and will continue to be a USED car buyer, but don't you guys think this will HURT even new car buyers (resale value) in that in the future as a USED car buyer I will be less likely to buy a used BMW? Why is there a need to treat USED car buyers as 2nd class citizens, without an interested buyer in your automobile it is worthless.

I love my new 2 me 2008 x5 which is paid off and THANKFULLY in DFW i found 1 classic BMW dealer who treated me like they want my business sure its 25 miles away but they have earned my future business and all the other BMW dealers locally in the DFW, no mas! I wish BMW would keep up with the Joneses on this issue as I like BMW, don't turn into Lincoln...

The way I see it these days, is you need to find that dealer that is going to treat you as you wish to be treated. I personally drive 30 minutes to the BMW dealer that has not only 'earned' my trust, respect and business over another dealer that is literally 15 minutes up the road.

It's night and day between the two. The dealer I go to, is willing to 'go the extra mile' to do what is necessary to make the customer happy, and they aren't 'losing' anything by doing so. In fact they have had several new customers that I've sent to them.

For some dealers, it's all about the bottom line, period. Other dealers will do what it takes to ensure your happy and RETURN, which in my mind is the key word here, you will RETURN to them.

I have to concur with 007 here. I have been driving BMW's for a long time and have stayed loyal to one local dealer for all service, even though they are further from my home. I've taken numerous CPO and used cars to them both when they were in and out of warranty. Over the years, I've developed a great relationship with my service writer and the service Manager. They have done a great job overall, and even when they have made mistakes thee've always done right by us.

As a result of the relationship we have, I always find a nice new BMW loaner waiting for me when I check in for service. I also get my car back washed and vaccumed. I've also had good experience with the two local independend BMW specialists in my area, and I could probably save some money having non-warranty repairs done there. The reason I chose not to is that I feel like I have a dealer who will always take care of me from a service perspective.

With regard to where you bought your car vs. where you get it serviced, IMHO this really should not be a factor in the way a dealer treats you. I really tried to buy my last two new cars from my servicing dealer, but they just could not put together a competetive deal, so I ended up buying elsewhere. This has not changed the relationship I have with the service departement. I am sure there are dealers out there who may treat you differently in service if you did not buy your car from them. I personally don't think this is good business, but I suppose it's their right to treat the customers who buy from them differently. On the other hand, it's certainly your rigth to go somewhere else for service if they do.

forgive me for my ignorance but i would like to know the difference.

i request a loaner whenever i schedule work on my X5. i have been told that some services do not warrant a loaner but i generally talk myself thru this BS. i have to drive 1.25 hours to reach the dealer i purchased from, but the closest dealer is maybe 30 minutes closer at best.

i don't take my vehicle to the dealer unless i expect them to keep it for at least the day. this alone means to me that i need something to drive during my workday.

so do ya'll just show up and expect a loaner or is this an issue where your dealer won't extend the courtesy of a loaner to ya'll? pretty sure i got a loaner for the wife's CPO 328 once. same dealer, so i don't know the difference per se.

Which dealer here in DFW are you referring to ? I bought my '01 X5 new from BMW of Dallas--had it for 9.5 years and usually got a BMW loaner. My current '08 4.8 I bought from Beverly Hills BMW as a CPO and always get a BMW loaner. In fact, the other week I didn't get the standard 3 Series loaner they gave me a new X3 and last Summer they ran out and gave me an '10 750. Sometimes, they do totally run out of loaners and you get an Enterprise rental.

I agree with BMW007,

research your dealership. I negated going to Santa Monica BMW. From my experience, they had a "holier than thou" attitude, especially when going in and trying to negotiate on an X5. But ended up at Bob Smith's and yes did have a good experience. And they too informed me about the loaner only being available at the dealership you purchased it from as a courtesy. So I do end up going out of my way to go back to that dealership and getting a loaner. If/when I have to take my vehicle in, I talk to a SA, tell them what I need, and make an appointment to come in and get a loaner.

So, soldmystang, you need to make an appointment to take your ride down and get a loaner from the dealership you purchased the BMW from.

I am not sure it's reasonable for you to expect the dealer give a loaner during these:
1. Car out of warranty
2. It's a routine service (not a breakdown).

That being said, a dealer should offer you a loaner if a problem occured, regardless if the vehicle was brought from that dealership.

When I took my e70 for some issues, I was offered a loaner (sweet '11 335d), despite the dealership not being the purchase place of that vehicle.

4 years ago when I bought the X5, they told me you only get loaners if you buy from them. So I'm presuming this is nothing new. It's one selling point they also tried to use on me when I was negotiating with them vs. a closer-to-home competitor but I straight up said it didn't matter to me. Well, now that I realize, it does matter somewhat. But at least the closer dealer has a shuttle that can get me home just as easily.

The other caveat is the 2 week wait period... you can't just schedule an appt tomorrow and expect a loaner to be available. They are a finite resource and you know how many people bring their cars in daily. The only thing that's disappointed me is that the only loaners available are 328xi's. I've heard of others on here getting 5s and X5s.

I think that basically covers the used-car-buyer's argument... if you didn't buy it there, you don't get one regardless of used or new. Basically those who bought there get first dibs and given the 2-week wait, there's just not enough for everyone.

I don't think that BMW USA reimburses the dealership for its use of BMW loaners. They try to leverage the loaners as a perk from buying from them.

Same thing happens in Canada too, the only time I've gotten a loaner from another dealer was when I used a corporate store owned by BMW Canada, and I was paying for my inspection II service on my M3.

It is amazing to me the difference in customer perception and the BMW NA actual policy. I am saying that because I had to deal with it for the second time within 12 months. The reality is that the BMW NA could not care less if you get a loaner or not. They flat out told me that's a dealer choice and they cant and wont do anything about it. Clearly, they don't think that the luxury price we pay for the car deserves appropriate level of service.
Here is my story. I bought my 2010 X5D from JMK in NJ, my escond closest dealer. They were very competitive on sales price. And I only had the best experience with them in terms of customer service. Loaners have always been available to me. My brother who bought a used 3-series away also had the same experience - they offered him loanIers and even did a few favors they did not have to do. I believe its the best BMW dealership within the 3-state area for service and they earn my business if I remain with the BMW for my next vehicle.
No the bad part. Last May, the day before our camping trip, our x5 went into a limp mode. Thinking I would save time, I told my wife to take it to Life Quality BMW to quickly check. Not only did we get horrible customer service where she spent most of the day in the waiting room, but they did not offer a loaner, and the car ended up staying there for a week. Needless to say that they did not fix the problem, and the car went back into a limp mode on the way back from the dealership. This time I took it to JMK, where I got a a new 5 series while they fixed the car. You can see detailed account of my experience on this forum as well as dealer rater. My advice - never go to Life Quality BMW unless its a matter of life and death.
Two weeks ago we went to a theater with my wife and friends during the week. After the show, at 10:30pm in 20 degree weather, the truck would no start. It was cranking, but the engine would not start. When I called BMW roadside assistance, I was told the fasted solution is to take the car to the nearest dealer, BMW of Manhattan. By midnight the car was picked up and we took a taxi home. The next day I spoke with the service manager who said they have no loaners and its not negotiable. It took them 3 days to diagnose the the problem, and another 10 days to get the part and fix the car. In total, I did not have my car or a loaner for 2 weeks. I asked BMW NA if they sought this was an appropriate level of customer service for their brand. Their response was a canned "dealer choice".
So as much as I like my car when it works, due to reliability and service quality, chances of me buying another one are dwindling by t
he day..But if you are buying a car in NY area, JMK is my recommendation!