warranty cover pothole damage?

aequitas330 · 11-06-2007, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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!

Good for you... I hate how shady some dealers can be. You handled yourself well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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!!!!!

lol... or at least slow down a little if you can't swerve..

Lost Horizon · 11-06-2007, 09:30 PM

Quote:

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...

OT: with my .45, I'm always amazed that I can see the bullets as they head downstream like tiny mortars.. Is that normal?

david1026 · 11-07-2007, 10:14 AM

Oddly I can do it too, so I'd say yes. I don't think it is really that hard as long as you're a decent shot and know where the round should be flying. Same thing with golf balls lol. Sure the bullets are fast, but for an instant or two you really can track them spinning down the range and observe the impact as long as you've placed the target (or moron) decently far back.

Roowah · 11-07-2007, 05:33 PM

BMW won't and shouldn't pay for damage due to any road hazard. The parts warranty is for defects of a specific component. Crashing over a pothole and damaging the suspension is not a defect. Nor would it be covered under the maintenance warranty as if what was broken was considered a covered maintenance item, it would be considered beyond normal wear and tear.

I wouldn't suggest going into the dealership and playing innocent as someone suggested since a competent mechanic will be able to easily spot damage caused by a severe impact. However, if you are concerned of damage (i.e. vehicle now drifting to one side or excessive vibration in the steering wheel at speed) then do take it to the dealership for an inspection.

boi222 · 11-07-2007, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roowah

BMW won't and shouldn't pay for damage due to any road hazard. The parts warranty is for defects of a specific component. Crashing over a pothole and damaging the suspension is not a defect. Nor would it be covered under the maintenance warranty as if what was broken was considered a covered maintenance item, it would be considered beyond normal wear and tear.

I wouldn't suggest going into the dealership and playing innocent as someone suggested since a competent mechanic will be able to easily spot damage caused by a severe impact. However, if you are concerned of damage (i.e. vehicle now drifting to one side or excessive vibration in the steering wheel at speed) then do take it to the dealership for an inspection.

Thanks. I was waiting for someone to tell me how to see if something is wrong. Sorry, I'm not a car guy. I do not experience drifting or excessive vibrations, so hopefully I'm good. I just wanted to ensure my new car drives like it did from day1.

Thanks for all the responses everyone.

Roowah · 11-07-2007, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boi222

Thanks. I was waiting for someone to tell me how to see if something is wrong. Sorry, I'm not a car guy. I do not experience drifting or excessive vibrations, so hopefully I'm good. I just wanted to ensure my new car drives like it did from day1.

Thanks for all the responses everyone.

You're welcome!

If you're not experiencing anything odd while driving, and you don't see any physical damage, then you may be okay. Just keep aware of anything that seems different. If you also notice excessive wear to one of your wheels and not the other, this could be an indicator that something is wrong. However you won't notice this for awhile.

gdnyc · 11-08-2007, 12:59 PM

Quote:

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..."

I was referring to suspension damage not wheel damage...

maniac005 · 12-22-2009, 01:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roowah

BMW won't and shouldn't pay for damage due to any road hazard. The parts warranty is for defects of a specific component. Crashing over a pothole and damaging the suspension is not a defect. Nor would it be covered under the maintenance warranty as if what was broken was considered a covered maintenance item, it would be considered beyond normal wear and tear.

What would be considered normal wear and tear for the suspension parts? How many miles are the parts supposed to last and will they be replaced under the maintenance program once they reach the wear and tear mileage limit?

maniac005 · 12-23-2009, 01:24 AM

Just like breaks wear out over time, suspension bushings wear out over time. BMW chose to cover brakes under the maintenance program. Shouldn't they cover the suspension as well?

ENINTY · 12-25-2009, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maniac005

Just like breaks wear out over time, suspension bushings wear out over time. BMW chose to cover brakes under the maintenance program. Shouldn't they cover the suspension as well?

Engines, transmissions, differentials, and wheel bearings all wear out over time; shouldn't BMW cover those too? Maybe the warranty should be life time!

trigimil · 12-28-2009, 04:02 PM

i hit a deep deep deep pothole that caused me to slam into a curb doing about 50-55 on a major highway in north nj. towed it to BMW. they wanted to charge me $199.00 just to get it on the alignment machine. when the mechanic put it up and saw there was suspension damage, he put it right back down.

so i guess the answer is no, its not covered. i've heard that the only way you're covered under warranty is if your check engine light is on.

11-07-2007, 10:14 AM	#25
david1026 Lawyers - We're like well dressed ninjas. 4 Rep 66 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Omaha, NE iTrader: (0)	Oddly I can do it too, so I'd say yes. I don't think it is really that hard as long as you're a decent shot and know where the round should be flying. Same thing with golf balls lol. Sure the bullets are fast, but for an instant or two you really can track them spinning down the range and observe the impact as long as you've placed the target (or moron) decently far back.
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11-07-2007, 05:33 PM	#26
Roowah Captain 28 Rep 811 Posts Drives: 2006 E90 330i 6MT Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Cambridge, MA iTrader: (0)	BMW won't and shouldn't pay for damage due to any road hazard. The parts warranty is for defects of a specific component. Crashing over a pothole and damaging the suspension is not a defect. Nor would it be covered under the maintenance warranty as if what was broken was considered a covered maintenance item, it would be considered beyond normal wear and tear. I wouldn't suggest going into the dealership and playing innocent as someone suggested since a competent mechanic will be able to easily spot damage caused by a severe impact. However, if you are concerned of damage (i.e. vehicle now drifting to one side or excessive vibration in the steering wheel at speed) then do take it to the dealership for an inspection. __________________ 2006 E90 330i 6MT: TiAg\|Black Leather\|Poplar Trim\|Premium Package\|Cold Weather Package 2003 E46 325i 5MT: Retired - The beginning of my BMW obsession!
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12-23-2009, 01:24 AM	#31
maniac005 New Member 0 Rep 18 Posts Drives: 09 335i Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Glendale, NY iTrader: (0)	Noone knows??? Just like breaks wear out over time, suspension bushings wear out over time. BMW chose to cover brakes under the maintenance program. Shouldn't they cover the suspension as well?
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12-28-2009, 04:02 PM	#33
trigimil Enlisted Member 3 Rep 32 Posts Drives: e90 LCI Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Union, NJ iTrader: (0)	i hit a deep deep deep pothole that caused me to slam into a curb doing about 50-55 on a major highway in north nj. towed it to BMW. they wanted to charge me $199.00 just to get it on the alignment machine. when the mechanic put it up and saw there was suspension damage, he put it right back down. so i guess the answer is no, its not covered. i've heard that the only way you're covered under warranty is if your check engine light is on.
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