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View Full Version : AVOID new 7 series at all costs! 745Li owner here...(Duplicate; registered now.)



Heidi528
06-27-2004, 10:11 PM
Yes, another dissatisfied Bimmer owner here. This is my 7th BMW, so I'm not unfamiliar with them at all. I've had an '02 745Li for 14 months now. It's been driveable about 12 months out of that. 19,000 miles in, the navigation system has been replaced twice, the exhaust once, battery twice. Various software upgrades - and downgrades when the upgrades screw up the car - have been performed; they take about a day each. Parking sensors have been replaced, and other computer modules along the way. Current problems? Transmission stinks. Go up a hill slowly, the transmission downshifts. Get to the top, and either drive in that low gear or play with the gas pedal to remind the car to shift. Same issue going downhill; it won't shift back to where it should be on its own. If I'd wanted manual I would have bought manual. I've had comments from passengers about that issue. The navigation system is hard to read (I'm on an '04 version now), and loves to freeze up at the most inconvenient times. If it's not freezing up, the display is telling me to go one way, the voice another. Half the towns in my area don't seem to have any driveable roads, according the BMW. The streets simply don't exist when trying to put in information. There are random error messages. Like reminders to put the car in park before turning it off. Always helpful when driving down the interstate. Or nasty notes about needing a remote to drive. (Gee, what is that thing in the ignition?) The memory is that of a geriatric patient; it forgets settings, and likes to reset everything to metric when least expected. Pushing the start button occasionally starts the car. Other times it just runs the battery down. Currently, the car is swearing that I have a flat tire. Darn if I can see it! At least it's the rear tire today. Yesterday it insisted it was a front tire. My dealer promised a buy back last fall. It's the end of June - I haven't had any success. On Friday, in desperation, I went to the Audi dealer and signed for a 2004 A8L. I pick it up tomorrow. I then went to my BMW dealer and pleaded one more time. "We're working on it." BMW's last offer was that if I gave them back the '02, plus $5000, I could step into the '04. Sounds good, but... I paid a 30 month lease in advance. If I take their offer, they'll allow me to start a new lease without penalty. In other words, every penny I've put into the lemon is lost, and I'm back at square one. And I'm supposed to accept? The original terms were I give them the '02, they give me the '04, and we call it even. Same terms, buy out at the end, etc. Why should I pay more than I already have? I didn't ask for these problems. I'm even willing to put out the extra $5000 for tax & title, although I shouldn't have to. Their offer causes me to lose everything, tens of thousands of dollars. So I plan on picking up the Audi, parking the BMW in the driveway (I just don't feel comfortable or SAFE driving it anymore), and hire a good attorney to do battle. Seems BMW feels they already have my money, so too bad. Anyone else out there in the same situation? Most of the '04 owners I've met had their '02's bought back. I'm stuck with an expensive and worthless toy. If anyone has any bright ideas, comments, or similar - email me at heidi@ctrealtor.net. And wish me luck!

Bimmer Nut Ed
06-28-2004, 12:15 AM
Man I just hate hearing about stories like your's. I don't have much to say, other than let us know what BMW does for you. I have to think they will make things right. What if you took it back to another dealer?

Anyway, I did use the navigation system on a new 5er in Germany and was very pleased with it. Once I set it to English Language, it worked like a charm. Although the rest of the IDrive interface features kinda sucked. Give me back the buttons, or make the interface work better. The interface was not "fast". It seemed to have a delay which when using something like a "mouse" is terrible. You do things fast and end up waiting to see if it's on the same topic you are.

Good luck

Bruno
06-28-2004, 04:31 PM
I knew that with so many electronic in the new 7, bad things were going to happen...
That is why I am not buying a 8 series...

Too many electronics isn't too good for cars...

ryan roopnarine
06-28-2004, 08:41 PM
electrics on the 8 series????

i'd think that a lot of other things would disqualify such a car before the electrics would.....ie the 430 dollar sunroof motor, &c. &c.

i know you work on cars, what electrical aspects complicate the 8 more than the e32 or e38? the shoehorned 12cyl in my friends' cousin's car is leaking gas from somewhere underhood, there must be like 20 additional hoses under there that are likely suspects, nothing obvious. in addition to it leaking oil, having a flaky lkm, dysfunctional fuel level sensor, intermittent ASC problems, windshield wiper problems.....



I knew that with so many electronic in the new 7, bad things were going to happen...
That is why I am not buying a 8 series...

Too many electronics isn't too good for cars...

Heidi528
06-28-2004, 11:42 PM
UPDATE - Picked up the Audi today. Sweet machine! The nav system and other interfaces are far superior to BMW, and so much easier to use. I could learn to like this car... BMW made another "offer" today, when I showed up in person. Of course it's just one of many, and not in writing, and there's "Paperwork" that will have to be done first. Same story for 9 months now. At this point I don't think I want the new one, just my money back. All of it. And damages for the inconveniences of the past 15 months, the extra costs, and so on.

I have to give Audi credit. They've done better than BMW on this one. Let's just hope that it holds up better as well!

Kamil
07-08-2004, 12:48 PM
Man, I thought I had problems when the bulbs on my OBC went out. :D