It started with the starter..FRM, Instrument Cluster

Congratulations and thanks in advance to anyone who has any insight into this mess.

Out of the blue my car wouldn't turn over. I pressed the ignition button 4 times and on the fourth try it started. Got it home, turned it off and restarted it. Same problem, it took a couple times before it started. ( all the lights were coming on, windows worked fine, the radio came on etc) the battery is 2yrs old.

I don't waste time, make an appointment with BMW to take the car in. The next day car starts up right away no problems. BMW diagnose: starter is going out. Simple enough right? Wrong, I get a call that the Footwell Module crapped out while they were working on the starter. My service adviser gets BMW to do good will replacement.

Now the issue: Upon connecting the FRM they discover the instrument cluster does not match the car, the car was used I got it in January 2011. It came from another 2010 BMW328 but has a different VIN. So the footwell module has to be tricked to connecting to my car ( I don't know how BMW did this but they rigged it) the alternative I was given was get a new Instrument cluster for $1,800.

My thinking was: I'll deal with a little weird car behavior to save $1,800. For example I keep getting a warning about the brakes being worn out (they aren't I just changed them a year ago) and a warning about the intuitive light sensor (which my car does not have.) But it's beyond weird, now my windows randomly won't roll up, the side mirrors don't adjust and I am just waiting to see what else starts acting up.

I just changed the belt tensioner and oil filter housing 6 months ago aside from that
I've had this car since 2011 and never had any problems, no BMW horror stories, before this car I had a 2001 325i also no horror stories.

3 Questions: Is there no way to recode the cluster I have? Is my only choice to buy a new cluster ? Anyone have any guesses as to what else might go wrong when the FRM isn't coded to the cluster?