Heart Broken with my 330i

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izzyracer

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#1
Heart Broken NO LONGER with my 330i

I immediately fell in love with this car. I even ended up paying more than what I was allowing just to get this car. Now I find out that I have a transmission issue and might have to be replaced, (P to D delay). My tilt mirror is also gone which is a feature unique to BMW that I really like. 700 miles into it and all this, I have never gone through something like this. I've previously owned Toyota's, Nissan, Lexus, Mitsubishi and never had to go through something like this. I just wished I was smart enough to go ehre and ind out the issues before buying the car.


UPDATE
All is well. BMW took care of the car within 4 days. The car is better than before. My heart is mended and can't wait to get my M3 5 years from now. [cheers]
 
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B

Bryan330i

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Why do you think you paid too much?

I can understand your feelings regarding reliability; I went through this last year. My car was in the shop more than my previous 4 lease cars and my wife’s 3 previous leased cars combined.

But I must say, things have improved.

PS Last year I said I would never buy another BMW but today after almost a year of ownership I would buy again.
 
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Section_8

Section_8

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Every maker will produce the occasional lemon,and almost every new car will have some quirk you'll discover (some more obvious and necessary to address than others) that you may or may not ever worry about getting fixed. (Or realize that it needs to be fixed..)

Don't think it's just BMW, you can hit any forum-based car fanatic website, and will find people complaining about new cars - of all brands.

I've owned 1 honda, 1 ford, 3 toyotas, and now my BMW. I had more trouble with 1 of my toyotas (lemon) then I have with all my cars, in the 16 year's I've been driving. I got the 'lemon' unfortunately.. When ya get em, hopefully you discover it quick and can get out of it just as fast..

Lastly.. Don't take what you read on the 'net as completely fact. There are alot of 'upset' folks out there that live to complain, and cause others grief, or just 'hate' BMW and rove the forums living to cause trouble (And vice versa on honda/toyota forums, what have you..). Don't get me wrong, there is a LOT of useful info on these forums, and some great folks here to talk to, BUT! Take it all with a grain of salt.
 
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I

izzyracer

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Thanks for your support. I am not totally disliking my car. In fact other than the above problems I can understand why people loves BMW's. But it saddens me of the situation. hopefully, it will just get better. I did not mean I felt I overpaid. I was going to get an Lexus RX330 with DVD Entertainment for less money and within my anticipated payments. Maybe it was a safer way to go but falling in-love with the car made me take the risk. The risk that is now a reality. I already got in touch with service. They said they have not heared of the problem nor refused to give me a loaner, something I have to speak about with my Sales Person.
 
Section_8

Section_8

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Hopefully you will have a pleasant dealer experience. We always hear about 'bad' experiences, rarely do we hear about the good ones - I'm willing to bet the good ones far outweigh the bad.

What is the production date on your car? How long ago did you buy it? (Wondering if you got a 'new' car that had been sitting there for awhile, and thus one of the steptronics with the issue, or a new, NEW production car that is still having the problem).

Nevertheless taking 'any' brand new car to a dealer to fix issues can't be an exciting time.. I think that's something all car manufacturers could do better, their QC!
 
I

izzyracer

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Section_8 said:
Hopefully you will have a pleasant dealer experience. We always hear about 'bad' experiences, rarely do we hear about the good ones - I'm willing to bet the good ones far outweigh the bad.

What is the production date on your car? How long ago did you buy it? (Wondering if you got a 'new' car that had been sitting there for awhile, and thus one of the steptronics with the issue, or a new, NEW production car that is still having the problem).

Nevertheless taking 'any' brand new car to a dealer to fix issues can't be an exciting time.. I think that's something all car manufacturers could do better, their QC!
Click to expand...
I bought mine February 28. I remember the sales man saying it was in the lot since January 04 and i think the label on the side door says November 03. The transmission says made in Germany on the window sticker. It also says 6 speed steptronic? Aren't they only 5 speed?

I already gave BMW NA a heads up concerning my situation just in case service gives me a run around.

Thanks
 
D

deutsch100

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izzyracer said:
I immediately fell in love with this car. I even ended up paying more than what I was allowing just to get this car. Now I find out that I have a transmission issue and might have to be replaced, (P to D delay). My tilt mirror is also gone which is a feature unique to BMW that I really like. 700 miles into it and all this, I have never gone through something like this. I've previously owned Toyota's, Nissan, Lexus, Mitsubishi and never had to go through something like this. I just wished I was smart enough to go ehre and ind out the issues before buying the car.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry...as I quoted in an earlier post...Welocme to the German Car Problems Club. Our household has been driving German autos exclusively for as long as I can remember....besides from a 1999 C280 Mercedes....they have all been problems. German cars look better than the rest, perform better than the rest...but unfortunatley their reliablilty sucks. My 2004 330cic's window switches are all jacked up...only had the car a few weeks too...oh well...at least they look beautiful while parked in the garage....and the dealership's service bay!!!!![}:)] Good Luck!!!
 
I

izzyracer

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I already made arrangements with service and my salesman will provide me with a loaner. I also wrote BMW NA and vented my frustrations also to have some record and maybe just in case I have problems with the dealer in the future. They can assist me somehow.

I'll share to you the CS's reply to my Email which they answered promptly within a couple of hours.

"Thank you for contacting BMW of North America, LLC regarding the problems you are having with your BMW. I am sorry to read of your dissatisfaction. Please be assured that the quality of our vehicles receives our constant attention. Even in its most basic form, the motor vehicle of today is a very complex unit. When the various comfort, convenience and safety options are considered, the complexity increases. Despite our best efforts, a problem may occur with a particular vehicle or component.

We work on a continual basis to improve our services. BMW is committed to automotive excellence and superior service. We are here to work with you and your BMW center, so please do not hesitate to call us with any questions and/or concerns.

If you have any further questions, please respond to this e-mail or contact the Customer Relations Department at 1-800-831-1117, Monday through Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M., Eastern Standard Time. Thank you for choosing BMW."

At least I know I have someone else I can deal with besides the dealer in case there are further problems.
 
C

cordelli

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If it helps since the internet is always loaded with people complaining (not saying you are doing that at all, don't take it that way) we have had our 2004 330 convertible since August, have 18,000 miles on it, and there was only one minor problem with it (cable in the door needed replacing to open the door) and the dealer made room for it in two days. Other then that, it's only been in for scheduled maintenance.

So they aren't all bad.
 
donmbmw

donmbmw

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izzyracer said:
I immediately fell in love with this car. I even ended up paying more than what I was allowing just to get this car. Now I find out that I have a transmission issue and might have to be replaced, (P to D delay). My tilt mirror is also gone which is a feature unique to BMW that I really like. 700 miles into it and all this, I have never gone through something like this. I've previously owned Toyota's, Nissan, Lexus, Mitsubishi and never had to go through something like this. I just wished I was smart enough to go ehre and ind out the issues before buying the car.
Click to expand...
Typical buyers remorse that will pass. I had the exact problems i.e. tranny slip and side mirror tilt down. Both are scheduled for repair in a couple of weeks. The tranny slip is only a problem for a minute or two on a cold morning and like you, the rear tilt down feature was never a big deal for me. I usually drive my car a moderate pace, but will often use the steptronic in sport or manual mode for hard driving. It works beautifully. So much fun. On Long Island the traffic can be very heavy so my clutch days are over, but the step makes up it. I'm hearing that the repairs are usually working out. I like my dealer, I've got a loaner on reserve. I hope and expect the car to be A+ when I get it back. I'll keep the board posted. You got a great car. Work out the initial kinks and I think you will be very happy.
 
I

izzyracer

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Well, I dropped the car off this morning and everything went smoothly. The service rep was cool and said we will take care of it after explaining my situation. I made him understand that I did not feel comfortable that my new car might have the tranny changed but he assured me that the tranny although might seem big is just another bolt on part. They loaned me a silver 323i that I am enjoying but already misses my car.
 
5

535iracer

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i believe that BMW for the most part is a very reliable car... Everyone that i have known that has owned one has almost never had problems with it. My '92 525i has 102K miles on it and it drives just like a new car, everything still feels solid and well put together. Every car has its problems, but hang in there, you made a wise purchase.. these are great cars :)
 
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