Accident repairs

[bscurtis]

Yes lots of different opinions so far for the non technically minded, like me. How dare they sell me a car and not tell me how long repairs will take. Seven, yes SEVEN, weeks now and still not even an estimate. I would just like them to simply tell me the cost of repair so my insurance company can either say yes to repairs or if not economic to repair they will replace it.
I just want to know the outcome and a definite time scale. its the frustration of Sytner's incompetence thats driving me mad.

Bernie Curtis

 

[epirali]

Rather than continuing to propagate personal opinions and alarming rhetoric, how about words from knowledgeable sources?

I am a bit puzzled, how is the actual repair experience of an actual owner personal opinion? Or rhetoric?

I think the frustration is completely understandable. There are cars where I expect and know that repair will be slow and/or costly. Its the nature of the car. I may have missed it somewhere but the i3 is marketed and is priced/placed much more as a regular car. If it is to be accepted as such it should eventually fall in line with similar cost of repair, time to repair etc, right?

Or do we treat the i3 as an "exotic?"

 

[bscurtis]

Yes Epirali, you are exactly right. Like you I never was ever aware that an i3 was difficult to repair and would take months or that the people I bought it from , Sytner Harold Wood, would not be able to even estimate a repair.
I joined this forum so that others would be aware of all the things I wasn't before they part with their hard earned doe.
Perhaps I should have bought a Tesla?

Bernie Curtis

 

[psquare]

I joined this forum so that others would be aware of all the things I wasn't before they part with their hard earned doe.
Perhaps I should have bought a Tesla?

Bernie Curtis

I have to admit that after 7 weeks without even a quote I would have made some serious noise with BMW i, BMW UK and -especially- Sytner BMW. I have dealt with a local Sytner dealer recently and whilst they're still finding their feet with regards to i3 repairs (they fitted my new front screen), they are doing their best.

Rather than venting on here, why not make some noise with Sytner's MD? (And no, please don't write a letter!). These dealerships have a reputation to lose - I think you need to put your foot down a little.

 

[stumbledotcom]

Rather than continuing to propagate personal opinions and alarming rhetoric, how about words from knowledgeable sources?

I am a bit puzzled, how is the actual repair experience of an actual owner personal opinion? Or rhetoric?

I think the frustration is completely understandable. There are cars where I expect and know that repair will be slow and/or costly. Its the nature of the car. I may have missed it somewhere but the i3 is marketed and is priced/placed much more as a regular car. If it is to be accepted as such it should eventually fall in line with similar cost of repair, time to repair etc, right?

Or do we treat the i3 as an "exotic?"

You're quoting me out of context. The first line of my post was meant to make it clear I wasn't speaking to the OP but the subsequent peanut gallery who piled on. I have nothing but sympathy for the OP as he deals with a clearly incompetent UK dealer.

 

[bscurtis]

Can you explain OP and Peanut Gallery etc in plain English for a confused Brit. like me.

Bernie Curtis

 

[psquare]

OP = Original Poster, is yourself
Peanut Gallery = group of people who enjoy stirring things up a little by peddling the same old generalisations, fear and inaccuracies. Usually grumpy people.

 

[bscurtis]

OK I get it
Thanks old buddy.
I used to deal with lots of Americans when I was a working man. They often said we spoke the same language differently

BC

 

[epirali]

Rather than continuing to propagate personal opinions and alarming rhetoric, how about words from knowledgeable sources?

I am a bit puzzled, how is the actual repair experience of an actual owner personal opinion? Or rhetoric?

I think the frustration is completely understandable. There are cars where I expect and know that repair will be slow and/or costly. Its the nature of the car. I may have missed it somewhere but the i3 is marketed and is priced/placed much more as a regular car. If it is to be accepted as such it should eventually fall in line with similar cost of repair, time to repair etc, right?

Or do we treat the i3 as an "exotic?"

You're quoting me out of context. The first line of my post was meant to make it clear I wasn't speaking to the OP but the subsequent peanut gallery who piled on. I have nothing but sympathy for the OP as he deals with a clearly incompetent UK dealer.

I apologize, that was not my intent. I may have quoted too fast. My bad.

 

[PluviaPlumbum]

Every sympathy with you Bernie, I think you have the unfortunate privilege of blazing a trail with UK CFRP repair ( a bit like Psquare's Screen replacement) and I suspect that the time frame has elongated simply through a lack of training and preparation. 6 Weeks without a quote is appalling. I don't blame you if your incensed by the lack of communication. Have Syntners given you a loaner i3 for the time they have had yours?

I expect this will resolve itself however, as BMW are committing to CFRP in other mainstream models, the new 7 series has a Carbon ( read CFRP) core. as part of its construction. So they need the trained staff and equipped facilities to do this kind of repair work in every market.

I would still give 'em hell though for being unprofessional in their response to you.

 

[bscurtis]

This is not good news even if I am a trail blazer and others will get the benefit in the future.
After for weeks they loaned me a Mini Cooper 6 speed manual deisil that I have told them is not a fair replacement for my roomy automatic i3rex and that I am forced to drive now cramped up in a tiny Mini. I may have enjoyed a car like that 50 years ago but I'ved moved on and don't want to pollute the planet in my old age or be uncomfortable in a very small car.

I have so far found it almost impossible to complain to someone high up the scale. On one of their chat lines I persistently asked for the contact details of the CEO but they persistently stated they were not allowed to give it out so I have had to tell my tale to who they suggested. i.e. [email protected] and [email protected] but they won't see my emails until tomorrow and I expect they will passed down to one of their minions as usual.

Disgusted
Bernie Curtis

 

[PhilH]

Have a look at

http://www.ceoemail.com/s.php?id=77747

 

[bscurtis]

Thanks for that.

I will email Gerard Nieuwenhuys.

If Sytner's CEO can't do something no one can.

Wish me luck. I need it.

Bernie Curtis

 

[bscurtis]

Well at least I got a reply early this morning by email from the CEO and two calls from Sytner Harold Wood.

It seems my car went to Thorne last Tuesday but still no news about repair costs .They think it will be a close thing between being worth repairing or writing the car off, so more delay for the time being. They think if they repair it I won't get the car back until next January 2016 so it might be quicker to write it off and order a new one. It took less than three months to order this one new.

My main complaints are still the delay in getting an estimate for repairs and not being warned when I bought the car what was likely to happen if you damage an i3 roof.I also don't like being forced into a tiny Mini Cooper curtesy car.

I suppose I should think myself lucky I didn't write myself off. I was completely unharmed after the accident but I hope the frustration does not do me harm health wise.

Bernie Curtis

 

[epirali]

Well at least I got a reply early this morning by email from the CEO and two calls from Sytner Harold Wood.

It seems my car went to Thorne last Tuesday but still no news about repair costs .They think it will be a close thing between being worth repairing or writing the car off, so more delay for the time being. They think if they repair it I won't get the car back until next January 2016 so it might be quicker to write it off and order a new one. It took less than three months to order this one new.

My main complaints are still the delay in getting an estimate for repairs and not being warned when I bought the car what was likely to happen if you damage an i3 roof.I also don't like being forced into a tiny Mini Cooper curtesy car.

I suppose I should think myself lucky I didn't write myself off. I was completely unharmed after the accident but I hope the frustration does not do me harm health wise.

Bernie Curtis

I had to go back and re-read the original post. Am I missing something here? Are they implying that replacing multiple body panels and having to replace the roof from a minor accident is enough to TOTAL THE CAR?

 

[bscurtis]

Yes they are

Bernie Curtis

 

[WoodlandHills]

I cannot imagine that this is unique to the i3: replacing the roof and a few panels on a 3-series could also result in a totaled vehicle. I suspect that it would not take near as long to fix though. Here it is not even Sept. and they are talking about having you car finished in 2016!!!

 

[epirali]

I cannot imagine that this is unique to the i3: replacing the roof and a few panels on a 3-series could also result in a totaled vehicle. I suspect that it would not take near as long to fix though. Here it is not even Sept. and they are talking about having you car finished in 2016!!!

I don't see that, the total repair cost for something like that may be $5-8K, that isn't enough to total a car. It wasn't rolled over. From my read (and maybe I am missing something) the damage to the roof is not very extensive.

To total the car the repair total has to exceed the value of the car, so are you saying the repair cost is >$30K?

 

[WoodlandHills]

I agree that the steel roof in a 3-series would not need to be replaced for similar minor damage, but if it WAS necessary and if the roof repair involved more than the outer skin I can see the cost rising rapidly beyond the $6 figure. I was trying to compare apples to apples as far as the extent of the repairs.
Would BMW be able to just replace the skin or do they have to cut off the roof structure as well for such a fix? If the roof is a single component it could be very complex or it could be just a matter of gluing a new roof skin, it all depends on how well BMW designed the structure from a repairability standpoint.
It is worrying to hear that such major repairs are necessary for what would be trivial damage in similar steel or alloy structures though. Hopefully the ease of repair promised for CFRP will eventually kick in and keep repair costs down, otherwise the insurers will adjust rates to reflect the higher costs of repairing CFRP vehicles. The experience of another poster in this thread who had to have the entire roof replaced because there were two .125" holes in an A pillar suggests that these structures have a much lower tolerance for damage than traditional materials. In that case BMW bought back the vehicle since it was going to take so long to repair........ The full post is on page one of this thread.

 

[bscurtis]

I can't thank PhilH of suffolk enough for getting me the contact details for the CEO of Sytner.

Today I was informed the roof damage was not severe enough to require the roof to be replaced only repaired in situ .

The estimate for repairs comes to £10,400.00

They will be replacing my Mini Cooper curtesy car with an i3. (don't know yet if it will be a rex but I can cross that bridge later).

I don't yet know the time scale for the repairs but it should be a lot quicker now and if I get the i3 curtesy car to run around in it doesn't matter so much if it takes a while to get my own car back.

Will let you know more later.

Bernie Curtis