[segfault]

My car spent 19 days out of service during the month of July.

I took it in to the dealer (Sam Swope BMW in Louisville, KY--about an hour and fifteen minutes away) on July 10 to have the annual oil service done, several rattles fixed, and a problem with the HVAC fan fluctuating and the radio not working in accessory mode diagnosed. The service department closes at 5:30 PM, but the sales department closes at 8:00, so we had agreed that they would leave my keys with the sales department for pickup. They performed a recall action, replaced a blower regulator and junction box, and allegedly insulated some of the rattles.

I arrived on July 17 to retrieve the car from the sales department, and they were unable to find my keys. The receptionist told me I shouldn't be upset because this "happens all the time." After about 45 minutes, I speak with a service advisor who informs me that they have locked my keys inside my car and asks if I brought an extra key. I informed him that I did not because of the arrangements we had previously made, whereby he was to leave the keys with the sales department. He eventually apologized and agreed to send someone to retrieve my extra keys, then send them again to bring my car back to me. I left driving directions and drove the loaner car back home.

The valet delivered my car to my office the next day (July 18). During my half-mile trip home at the end of the day, I discovered that the HVAC fan was still cutting out, and that the radio still didn't work in accessory mode. I called Swope's service department again and arranged to bring the car back on Friday (July 21). On the long trip on bumpy pavement to the dealership that Friday, I discover that three of the four persistent cabin rattles were still present. I informed the service writer of this when I dropped the car off. They replaced the "intelligent battery sensor" to quell the electrical problems, marked two of the rattles "unable to reproduce," and blamed the third on my garage door opener. I picked up the car on Tuesday, August 1, the day after they informed me it was ready. The car was delivered to me with the fuse panel cover lying in the passenger floorboard. I had never taken the panel off before, so I wasn't sure what it was, and I got the service writer to reinstall it.

The electrical problems appear to be fixed, but three of the four rattles are still present. In any case, the car has spent 19 days out of service during the first 13 months of ownership.

Needless to say, I am not happy. I am past the one-year lemon law period in my state (and there are few lemon law experts in the area), and I don't really want to trade after such a short period, eating the tremendous amount of first-year depreciation and sales tax (probably just under $10,000), in order to get out of a vehicle simply because its quality does not meet reasonable objective standards. Any suggestions?

[govtec]

sorry about issues with your car. i had my car serviced today for an oil change and new wiper blades put in. it took about an hour and service was excellent including breakfast and starbucks coffee. i suggest you find yourself a new service center if they can't provide you with top notch service. i know it's a bummer to drive 1.5 hours and get crappy service, you'll lose your free loaner car with another dealer but if they can fix all your troubles it would be well worth it.