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New 2013 X5 35i Xdrive issues poor quality control

7K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  Decboy 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello i am new to these forums and wanted to share my experience with the new 2013 X5 i purchased a few weeks back. After owning a BMW X5 back in 2003 and being rear ended at 90mph i was shown just how safe the BMW X5 was engineered. In any other vehicle im certain i would have been hospiltalized or even worse not be alive. So I made a decision and got myself a new 2013 BMW X5 35i xdrive. Its a blast to drive and handles like a sports car. I mainly purchased the vehicle for safety as my girlfriend and i are expecting a baby boy in april.

So first off the fuel mileage is horrible. My first tank i had 410 miles when the fuel warning light came on. That was decent however now im lucky to see 300 miles when the warning light comes on and furthermore the vehicle feels like it has lost power. Im thinking a clamp or somethihng is loose on the motor causing the bad fuel mileage and poor performance. The leather on the steering wheel is coming undone and my center console is also not clipped in and appears to be broken. The sevice advisor said he cant order new parts until they confirm whats needed to repair it. The center armrest when folded down has a huge white faded spot on the plastic and looks worn. My rear tailgate has the paint coming off and its down to the metal in one corner( about 1/2 inch) in diameter. Headliner had handprints all over and windows were left filmy i was never delivered a clean car. I tried contacting my salesperson but he has not replied which i think is due to them not making any money on the deal. What level of customer service should i expect from BMW?
 
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#2 ·
Something doesn't sound right with all these problems you are having, especially since many of them are cosmetic. Is there any way to tell if this vehicle was somehow "damaged" - like water damage? I would not expect water damage in Vegas, though. I also have a 2013 X5 3.5 and my mileage is 25-26mpg, mostly high way. I'm sorry your vehicle seems like it's self destructing. I am a previous Lexus owner (times two) so I keep looking for things to go wrong on the BMW - what you are experiencing is the beginning of my worst nightmare. So far my major disappointment is the fact that I had to add oil at 9000 miles - other posters say this is "normal". Document everything. When I fill my tank it usually reads 600 miles to go.
 
#3 ·
From "BMW" or from the independent dealer in Las Vegas with the letters B, M and W over the door?

My impression of the LV BMW dealer is low- they have a captive market and dont really need to be nice. If you call BMWNA they will simply say 'take it to one of our dealers, they are best at this'. If you can go to a different dealer it might be helpful.

Have you brought it in, with a written punch list of issues, forced them to write each item onto a BMW work order and gotten this all 'on the record'? Or is this just verbal sparing back and forth?
 
#7 ·
Your right and i sell cars for a living here in las vegas NV. You would think they would loose the franchise license with so many upset customers but they are huge and owned by Auto Nation. They didnt make any money on me so they act like they did me a favor. All the issues will go on a work order in the morning as i have an appointment for service. So far it has all just been verbal so we shall soon see what level of service i get.
 
#4 ·
Sorry but based on these details, I have to ask...You bought it new, right? It's not a dealer demo or something else, right? Why did you "take delivery" of a car with that many flaws or did these happen recently while in your possession?

Either way, I agree with the others. Make up your own detailed record. Take it into the BMW dealer and ask them to repair these items and provide you a loaner car while they complete the issues. Don't pick it up until its all corrected. If they try and force you to pick up a damaged vehicle, contact BMW Corp & tell them you WANT to remain in a loaner car until they can get it straight. You CAN ask for the regional rep to take a look at your specific case. He/She may or may not agree to do so but you can always ask, right?
 
#5 ·
Sorry to hear of so many issues with your new X5. Did you buy it new or was it a loaner/demo car? I've owned five different (two X5's) BMW's and have loved all of them. I can truthfully say my 2012 X5 3.5 Premium is the best of all. I love the way it drives and it's very easy to enter and exit and handling is like my 987 Porsche Boxster. Lean hard on your dealer and remember "the wheel that squeaks the loudest is the one that gets the grease." Good luck!
 
#6 ·
The vehicle was brand new with 40 miles when i took delivery. I also bough the car at night and didnt notice half the things wrong till about a week after. Im very dissapointed in this new 2013 X5. I made a more detailed list thats even more exstensive. It goes into service in the morning and they are providing a loaner car for the few days they will have my car. I appreciate eveyones responses and will keep you posted on the outcome
 
#8 ·
40 miles! Looks like someone at the dealership has been taking a new X5 for a spin around town before you took delivery. Back in 2008, we bought a brand new 535i with 70 miles and it was a dealer trade. The CA told me it was sitting at another dealer lot for quite some time before I had it dealer traded for purchase. Who knows what some of the dealer employees were doing with the car, driving it out for gas and maybe a small group lunch. Anyhow after a few weeks of ownership, the car had some wiring damage causing some faulty alerts. Even though we no longer have that car, I still wonder about that issue. We ordered our last couple of BMWs so they came with only 6 or 8 miles and very few hands touched it. Not to say this method is fool proof but some dealer stock do get abused by test drives and mindless employees.
 
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