[boi222]

I live in NYC and there are tons of potholes. Does BMW cover shocks or suspension damage as a result of going over a pothole?

Also, how do you tell if your shocks or suspension are damaged. I hit lots of pot holes that made really loud bangs, .. I was just wondering

-what kind of damage does it cause?
-how do i know if there is damage?
-will bmw cover it?

Thanks for any comments.

[david1026]

I'm a law student, so take this with a grain of salt, but my profession for Torts was lecturing the other day about how the municipality is responsible for pothole damage as they are charged with the upkeep of the roads. Here in Nebraska you file a claim with the city, they have up to six months to review and make a decision, and if they deny it then you can file suit for the costs. But you might just be looking at small claims, so odds are if you took pics of the road you were on that would be enough to qualify the need for road maintenance.

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by boi222

Does BMW cover shocks or suspension damage as a result of going over a pothole? .

You are joking, right?

Did BMW put the pothole there?

The answer to my question will be the same answer to the question you posed.

[boi222]

Hm...I know its my fault for going over the pot hole. But whats with all this hype about bmw ultimate service covering all parts, how is BMW warranty different from other vendor's warranty then?

I know this is strechting it, but if there is damage within 3 months of owning it, i think it should be covered cause a new car should be able withstand some amount of potholes.

Anyway, I also have their tire insurance, if that makes a difference.

I was just asking out of curiosity, not sure if there is damage or not, but was hoping to be assured that it would have been covered by warranty. oo, well... ..thanks for the responses

[Spool]

If ur shocks are blown warranty might cover it...not sure tho..


but if your rims bend or break, nope...

[david1026]

Look, not to be an ass, but I was with you originally, now I think you're being whiny. If you go over a big enough hole of any size you'll screw your car up, and it is ridiculous to assume the warranty should cover that just because it is a new car. By that reasoning you might as well toss a pale of gravel at your hood, because new cars should stand up to some pebbles. Get your car checked out, if it is fine, hush and read the actual warranty information. If it is damaged go to the city claims individual and file a claim. BMW's ultimate service covers normal wear and tear, but that assumes you don't drive your car into a hole in the road. As I said previously, the city is responsible for road quality, not the car manufacturer. I can take a few shots at your door panels with my .45 if you'd like to check if the warranty will cover those too...

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by david1026

I can take a few shots at your door panels with my .45 if you'd like to check if the warranty will cover those too...

What exactly do they teach nowadays in law school? You a 1L or 2L?

[david1026]

1L - the Army taught me to shoot, Creighton University teaches me to assign liability to someone else lol

[raleedy]

seriously retarded thread

[extmtnbkr]

Originally Posted by Spool

If ur shocks are blown warranty might cover it...not sure tho..


but if your rims bend or break, nope...

If the OP has the Wheel and Tire insurance and your rim is damaged to the point where a tire can't be properly mounted a replacement wheel is covered under the Wheel and Tire warranty. I specifically asked about that when I took delivery. I'm not sure about suspension, but I imagine that you'd really have to slam that pothole to do damage to the suspension.

[BK]

Originally Posted by extmtnbkr

If the OP has the Wheel and Tire warranty and your rim is damaged to the point where a tire can't be properly mounted a replacement wheel is covered under the Wheel and Tire warranty. I specifically asked about that when I took delivery. I'm not sure about suspension, but I imagine that you'd really have to slam that pothole to do damage to the suspension.

No it isn't. I think there's some confusion in the thread about "warranty" versus "insurance." extmtnbkr, I think you mean wheel and tire insurance.

Insurance would cover this sort of damage (either the OP's wheel insurance or auto insurance). Warranty says, essentially, that the product will work as advertised for a given period of time. Warranty does not cover damage resulting from an accident, from misuse, or from use in some way or environment that it is not intended for the product to be used.

[ZheHbKa]

if you get tire warranty then you will be covered for rims and tires, BUT

i had a fight with my service center: once while entering a car wash i heard scraping, my car is too low so i backed out and went to another one.

few weeks later i went into a pothole and blew out a tire

having tire warranty the tire was replaced, BUT the mechanic said that control arm was damaged by the impact.(knowing some mechanics i make them lift up the car and show me) they resist until i threat them with filing a complaint.

at the lift i see a scratch on the control arm about half an inch long and it was a surface scratch.(the way they made it sound like it was twisted completely)

i showed them and said that they are giving me BS about this.
keep in mind these repairs would not be covered and would run me total about $1500(control arm/labor/wheel alignment)

i reply that i'm not replacing a part that is good and is just surfacely scratched

they threaten me to note that i refused a safety repair and future warranty would be affected. in front of them i make a call to BMW of NA and complain about the mechanic, which couldn't say 2 words of English to save his life.

then luckily i got a good service rep. who jumps in and takes my side and states that there was no other problems found.

so as a suggestion to all of you, don't believe all that you are told, if they say its not covered by the warranty make them show you what exactly is wrong and make sure that new part is really different. NEVER TAKE THEIR WORD ON IT!!!
i was very surprised since this is a dealer service and not a private shop, so BEWARE!

[gdnyc]

Well, does BMW have to know that you hit a pothole... Wouldn't a simple, "i was driving one day and all of a sudden I felt this (shudder, vibration, noise, etc..).
I am in NYC also. I have hit some minor bumps ( I really do mean minor bumps, not even talking about potholes here) in the road and heard a loud banging noise. It's just the run flat tires. They suck. They aren't suited for NYC. They don't absorb the shock of the bump as well as a conventional tire.

[BK]

Originally Posted by ZheHbKa

if you get tire warranty then you will be covered for rims and tires, BUT

Tire INSURANCE! Not warranty.

Sorry, pet peeve.

[nyc335i]

I actually spoke to my SA about this...he said if it is pothole damage its on you no warrenty

[canucklion]

I'm putting this in my signature line

Originally Posted by boi222

Does BMW cover shocks or suspension damage as a result of going over a pothole?

[canucklion]

and when the dealership sees a warped rim, you're suppose to reply with, 'uh, yeah, all of a sudden the rim melted like ice cream..."

Originally Posted by gdnyc

Well, does BMW have to know that you hit a pothole... Wouldn't a simple, "i was driving one day and all of a sudden I felt this (shudder, vibration, noise, etc..).
I am in NYC also. I have hit some minor bumps ( I really do mean minor bumps, not even talking about potholes here) in the road and heard a loud banging noise. It's just the run flat tires. They suck. They aren't suited for NYC. They don't absorb the shock of the bump as well as a conventional tire.

[335i4u2nv]

tire insurance is awesome. So far ive gotten 2 tires and a rim! and a loaner for 2 days. lol

[purplewidow]

lets do the opposite of a pot hole...a boulder or large stone...ummmm NO...are you nuts you have a bmw your supposed to swerve around them!!!!!

[boi222]

Thanks for all the responses. Some more constructive than others, I do have tire insurance so I have coverage over tires and rims from environmental hazzards.

From what I can conclude from the mixed responses, BMW will not cover shocks or suspension if they are damaged as a result of a pothole, but you maybe able to get away with it if you call and do not admit that you ran over a pothole.

I didn't think BMW would cover it, but wanted to confirm. End of discussion, no more flaming about its a stupid question, but if someone does have a success story, please share.

Last question, how do you know if your shocks or suspension are bad? any signs? I don't notice anything wrong with the car, I just feel the pain when I hit these potholes and hear a huge loud bang. I do notice that the ride is not as soft as it used to be but that could be my imagination.

Thanks again for all the responses. =)

[boi222]

also in response to david1026 suggestion, NYC will not pay for any damage resulting from a pothole. NYC is just filled with them, if they were to pay for every damage as a result of potholes, they would have to pay every other person who drives in NYC. but thanks for the sugguestion, it would have been great if the city took responsbility over it.

[grumpybear]

Originally Posted by canucklion

and when the dealership sees a warped rim, you're suppose to reply with, 'uh, yeah, all of a sudden the rim melted like ice cream..."

don't forget about posting a thread here and bitching for months about how BMW is screwing you while never getting it fixed.