I have a BMW 118i SE three-door auto which I purchased new on 1 March 2007. The mileage is 41,438, mostly on long runs and the car is seldom used on short trips. It's always fully serviced and MoT’d by BMW. The engine warning light came on, and the handbook states “have the engine checked as soon as possible.” I drove it to the nearest BMW garage where the diagnostic equipment came up with cylinders one and four “combustion misfires” and “the misfirings are secondary faults.” Result: all fuel injectors, ignition coils and spark plugs were replaced. Total cost was £1110.53. I queried why change all four, and BMW (UK) replied: “There is a Technical Bulletin asking that in the event of a coil/injector failure a blanket repair is to be carried out.” Have you heard of any similar failures with this engine?

Now, my second problem. The car was seven months out of warranty, but I had taken out ‘Warranty Direct Luxury Care Policy’ to cover this period. They however have overruled the BMW Directive and say that only cylinder one and four injectors, coils and plugs should have been replaced and deducted £449.33 from the bill. Do you think that it is reasonable for Warranty Direct to overrule can a BMW Germany Technical Directive like this?