-
Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password. If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?
-
Beginning April 1st, and running through April 30th, there is a new 2024 BMW MOA Election discussion area within The Club section of the forum. Within this forum area is also a sticky post that provides the ground rules for participating in the Election forum area. Also, the candidates statements are provided. Please read before joining the conversation, because the rules are very specific to maintain civility.
The Election forum is here: Election Forum
Should I be paying for a brake bleed six weeks after buying a new BMW?
- Thread starter henksijgers
- Start date
Ditto
henksijgers
New member
ETA: in fairness to the dealer, it appears that the assigned BMW Customer Relations agent didn't engage with the dealership; the agent didn't speak to me until ten days after I opened the case. Based on the actions the dealership staff took afterwards to address my dissatisfaction I will continue to do business with them.
Yes, they are: they're clearly not interested in treating me fairly and BMW appears unwilling to even discuss this with me, much less stand up for their brand customer. In the future I'll have my service done elsewhere: I'm willing to ride the extra miles to VA and have a chance at competent service and an honest service department. I certainly have no intention of ever giving the local MD dealership another dime when I have other options.
Yes, they are: they're clearly not interested in treating me fairly and BMW appears unwilling to even discuss this with me, much less stand up for their brand customer. In the future I'll have my service done elsewhere: I'm willing to ride the extra miles to VA and have a chance at competent service and an honest service department. I certainly have no intention of ever giving the local MD dealership another dime when I have other options.
Last edited:
Might be good to let BMW corporate know about this. When I have experienced this kind of “should have been covered by warranty” kind of deal, I get suspicious. I had an occurrence with a class 5 Ford truck where the Ford dealer was trying to “double-dip”...... My investigation saved the owner $5,000.
Billing and warranty still exists- unfortunately.
OM
Billing and warranty still exists- unfortunately.
OM
Visian
look out!!!
Even though you have a new-ish bike, I highly recommend Anton Largiadèr in Charlottesville, VA. His knowledge and commitment to quality are well known by many.
http://vamotorrad.com/
Ian
AntonLargiader
Active member
What initiated this? It seems that you didn't necessarily feel that there was a problem but after the brakes were bled you realized that there was an improvement. Was this when you took the bike in for the break-in service? If so, what was the additional charge for the brakes?
jconway607
JohnWC
It has been my experience with BMW dealers and BMW parts prices that many dealers would charge for putting air in tires, if they thought they could get away with it. Of course it wouldn't be regular air, but rather special, premium BMW brand air. Much better.
pglaves
#13338
mlytle
Member
MD dealership..gaithersburg? or was this Bob's BMW off RT32? if so, this kind of behavior would be very, very odd.
pglaves
#13338
Is this a multi-brand dealership?
henksijgers
New member
Hi,
This wasn't covered at the break-in service (a bit under two weeks and just over five hundred miles) as I'd not realized there was anything wrong.
It came about a few weeks later after a ride where I realized there might be a problem because I pinched my pinky and ring finger under the lever during (non-emergency) braking. I brought my bike to the dealership that Saturday (the next time I rode it), described what happened, and asked if they could check my brakes. The service writer first said "Saturdays are not for diagnostics", and then went about explaining how the bike might need its first annual brake fluid flush (six weeks after I bought it new) based on manufacturer. We went back and forth regarding whether this should be covered under warranty (both before and after the service). The charge was $147.29.
After the service the change was dramatic enough to make it clear that I'd previously been riding around with degraded braking. Either it degraded over the first six weeks/1,500 miles of operation or was delivered with degraded function. I assume time will tell which is the case (i.e. either the braking will degrade again because this stems from a deeper problem or it won't because the problem was related to bike setup and was resolved with the flush/bleed).
henksijgers
New member
Hi, this is a BMW-only dealership.
ponch1
Ponch
henksijgers
New member
ETA: the dealership's GM has explained the reasons they prefer to avoid 'diagnostics' on Saturdays and apologized for the way my situation was handled.
I certainly found it very odd. In talking to some local BMW riders I got the message from some that the dealership's leadership is committed to solving its client's problems, but from others that this dealership has its 'quirks'.
One point of possible relevance: I brought my bike in Saturday morning, which is when the dealership handles maintenance on a first-come/first-served basis for bikes without appointments. I showed up very early (early enough to be first in line). When I talked to the service writer the first thing he did was to inform me that Saturdays are not for "diagnostics". That's certainly not the response I expected to reporting what appeared to be (and in retrospect clearly was) sub-standard braking performance.
I certainly found it very odd. In talking to some local BMW riders I got the message from some that the dealership's leadership is committed to solving its client's problems, but from others that this dealership has its 'quirks'.
One point of possible relevance: I brought my bike in Saturday morning, which is when the dealership handles maintenance on a first-come/first-served basis for bikes without appointments. I showed up very early (early enough to be first in line). When I talked to the service writer the first thing he did was to inform me that Saturdays are not for "diagnostics". That's certainly not the response I expected to reporting what appeared to be (and in retrospect clearly was) sub-standard braking performance.
Last edited:
henksijgers
New member
wbrownell9
New member
My first guess is Bob's BMW. They have a good reputation that IMO isn't justified. To be fair, they did get the random dying problem on my K1600 GTL resolved correctly but it took them a month. On the other hand I've tried three times to buy a bike from them and they never offered an acceptable deal. Never again.
When someone has trouble with their BMW it’s common to see those troubles posted here so they can get some help. It’s also common to see some of the good people who belong to MOA respond and help in any way they can. But when the problem stems from the more than questionable practices of a BMW dealership, I don’t understand why that person choses to protect the dealership by withholding the dealership’s name when the consequence might well be to cause the same harm to an unsuspecting MOA member to took their bike to that dealership.
E.
E.
I would suggest that we keep guessing out of this equation.
henksijgers
New member
ETA (2): based on how the dealership staff (my salesman and the GM) handled subsequent discussion with me on the matter, including an apology to me and a refund of my money, I will chalk the original event up to an unfortunate interaction between a harried service writer and I and continue to to business with them.
I'd hoped that, given time, the dealership and/or BMW would do the right thing and honor my request for a refund. But it's clear that isn't going to happen.
ETA: minutes after I originally posted this the BMW agent finally called me. BMW Customer Relations' position is that they cannot advise on service-related matters, and they will not assist me in seeking recourse.
I believe Bob's BMW should've handled my brakes as either warranty or goodwill, as I said to the service writer twice, wrote down in my case, and stated to the BMW Customer Relations agent this afternoon. I do not expect to need to pay for 'annual' maintenance less than six weeks after buying a brand new 2021 BMW motorcycle with 17 miles on the odometer.
Having bought it, I will continue to enjoy the motorcycle, and hope there are no further issues that require interacting with the selling dealership. I will however only engage with Bob's BMW as last option, rather than as a first option, as I no longer have faith that they will treat me fairly.
I'd hoped that, given time, the dealership and/or BMW would do the right thing and honor my request for a refund. But it's clear that isn't going to happen.
ETA: minutes after I originally posted this the BMW agent finally called me. BMW Customer Relations' position is that they cannot advise on service-related matters, and they will not assist me in seeking recourse.
I believe Bob's BMW should've handled my brakes as either warranty or goodwill, as I said to the service writer twice, wrote down in my case, and stated to the BMW Customer Relations agent this afternoon. I do not expect to need to pay for 'annual' maintenance less than six weeks after buying a brand new 2021 BMW motorcycle with 17 miles on the odometer.
Having bought it, I will continue to enjoy the motorcycle, and hope there are no further issues that require interacting with the selling dealership. I will however only engage with Bob's BMW as last option, rather than as a first option, as I no longer have faith that they will treat me fairly.
Last edited:
