In short, don't bring your bmw to these absolute fools.
The initial right-around-the-corner convenience, customer service, nice waiting area and clean/organized shop floor drag you in to trust them up until you get the quote to "fix" your car. I never leave a review, but after I tried to resolve the issue with them over the phone to no avail, I disputed the ending charge of $465.61 with my bank and Bimmers flat out lied in response to my bank saying "We have not heard from this customer expressing any dissatisfaction. We made attempts to connect with the customer but they will not return our calls." this is where I end up. I'm a single human being, they're a business - I lost. I have all recorded phone calls, texts and quotes.
Here's the story you're waiting for.
I brought my car in (bmw 535i) for them to replace the starter only because I knew it was bad due to a no crank/no start (at first, which down the road lead to a lot worse). I bought the starter myself and I get it towed there for install but they insisted they use their parts at first. Cool. It gets there and they get on it immediately. They CONFIRMED the starter was bad via codes pulled on the scanner along with testing it, and that my "battery was bad".
First quote? $1849.80. Starter and labor - $1443.00. Battery and labor - $406.80, in which $100 of that is labor which takes 5 minutes to install. I respond kindly with "no thank you, I have the part I'll take it down the road to the domestic shop I use that will install it for $400" (it is a nonetheless difficult install). They at first bring the price down to $866.32, once again "no thanks". And finally! $465.61 out the door with my part supplied and they just charge up my "bad" battery. "Perfect, let's do that it'll save me money from another tow". Shady right? Not sure why I continued with them at that point.
Get a final "work is complete" phone call from them saying the starter is installed and the car cranks but still will not start. At this point after ALL THIS they checked to see if the motor will turn over manually. It doesn't. $800+ to drop the subframe JUST to look into it more to find out what's going on. Nope. So I get it picked up and tow it to another bmw only shop I use to use but they moved much further away.
It gets there, with these symptoms and what ended up happening being a common issue on n54's (motor) - 30 minutes into it they find old belt shrapnel in my oil (old belt snapped, shrapnel got into the oil feed tube, starved the motor of oil) resulting in a seized motor. No charge to find that supposedly very obvious issue out within 30 minutes.
For Bimmers reading, I understand I signed off on the $465.61 starter install in which I disputed, but only because you ASSURED me that was the issue. The money is up and gone now and I get the work was completed, but I deserved to be reimbursed after that clown show.
For everyone else who's reading, Bimmers was trying to get the amount of money they wanted one way or another, and more than likely knew the issue right away before even installing the starter. Absolutely go elsewhere because clearly, they hope and pray on the weak. read more