Car Question aka so my recalled driveshaft blew up on me...

[Gundo]

Exactly as the title reads. I have a 2011 BMW X5 (95,000kms) that was part of a recall for a drive shaft problem found in the link below. We took our SUV into the dealership in June and were told the recalled part was 6 months away and we would be contacted at that time.

http://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2011...n-problem.html

Anyways, my wife was driving my son to school on Friday when she calls me and says that "she heard a loud bang while driving, kind of lost power and heard a bunch of grinding and now the car won't move and shes stuck roadside with 2 kids"

So I get there and I am greeted by the site found in this picture


We had the X5 towed to Calgary BMW where they have told me that the recalled driveshaft had a catastrophic failure while the car was in motion, the broken driveshaft blew apart the oil pan causing the oil to drain and they will need until Tuesday/Wednesday to inspect if both the transmission and engine sustained damage.

My train of though is that if the recalled part failed and caused the engine to lose all oil while it was running, I don't want any part of this vehicle anymore regardless of the outcome.

I know that BMW still has to continue their analysis of the vehicle but I am wondering if any of the dealership guys or anyone out there think I have any leverage to possibly use to get out of this SUV and into something else ?

[BlackArcher101]

That's brutal. And all for a $100 part. http://www.mybimmerparts.com/oe-bmw/26208605866

[zamler]

I would contact BMW directly both by phone and email.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

I think I speak for everyone when I say, boy I sure hope BMW are better about this than Truman Homes.

[Gundo]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

I think I speak for everyone when I say, boy I sure hope BMW are better about this than Truman Homes.

They have already said that the repairs would be covered due to the recalled part failing and if not I have extended warranty until December 8.

[puffnstuff]

What kind of leverage are you talking about? BMW will repair the damge and replace the recalled part, you get a vehicle with 95 k that will have, what I am guessing will be a basically new/rebuilt engine and trans. What else do you want?

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

What else do you want?

Sounds like he wants out of this vehicle and into something else because his trust will forever be destroyed. But exactly what I don't know. Want BMW to buy it back? Give him a different model? At who's cost?

[Gundo]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

What kind of leverage are you talking about? BMW will repair the damge and replace the recalled part, you get a vehicle with 95 k that will have, what I am guessing will be a basically new/rebuilt engine and trans. What else do you want?

That's the uncertain part at this time, if the engine or transmission will actually be replaced. I thinking long term, come time to sell would you be interested in someone trying to sell a higher end SUV with something along the lines of 150,000kms on car only 60,000km on engine ?

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

Sounds like he wants out of this vehicle and into something else because his trust will forever be destroyed. But exactly what I don't know. Want BMW to buy it back? Give him a different model? At who's cost?

Pretty much what BlackArcher just said, if they don't replace the engine knowing it was run without engine oil for an undetermined amount of time and it blows up in a year, then what? Engines for those things run upwards of $15K-$21K.

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

What kind of leverage are you talking about? BMW will repair the damge and replace the recalled part, you get a vehicle with 95 k that will have, what I am guessing will be a basically new/rebuilt engine and trans. What else do you want?

The lost value would be a start I would assume. Ain't nobody buying a used vehicle especially a BMW with a new engine and transmission unless there is a serious discount. He is entitled to that value that he's losing.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Gundo

Pretty much what BlackArcher just said, if they don't replace the engine knowing it was run without engine oil for an undetermined amount of time and it blows up in a year, then what? Engines for those things run upwards of $15K-$21K.

I may be missing something here, but when was the engine running without oil?

[Gundo]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

I may be missing something here, but when was the engine running without oil?

When the driveshaft blew it tore apart the oil pan, my wife limped it along for a couple hundred feet. She also had it in park running when it was on the side of the road for a few minutes.

[RougeUnderoos]

I'm sure you're good on that front. There was still oil in the engine for that couple hundred feet and short time it was idling. There's still some in there now.

[speede5]

Originally Posted by Gundo

When the driveshaft blew it tore apart the oil pan, my wife limped it along for a couple hundred feet. She also had it in park running when it was on the side of the road for a few minutes.

While not ideal this would not worry me at all. The residual oil in the engine will keep things lubricated for a little bit, and an idling engine is pretty easy on lubricated parts. The tranny, sans oil, just doesn't move. no harm no foul.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

I think I speak for everyone when I say, boy I sure hope BMW are better about this than Truman Homes.

How would BMW know that he hadn't just stood on the driveshaft?

[Titan]

Originally Posted by D as in David

How would BMW know that he hadn't just stood on the driveshaft?

Came for this. Leaving satisfied.

[puffnstuff]

Originally Posted by calgaryblood

The lost value would be a start I would assume. Ain't nobody buying a used vehicle especially a BMW with a new engine and transmission unless there is a serious discount. He is entitled to that value that he's losing.

That is not what warranty or recalls are for. Its for repairing/replacing failed or defective parts. The value, or future value, of the vehicle has no bearing on the coverage prior to or after repair. Vehicles are depreciating assets.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

That is not what warranty or recalls are for. Its for repairing/replacing failed or defective parts. The value, or future value, of the vehicle has no bearing on the coverage prior to or after repair. Vehicles are depreciating assets.

Yeah but the vehicle failed due to a defective part that was up for recall, and caused a tremendous amount of damage to the vehicle and may have hurt future resale value.

I think it may be difficult to get any restitution but it definitely doesn't hurt to ask. And that's the point of this thread, he's asking if anyone knows if there is any precedent to getting any restitution and what that might be.

[llwhiteoutll]

Would be very hard to get any sort of compensation for perceived diminished value, even on insurance claims it doesn't happen. The dealer is going to make the OP whole by fixing all the damage that occurred, for anything over and above that, it would need to go to court and actual damages shown.

Or you get the one in a million service advisor and manager who is willing to either fight BMW or take a loss on the car trading it in. Since it's a 5 year old car, I don't think the OP would be the customer that BMW falls over themselves to retain.

[burn_this_city]

There won't be any real diminished value if they fix it. Even if they put a new motor in it you probably won't make money, but I can't see a scenario where you take a bath trying to sell it. Mechanical repairs aren't see negatively like autobody repairs.

[speede5]

In the event the motor or transmission were repalced, which I doubt it would, you would think it would increase the resale. It's not a collectible car where numbers need to match, and a new motor/trans should extend the life.

The secondary market for BMW's isn't that snobby is it? :P