BMW i4

I have legal advice that says otherwise but will see how it plays out

Yes, I left feedback via BMW Ireland outlining the poor customer service. They didn't respond although next day the dealer did call me.

I've not spent any money on legal fees as I'm related to one!

Keans BMW right now

Its a tricky business

But.....

1) the clock is already ticking on reasonable time to achieve a fix.

2) yes a replacement EV will take time but the legal position (strictly speaking) and how BMW should address this aren't quite the same thing.

Legal stuff is the bare minimum BMW need to offer by law.

However there is another element to this

Management of customer goodwill and brand perception.

Yes perhaps legally BMW can decide that the solution is a replacement car and not a refund.

BUT as a premium manufacturer in this scenario then they should from a customer relations viewpoint.

Engage with the customer to find a solution that the customer is happy with.

This might even involve a deal for an ICE BMW of same value if the customer is turned off the EV thing*.

Where a full refund is useful is that you can buy anything you like afterwards so the EV supply issues aren't a barrier.

You can run out and buy a 12 k Toyota Avensis and on the same day order up any car you want (EV or not).

*if you've had 9 ICE BMWs with no issues and the 10th lemon one is your first EV then you might feel the EV stuff is the issue. As opposed to BMWs in general.

I really hope they get this sorted out in a timely manner for you, I had an issue with my first Ev in 2019 when the car was delayed in Transit & had a minor MCU issue and i was only told about it the day before pick up, after kicking up a bit of a fuss with the manager in Sandyford Tesla gave me a similar spec demo Model 3 for 7 weeks until my car was repaired, they did offer me my money back but i declined. So surely BMW Ireland can get this issue sorted asap for a long standing customer

I thought the poster whose having the issues mentioned that he'd owned 10 BMWs and that this was the 1st one to have issues.

Appeared to be for sale as it had the spec up beside it with all the options on it and the asking price.

It is on 20" wheels which really improve the stance. pity they reduce the range so much.

If it is sold they shouldn't have it out on display to be pawed at by all. I certainly wouldn't be impressed if it was my car.

That's a bit odd considering they have a waiting list for the M50s as well as the e40s.

I wonder if it's a demo model. Was it the matte paint finish. The matte paint is a bit pricey as a 3.5k option. Plus maintenance is a pain or so I hear. 🤣

The 20inch wheels really kill the range. But they do look lovely.

How much?

That's less than €10k below a Taycan (with no options). I think I would save for another few months and buy the Porsche instead 😂

Hah... no way, no BMW owner ever been that lucky.

I had the turbo fail twice in an E46 320D (not a petrol head car but I loved that coupe) - thankfully it was under warranty.

I had an engine failure twice in an F36 that broke my heart and left me down at the side of the road in the pissing rain but the service and response from Morrisons was excellent.

A few other minor issues with BMWs over the years but nothing too serious.

The issue for me is in no way that the car has proven to be defective - **** happens, cars are built with faulty parts, or develop them over time due to poor design or stress or fatigue, software and firmware contain bugs and you have to expect issues with any first gen of a vehicle - that really doesn't bother me at all.. it's the manner in which I've been treated by the dealer and the lack of response from BMW Ireland after purchasing a car with a tag over 80K that I had for less than a week.

I've been shouted at over the phone by the sales manager due to what I can only assume was his frustration with the detailer. His frustration was understandable but the way he shouted at me was unacceptable.

Broken down and left at the side of the road for 4 hours - had to make my own way home after being told a rental would be sorted in 2 hours - no call back, no response, nothing. Taxi expenses still awaiting refund 4 weeks later.

Ignored and not received any response from after sales for days, had to chase again and again for updates and when they came they didn't often make sense. Doesn't seem like there is any sense of urgency. I just don't believe that if they really wanted to get this sorted that this timeline needed to be as extended as it has been and continues to be.

Oh and a mechanic/ technician sitting on the bonnet of the car smoking a cigarette - I don't care if it's a used or new car - shows an utter lack of respect for the car and a disregard for anyone who takes pride in the appearance of their vehicle.

Left another voicemail today and a got a call back this afternoon informing me that a "special/ testing" cable of some sort now needs to come from the Germany and wont arrive until Friday (is it too much to ask that shipping would be expedited/ overnighted?).

A senior engineer also has to come from Dublin (I was told he was on holiday last week and that's why he could not come), he's only back at work since yesterday I'm told but can't come until the cable is there and so that will be next week after the bank holiday.

Not much urgency in any of that from my point of view - I struggle to believe a cable could not have been sourced sooner and that's there's only one person in the country who would be qualified to work on the car - maybe I'm wrong?

So it will be another 2 weeks at best I'd imagine.

I really should have walked away after the sales manager shouted at me but my decision was clouded by my desire for the car that I'd waited 6 months for, that and the money I'd spent on the GTechniq coating - lesson learned.

You get absolutely nothing with the Porsche though, I just couldn’t.

You still get a Porsche. A very large one, but still one that looks and feels and drives like a Porsche. Which is superior to any BMW. And with a long range and super fast charging. And tiny depreciation.

It's not fast but neither is a i4 M50 really if you compare them to the faster Teslas...

Faster Teslas? As in the model S? Can you even order them now? I’d have no interest in a second hand one for similar price.

As for the Porsche, yes it’s a Porsche but you can’t afford one unless you can afford to tick a good few of those options. Lowest I could spec a RWD to is €115k.

My previous car (8 year old Tesla Model S) had similar acceleration as the i4 M50 and a lot quicker than Taycan base model. Any newer than that Performance Model S is a lot quicker than my old car was.

Sold it for €36k, so well less than half of what an i4 M50 costs. Straight line speed is not the be all and end all of course, but it is good to know what's what. I'd rather own a base Taycan than my old Tesla, for sure 😁