[DKM1975]

When I was chatting with Enterprise they unfortunately said Cooper Croydon and Cooper Thames Ditton were bad and in fact Cooper Croydon has misplaced 2 guys vehicles altogether.

I am 4 weeks in with Cooper Cobham.

Good luck and hope you get yours back asap.

D

Originally Posted by x-m4n

OK, my car went in on Monday, got a call late that day saying the car failed some tests and they need to keep it another day.

Today got a call from "BMW Recall Centre" and they are linking me to Enterprise... collecting car tomorrow afternoon unsure what we are going to get - they can't tell what car it will be "possibly an astra" he said only choice we have is automatic.

Child seats not available so trying to speak to Cooper Thames Ditton and get the child seats and some other stuff we have in there...

Update:

2 days later:

- Wife collected the rental car a Vauxhall Mokka X
- Cooper has not returned my calls so all I know is through the pages in this forum

[Northernlight76]

Originally Posted by Dan182

When I was chatting with Enterprise they unfortunately said Cooper Croydon and Cooper Thames Ditton were bad and in fact Cooper Croydon has misplaced 2 guys vehicles altogether.

I am 4 weeks in with Cooper Cobham.

Good luck and hope you get yours back asap.

D

I had a pretty poor experience at Cooper Thames Ditton when mine went in last Oct. No one called me to let me know anything and their ‘customer service’ team never answered the phone. I ended up having to go down there to find out what was going on.

They then said they would give me a call in the next day or two and drop it off at my home for the inconvenience. No call and then got home 2 days later to find the keys had been pushed through my letter box and no indication where they had left my car (not within sight of the house). Took me 10 minutes of walking the streets to find it 2 blocks away!

So much for customer service. I’m now taking it to Cobham for the cooler replacement and I’ll never go back to Cooper Thames Ditton, even though I live 5 mins away .

[alpha_male]

Just booked mine in - lead time is 3 weeks (not sure if that is delay on parts on if they are just super busy). Also got it booked in for steering gear recall. Chap said they will need the car for a day .

[x-m4n]

I went to Cooper Thames Ditton on Friday to collect my child seats and understand what is going on - I basically showed up and politely asked the person that came to talk to me to help me... The guy went to find the car and drove it to the front so I can pull the seats and stuff, it was raining and credit to the guy stayed there to help ... then they drove the car to the back again.

Learnt that the car has been serviced as requested (oil, filters, etc) and the EGR part was on order - the advisor said they dont know anything further but cars are staying with them for around 2 weeks he said... They will do the MOT after that (also as requested).

Communications could have been so much better - Cooper TD knew the car was arriving (I booked that appointment in March!) they could have said something when collecting it. BMW itself sent the letter in March - they could have followed up with another letter explaining what will happen and expected delays. BMW Recall Calling centre missed another trick - a brief script on why I need a rental car would have been nice, they know my car is there and they know the car details (I was initially worried their call was Scam!)

[Thewrench86]

6 weeks later I got my car back! Left the insignia at the dealers.

[indigochim]

My car's booked in for Friday at Williams Manchester. They've been light on the info on what's going to happen.

Do they check if the replacement is required while you wait and then send you off in a hire car or do I have to leave it with them to find out. I suspect it is in need of a replacement as I've lost coolant and smelt fumes in the cabin.

Also I resume it I need a hire car they'll supply an auto. The other half can't drive a manual on account of an ankle injury.

[sploo]

Originally Posted by indigochim

Also I resume it I need a hire car they'll supply an auto.

Don't count on it; especially given that Enterprise are stretched in many areas due to the number of cars they're having to supply to BMW owners!

When mine was done I dropped off a 330d (obviously auto) and ended up with a manual Renfault Krapjar.

Definitely worth talking to the dealer (who will probably give you an Enterprise number to call).

[Thewrench86]

Originally Posted by indigochim

My car's booked in for Friday at Williams Manchester. They've been light on the info on what's going to happen.

Do they check if the replacement is required while you wait and then send you off in a hire car or do I have to leave it with them to find out. I suspect it is in need of a replacement as I've lost coolant and smelt fumes in the cabin.

Also I resume it I need a hire car they'll supply an auto. The other half can't drive a manual on account of an ankle injury.

So this is the dealer I used. I was given a rental the following day and it was a manual to start with but I specifically asked them to give me a auto. Enterprise however sorted me out a few days later when an auto became available. I had to call williams for updates constantly but overall good service as they Also resolved an oil leak I had from the filter housing whole it was in at a very good discounted price.

[Kustom]

My 2015 335d was not part of the recall.

However it threw up a P115D code which is MAF sensor related. I had it investigated and transpires it is an EGR fault, in-line with the recall.
BMW have agreed to repair it FOC and I've been given a 320d loaner from enterprise.
Good service by Wollaston BMW
Just though i would share it in case anyone else gets the same fault with their car which hasn't officially been recalled.

[Zheez]

So it seems there's still long wait periods then. I called up my local dealer back in March to get my 320d booked in and the earliest slot was yesterday (June 12th). I dropped the car off in the morning and got given a 530i Touring as a courtesy car for the day which was a plus.

They had my car for the day and then called me up to say that it had failed the checks and the EGR cooler does indeed need replacing. Today I went to drop the 530i off and pick up a hire car which happened to be a 420i so not too bad.

Anyway, they said that they had no idea how long it would be. Sometimes they've had the parts delivered within a couple of days, others have taken a couple of weeks. Was surprised to see the lead times are still so variable and potentially so long.

[indigochim]

Originally Posted by sploo

Definitely worth talking to the dealer (who will probably give you an Enterprise number to call).

Thanks for the info will certainly have have a chat.

[indigochim]

Originally Posted by Thewrench86

So this is the dealer I used. I was given a rental the following day and it was a manual to start with but I specifically asked them to give me a auto. Enterprise however sorted me out a few days later when an auto became available.

Good to know they sorted you out.

[charliewaqs]

They had my car for a total of 3 weeks. The EGR cooler was replaced.

At first I had a Mokka X - literally the worst car I've ever had the experience of driving. After moaning a bit I managed to get a Mini Clubman - nothing special but I could live with that.

[x-m4n]

3 weeks and 2 days later I got an SMS from the dealer: "your vehicle is due for completion on Friday as parts have now arrived. We will call to update on Friday".

This text arrived yesterday, a day after I sent a DM to @ BMW_UK - coincidence?

[JD6]

I just called my local dealer's service department for an update, to discover that the service person I have always dealt with has left and the story has changed entirely.

My car went in for an inspection in September 2018 and I was told that the EGR cooler looked OK at that point, so the car was safe to drive for now, but that the cooler would be replaced in around December 18. That date kept getting pushed back, due to quarantined cars taking priority.

Today I called and spoke to someone different in the service department. They told me that my car would not be having its EGR cooler replaced, as it had been inspected in Sep 18 and was fine. I pointed out that this contradicted about 6 conversations I had with the service department. I spoke to the head of service who was very apologetic about the 'misunderstanding', but essentially had the same message.

He told me that any car which needed to have a cooler replaced was instantly quarantined, and no cars were ever released to have a cooler fitted at a later date. I said that I'm pretty sure cars were being released back to customers on this basis, but he said that wasn't the case.

[JNW1]

Originally Posted by JD6

I just called my local dealer's service department for an update, to discover that the service person I have always dealt with has left and the story has changed entirely.

My car went in for an inspection in September 2018 and I was told that the EGR cooler looked OK at that point, so the car was safe to drive for now, but that the cooler would be replaced in around December 18. That date kept getting pushed back, due to quarantined cars taking priority.

Today I called and spoke to someone different in the service department. They told me that my car would not be having its EGR cooler replaced, as it had been inspected in Sep 18 and was fine. I pointed out that this contradicted about 6 conversations I had with the service department. I spoke to the head of service who was very apologetic about the 'misunderstanding', but essentially had the same message.

He told me that any car which needed to have a cooler replaced was instantly quarantined, and no cars were ever released to have a cooler fitted at a later date. I said that I'm pretty sure cars were being released back to customers on this basis, but he said that wasn't the case.

I'd have thought the issue was whether or not the EGR cooler on your car is from one of the affected faulty batches; if it isn't then fine but if it is it will surely need replacing? I can understand why it may have been deemed low priority if it wasn't actually leaking but if it's from one of the faulty batches it's presumably only a matter of time before it fails and hence in my view it should be replaced as part of the recall....

[Hooded]

Originally Posted by JNW1

I'd have thought the issue was whether or not the EGR cooler on your car is from one of the affected faulty batches; if it isn't then fine but if it is it will surely need replacing? I can understand why it may have been deemed low priority if it wasn't actually leaking but if it's from one of the faulty batches it's presumably only a matter of time before it fails and hence in my view it should be replaced as part of the recall....

Agree, I would ask them if they are 100% sure it's not from one of the faulty batches as you were previously told after it was checked that it would need replacing. Ask for it in writing and tell them you will be holding them accountable if it catches fire.

[JD6]

Originally Posted by JNW1

I'd have thought the issue was whether or not the EGR cooler on your car is from one of the affected faulty batches; if it isn't then fine but if it is it will surely need replacing? I can understand why it may have been deemed low priority if it wasn't actually leaking but if it's from one of the faulty batches it's presumably only a matter of time before it fails and hence in my view it should be replaced as part of the recall....

From the conversations I have had this morning with the Service Manager at the local dealer and BMW Customer Services, they checked for 2 things with this recall.

1. They check the part serial number against a list to see if it is from a high risk batch. In my case they tell me it wasn't.

2. They inspect the inside of the EGR cooler for coke build up, or coolant leaks. In my case it passed (although the EGR itself had been replaced a year earlier and I don't know if the cooler was cleaned or replaced at that stage).

After these checks the dealer told me that there was no imminent risk, and I could drive the car away, but that the cooler would be replaced within a few months (once the quarantined cars had been repaired). The service adviser repeated the fact that it would be replaced on about 5 further occasions, when my car was in for other work.

The very fact that the the serial number is not a sufficient check and they need to inspect the part internally, suggests to me that there is a known risk. So checking it once is not sufficient in my view. They have now offered to check again, but unless they want to inspect at regular intervals, it would make more sense to replace the part. It seems to me that my car currently has a higher risk of catching fire than the average car.

[Hooded]

Originally Posted by JD6

From the conversations I have had this morning with the Service Manager at the local dealer and BMW Customer Services, they checked for 2 things with this recall.

1. They check the part serial number against a list to see if it is from a high risk batch. In my case they tell me it wasn't.

2. They inspect the inside of the EGR cooler for coke build up, or coolant leaks. In my case it passed (although the EGR itself had been replaced a year earlier and I don't know if the cooler was cleaned or replaced at that stage).

After these checks the dealer told me that there was no imminent risk, and I could drive the car away, but that the cooler would be replaced within a few months (once the quarantined cars had been repaired). The service adviser repeated the fact that it would be replaced on about 5 further occasions, when my car was in for other work.

The very fact that the the serial number is not a sufficient check and they need to inspect the part internally, suggests to me that there is a known risk. So checking it once is not sufficient in my view. They have now offered to check again, but unless they want to inspect at regular intervals, it would make more sense to replace the part. It seems to me that my car currently has a higher risk of catching fire than the average car.

If the cooler is not from the high risk batch, surely a replacement cooler is just as likely to cause a fire in a few years time, since you currently don't have one of the faulty batch coolers installed in your car anyway.
If you had one of the faulty batch coolers in your car it's probably got a 0.005% chance of actually catching fire in the next couple of years since it's been checked as ok fairly recently, .. but you haven't ., so I would just forget about it now and move on

[JD6]

Originally Posted by Hooded

If the cooler is not from the high risk batch, surely a replacement cooler is just as likely to cause a fire in a few years time, since you currently don't have one of the faulty batch coolers installed in your car anyway.
If you had one of the faulty batch coolers in your car it's probably got a 0.005% chance of actually catching fire in the next couple of years since it's been checked as ok fairly recently, .. but you haven't ., so I would just forget about it now and move on

I disagree with most of that. It is reasonable to assume that a newly manufactured EGR cooler will have been designed to avoid this particular fault. Otherwise what the hell have BMW been up to in the past year?

Given that three members on here have reported that their car was destroyed by fire in this way, I suggest that your 0.005% is a long way from reality. There would need to be around 60,000 members on this U.K. sub forum with an appropriate age diesel F3x for that to be correct. I suspect that your estimate is one or two orders of magnitude out.

So I will not forget about it and move on until I get a better explanation about why I have been repeatedly told by the dealer that my car needs its cooler replaced, and it is either replaced or I am offered some more substantive evidence that the risk of fire is genuinely low.

[Hooded]

Originally Posted by JD6

I disagree with most of that. It is reasonable to assume that a newly manufactured EGR cooler will have been designed to avoid this particular fault. Otherwise what the hell have BMW been up to in the past year?

Given that three members on here have reported that their car was destroyed by fire in this way, I suggest that your 0.005% is a long way from reality. There would need to be around 60,000 members on this U.K. sub forum with an appropriate age diesel F3x for that to be correct. I suspect that your estimate is one or two orders of magnitude out.

So I will not forget about it and move on until I get a better explanation about why I have been repeatedly told by the dealer that my car needs its cooler replaced, and it is either replaced or I am offered some more substantive evidence that the risk of fire is genuinely low.

Firstly how many actual fires caused by EGR cooler fault in the UK with these coolers? 20 or so? .. and how many of these cars are there? A few hundred thousand in the recall! considering your cars been checked as fine recently, even with a faulty batch cooler I would still say actual fire risk is small, but ok I'll move the 5 over a bit.. there you go 0.05%.
*The risk of fire if you have a cooler in the faulty batch is low (BMW's own words), and not every cooler in the faulty batch will Actually leak and not every cooler that does leak will catch fire, only a tiny percentage do.
You have been told that your cooler is NOT one of the faulty batch, so why are you worrying?
I'll be blunt.. you have more chance of being diagnosed with cancer in the next 10 years than your car catching fire!

[JD6]

Originally Posted by Hooded

Firstly how many actual fires caused by EGR cooler fault in the UK with these coolers? 20 or so? .. and how many of these cars are there? A few hundred thousand in the recall! considering your cars been checked as fine recently, even with a faulty batch cooler I would still say actual fire risk is small, but ok I'll move the 5 over a bit.. there you go 0.05%.
*The risk of fire if you have a cooler in the faulty batch is low (BMW's own words), and not every cooler in the faulty batch will Actually leak and not every cooler that does leak will catch fire, only a tiny percentage do.
You have been told that your cooler is NOT one of the faulty batch, so why are you worrying?
I'll be blunt.. you have more chance of being diagnosed with cancer in the next 10 years than your car catching fire!

I was told that my EGR cooler was not one of the high risk batch. I don’t think it’s as straightforward as faulty or not. From what I have been told, there is an increased risk with all diesel BMWs of that age, but some batches of these coolers are higher risk than others.

In this instance part of my concern is the misinformation that I seem to have been given by my dealer.

I’m sure you’re right that I have more risk of being diagnosed with cancer in the next 10 years, but that isn’t a reason to ignore all lesser risks. One risk doesn’t cancel out the other - they are cumulative.