Do You Get a Courtesy Car With Bmw Recall

Owners of BMW cars that were recalled for an exhaust gas recirculation valve leak have been left without their vehicles for up to eight weeks because the German manufacturer is struggling to obtain replacement parts quickly enough.

Customers have been using courtesy vehicles and hire cars in the meantime while their motors are held by BMW dealerships waiting for hundreds of thousands of EGR valve components to arrive.

The recall, issued last October, impacts some 268,000 UK-registered diesel-powered BMW models and around 1.6million in total worldwide.

One This is Money reader who has been caught-up in the melee is having to drive a replacement Vauxhall Astra while his £38,000 BMW is stuck at the dealership - and he has no idea when he will get it back.

Recall delay: BMW owners have been left without cars for up to two months which hit models including the 3 Series diesel pictured

BMW sent recall letters to owners more than four months ago to notify them that their vehicles would need an essential repair.

This was linked to a leak in the EGR valve cooler that could - in 'extreme' scenarios' - combine with soot at high temperatures and lead to the intake manifold melting, which could in turn cause a fire to break out.

Some 12 different - and hugely-popular - BMW models are caught up in the recall, all of which use four- and six-cylinder diesel engines and were produced between 2011 and 2017.

This includes the 3 Series and 5 Series saloons, 1 Series hatchback, 7 Series limo and various SUV models like the X1, X3 and X5.

My £38k BMW is stuck there and I'm driving a Vauxhall Astra...

Bill Farrell, 67, a retired Professor of Human Genomics from Chester, is the owner of a 3 Series 330D Sport. Mr Farrell told us that he's been waiting for weeks for his BMW to be returned from the dealer carrying out the EGR valve recall on his car.

In an email, he said: 'I have been given a loan car but this is not like-for-like.'

He added that there has been little to no contact from the customer relations department regarding waiting times for parts and the return of vehicles to owners.

He said: 'I have raised this complaint with BMW and they say they are not prepared to do any more for me and I have no idea when I will get my car back.

Having initially paid more than £38,000, I am now having to drive around in a Vauxhall Astra.

'BMW tell me they are providing more than is necessary.'

BMW owners have contacted Auto Express about prolonged waiting periods to get their cars back and limited communication from the auto maker.

Is your BMW affected?

Models being recalled (ALL DIESEL):

1 Series - 4-cylinder engine (Mar 2011 - Jan 2017), 6-cylinder engine (Aug 2010 - Jun 2015)

2 Series - 4-cylinder engine (Mar 2011 - Jan 2017), 6-cylinder engine (Aug 2010 - Jun 2015)

3 Series - 4-cylinder engine (Dec 2014-Aug 2016), 6-cylinder engine (Jul 2012 - Jun 2015)

4 Series - 4-cylinder engine (Dec 2014-Aug 2016), 6-cylinder engine (Jul 2012 - Jun 2015)

5 Series - 4-cylinder engine (Dec 2014-Aug 2016), 6-cylinder engine (Jul 2012 - Jun 2015)

6 Series - 4-cylinder engine (Dec 2014-Aug 2016), 6-cylinder engine (Jul 2012 - Jun 2015)

7 Series - 4-cylinder engine (Mar 2011 - Jan 2017), 6-cylinder engine (Aug 2010 - Jun 2015)

X1 - 4-cylinder engine (Mar 2011 - Jan 2017), 6-cylinder engine (Aug 2010 - Jun 2015)

X3 - 4-cylinder engine (Dec 2014-Aug 2016), 6-cylinder engine (Jul 2012 - Jun 2015)

X4 - 4-cylinder engine (Dec 2014-Aug 2016), 6-cylinder engine (Jul 2012 - Jun 2015)

X5 - 4-cylinder engine (Dec 2014-Aug 2016), 6-cylinder engine (Jul 2012 - Jun 2015)

X6 - 4-cylinder engine (Dec 2014-Aug 2016), 6-cylinder engine (Jul 2012 - Jun 2015)

This has led to BMW admitting to the automotive magazine that it has been struggling to obtain the necessary parts to repair UK models.

And because affected vehicles pose a fire risk they are being impounded at dealers leaving motorists without their expensive premium cars.

Instead, customers have been supplied with thousands of courtesy cars - though many believe that BMW hasn't done enough to rectify the issue.

Complaints sent to Auto Express range from long waits with poor communication and unsuitable hire cars that are not a like-for-like replacement for the BMW's they paid for.

Others also claimed they had not been sent recall letters regarding the problem and were only notified of the issue when their cars went in for routine services at their local branches.

A spokesman for the brand told Auto Express that the car maker was 'working to complete this action as quickly as possible,' but the scale of the recall had caused 'significant challenges in terms of parts supply and workshop capacity'.

'Where customers have experienced longer delays, we have sought to minimise any inconvenience as best we can, including providing several thousand courtesy cars to keep customers mobile,' he added.

Owners in contact with Auto Express have been waiting to get their vehicles to come back from dealerships for between five and eight weeks, with one case resulting in the keeper having to cancel an annual ski trip because they were without the car.

All recalled cars are those with 4 or 6-cylinder diesel engines produced between 2011 and 2017. Some 12 individual models are affected, including the BMW 1 Series hatchback (left) and 5 Series saloon (right)

A variety of BMW 'X' SUVs are also impacted. Owners have been left without them and given courtesy car replacements, many of which are a downgrade on their expensive luxury 4x4s (BMW X5 pictured)

What is an EGR valve and what does it do?

Exhaust Gas Recirculation valves recirculate a portion of the exhaust gas from the engine (between 5 per cent and 15 per cent) back into the combustion process.

This ensures that fuel is completely burned to reduce production of harmful gases, such as NOx.

They require cooling, and any leaks can result in fires potentially breaking out.

At the time the recall was issued in October 2018, BMW said in a statement: 'The technical campaigns initially decided for European and Asian countries in mid-August 2018 involved around 480,000 BMW diesel vehicles.

'During further examination of engines with a similar technical setup, the BMW Group analysed individual cases that were not included in the original technical campaigns.

'These individual cases posed no significant risk to our customers.

'Nonetheless, the BMW Group decided to further reduce even this minor risk by expanding the country-specific technical campaigns.

'It is the goal of BMW Group to support the trust and confidence of our customers in our products.'

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Do You Get a Courtesy Car With Bmw Recall

Source: https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-6750799/Recalled-BMW-owners-left-without-cars-two-months-EGR-issue.html

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