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BMW 3-Series and 4-Series Forum (F30 / F32) | F30POST > 2012-2019 BMW 3 and 4-Series Forums > General F30 Sedan / F32 Coupe / F36 Gran Coupe Forum > My under warranty car fire and BMW Customer relations response
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      03-12-2013, 12:55 PM   #111
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you are not the only one

My partner and I were headed from York PA to Philadelphia around the same time as your car burned up. What a nightmare it was. They refused to tow the car back to our home dealer and roadside kept dispatching a tow service that did not have the right equipment to tow the vehicle. We had a 2010 335d that went up in flames. We waited for over a month before BMW would even look at the car to give us an answer on what happened. After almost 2 months they just told us have your insurance company deal with it since the findings were inconclusive. They offered to give us $2500 towards another BMW and that was it. It sounds to me like BMW has a issue that they are not making public. Please feel free to PM me on here. I also found three over cases online dating back to 2008 with fires in the same location as our vehicles. We have owned seven BMW's now and this will be our last due to the horrible customer service they provided.

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      03-12-2013, 12:58 PM   #112
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so all these diesel engines are going up in flames?
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      03-12-2013, 05:31 PM   #113
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DerekS View Post
The first part of your experience, the spontaneous fire in the engine compartment and total loss of your car, has my sympathy. As a previous owner of a 335d, I know first hand that you lost a fine car.

However, for the 2nd part of your story, the protracted negotiations with BMWNA, I find it hard to offer you any support.

The final offer from BMW was more than fair, IMO. Did you really expect them to give you carte blanche to bad mouth them after having offered you a substantial credit toward a new 335i ? I very much doubt that any other auto manufacturer would make a similar offer without asking the customer to sign a release or to sign a no disclosure agreement. Too bad for you that your unreasonable stance on the final offer precluded you from owning one terrific car - the F30-335i.
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      03-12-2013, 06:42 PM   #114
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No one here seems to understand the severity of the problem. The 335i is no where near a 335d in performance and torque. The offer that was given is not good enough when they state their findings were inconclusive. Why would anyone want to buy another BMW when hey don't have a clue why one of their products went up in flames.
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      01-07-2015, 03:05 PM   #115
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EnerJi View Post
What if he hadn't had comprehensive insurance? It would be a bit silly to be driving a recent-model BMW without it, but let's assume that was the case.

No comprehensive coverage means no insurance payout. The car was under warranty, maintained by BMW service technicians to manufacturer recommendations, and it catches fire during normal operations and is a total loss. BMW investigates, and their investigation is inconclusive. If that were to happen, BMW either makes it right, or the driver sues BMW to try and force them to make it right. My guess is BMW makes it right to avoid the lawsuit.

In this situation, despite the insurance payout, my bet is BMW would have been willing to go further to make it right if the OP had hadn't lost his patience.
Very interesting read. Trully a good to know what if.

From the initial post, what is clear, and the tone, the fire victim thought he was outright right and that he knew better. Just a general conclusion from sentences, arguments, etc. The replies he got here provided the accurate, nearly as good as in a court of law sort of accurate replies.

FIRE: Shit happens. Literally. Since no clear fault was identified, hard to tell if BMW fault or some previous unknown hazard over 46k miles. MEMBER WAS NOT HURT = NO MORAL OR BODY INJURY OR SUFFERING.

Release/NDA: IRRELEVANT. This is where the member missed by thinking he was outrighteously right but not so. Irrespective of the NDA, BMW NA complies with HTA and BMW Canada with Tspt Canada obligations, as well as other regulations. They are NOT GM. In other words, had BMW had a clear indication of a prevalent problem, it would be obliged to disclose. A few 1/15 000 vehicle issues, that were a non-recurring fluke, does not make it a hazard requiring Govt disclosure. So I would have signed the NDA- knowing well BMW could still be forced to disclose a general issue. However, HAD there been an ACCIDENT that could be manufacturing related, in Canada Tpt Canada has the authority- and does- investigate it no matter what the manufacturer thinks or wants.

INSURANCE: Like other esteemed forum members, I have FULL replacement/5years. Then depreciation after 5 yrs. My F35 Limited Edition M Sport was over 75k, not taking a chance. This is where the member had BAD luck: car was toasted and he did not have full insurance.

VALUE: He was offered 17 +7500 or something like that, or nearly 25k towards a new vehicle, so a crazy high trade-in value. Member was incorrect he would be at a loss- not at all. He would be getting a 2nd hand better 25k car, or a newer one. Tangible good = no loss.

In this situation, I see neither issue with BMW nor the insurance company, but the member's ego got the better of him. Out of a bad luck situation he could have walked away with a newer better BMW, be it second hand, he thougth being more right than everyone else and that was not so.
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      01-07-2015, 03:54 PM   #116
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alanized
No lease. I paid cash when I bought the car.

To me, this would be the analogy;
Your television under warranty bursts into flames. Luckily, nobody is harmed. The manufacturer believes that your compensation should be composed of your homeowner's insurance (whose premiums you paid) providing the depreciated value of the television. In order to promote goodwill, the manufacturer gives you a 10% coupon towards the purchase of a new television. With gratitude, you head to Best Buy and are happy to learn that you end up with a new television and are out of pocket only a total of 10% the price of a new televsion.

This seems absurd to me. The manufacturer would nearly certainly provide you with a new television.

I was driving a car under warranty and never serviced by anyone but them. This car burst into flames during normal operation. That is a profoundly negative customer experience and deserves a profoundly positive remedy. In my view, they ought to have eaten the depreciation.

Complicating everything is that diesel sedans are no longer available.

If you watched helplessly while your car disintegrated, you might feel different.
Why you didn't retain an attorney is beyond my comprehension.
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      01-07-2015, 04:17 PM   #117
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I think some basic concepts are being overlooked here. The only finger that can be pointed at BMW is that a car failed. When insurance paid out, the insurance company owns the car and that is all the compensation due to the und user. If there is a problem with compensation it should be directed at the insurance company. Now the insurance company has to try to get BMW to admit there was a defect and then the insurance company will be reimbursed, not the end user. The fact that BMW is willing to give $7,500 for a NDA is very generous IMO.





BTW, new owner of a 435i here
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      01-07-2015, 09:16 PM   #118
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I'm pretty sure OP moved on since this thread is over 2 years old........
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      01-08-2015, 12:37 AM   #119
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Not that it matters since this thread is 2 years old, but I don't even think BMW was having the OP sign an NDA. It sounds more like a document stating that the issue is settled and there will be no further compensation. This is very typical. The OP didn't want to sign it in case the fires became a prevalent and admitted issue by BMW at which point the OP was hoping for more money. I think BMWs offer was generous, although I'm sure BMW put the op through hell to get to that point. Either way, who knows what caused the fire, it wasn't necessarily a fault with the car.
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      01-08-2015, 12:47 AM   #120
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Sorry if I heated an old thread. New to the 3/4 forum...
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      11-04-2017, 08:56 AM   #121
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hmmmmmmmmmmmm
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      11-04-2017, 09:21 AM   #122
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Appropriate bump. Seems OP might want to reopen discussions with BMWNA, and seek some back compensation.
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