Replacement REX - BMW dealer quoted £10k for repair

[Slymp]

Hi,

I'm in the UK. I have a 2016 i3 94ah, with a REX, just 3 months outside warranty. The REX failed - I don't know the details yet, I'm waiting for the report. But they've (BMW dealer near Gatwick) quoted £10k to repair it. That seems to be really, really ridiculous.

Anyone had their REX replaced etc, and how much did it cost?

Thanks
Steve

 

[Anonymous]

I'd call BMW directly and ask for 'good-will" assistance with the repair, since it failed so close to warranty expiration. You may get them to pay for at least some of the cost. And yes, that price seems in line with other instances of this - have heard $13,000 USD for the repair.

 

[Mick787]

Blimey!!! What happened? Did an error come up? Did it explode? Is the car useable or does it simply stop? We have the same car and events like this are very worrying.
So do we get rid before our warranty expires or do we pay for an extended warranty (at what cost?) One thing is for sure, we couldn't afford a £10k repair bill.

 

[Anonymous]

So do we get rid before our warranty expires or do we pay for an extended warranty (at what cost?) One thing is for sure, we couldn't afford a £10k repair bill.

You have to remember a REx failure is a pretty rare occurrence, less than 0.1% chance. Out of the 150,000 i3's on the road, I would guess less than 10. Sucks to be the 'lotto winner' on a REx failure, but chances of it happening are pretty slim.

The extended warranty costs three to five grand, depending on length and mileage limits. Subtract that from the trade-in value of a 4-plus year old i3, and you are getting close to what you could sell the car for un-repaired as salvage.

I know of one i3 owner with a REx failure in the USA, with BMW refusing to do warranty repairs or do any good will portion, because he used Bimmer Code to hack/bypass the REx start restrictions set in US models. Rather than pay for the repair, the guy simply now treats the car as a BEV, and is still driving it.

There are also independent mechanics around who might tackle the job for a fraction of what BMW charges, picking up a replacement REx engine from a salvage yard, or actually diagnosing what is wrong and repairing the engine instead of replacing it. There are several outfits in Eastern Europe actually buying wrecked/salvage i3s from the US, importing them, using some for parts, and rebuilding others for use/sale.

 

[Mick787]

A very good almost new 'used' car selling at a main dealership can be bought for around £26k. How can BMW justify a £10k repair bill on that one component? It is truly unreal, irrespective of the chance of it happening.
If someone has done a mod' then that is down to them and they face the consequences, I can understand BMW refusing to contribute to a repair.

 

[Boltoni3]

My 2014 Rex had an "engine malfunction" if I'm remembering the error message correctly. Fortunately I was only 2 years into my warranty. Interesting part of the story however, is that I replaced it with a demo 2016 with 200 km's after 6 weeks of BMW attempting to repair the 2014. I did have to pay a small amount - but less than the replacement tires I was about purchase. I hope I don't win the lottery (as an earlier writer called this issue) again on my 2016 - so far the replacement car has had no problems (56,000 km's). I do try to use the Rex a little more often - I don't think the 2014 Rex ran for more than 3 or 4 hours in the 2yr's I had it (I wonder if lack of use is hard on the engine).

 

[Mick787]

Here in the UK the MOT, (annual ministry check), changes almost yearly. I understand that now, some warning lights constitute a failure. I imagine the failure of the REX produces a warning message. Would such a message constitute a failure?
I read that the owner in the USA continued to use his REX as a BEV. Is that possible to be done in the UK or does the system have to be over ridden?
I don't mind admitting, this news has generated real concern in our home. We thought we had bought a car which would see us out. Nothing to rot on it, if the battery failed after 8 years, then put in a new battery pack, (at a cost!). But to be faced with the potential of such cost to replace another component is worrying and I am wondering about getting rid and going back to a diesel.

 

[Boltoni3]

In my opinion the better alternative is a BEV - I have a Rex because of the very low batter range of the i3. I'm not likely to keep my i3 past the warranty. Currently the Model 3 looks to me like the best option. My wife has been driving a Model 3 since August and is so far very satisfied. I've read a little about BMW's next BEV (iX3 I think?). It appears overpriced versus alternatives.

 

[rtanov]

My REX failed early and they had to replace it under warranty. I started getting errors when using the REX for more than few minutes, and these were getting progressively more frequent until finally it said it can't run the REX (before that I got errors but the REX kept running). Since I did not have enough power to drive back I stopped and restarted the car which fixed it but the error was still there. The dealer took quite some time to diagnose, had to get an external specialist, finally told me there was something wrong with the valve train and replaced the whole REX engine.

 

[Mick787]

Slymp, can I ask, how much use did your REX get? I'm interested to know what may have caused this, excess or under use? What was the odometer reading on your i3 when it failed?

 

[KarlC]

My understanding is that is some USA States the REX motor and most any issues with it would be covered under the 15 year 150K mile warranty.

.

 

[Anonymous]

My understanding is that is some USA States the REX motor and most any issues with it would be covered under the 15 year 150K mile warranty.

I thought so to, but in checking directly with BMW-NA, this extended warranty is only as it relates to emissions. If the car/REx fails a State emissions test, repairs to it so it will meet emissions standards are covered 15/150.

If the REx packs it in for any other reason, because it ate a valve for example or the ECM for the REx failed, not covered by this extension.

 

[jadnashuanh]

Engines prefer to be run at least periodically. This ensures any moisture that may be in there gets boiled out, all of the surfaces get oil spread over them again, and the bearings are moved so things don't freeze up. BMW tries to do this, but I think a bit more often is likely better. Then, some people shut the car off prior to things running their full cycle. The engine itself should last a long time if you do the specified maintenance.

 

[tliet]

Now the UK is still part of the EU, invoke your rights as laid out in the EU consumer law, an abstract of which you can find here: https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/dealing-with-customers/consumer-contracts-guarantees/consumer-guarantees/index_en.htm

In short, as a consumer (mind you, not a company), you can expect this important part of your car to work for a reasonable period, comparable to other similar products. At the very least significantly beyond 2 years. Even though the warranty expired by 3 months, expecting to have to pay 10K for a replacement borderlines ridiculous.

 

[Mick787]

You have a very good point there tliet.

However, I'm starting to think there is something about this thread that I find a bit odd. No updates from the OP since the post, which was placed on the day of joining the forum. Call me whatever, but I'm starting to wonder if this is a genuine user/owner with a genuine fault.