1) Purchased the car new on 6/14/2008 from Russel BMW in Ellicott City
2) Been back in Russel’s service shop 7 times since purchase – July 2008, September 2008, May 2009, twice in July 2009 abd twice in November 2009.
3) All for the same problem – service engine soon light comes on, engine icon light comes on and the car shakes
4) Various tests have been performed and a few parts replaced such as the fuel pump
5) Told on 7/16/2009 that it is the fuel I am using – too much ethanol.
6) When I first bought the car I went to BMW’s website because I knew I needed to use Supreme (93 octane) gas but I also thought the brand might make a difference. I was right. BMW has a website that they share with other manufacturers called www.toptiergas.com.retailers.html which shows Shell as one of the approved gasoline brands.
7) I have all my monthly statements from Discover showing every tank I put into the BMW was Shell Supreme.
8) In a telephone meeting with Scott Ziffel (sp?) at 3pm on July 27, 2009 I said that I wanted to do a substitution of collateral. Scott said they would not do that and that it was my gas. I asked what to do when I have the problem occur again – he said to bring it back to Russel. That evening on my way home from work, the engine icon lit up 5 times. I brought the car back on Tuesday morning. On Friday afternoon I got the car back. They had drained the gas tank and filled it with fuel from Carroll Fuel Company which had 12% ethanol content. They had previously gone up and down route 40 testing gasolines to find something with 10% or less ethanol. The best they could find was 12%.
9) When I picked up the car on Friday 7/31/09, there was a new noise coming from under the hood. I took it back on Tuesday 8/4/09 and after 2 hours, they told me that on Friday, in the rush to get the car ready for me, they forgot to tighten a few things around the fuel injectors.
10) Same problem occurred on November 9th and today, November 30, 2009. Now they tell me they want to install new fuel injectors.
Possible Outcomes
1) BMW buys back the car – have to work out the numbers
2) BMW gives me a new car – have to work out the numbers
3) BMW does nothing – I continue to give the car to BMW every time the lights come on and it will likely be 8 more times for a total of 12 times in my 39 month lease. (It has occurred 4 times in 13 months so I guess it will occur 12 times in the 26 months I have left on the lease)
4) No matter what, BMW gets this car back because I’m not taking it at the end of the lease. It’s BMW’s problem – now or later.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
1) Purchased the car new on 6/14/2008 from Russel BMW in Ellicott City 2) Been back in Russel’s service shop 7 times since purchase – July 2008, September 2008, May 2009, twice in July 2009 abd twice in November 2009. 3) All for the same problem – service engine soon light comes on, engine icon light comes on and the car shakes 4) Various tests have been performed and a few parts replaced such as the fuel pump 5) Told on 7/16/2009 that it is the fuel I am using – too much ethanol. 6) When I first bought the car I went to BMW’s website because I knew I needed to use Supreme (93 octane) gas but I also thought the brand might make a difference. I was right. BMW has a website that they share with other manufacturers called www.toptiergas.com.retailers.html which shows Shell as one of the approved gasoline brands. 7) I have all my monthly statements from Discover showing every tank I put into the BMW was Shell Supreme. 8) In a telephone meeting with Scott Ziffel (sp?) at 3pm on July 27, 2009 I said that I wanted to do a substitution of collateral. Scott said they would not do that and that it was my gas. I asked what to do when I have the problem occur again – he said to bring it back to Russel. That evening on my way home from work, the engine icon lit up 5 times. I brought the car back on Tuesday morning. On Friday afternoon I got the car back. They had drained the gas tank and filled it with fuel from Carroll Fuel Company which had 12% ethanol content. They had previously gone up and down route 40 testing gasolines to find something with 10% or less ethanol. The best they could find was 12%. 9) When I picked up the car on Friday 7/31/09, there was a new noise coming from under the hood. I took it back on Tuesday 8/4/09 and after 2 hours, they told me that on Friday, in the rush to get the car ready for me, they forgot to tighten a few things around the fuel injectors. 10) Same problem occurred on November 9th and today, November 30, 2009. Now they tell me they want to install new fuel injectors.
Possible Outcomes 1) BMW buys back the car – have to work out the numbers 2) BMW gives me a new car – have to work out the numbers 3) BMW does nothing – I continue to give the car to BMW every time the lights come on and it will likely be 8 more times for a total of 12 times in my 39 month lease. (It has occurred 4 times in 13 months so I guess it will occur 12 times in the 26 months I have left on the lease) 4) No matter what, BMW gets this car back because I’m not taking it at the end of the lease. It’s BMW’s problem – now or later.
- cardude88, Columbia, MD, US