VOB BMW of Maryland

Messages
1
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0
Location
North Potomac, MD
#1
On June 23rd I was driving to drop my friend off at his house and after coming up the driveway, my brakes failed. I had to push the brakes half way down before they responding. Being very concerned and confused, I drove slowly home and started looking up any other related issues on the web.
On June 24th I got in my car and drove to BMW Excluservice in Rockville, MD. Thinking that my warranty was over (being that I had 56,000 miles on the car) I was recommended this shop as having factory trained mechanics that mostly came from dealerships. Here I met Hector and he began to diagnose my problems. Thumbing through the paperwork I brought him he saw that I purchased the car used and that I had a 100,000-mile CPO warranty that should cover my brake problems. We looked up the fault codes on the computer readout and he carefully explained what each one meant and how that could affect the problems I was having. He said he would love to fix my car and take my money, but wouldn’t feel right about it being that I had a warranty.
I took my car to VOB BMW in Rockville, MD (just a minute down the road.) Talking to my service advisor Doug was not going anywhere. He said I should probably talk to Brian. Brian used to be my service advisor but moved up the ladder to service director after Mike Winter moved the BMW of Sterling. I brought a typed up paper that had all the fault codes and talked to Brian in detail about my car and how it was responding. He said he would try his best to look at it as soon as possible.
The next evening I got a phone call from Doug. He said that my car would not be worked on at all due to the aftermarket accessories I had. He complained about the PlayStation and Xbox that were in the trunk. Both of those don’t have any of the wires hooked up to them and never have. It is a very unfinished project. His complaint was the power draw that these were creating on the car and said that was affecting the entire car’s computer. He said he would be unable to do any testing on the car due to power flocculation.
The following morning (Thursday I believe) my father and I both showed up at the dealership to talk to Brian. He again said he would not work on the car because of the aftermarket accessories I had on the car. I told him I could very easily disconnect the power to the angel eyes and subwoofers and that if the fuse to the radio and cigarette lighter were removed, the car would again be electrically stock and there would be no extra current draw. After talking for some time he said he would contact a regional rep and get back to me within a few days. I told Brian I was going out of town and that I would be on a cruise July 3rd through 6th.
I called on Tuesday and left a message for Brian asking what the status of my car was. Thursday July 3rd I finally got a phone call back from Brian. He said the regional rep said if I turned the car back to stock that warranty work could then commence and my problems could be solved. At this point I was already on the Boat heading out to sea and told him I would be there Monday or Tuesday to unplug the aftermarket equipment and that it would take me no longer than 15 minutes to do so.
I showed up Tuesday morning with a socket and a screw driver (the only tools needed to unplug my equipment.) Brian asked me if I was here to pick up my car and take it somewhere else. He said he did not want to work on the car. I reminded him of our conversation from Thursday and he finally agreed. He said I would have to drive my car home (which wasn’t braking correctly) and do all the work there. I told him it was literally only two tools that I needed and that it would take next to no time. Brian told me that due to insurance reasons I would not be aloud to alter my car in any way on VOB’s property. I told him I would then drive it across the street and do it there. He sent for my car to be brought down to me. Around the corner I hear some serious bass coming from a car. Sure enough it’s my car being driven by some thug listening to rap very loudly w/ the seat all the way back and leaned down. He stopped the car, left the door open, and walked away! Now I’m 6 feet tall… the seat did not need to be adjusted as if to sleep in the car in order to drive it 100 yards. I turned the bass down on the radio (it was all the way up) and drove across the street. As I was leaving the “parking police” told me I was not aloud to leave my car on VOB’s property! I drove the car there and was now told to talk my BMW off the property to do the altercations… now I’m being told that I can only drive 1 car at a time… but I have to have both of them off the property! I moved the van to another part of the lot and drove off in the BMW.
Shortly thereafter I came back with the car changed. I left the equipment in the car but unplugged all of it. Brian said he would get to my car as quick as he could but probably would not be able to have it looked at until Wednesday.
Thursday July 10th rolls by and I hear nothing so I call Brian and leave a message. I call him again Friday and am told he’s with another customer and that he’ll call me right back. I do not receive any phone calls from Brian so I leave a message Sunday night in hopes that he will call me Monday. I hear NOTHING from VOB the entire week! Friday 18th my father calls VOB and eventually speaks with Doug. He says that Brian is out on vacation and that he will return on Tuesday July 21st. So while Brian is vacationing my car is just sitting in the lot looking pretty. My dad enquires about the progress of the car. Doug informs my dad that the mechanic refuses to work on my car because of the aftermarket equipment. This is 3 weeks after the original date that I brought in my car!
Monday the 21st in the afternoon my house is called and my mom is told that the car is ready to be picked up. I was in shock. I had my friend drop me off at VOB on his way to VA. I find a brand new service manager as the new Silver team advisor. I ask him about me car and am told that the ticket is waiting at the counter. I go to the counter and find that the only work that has been done on my car is a steering angle sensor and am charged $515 to have it replaced. I am furious because I complained about my brakes, o2 sensor, and right rear window! So now I’m stuck hear at VOB with a car that hasn’t been properly address in 27 days! I have no ride home so I pay the ticket and take my car planning on returning with the car the following morning planning to talk with Brian. The car is brought down to me and placed blocking all traffic at the driveway. I am talking to a technician and he is explained the work done to me for about 10 minutes. As I walk out to my car the “parking Police” tells me I have to move my car out of the driveway immediately. I told him was inspecting my car for any scratches/dents before I left. He said I would have to do that else where because the car was blocking people. I yelled saying that I did not park the car here; his incompetent staff parked the car blocking every body. So I moved if 10 feet forward and then checked my car.
Driving home I can tell the car is not fixed. The brakes work, but they take a much further depression of the pedal for them to activate. As the car heated up, the problem seemed to be getting worse and worse. Driving down a road somebody cut out in front of me and forced me to slam on my brakes. Here is what scared the crap out of me… The brake pedal was touching the floor and the car was slowing down. I was able to pull onto the shoulder (lucky there was one) and avoid a high-speed collision. This has been a nightmare all my life (not having brakes) and I just went through it. Needless to say I was pissed. I kept the car in 2nd gear and drove the last 2 miles home. I called BMW of NA and told them all that had happened. I decided to go in and talk to Brian the next day.
I went in around 10AM and began talking with Brian. He made up excuses for the delayed service and told me he would never attempt any form of warranty work on my car in the future. He apologized for not addressing any of the other problems I mentioned. After much argument he said the best thing he would be willing to do was tow the car from my house to VOB to have the brakes looked at but that it would be scheduled in with all the other incoming service and that would take time. This whole time Brian has been trying to push me out and not service my car. I thought that was what dealerships do… fix cars!
Now the car is still sitting at my house as I’m trying to arrange for it to be worked at in Sterling. I’ve called Mike Winter (Service Director at BMW of Sterling in VA) and have not gotten a phone call back. VOB’s terrible customer service has scared me and I will never do any business with them again. I suggest all do the same.
 
Messages
2,611
Likes
5
Location
Seattle Area
#2
Wow, Unbelievable. And I thought I had problems. Man, I hope you get this taken care of. They should realize we didn't buy a $15,000 Ford Escort! [chair]
 
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Messages
101
Likes
0
Location
CT
#4
Sorry, that sucks bigtime....if all that happened to me i would be back in there yelling and screaming [mad] ....hope everything works out for ya
 
Messages
58
Likes
0
Location
Austin Texas
#5
I hate that shit. My mom had a 55,000 dollar sts and we took it to moritz bmw and cadillac of fortworth texas and they where all laphing at my moms car because it had a lil tint of pink on the outside ( did not know it was pink when we got it ( it was cloudy)) i think it was called coral white or something. But any ways my mom did not find it a funny deal because it was not a cheep car and she liked it. The next time she went to have it serviced it was even worse they made horible fun of the car and when she saw the guy that was driving to her after it was serviced she freeked the guy was playing the bose sound system as loud as it could go. My mom almost killed the guy. Any ways we looked the car over and there was a huge Fuc*** scratch on the hood. So having enough of the crap she called my dad . he came down there and scared her service guy so bad he went in his office and dead bullted the door. we got the service manager and had him have them buff the scratch out. A few days later we took the car to a chevy dealer and traded it in for a new chevy tahoe ( now my car) Now my mom says she will never have a cadillac again ........

Today she just bought a new c class mercedes wich we will get Friday after they detail the car. she is starting entry level so she can make sure she likes them then she will prob. get a e class or clk


NEVER buy a cadillac we have had many of there cars and many probs. with there service department at diff.. dealers[mad]
 

epj3

Senior Member
Messages
7,370
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0
Location
Lancaster, PA
#6
Aftermarket thing is bullshit. It's not like you did any brake modifications, correct? If the car is not supposed to power anything else then they should remove all access to the power system.
 
Messages
70
Likes
0
Location
MD
#7
cynic, thanks for the heads up. I live in Southern Maryland and the closest dealership is Passport. I wasn't crazy about them, but my experience wasn't too bad. I think it may be a Maryland thing. I've found an abundance of rudeness and stupidity in customer service since moving here.

So, how's the story end?
 
Messages
105
Likes
0
Location
Antioch, CA
#8
///M SPEED said:
Wow, Unbelievable. And I thought I had problems. Man, I hope you get this taken care of. They should relize we didn't buy a $15,000 Ford Escort! [chair]
Wow, a Ford Escort costs $15.000?

I had a Toyota at the dealer 7 times for the same fix! The last time they kept it 8 weeks because they broke some part in the steering column. U know there was not much that I could do. I consulted the factory rep. and be basically told me to "get over it" Other then I will NEVER buy another Toyota again!
 
Messages
193
Likes
0
Location
Dallas, TX
#9
That's totally messed up. I'm sorry to hear that. That dealership is totally mess up. gossshhh I don't know what else to say. I'm sorry...

Good luck to you. I'll get a lawyer and discuss with them.
 

eatrach

New Member
Messages
13
Likes
0
Location
La Verme
#10
This is a perfect example of BMW NA not addressing issues at their dealerships. I've had a bad experience with Assael BMW out here in Los Angeles. No wonder real BMW enthusiasts are jumping chips to Audi, or Mercedes, sometimes even Japenese cars. I don't blame them. After my ordeal, I am jumping chips to buy different brands. I am fed up with companies that advertise customer service, and "Ultimate Driving Machine", and what I end up getting is "Ultimate Nightmare Machine".
Good Luck.
Eli Atrach
 


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