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BMW Warranty Coverage ?

Bradkap

New member
The OEM battery on my 2013 R1200R was less than a year old and went bad.

Normally, a warranty covered item. However, there is no dealer in my town and the nearest dealer is 2 hours away. My service shop is run by BMW certified techs. Clearly, I had to replace the battery.

All I want is for BMW to honor their warranty and reimburse me for the cost of the battery.

If I had a breakdown on the road how would roadside assistance address ?

BMW: recognize the brand loyalty your consumers have and step up !

Does the MOA community have any suggestions ?
 
This was posted last year regarding BMW's warranty coverage:

http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/us/en...ssories/media/WPPM_MotorradPartsStatement.pdf

There have been other discussions about warranty issues in general. I would be calling that dealer on the phone and asking what they understand the policy to be in your situation. Possibly the regional rep will get involved.

The MOA has a consumer liaison...his name is Jim Wright...his contact info is on this page:

http://bmwmoa.org/Adventures/ArtMID/3181/ArticleID/269/BMW-MOA-Key-Volunteers--Support-.aspx

Also Jim wrote a small article in a recent ON...can't place my hands on it right now. But you might check with him.
 
Have you contacted the dealer, and maybe even written BMW a polite letter?

That is where I would start.
 
I believe batteries are a warranty item for 2 years if they do not show signs of neglect or overcharging as stated in Kurt's link. You may be able to provide the receipt to your dealer or BMW and get reimbursed for the price of the battery.
BMW roadside assistance will give you a jump, but I don't think they can provide you a new battery.
 
We don't even know what country you're in, but in the USA warranty work has to be performed and claimed by a dealership. With batteries they are supposed to do some checks on the bike. There is no such thing as DIY warranty.

That said, you might find an understanding dealer who will work with you, but that is not by the book and IMO unlikely.

FYI if a tech is not working at a dealership, he is by definition not a certified tech. BMW gets to define that term, and in their eyes certification evaporates the moment you are not employed by a dealership. I know what you mean, and it's understandable in your context, but technically it isn't accurate. They are ex-certified techs, like many independents, even if their coursework is still up to date.

EDIT:
All I want is for BMW to honor their warranty and reimburse me for the cost of the battery.

Have you called the dealership and asked them? Sounds like that should be your first step.

If I had a breakdown on the road how would roadside assistance address ?

Probably tow you to the nearest dealership and then the warranty process could begin properly.
 
We don't even know what country you're in, but in the USA warranty work has to be performed and claimed by a dealership. With batteries they are supposed to do some checks on the bike. There is no such thing as DIY warranty.
Yes, that's it....even when it really makes sense in a situation. One of the big reasons is, as Anton mentions, confirmation of what went wrong. An example would be you think the battery is dead, BMW sends you a new one, somehow you put it in backwards and cook the computer. Now the call to BMW is "the computer is cooked", I guess that was the original problem :evil "could you tow it in and fix it?".
You may have a dealer that knows you real well take care of the situation as you have suggested- but it is the dealer who is rolling the dice in the game.
OM
 
It seems to me that a person in this situation has a couple of choices. Get the bike if possible, and the battery certainly to a dealer for testing and warranty consideration; or buy a battery and get on with life. Given that the dealership is "two hours away" a person needs to decide which option is the best/easiest to deal with.
 
Wholeheartedly agree with Paul. We all know the many gaps in BMWs dealer network and make our motorcycle purchase and repair decisions accordingly.
 
I bought a Yuasa for my R1200R on Amazon for $80. Pour in the acid and charge, if your time is more important than the money. You can call BMW or the dealer, but dealers have to document the load test failed on the battery to replace it. Loose terminal screws often appear as a bad battery.
 
A warranty on a motorcycle battery is pretty iffy.

"Went bad" isn't really a useful description and in any event a manufacturing error would be necessary for warranty coverage.

Your BMW dealer sells battery tenders and basically one should be connected whenever you're not out riding. Bike batteries are different than car batteries in this respect, although if you have a summer-only car it needs to be on a maintainer over the winter too.
 
Your BMW dealer sells battery tenders and basically one should be connected whenever you're not out riding. Bike batteries are different than car batteries ...

I personally think this overstates the need a bit - I am perfectly happy just parking the bike, no charger attached, if I am riding every few days.

But motorcycle batteries are miniscule generally, compared to car batteries. The big drain on a vehicle battery is the starter. The engine in our car is less than twice as large as the engine in my R1150R yet the battery has 10 times the electrical energy (in both CCA and Amp hours) as the battery in my 1150. So Kent is right that battery care is critical on a motorcycle compared to a car or truck.
 
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