To: CustomerFeedback@autonation.com Sent: Friday, April 3, 2015 3:50:17 PM Subject: $1500 oil leak Hello, We purchased a pre-owned BMW 650i from Pembroke Pines Chevrolet on March 18, 2015 with 49900 miles. I paid the advertised price and drove the vehicle home to Ft Myers. I noticed on the way home that the steering wheel was off center so I made a appointment at my local BMW dealer to have an alignment done. What came next was quite shocking. The service adviser (Frank @ Ft Myers BMW) said that I have a severe oil leak from an alternator bracket and a leaking vacuum pump. The estimate was close to $3400 for the repairs. I declined the work and decided to get a second opinion from an independent shop that also specializes in BMW's. Till's Import Car Clinic not only confirmed that the leak is severe, but also noticed that the lower control arm bushings are 75% perished (explains why the alignment could not be done). At this point I reviewed my paperwork and remembered that with the purchase was a 60 day limited warranty that may cover these repairs. After getting I touch with United States Warranty Corp and having to fax my copy of the policy in to see if the repairs are covered I get a call from Frank the service adviser that an inspector would like to see the car. Great, it seems as though this will have a happy ending. Sort of. The claims adjuster at United States Warranty told me that he authorized the vacuum pump & the control arm bushings to be repaired but not the oil leak. Apparently, from the inspectors opinion, this leak has been ongoing for some time and should have been handled before the sale. Furthermore, it is also the opinion of the adjuster (Chuck @ ext 208) that the engine was cleaned to hide the leak. Now, I'm no mechanic, but when the underbody panel is completely soaked with oil it does lend some weight to the adjusters claim of a long standing leak. So at this point I'm pretty upset. Chuck, the claims adjuster was actually very empathetic towards this situation and recommended I call the Chevrolet store to see what they could do, because this is something that should have been addressed. I mean they put new front brakes on the car, how could a tech not see oil everywhere ? Well, today I called and asked to speak with the used car manager to see if I can get some help. In a word, NOTHING. I didn't get the managers name, but he's the one with a English/New Zealand accent. He repeated absolutely NOTHING can be done. Didn't care, told me he was going to 'look into it' but I know when I'm being lied to. So, here I am stuck with a $1500 repair. Obviously, if I knew the car needed this much in repairs I would have passed on buying. What really makes me upset is that these are safety issues. I drive my 5 year old daughter to school 4 days a week. The oil is pouring down the block into the alternator, the vacuum pump leaking affects the brakes, and the control arm bushings are critical steering components. How could a car in this condition pass a basic safety inspection in a company like AutoNation? Not sure why I'm even writing this, its probably a 50/50 anyone will even read it let alone help.
Elise McMahon
Apr 4, 2015
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