Quote:
Originally Posted by Uridian
Right, except that I called my dealership and BMW corporate both who told me my VIN does not have the part specific extended warranty. So the extended warranty is not a blanket, but rather specific VIN ranges that they've decided are effected.
She even told me that all the letters letting owners know about the extended warranty have been sent out, and mine is not "pending" in any way. So I'd have to bring my car to a dealership, have it diagnosed and repaired out of pocket and only then could they begin to discuss whether or not it might be covered later after the fact.
According to my dealership, this process almost never plays out while the work is being done/car is at the dealer. Instead, I'd have to pay out of pocket for diagnosis and replacement of the rack, something very likely to be in the vicinity $2000. Then they would submit to BMW, possibly get engineering involved, and hopefully at a later date, get me some kind of reimbursement for the process. That's not something I'm willing to undertake at this time.
Here is the BMW TIS Service Bulletin SI B32 08 18 - as submitted to NHTSA *by BMW*, which clearly states that it effects F22/23, but since my VIN is not associated, there is nothing anyone can do. So now I'll just wait to see if I end up with the extended warranty or if my power steering dies. I'm not willing to pay that amount of money to repair what is a clearly documented known issue in the hopes that the red tape falls in my favor eventually. |
You may want to take this further even though it will take some effort and time. You can send a physical certified letter to the CEO's office of BMW NA:
Bernhard Kuhnt
BMW of North America, LLC
300 Chestnut Ridge Road
Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677-7731
He won't read it, but someone assigned to his correspondence will and will respond. Tell them how much you like BMW. State politely and concisely that your vehicle has suffered a safety-related defect (this has a specific definition for the NHTSA) which has been recalled on other vehicles but yours is not included. Tell him you cannot afford to pay for this up front and you feel that BMW should cover the repair. Then state that you would prefer not to petition the NHTSA (this also has a specific meaning) to expand the recall and just want to get your car fixed so that it is safe to drive.
I have attached a link to the NHTSA website that describes the process if you have to resort to that. It is relatively easy and they may be inclined to look into it since the defect has already been established.
https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/recallprocess.cfm
I have had success doing this kind of thing. They would prefer to just tell your dealer to fix it and have you go away.