BMW 1 Series engine seizure - what are my options? | Ask Honest John

What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks

BMW 1 Series engine seizure - what are my options?

I own a 2009 BMW 1 Series 118i petrol (chassis E87, engine N43). I have covered just over 40,000 miles and the engine has seized. The crux of the matter is now with BMW UK Customer Services, who say they will consider a goodwill contribution, but only if a BMW dealer inspects the engine. The engine was removed from the vehicle independently of BMW and two local dealers have declined to inspect the engine. As a result, BMW UK Customer Services have effectively told me to work my way through the UK dealership list to find a dealer willing to inspect the engine.

I have offered to bring in an independent auto engineer but they have declined. This feels like restrictive trade practice on BMW's part. What should I do?

Asked on 16 October 2014 by max banks

Answered by Honest John

Thank you for the information. In fact this is a common problem both with N43 petrol and N47 diesel engines with many instances reported here: www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/bmw/1-series-e81e87-...d

Where the car has been fully serviced by BMW franchises, BMW has contributed to the repair costs. Your problem is that your car hasn't been and, despite the evidence that this is a common problem, BMW can assert that something done by someone other than its dealers caused the failure. Probably better to see if you can get the original engine rebuilt by a member of www.fer.co.uk

Tags: legal and consumer advice engine failures

Similar questions

Land Rover Discovery engine failure - who is liable for the repair costs?

Our daughter purchased a 3.5-year-old Land Rover Discovery with 40,000 miles on the clock six months ago, for which she paid £45,000. The car broke down last Friday, the RAC Recovery Technician could not...

My Vauxhall Meriva needs a new engine - do I have any recourse against Vauxhall?

I have a 2010 Vauxhall Meriva 1.4 turbo that's around 41,000 miles. Driving on the motorway last week, it began to lose power and then completely died. Had it recovered by the RAC and taken to a local...

My Aston Martin Vantage V8 was ruined by a garage I was using to sell it - where do I stand?

I was trying to sell my Aston Martin Vantage V8 4.7 through a garage who offered a sale or return deal, taking a commission if the vehicle was sold. Five weeks and 300 miles later, only two prospective...

Related models