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Class Action Lawsuit Against BMW NA

jogitu

New member
UPDATE TO THIS ON PAGE 4 post #57

What is the potential of a Class Action Lawsuit against BMW North America? For what you say? They are not forthcoming with written requirements and documentation of service intervals for BMW Motorcycles. In short they are standing by while customers spend millions each year on needless service work.

They force you to go to the dealer and if you call 4 dealers you will get 4 different requirements on what needs to be done. Essentially you are being forced to go to the dealer to have service done to keep the motorcycle in warranty. You cannot even get recommended oils from BMW NA. The only oil mentioned in the manual is the engine oil, nothing on gear or rear drive. I understand they are trying to support the dealer network by driving business to them but not everyone is near a dealer. I have to make appointments 2 weeks in advance to get in on a Saturday and even then I am not sure what actually needs to be done as BMW NA does not release that information.

How do I know what needs to be done to keep the bike in warranty versus what extra services the dealer is trying to sell me? I can"t because BMW NA is complicit in having the dealers sell me things I may not need. This being the case thousands are having their hard earned removed from their wallets for needless service work. If a dealer tells me I need new plugs at 12k and another tells me 24k BMW NA says "yes, that is right". I do not think I am being too dramatic here as all I am asking for is a simple maintenance schedule. What in the hell is the big secret here? The secret is BMW NA has decided to not get involved and let the dealer charge you whatever they want without question. They are bilking their customer out of millions this way and it simply has to stop. What do you say?
 
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Unfortunately, the service schedules on the A&S site are woefully out of date. They all seem to be dated June 2006, so they don't cover such items as final drive oil changes. Unless you have the latest BMW factory maintenance DVD, you probably have out of date information.
 
2010-11 Models

I agree to a degree. I can figure what I need as an extension of earlier model RT's. However, when it comes to my 2011, you're right, no help from Manual and dealers are no better informed. But, a Class Action Law Suit for this seems a waste of time. I would rather spend that kind of effort, money and time on final drives, fuel strips, EWS antenna, wheel bearings, their CD Players, sprockets, leaky brake fluid covers, windshield supports, side stand switches, ESA malfunctions, fuel strips, smoking K bike of yesteryear, lube seals, case leaks and Oh, did I mention fuel strips?

However, this is what gives their bikes a "soul", sort-of-speak. If you get one started, I 'll support you 100%, but not financially, because I'm saving my money for a fuel strip.
 
However, this is what gives their bikes a "soul", sort-of-speak. If you get one started, I 'll support you 100%, but not financially, because I'm saving my money for a fuel strip.

You can save money on fuel strips if you set your trip meter when you fill up and add fuel based on miles traveled. If I had a bike with a fuel strip it would only fail once. After that the failed strip would reside in the tank and I would use my trip meter just like I did with my /6.
 
...........Essentially you are being forced to go to the dealer to have service done to keep the motorcycle in warranty. ..............What do you say?

I would offer some cheese to go with the whine. Just use a little common sense, you'll be fine.

NO manufacturer can require you to have a dealer do service work to keep the warranty in effect. All you need to do is use equivalent oils too.

Do the work yourself or anywhere and just document when where and mileage, and don't sweat it.

My bike is an '04 pushing 50K miles, and has not been to the dealership, since I picked it up.

My '04 has a small chart with recommendations for service intervals, if they are not there now, it was probably because some lawyer of court told them they shouldn't/couldn't.
 
Though long out of warrenty, I did most of my own service on my 04-RT and just went to the dealer for jobs I would rather not tackle. I did not have any warrenty issue's to deal with, but I know my local deal would of taken care of me.
 
I've been useing my trip meter for gas stopps as lomg as i've been on bmws since the late 70's, my 96rt has a fuel gauge but NO BIG DEAL ,fail once and its back to normal gas check. I trust my dealer to do what's right and he'd tell me if i'm overboard /overkill on any maintence to be done, besides My warantee has been up for over 12 years and that never stopped me. FWIW
i'M PRETTY MUCH SICK OF LAWYERSbottom feeding for foolish stuff,it makes stuff more expensive for all of us. But this is a sue happy country and its Fi'N up everything. Rant over carry on.


By the way has someone been holding a gun to your head to force you to buy/own a BMW??
Yes, he had a funny mustache and spoke with a heavy German accent. Secondly I never asked when I bought it if the company would refuse to answer simple questions about mundane service. That never crossed my mind. Was it reasonable to expect they would not give you service schedules?
 
FWIW: Getting anything to class action status is a very expensive thing to do because of all the hoops you have to jump through to do it and you have to show some kind of actual damage. Secondly, if you look at what actually gets paid to the members of a class, it is a joke. I have several clients involved with other firms in the asbestos mess that get checks for a couple of hundred dollars occasionally, but frankly, a class action suit is a lawyer retirement system for lead counsels and any firms signing up people who think they have a claim. Usual retainer is 40% or more of whatever is covered plus costs and "administrative fees". That eats up most anything recovered very quickly.

Save your money and buy a new bike. Much better investment in time and money.

And yes, I am an attorney and no, I do not do class action representation for the reasons stated.
 
You can save money on fuel strips if you set your trip meter when you fill up and add fuel based on miles traveled. If I had a bike with a fuel strip it would only fail once. After that the failed strip would reside in the tank and I would use my trip meter just like I did with my /6.

I'm not sure that when a component on my BMW fails, I give up on it being made right and resort to some sort of back-up plan.

Not why I invested big bucks in this marquee in the first place.

To each their own. :scratch
 
You can save money on fuel strips if you set your trip meter when you fill up and add fuel based on miles traveled. If I had a bike with a fuel strip it would only fail once. After that the failed strip would reside in the tank and I would use my trip meter just like I did with my /6.

Your not forgetting about the warning and flashing lights that remain on after fuel strip failure are you Paul? I am on my sixth strip! This is damn annoying.

No Paul I refuse to place duct tape over my onboard computer so the lights (flashing and steady) do not annoye me.

I paid too damn much for these things to ignore the inability for BMW to design and redesign to make it work the way it was presented to me as part of the sale.

I started riding in 1952, and yes I rode bikes without a fuel gage but there were no g--D--N flashing lights either to annoye me or distract me. This was fifty nine years ago. Have we made no progress?

Hey it's the twenty first century. Our space program was succesful because of German engineering. We go back and forth to the moon but can't design or redesign a fix for the fuel strips?

Life is not so simple when you are riding a BMW!

Jack
 
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My point was, and is, that BMW so far has been unable to come up with a fix for the strip problem. And that is true whether I like it or not (which I don't). But until I read about and see concrete information that leads me to believe they actually have a fix, I wouldn't throw any of my money at a second, or third, or sixth failure prone fuel strip. I would allow a warranty repair at their cost, but I wouldn't throw good money after bad buying stuff which has proven itself to be unable to work for very long.
 
Your not forgetting about the warning and flashing lights that remain on after fuel strip failure are you Paul? I am on my sixth strip!

I have had a failure on a strip out of warranty...no flashing warning lights for me, just a bogus readout on miles left. Annoying for the $$ spent, but riding comes first and I'll do a workaround as I have on other bikes. The working computer on one bike has left me walking on at least one occasion anyways. I went back to multi informational systems after that, the odometer on my bike and my GPS being one...the fuel strip is somewhere in that list. It's nice to have but not a ride killer. I personally still think it's grain induced when the mix is too high...but that's my opinion 'cause I don't want a corn grower to sue me. :brow

But suing for no service schedule as per the OP...c'mon . My Owners manuals on most of my bikes, up to an '09, has recommended fluid types listed. And I have a BMW CD-Rom or two for various models with schedules in them as well.

I see no conspiracy on forced dealer visits, don't go that route much anyways since warranty runs out fast for us due to miles. The 600 mile service gets done there on the few "new" bike we have purchased, after that it's on my shop rate. I have the GS-911 to reset the service reminder and codes...so ride-ride-ride :thumb
 
I'm not sure that when a component on my BMW fails, I give up on it being made right and resort to some sort of back-up plan.

Not why I invested big bucks in this marquee in the first place.

To each their own. :scratch

I know, it's a car not a bike, but my expensive car has a dash oil read-out that tells you (supposedly!) when to change the oil based on cold starts,mileage,rpm's & whatever else they thought important. The mfg requires Mobil1 and upon changing it the thing reads out the level & that the oil is 70% depleted:scratch, so I suppose I could waste time (IMO) doing the dealer thing, or I could just go by the oil sticker (I placed in the WS)& the odometer-sort of the same scenario, huh? FWIW, if you read consumer reviews of vehicles these days, it is silly gizmos like this that attract many buyers these days. They will have it a few days & then brag how great it is based on a "techy gizmo". I will agree that the gas gauge should work.
As to class action suits, they got John Edwards $pricey$ haircuts & my wife cuts my hair & I'm OK with that, esp. if it keeps money out of the pocket of greedy lawyers. It amazes me that they can actually feed off of expensive TV ads prospecting for clients! I had asbestos exposure via industrial work and vehicle repair work-even kept a piece in the shop once upon a time for certain welding repairs- do I get some money too? Rant over...:lurk
 
The point is and it seems to be lost on some is that they should be forthcoming with basic information as it pertains to the bike. If you own a previous model that has this information in the manual good for you but they don't do that anymore. If this basic information was available I would not have a gripe. I don't believe it is whining when the manufacturer of a product will not provide me with the basic information they recommend to keep the bike in service. When I get every dealer I talk to telling me different things I become suspicious. Essentially this has become a racket for the dealers. They have the backing from BMW NA to tell you anything that must be done to keep the bike in service. So a service that should be a basic oil change and inspection becomes a $450 service. If you call BMW NA they will give their stamp of approval. Call me crazy but I would like something in writing that spells all of this out. They used to do it and I fail to understand why they cannot do this now. I have no problem with the dealer making money but not by forcing me to do service not required or really necessary. At this point BMW NA is mum and all I have to rely on is the Internet. Yeah, that's a reasonable way to get information for a $20k purchase, through chat rooms and forums. Not like I would get any bad information from the Internet.
 
Okay, you are right...

Google "Class Action Lawsuit Lawyer", find an honest sounding name and GO FOR IT!

Hope you win!
 
The point is and it seems to be lost on some is that they should be forthcoming with basic information as it pertains to the bike. If you own a previous model that has this information in the manual good for you but they don't do that anymore. If this basic information was available I would not have a gripe. I don't believe it is whining when the manufacturer of a product will not provide me with the basic information they recommend to keep the bike in service. When I get every dealer I talk to telling me different things I become suspicious. Essentially this has become a racket for the dealers. They have the backing from BMW NA to tell you anything that must be done to keep the bike in service. So a service that should be a basic oil change and inspection becomes a $450 service. If you call BMW NA they will give their stamp of approval. Call me crazy but I would like something in writing that spells all of this out. They used to do it and I fail to understand why they cannot do this now. I have no problem with the dealer making money but not by forcing me to do service not required or really necessary. At this point BMW NA is mum and all I have to rely on is the Internet. Yeah, that's a reasonable way to get information for a $20k purchase, through chat rooms and forums. Not like I would get any bad information from the Internet.

Actually Kevin, many of us have 'felt your pain,' and also wish that BMW would be less cloaked in ambiguity when it comes to something as simple as standardized maintenance.

It is not uncommon to find a dealer or his mechanic talking out of both sides of their mouths reference 'scheduled maintenance,' 'routine service,' and other catch-phrases associated with trying to keep these two-wheeled space shuttles in running order. I too have researched problems with a trio of dealers and have gotten three different answers to the same questions - frustrating.

But frustration is hardly solid ground for talking a class-action suit. To be an aggreived person, and establish that there are many others like you, is not as easy a legal task as you might think.

BMW NA needs to do a better job of presenting their desired/required service on their motorcycles to the consumer (and the dealer, for that matter). What many of us have done is to examine our Owner's Manuals, talk with master mechanics, review other sources of information (forums, internet sites, etc.) and then create our own checklist for maintenance and replacement of servicable components and systems. DIY ("Do-It-Yourself") is not a universal solution, as we are not all Paul Glaves. So clear lines of communication between consumer, dealer and corporate would be nice.

To conclude, maybe not the way it should be, but it's the convoluted world we live in when dealing with a manufacturer who is frequently admonished for not being as open, cooperative or forthcoming (can we say 'post-2004 final drives?!') as they should be. :scratch
 
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The point is and it seems to be lost on some is that they should be forthcoming with basic information as it pertains to the bike. If you own a previous model that has this information in the manual good for you but they don't do that anymore. If this basic information was available I would not have a gripe. I don't believe it is whining when the manufacturer of a product will not provide me with the basic information they recommend to keep the bike in service. When I get every dealer I talk to telling me different things I become suspicious. Essentially this has become a racket for the dealers. They have the backing from BMW NA to tell you anything that must be done to keep the bike in service. So a service that should be a basic oil change and inspection becomes a $450 service. If you call BMW NA they will give their stamp of approval. Call me crazy but I would like something in writing that spells all of this out. They used to do it and I fail to understand why they cannot do this now. I have no problem with the dealer making money but not by forcing me to do service not required or really necessary. At this point BMW NA is mum and all I have to rely on is the Internet. Yeah, that's a reasonable way to get information for a $20k purchase, through chat rooms and forums. Not like I would get any bad information from the Internet.

Here is one for you.
http://www.r1200gs.info/R1200GS-Maintenance-Schedules.pdf
 
My point was, and is, that BMW so far has been unable to come up with a fix for the strip problem. And that is true whether I like it or not (which I don't). But until I read about and see concrete information that leads me to believe they actually have a fix, I wouldn't throw any of my money at a second, or third, or sixth failure prone fuel strip. I would allow a warranty repair at their cost, but I wouldn't throw good money after bad buying stuff which has proven itself to be unable to work for very long.

Well taken Paul. So far I have not paid for them. Warranty plus the two year parts warranty have kept me from reaching into my own pocket.

This does not preclude the anger I have each time it fails or the six days I have wasted to get them replaced.

I would guess it is cheaper for them to replace failed strips than to retrofit thousands and thousands of bikes with this problem. I believe this to be true with the failed final drives also.

Fuel strip replacement out of pocket is just south of $400.

Jack
 
BMW of North America, LLC
300 Chestnut Ridge Road
Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07675
Call 1-800-831-1117 for Customer Relations

Better than a class action

Get as many disgruntled BMW riders as you can and ride to there corp headquarters with signs and loudspeakers and hopefully get media attention. Stay as long as you can.

At least you'll get a ride out of the deal
 
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