The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Actually I've been thinking about that too. Hyundai is built here in town and KIA a few miles down the road. Both have 10 year maintenance warranties. I should trade my Touareg V8 and S80 V8 in on one of those new and stop worrying about it. I'd still have to tint the windows dark enough that nobody would recognize me driving it though.

We’ll compare notes in the future! So why don’t the ‘premium’ brands have the same faith in their allegedly superior products?

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Breitling B-1 1999
Breitling Chrono Superocean 2004
Casio G Shock
Citizen Eco Drive AT4000-02E (for gardening)
Seiko 5 SNZG15J1
Hamilton X Wind LE

I had a Pug RCZ for 4 years after the 645.

The car was so much fun, but the BMW engine, the same plant from the Mini Cooper S and Citroen DS3, failed over and over. All 3 vehicles employing the engine with the same faults.

High Speed Fuel Pump.... Turbo Pump, Coil Packs, I even had a new Cylinder Head.

I now have a rather dull, but reliable Mazda CX-5 2.2 AWD.

But I actually always expect it to get me out and back.

Hey ho. I still miss the RCZ despite it's troubles.

D

I was working at our local BMW dealership in 2002 when the new 745i arrived. The problem with anything new is that there's a learning curve when it comes to maintenance. Yes the techs get factory training prior to being allowed to work on a new model but even the factory often doesn't know what to expect once the new model hits the showroom floor. Seen it way too often. BMW maintenance software was a joke and it took over 14 hours to completely reprogram an ailing 745 and we had a shop full of them and one diagnostic computer. The cars were so new and complex (Bangle butt and all) that the techs, even with their factory training on the new model, were quickly lost and dependent on diagnostic equipment that was marginal at best. We were a small dealership and BMW had to buy back or replace 24 745's the first year because we couldn't fix them and neither could the factory rep. Talk about irate customers. I remember some customers were on their 3rd cars before they finally gave up and bought a Mercedes. That's why I always recommend to people not to buy anything completely new the first year. Give it a couple of years to get all the bugs out. I could tell you some stories about 1st year Bimmers. Electric steering assist, high pressure fuel pumps and injectors, etc, etc. The more advanced and technical these cars get the more problems they will have and you still will have some 22 year old kid working on it too fast because he has to make a living. Tech turnover is amazingly high and mostly because of personal problems, a lack of caring, drug testing, and low pay. Once you find a tech that seems to take an interest in your problem make sure he's the only one that ever touches you vehicle from that point on. They are rare people and need to be cherished. It's not just BMW but the industry as a whole.

Well guys, just a quick update on my opening post in this thread -

My car is now back and all fixed. However, it took FOUR whole weeks to be repaired - partly due to my insurance company dragging it's feet authorizing the repair, and partly due to the fact that the system itself is apparently so ridiculously complicated to reset, including the need for new bonnet hinges (that helpfully arrive unpainted ).

Oh and the bill? Just over £2400. It's absolutely outrageous how BMW can charge that kind of money for essentially just resetting a system.... and let's not forget it's a system that should never have deployed in the first place. Apparently the pins that goes through the bonnet hinges are just shy of £400 EACH plus VAT?! In what world is that possibly a justifiable price for a single hinge pin?!

Obviously this ridiculous cost meant I used my insurance for the claim, but I'm still saddled with a personal bill of a few hundred pounds to cover my excess, PLUS (oh lucky me!) my insurance was up for renewal a couple of weeks later, and this claim has pushed up my premium by over £600 a year, despite having protected no-claims!!!

And lastly, my subsequent compliant to BMW UK's *ahem* "customer service" team was met with the most perfunctory response imaginable ; no answer to any of my questions, and no chance of any compensation.

Suffice to say, this whole sorry event has put the final nail in the coffin of my BMW journey. After 20 years of driving them, I will never buy another.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Words fail me, sorry to hear you’ve been a victim of BMW’s corporate thuggery. Maybe those pins are kept in climate controlled vaults with a 24 hour armed guard.

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Breitling B-1 1999
Breitling Chrono Superocean 2004
Casio G Shock
Citizen Eco Drive AT4000-02E (for gardening)
Seiko 5 SNZG15J1
Hamilton X Wind LE

Talk about corporate thuggery. As your BMW gets older BMW drastically raises the prices on replacement parts. On my classic 93 M5 the two pieces of front windshield trim (needed when replacing the windshield) cost about $30 each just a few years ago. Well I've got a small chip in one piece and when I went down at priced the replacement it was $200 per side. I should be grateful that the part is still available I suppose but that's probably what their counting on. They want to force you out of that old car into buying a new model. Problem is the old car is often better built than the newer stuff. BMW V8's and 4 cylinder engines are commonly replaced today because of premature failures due to (I think) extended oil service schedules. Heck, when they start to manipulate us into battery cars in a few years they'll make gasoline so expensive we'll have no choice.

Yep, and we’ll find that running an electric car will be no cheaper than the equivalent (today) price of running a straight 6 or a V8. They’ll insist on leasing the batteries at extortionate rates and electricity prices will rocket. On a more worrying note the emergency services are already treating electric vehicles with caution due to the potential for explosions and cars being ‘live’ after a shunt. I favour a ‘Scalextric’ type of road system, no batteries, pay as you go.

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Breitling B-1 1999
Breitling Chrono Superocean 2004
Casio G Shock
Citizen Eco Drive AT4000-02E (for gardening)
Seiko 5 SNZG15J1
Hamilton X Wind LE

Seems like I lied - I've just bought another one. So annoyed with myself!

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Driver8

Site Moderator