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Worlds nicest dealer, or warranty recall on E46 alternators?

Here's my story: The alternator on my 2001 325Xi (E46) died while on the road, and the battery couldn't keep the engine running long enough to get to a repair shop. Had it towed to the dealer for repairs. (dealership is just a mile from home... convenient.)

The BMW Service Advisor called the next day with the quote: $100 diagnosis; $425 for a *REMANUFACTURED* alternator; $200 labor; $725 total. When I recovered from the swoon, I told the Advisor that I'd get back to them...

After researching online and calling some of the independent repair centers i found a *NEW* Bosch alternator was around $380; remanufactured units sell for about half that - $190. And in both cases a "core charge" is offered for the returned bad alternator.

Asked the dealership's Assistant Serv. Mgr. (formerly my Service Advisor) to, please, check the paperwork... Is this alternator new or rebuilt? Is there a core-charge rebate?

Few hours later I get a call to come pick up the car... it's repaired... and they are marking the cost off to "goodwill". That's right... they ate the whole bill! All $725!

Question: Do I have the world's nicest dealer, or was there a recall on the alternator in which he's getting his money back?

Reply to
pay
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The worlds nicest dealer. Send him flowers or beer - he's taking very good care of you. There is no recall on the alternators and certainly yours was well out of warranty.

Make sure to let him know how happy you are - a nice letter MAILED (not emailed) to him, and the general manager of the dealership will get you good attention in the future.. (get more flies with honey than vinegar..)

Reply to
admin

wrote

World's Nicest Dealer. My guess is that you get all your work done there, and it truly is a goodwill gesture to keep your business.

FloydR

Reply to
Floyd Rogers

Does it have an external regulator? $18 for a new one or $2 i brushes to repair it.

Reply to
Richard Sexton

I wonder if they had already done the work, assuming that you would sign off on it. Then when you balked, they were like "uh-oh". Then you inquired about the cost, etc. and they chalked it up to "more trouble than it's worth" and just wrote it off. I've not found BMW dealers to be particularly altruistic. But perhaps yours was more interested in a long-term relationship than a one-night stand.

Karl Winkler

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Reply to
Karl Winkler

A good friend's daughter bought a CPO 325i from our local dealer (after considerable consultation with me about the up's and downs of BMW ownership). After about a year, they called and said that as part of a BMWNA program, they wanted to bring the car in and give it a thorough inspection. Picked it up at her work, did their thing, and returned it prior to COB.

They said nothing was wrong with the car but that the tires (still OEM installation) didn't meet BMW specs. (For wear I assume?) They replaced all four tires free of charge. The car was still in its free maintenance period, but tires are one of the consumables not covered. Weird.

Now my friend is seriously considering getting a CPO E39. The dealer has certainly made a customer for life.

R / John

Reply to
John Carrier

Cynic!

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

Reply to
Dori A Schmetterling

Cynic number 2...

:-) DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

Reply to
Dori A Schmetterling

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