Hypotherical car failure

So on some of the other threads people are posting how their rides failed a few miles off the dealer lot. I know this is incredibly rare, but that sparked a question.

You are doing ED. You go to pick up your car. You drive off the facility. Your car dies.

Does BMW provide you with a loaner for the remainder of the trip? Presumably your trip revolves around driving the car and without one (and definitely without a BMW) you either can't do your trip or can't do it with as much fun.

Does anyone know for sure (either from experience, or what BMW states)?

Originally Posted by furby076

So on some of the other threads people are posting how their rides failed a few miles off the dealer lot. I know this is incredibly rare, but that sparked a question.

You are doing ED. You go to pick up your car. You drive off the facility. Your car dies.

Does BMW provide you with a loaner for the remainder of the trip? Presumably your trip revolves around driving the car and without one (and definitely without a BMW) you either can't do your trip or can't do it with as much fun.

Does anyone know for sure (either from experience, or what BMW states)?

Not to me, but it has happened to more than one person on this forum, and BMW has provided a loaner car to drive.

It's happened to me and BMW takes care of you. Stop worrying and keep planning

One of the people here was going to pick up 135i and it got into accident between factory and Welt. BMW gave him 535i if I remember correctly.

ED is 100% worry-free experience. You're completely covered in Europe, minor damage gets repaired at port before the car is re-delivered.

I wouldn't worry. From my deep reading on here (I suggest you read up because there are some great stories and information) you really can't have a bad trip if even the worst things did happen. Some people missed Nurburgring because of tires, others got stuck in a place they weren't planning while their car was repaired, some ended the trip in a different car (not always a BMW or as good as their car), some lost a few hundred dollars on a hotel or activities without a refund policy (and on this I will say trip insurance on _any_ trip outside of the US should be done), but in the end you'll love the trip. Just don't expect a perfect trip because it's not a vacation from life and reality, but what you don't see people venting about an ED experience they hated and would never do again -- and you would if they happened.

Let's stay realistic. Speaking from first-hand experience:

Your best friend is the Allianz insurance coverage you have during your trip. It's quite simply the best insurance policy most of us will ever have, period.

But...
* the insurance policy has very specific benefits and limits. They're spelled out on a piece of paper in with the rest of your delivery-day docs.
* some of the limits are for the total amount of substitute car rental which will be covered
* other limits indicate the max amount you can be compensated for unplanned hotel stays if delayed (which typically offsets the hotel reservations you're missing)
* and still other limits outline how much "extra" travel costs will be covered if you need to go back somewhere and retrieve your car.

It seems that people who have either had a car not built at all, or the incorrect car built have been offered a loaner of equal lor better class than their ordered car while obviously you're right there at Welt. And that others who have had a problem in the immediate vicinity of Munich have also been bailed out with a loaner by the good folks at Welt. That's when you're right in the heart of BMW country.

That said, we should remember that even though we're in a special program; at the end of the day, we're just one customer among many thousands that BMW has at any given moment in time. It is unrealilstic to expect that the compahy or its representatives will swoop in with their magic Roundel wand and BING! Everything's all fixed and all costs are covered, with apologies all around. That's what the insurance coverage is there for: to compensate reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for unplanned circumstances. Anything else should be looked at as beinig "above and beyond".

Granted, extraordinary things have been done by the company when serious problems have occurred - including some things done for my own self in '08. But while these serious, trip-threatening problems are rare, they do happen.

The next best thing to have, other than the insurance we all get anyway, is a positive attitude, adaptability, a facility in at least one language other than English, and a sense of perspective. I almost said "sense of humor", but there's nothing funny about one's long-planned expensive trip sliding toward the sewer when it's happening. Later, maybe. But not right then.

If the worst possible scenario (car related) does happen, the majority of your vacation can be salvaged with minimal/moderate out-of-pocket expense and missed itinerary items. It's certainly nothing to obsess over, and absolutely NOT a reason to re-think whether to do an ED adventure. You still should.

Picture below, me stuck beside a Swiss highway with my '08 335 E93 when the transmission wouldn't shift above third gear - no way, nohow. On the phone with the service manager at a dealership in faraway Fussen, who was tellling me to look for a wrench that wasn't there, to disconnect the battery and clear the error code and re-set the trans. Didn't work. Wound up stuck at a dealership in nearby Chur for alomst two days. Even though this was a pretty dark moment, it all worked out in the end.

I am still doing the ED, wasn't going to cancel it based on an IF, just wanted to know what happens IF something goes bad.

@boothguy -What's with the yellow jacket? you carry those around?

Originally Posted by furby076

I am still doing the ED, wasn't going to cancel it based on an IF, just wanted to know what happens IF something goes bad.

@boothguy -What's with the yellow jacket? you carry those around?

YOU SHOULD READ WIKI ABOUT YELLOW JACKET (Look for safety vest)!

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...302&highlight=

Furb: more than a simple fashion statement; they're a required accessory for driving in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, I believe the UK and a number of other EU contries. Whenever you're outside the car on a highway, they must be worn.

There must be one for every person in the car, AND they have to be within reach in the passenger compartment. Being in the trunk doesn't cut it. We used our gift card cash from delivery day to buy these in the Welt gift shop with the BMW identity on them, and packed them to take on our '11 ED trip as well.

I didn't imagine you would be scared off by a recounting of what MIGHT happen. But I'm always conscious of the effect it might have on others. That's the reason for the boldface type.