TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE WITH BMW SOUTH AFRICA AND CLUB MOTORS FOUNTAINS

I NOW HATE OWNING A BMW!!!

On Tuesday the 2nd April 2018 I visited Club Motors Fountains and I was assisted by Ms Lebogang Manaka (After Sales/ Service Advisor). I was complaining that my car (BMW F30, 2012 Model) was not telling me when it will be due for service and I have been driving for a very long time therefore I believe it was supposed to have been due for service. Lebogang took my Car Key so that she can run a Key reader; after doing so she told me that I still have another 12 000Kms that I can drive before servicing the car. I told her that it is not possible because I have done a lot of Kilometers since I last serviced the vehicle. She further checked the system and printed the report which shows that the car was last serviced there in April 2017 and the mileage was about 169 000 at that time, however she still re**** on the other part of the system which was telling her that I can still drive another 12 000 before the Car can be serviced.

On Friday the 6th April I drove to Mpumalanga for a weekend vacation. On my way back on Monday the 9th April 2018, The car died/ got stuck on the road (N4) next to Bronkhorspruit at night which was very dangerous with my wife and three kids. The message the car displayed was “Engine Oil Pressure too Low. Possible Engine Damage. Switch Off Engine. Continued driving not possible. Please contact the nearest BMW Center”. I had to immediately pull to the extreme left and after an attempt to switch on the car again, I discovered that it could not start again. I called BMW Road Assist who arranged for the Car to be towed home.

On Tuesday the 10th April, The car was towed to Club Motors Fountains. The Service Manager by the name Sue reported to me on Wednesday the 11th that they believe it is a “Chain Tensioner” that is damaged. When I visited the dealership and Sue took me to the workshop where I was showed the Car and the part (Chain tensioner) that is possibly broken. I was puzzled when I noticed that the so called chain tensioner they are referring to actually sits inside where you pour Oil. I then told the Production Manager (Workshop Manager) that I have done my research on Internet and all people who have had a similar warning and problem said that it happens when the Car had driven without oil or with very low oil level and therefore the Pump is not getting enough Oil to pump. This therefore means that if the Car does not have enough oil, it means the chain was running without lubricant (oil) and therefore can easily get damaged. The production Manager made calculations and discovered that the car had done over 50 000 Km without service and therefore the Car was actually supposed to have been serviced the moment I went there on the 2nd April 2018 and not wait for another 12 000 Km as advised by Lebogang.

On Friday the 13th April 2018, I escalated the matter to the Dealer Principal (TJ Jonker) after not getting joy with Sue (Service Manager). The Dealer Principal was totally rude towards me telling me that he is aware of my matter and that he stand by His Service Manager and whatever she has concluded. I was shocked at this because he was not even giving me an opportunity to talk. He had actually concluded before hearing my side of the story. I then stood up and went to the next office where I met Michael (The Franchise Executive). I begged him to please come and be part of the meeting because things did not start well between myself (Customer) and TJ (Dealer Principal), which he agreed. I have reported the matter to BMW South Africa on Monday the 16th April 2018 who came back to me today to say that there is nothing they can do if the Dealer (Club Motors Fountains) does not want to assist. I was shocked to hear that BMW South Africa cannot Mediate when the Customer is feeling aggrieved. Club Motors Fountains is demanding that I pay R5000 upfront before they can open the Engine to see exactly what is wrong. This is to say, irrespective of whether we discover that the part broken was due to the fact that the car was not serviced or not. Club Motors Fountains says there is nothing wrong they did although they turned me back without servicing my car and the next thing my car breaks a part that requires the Oil they could have filled if the car was serviced.

I now need assistance from your higher office because I believe that many other people may have suffered the same in silence.

I would like to see them fix the Part broken due the fact that the car was not serviced when it was supposed to be serviced by the request of the Client who was willing to pay. I am still willing to pay for the service that is due however not the part broken due to the wrong advise. I don`t believe Club Motors Fountains is representing BMW Brand well here and I am totally shocked at how Mr Nkululeko Shoba from BMW South Africa have handled this matter. He never sent our a Technician from BMW to investigate but only re**** on what Club Motors Fountains are saying. I have never seen such an investigation in my life before!

What I bought is a BMW and not a car called "Club Motors Fountains"!