Warranty work denied because of painted brake calipers

james33 · 07-20-2012, 01:33 PM

I know this is the 3 series forum but it gets a lot more traffic than the Z4 forum. And we do own a 2003 330ci convertible and a 135i so I hope y'all will cut me a little slack. :-)

My wife's 2008 M Coupe warranty was ending due to time (4 years in July of 2012). Her car had 34,570 or so miles on it. I took it in to Roadshow BMW in Cordova, TN to have a final once over to make sure nothing needed to be done before the warranty expired. This was on the 11th or 12th of July.

They looked the car over and repaired a sticky volume control button on the steering wheel and replaced the trunk latch mechanism under warranty. They also checked brakes (as is noted on the work order/receipt I got). The car got a clean bill of health and I was sent on my way. Brakes were working perfectly before taking it in – I have never had any issues mechanically with the car.

I drive the car home and when I pull into the garage the left front brake is smoking. The wheel is so hot I can’t touch it. I noticed no pulling or anything strange on the way home.
I take the car back the next morning. They look at it and call me to tell me they need to replace the caliper (and rotor, pads, etc) but can't do it under warranty because there is paint on the caliper.

Calipers were painted when we bought the car (used from a dealer in NJ). Calipers/brakes have never been off the car to my knowledge as it's never required new pads or any work.

I met with the service manager at Roadshow and he states he cannot warranty it so I call BMWNA Customer relations and they say the same thing. So I ask for her manager and get a call Monday July 16.

Elizabeth from customer care calls me back on Monday July 16 and we go around in circles yet again. She stated that it could be several days before a decision was made - something about going through several departments/channels??? I explained my side of the case, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, and that I was a loyal BMW owner with 3 cars currently.

As of this week the M coupe is no longer under warranty (it expired the 16th or so). I'm now waiting to see what happens - the car is still at Roadshow BMW. This is absolute absurdity - paint on a caliper would no more cause it to fail than a coating of dirt or a sticker.

Any advice, people to contact, letters to write, etc. would be most appreciated!
Thanks
James

james33 · 07-20-2012, 02:19 PM

Just got a call from BMW NA and they will not cover the part because it was modified. End of story, do not pass go, do not get your car repaired under warranty. Because paint caused the caliper to lock up.

zanth119 · 07-20-2012, 02:27 PM

I just had the calipers painted on my E91. Prior to getting the work done, I verified with the BMW Sales Rep who sold me the car earlier this year that painting wouldn't void the warranty. The shop that did the painting also said the same thing, and they service BMW's almost exclusively. Sounds like this is one of those grey areas where policy varies from dealership to dealership. It's a shame you got stuck on the losing end of the matter.

If you're a BMW CCA member, I believe they offer an arbitration service, though don't know much more other than what I read on their website.

james33 · 07-20-2012, 04:54 PM

I contacted BMW NA, BMW CCA Ombudsman, and tried to negotiate anything with Roadshow. Batting zero. So I ordered parts from Rocky Mountain Euro and BAV Auto and wil be doing brakes next weekend.

I've done them on all of my cars but not the M Coupe. Any one have any "watch out for" or "be careful" tips?

07-20-2012, 01:33 PM	#1
james33 Private First Class 35 Rep 184 Posts Drives: 2011 Lotus Evora Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Memphis, TN iTrader: (0)	Warranty work denied because of painted brake calipers I know this is the 3 series forum but it gets a lot more traffic than the Z4 forum. And we do own a 2003 330ci convertible and a 135i so I hope y'all will cut me a little slack. :-) My wife's 2008 M Coupe warranty was ending due to time (4 years in July of 2012). Her car had 34,570 or so miles on it. I took it in to Roadshow BMW in Cordova, TN to have a final once over to make sure nothing needed to be done before the warranty expired. This was on the 11th or 12th of July. They looked the car over and repaired a sticky volume control button on the steering wheel and replaced the trunk latch mechanism under warranty. They also checked brakes (as is noted on the work order/receipt I got). The car got a clean bill of health and I was sent on my way. Brakes were working perfectly before taking it in – I have never had any issues mechanically with the car. I drive the car home and when I pull into the garage the left front brake is smoking. The wheel is so hot I can’t touch it. I noticed no pulling or anything strange on the way home. I take the car back the next morning. They look at it and call me to tell me they need to replace the caliper (and rotor, pads, etc) but can't do it under warranty because there is paint on the caliper. Calipers were painted when we bought the car (used from a dealer in NJ). Calipers/brakes have never been off the car to my knowledge as it's never required new pads or any work. I met with the service manager at Roadshow and he states he cannot warranty it so I call BMWNA Customer relations and they say the same thing. So I ask for her manager and get a call Monday July 16. Elizabeth from customer care calls me back on Monday July 16 and we go around in circles yet again. She stated that it could be several days before a decision was made - something about going through several departments/channels??? I explained my side of the case, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, and that I was a loyal BMW owner with 3 cars currently. As of this week the M coupe is no longer under warranty (it expired the 16th or so). I'm now waiting to see what happens - the car is still at Roadshow BMW. This is absolute absurdity - paint on a caliper would no more cause it to fail than a coating of dirt or a sticker. Any advice, people to contact, letters to write, etc. would be most appreciated! Thanks James
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07-20-2012, 02:19 PM	#2
james33 Private First Class 35 Rep 184 Posts Drives: 2011 Lotus Evora Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Memphis, TN iTrader: (0)	Just got a call from BMW NA and they will not cover the part because it was modified. End of story, do not pass go, do not get your car repaired under warranty. Because paint caused the caliper to lock up.
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07-20-2012, 02:27 PM	#3
zanth119 Buy the ticket, take the ride! 6 Rep 84 Posts Drives: 2002 330cic, 2012 328ix Wagon Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Philly, PA iTrader: (1) Garage List 2012 BMW 328i xDriv ... [0.00] 2002 BMW 330cic [0.00]	I just had the calipers painted on my E91. Prior to getting the work done, I verified with the BMW Sales Rep who sold me the car earlier this year that painting wouldn't void the warranty. The shop that did the painting also said the same thing, and they service BMW's almost exclusively. Sounds like this is one of those grey areas where policy varies from dealership to dealership. It's a shame you got stuck on the losing end of the matter. If you're a BMW CCA member, I believe they offer an arbitration service, though don't know much more other than what I read on their website. __________________
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07-20-2012, 04:54 PM	#4
james33 Private First Class 35 Rep 184 Posts Drives: 2011 Lotus Evora Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Memphis, TN iTrader: (0)	I contacted BMW NA, BMW CCA Ombudsman, and tried to negotiate anything with Roadshow. Batting zero. So I ordered parts from Rocky Mountain Euro and BAV Auto and wil be doing brakes next weekend. I've done them on all of my cars but not the M Coupe. Any one have any "watch out for" or "be careful" tips?
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