WORST BMW REPAIR SHOP IN SA (Sandton Auto)

I took my BMW for repairs at Sandton Auto because they are my closest BMW approved dealer. I take extremely good care of my vehicles and decided that I would rather drive to a quality repair centre. There is no way I would take my BMW to a repair centre that is not approved by BW. Today, I sincerely regret doing this. I’m shocked by the quality of workmanship and service I received from them. As a matter of fact, this experience has eft such a bad taste in my mouth that my BMW is now in the market. I will not buy another BMW and will share my experience with anybody that asks why I sold a car they know I loved so much.

I took my vehicle in for hail damage repairs. Upon arrival, I pointed out some of the dents and damage I was worried they will miss. The person who checked in my car circled all the areas with a neon marker. After massive delays, I finally got a call to say my vehicle is ready for collection. Keep in mind that this repair centre is almost an hour’s drive from my residence. When I got there, the first thing I noticed is the dent I clearly pointed out was NOT fixed and my tail light that was also circled is still cracked. I was then told that I have to pay a storage fee to leave my car there if I want them to keep it there until they can get the parts. This was the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in my life. I told them that It’s 2 hours drive to get to them and back. The manager said I must leave my rental vehicle there. Drive an hour back home, wait for the part to arrive then drive another hour to collect my vehicle, arrange a new rental car as I will have to leave it there for another week or two. Remember, this was not due to any error on my side. This was the repair centre that “forgot” to complete the job. Alternatively, the manager said I can leave the car there but will have to pay daily storage fee. I refused to take the car and said there is no way I’m paying to be inconvenienced due to a mistake they made. After a while, the manager returned said I can leave the car and they will sort out this mess.

About another week later, I fetched the car and the damage was repaired. I had to send it back to the workshop twice on the day to get them to align the bonnet I also pointed out on the previous visit. It was visibly misaligned. They did this and I left.

I got home and immediately started to notice a lot of issues. Firstly, they never replaced the main bolt on my boot. Secondly, the entire boot back panel is completely loose. This means you can’t close to boot using the dedicated handle as the entire panel feels like it’s going to break off. Thirdly, there is a MASSIVE scratch on my back bumper. When I fetched the vehicle, it was parked in direct sunlight. It’s an alpine white so the glare makes it physically impossible to spot imperfections at the repair centre. Lastly, they obviously removed the back seats for some reason and when the installed it back they caught the back seatbelt in the incorrect position. The rear right seatbelt is now unusable as the seats do not fold down. The part that is supposed to come from the bottom is now at the top. I have a toddler and can’t install the baby seat in the rear right. This is a hazard and very annoying… My car will not pass an AA test due to this issue caused by Sandton Auto.

There are a lot of scratches on the paint and clear indication that the vehicle was resprayed. This was only visible after the first wash. They expect you to sign off immediately that you are happy with the vehicle knowing very well that after one wash and in the proper lighting issues will be visible. Everything was **********, from general service, workmanship, quality control and even manager issue resolution. They did not even let me know my vehicle was ready the last time. My rental car agency let me know that my car is ready and they need the rental back. When I phoned them, they said they phoned me a couple of days ago but did not get hold of me. I checked my phone records and this is nonsense.

I have decided that I will keep posting complaints until this is either resolved 100% to my satisfaction or the vehicle is sold. HelloPeter allows me to post complaints every 5 days. I will do so.

I cannot believe that a service station with this level is BMW approved. Obviously that certification means nothing. I am sure I would have received better service from a local panel beater.