|
In Reply to: X5 Concerns??? posted by Pete G. on July 15, 2001 at 20:57:19:
This is the buggiest car I have ever owned. The folks on this board are not nitpickers or whiners. And it doesn't matter how bad a Benz M-Class is. What matters is how your car performs and how reliable it is. In fact, the JDPower initial quality survey has the X5 about 165th out of 190 or so, which tells the whole story.
Bottom line: Aside from a wildly buggy car, I started with an entirely incompetent dealer and a BMW field engineer who supported that incompetence. At least now, I have a sensational dealer who really cares and actually fixes things, so that takes off some of the bad edge. What's more, over at BMW, there's a great guy named Chuck WInik who will try his best for you, and a field engineer named Steve Green who really works for and cares about owners. But more bad news...
It's not as if things are fixed and the car gets OK. Sure, a lot of things hav e been worked off, but it seems as if the bugs never stop. At 1 year and 26,000 miles plus, big and little things still keep going wrong. I recently had a steering rack replaced (first problem with any drive system, which is good news I suppose), and in a visit last week, here's what what was done:
Key memory was disabled because no software fix is available.
-Another fix for the AM radio "screeeee."
-Front passenger seatbelt was untwisted.
-A control button was replaced because the finish peeled off.
-The ashtray lid was replaced because it jammed.
-On-board computer lost all data for the 3rd time. Dealer will talk to factory guy.
-GSP software was replaced, but the system still doesn't know how to get me home.
And this was last week. This week, a significanct squeak started up in back. I think it's the rear seats rubbing togethger.
It is absolutely not as if things don't go wrong with cars. But this has been a bit much. I really hate to say this, but I truly suspect U.S. build quality. According to a guy at BMWNA, this has never happened with a German-built BMW.
So maybe you'll get a good one. I hope so. It is, as I said, a great car to drive. But we owners have a right to expect more. I paid $60,000+ because I literally took every option except window shades. But I wouldn't tolerate the problems I've hit here in a $25,000 car.
I think that the biggest question of all is Why did BMW release cars like this, and why haven't they solved things both for new builds and for us owners?
Would I buy it again? You know, it is otherwise so much fun, I just might. I think that makes me clinically insane.
© 1997 -
2009
Jump Internet Inc. All rights reserved.
