2003 X5 Sunroof Drain tube too short-any recourse w/BMW NA?

[moose500]

About a week ago, I posted to the forum about water in the back of my 2003 BMW X5. Some of you kindly responded letting me know that is sounded like a leaking or disconnected sunroof drainage tube. I brought my car into a reputable BMW service center located in Sunnyvale, CA. They confirmed that the drainage tube had come undone and quoted me 2-3 hours of labor which seemed fair enough. They then called me back letting me know that they could not get the drainage tube to stretch back onto the barb in which it should be connected. They basically said that the hose was too short and asked if I had modified it in any way. Of course, I hadn�t as I don�t even know where to begin taking off the headliner. Anyway, to make a long story short, a new hose costs me $7. No problem. The labor, however, had now jumped to close to the $1000 dollar range to remove and reinstall the headliner.

My question is, if the hose was too short from the get-go, shouldn�t BMW be responsible for replacing it, even if the car is out of warranty? Since it was concealed this whole time and I stumbled on the water in the back by accident, how was I supposed to know it was too short this whole time? Does anyone know of any recalls or recourse taken against BMW for this?

Thanks,

Mike
SJ, CA

[JCL]

I would be surprised if you had any recourse as you are out of warranty. You are basically asking for an unlimited warranty period.

If it was a known defect, there would be a technical bulletin published, and in that case there would be a chance of factory support out of the warranty period, but I haven't heard of this as a common problem.

Any chance the shop clipped off the end of the hose to get a clean end, and then found it too short to reach?

[JT///MC]

Wow, what a ripoff. Thats why I never take my car to the dealer for those kinds of fixes. Just use the internet and fix it yourself of pay an inde. Sheesh, no wonder they're called the STEALER!

[X5 Meister]

Frankly that's a pretty lousy assessment.

So I assume you have a fully equipped workshop with diagnostic computers and every necessary tool to repair anything and do any job on your BMW including the tools custom made by BMW for use on your particular vehicle and distributed through their dealer tool distribution program. Oh and of course access to the lastest TIS/ETK/EBA with follow-up addition help from the factory.

Originally Posted by JT///MC

Wow, what a ripoff. Thats why I never take my car to the dealer for those kinds of fixes. Just use the internet and fix it yourself of pay an inde. Sheesh, no wonder they're called the STEALER!

[X5 Meister]

I think JCL is right. You're basically asking for unlimited warranty. Is your car CPO or do you have any extended warranty coverage?

I posted the most common problem with the leak you described and evidently that didn't happen in your case. Since you have a 2003 I don't think you have the moonroof, which had more issues, but rather the standard sunroof. That being the case it is possible that the hose was changed before and wasn't done right or that it might have even shrunk over time (I've seen that happen to trim extensively).

No one is going to give you grief about this, I think we all feel your pain, particularly with the final repair cost. Keep in mind you're not the first person to have something crap out on their car that itself costs a few bucks in parts but hundreds in labor, and you certainly won't be the last.

[JT///MC]

Whats lousy is a $1k repair bill for something you could have fixed yourself or taken to an inde to fix for even 1/2 of that. You think all the soda, nice leather chairs, and cream puffs they serve you at the dealer are just freebies? LOL.

You don't need a GT1 to fix your bimmer, just sometimes some common sense, some basic resources, and other people's experiences. Most of that is readily available on the net, for free. Like, here.

I'm not trying to offend the OP, but if you think the dealer is worth even 1/2 their weight in gold, then man, I got some land I want to sell you. Most dealers PREY on people. Most often times, it is a simple fix, but they'll RIP YOU OFF b/c, 1. you drive a BMW, and 2. you can afford to pay them. Simple as that. The same goes for contractors, etc. There are honest people out there, but for the most part, you better watch out. Everyone is out to make a buck!

[JT///MC]

BTW, I say this from experience and also b/c I have a friend who is a BMW Tech. He does the big stuff on my 740is and M Coupe. The rest like oil changes and nick knack stuff I do myself. I've used dealers and they've screwed me a few times and so I NEVER go there. They are not any better at most jobs than an inde. So what they have some fancy stuff, it just makes it easier for the techs to do their job. Doesn't always means its any better than if you did it yourself.

I hear all the stories so I know they rip people off. Most of the time, jobs are completed in 50% less time than they actually claim. All jobs are booked based on standardized times. Most seasoned techs can do them pretty fast but of course, why would they sell themselves short by charging you less than book?

[X5 Meister]

Not trying to be rude, but you are not looking at the bigger picture IMHO. When you are making a significant income and have a family, equipping a workshop, searching the net and screwing with repairs that might or might not be successful actually ends up COSTING you more time and money then what you THINK it has SAVED.

[moose500]

Thanks JCL and X5 Meister. I just thought that since the the hose was too short from the get-go, I might have some recourse with BMW. After all, it could have been leaking since the car was new and I just never found it and it would have been under warranty. I do have a the exended warranty and they declined the claim. The roof I have is the standard sunroof I believe. there is no window to see through.

FYI JT///MC the car is not at the dealer but a "Reputable Shop." And yes, the reason I am here is because I do as much as I can myself but removing the entire headliner is not how I wanted to spend my Saturday with two kids at home. This is my third BMW (96 318is, 06 325i) but I've never encoutered a 740is in my lifetime.

Thanks all. I will keep you posted.

Mike

[chefwong]

I'm curious are you confident about headliner removing...
My biggest concern is how rattle free it will be post repairs.

Regardless, it's a pretty big order to remove the headliner out.
Best of luck