Any hope of resolution?

[alwynpv]

I got my 2011 320d in September 2013 from Sandton Auto. Before delivery the salesman showed me a crack on the windscreen, but said that it would be replaced, which it was.

Four months on and the torrential downpour of Feb 2014 brought to my attention that my Automatic Wipers are not sensitive enough to cope with anything from a drizzle to a downpour.

So I booked it in at Cedar Isles Auto, but they get back to me after assessment to tell me there is nothing they can do to adjust it. I take the car back, pretty upset, which I tell the customer satisfaction lady afterwards. She escalated it to the head of servicing, who requests that the car is booked in again. This time round they can't help me again, stating that a non-genuine windscreen has been fitted, which in turn is the reason for the faulty rain sensor .

I asked them to forward their findings to me, which I forwarded to the salesman at Sandton Auto, as well as his Manager and the dealer principle. I requested that they replace my windscreen with a genuine BMW product and ensure the automatic rain sensor is functional.

Do you guys think I have any chance of getting a satisfactory response from Sandton Auto?

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

I had the same problem. My car was fitted with a non genuine windscreen, Will pm you my story with the results.

send you the pm, let me know if I can help more. Think I have direct number somewhere.

 

[racing snake]

what brand is the windscreen?

we had this issue way back when i worked at honda with a few accords and the like. windscreens were replaced with oem parts and all the issues went away

 

[LevanM]

You can make them change it :thumbs: Don't listen to there bullshit stories and tell them you are bringing the car in and want it done!

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

I send him the info, in short the dealership have to either pay for a replacement or repairs.

 

[akash]

The dealership has to sort it out, the original part should have been used in the first place. If i am correct the glass used on the car is Pilkington.

My wifes friend bought a 320i and they put in a new windscreen.

It rained and for some reason the car was flooded with water on the inside.

BMW found out that the wrong windscreen had been fitted to the car and thats how the water got in.

 

[KarshS]

i made them pay for mine....Same story....

 

[alwynpv]

Thanks for all the advice and confirmation.

Thus far I have informed the actual salesman that sold the car to me, who is responsible for fitting a non-genuine windscreen, as well as his manager and the dealer principle. Thus far I have only received a CC of the dealer principle telling the manager to "attend to this immediately" It has been two days and no response...


I picked up on a note that the technician wrote on the job card:

Technician's comments: TEL & AHM not responding - not complained about:thumbdo:

What does this mean?!

I assume TEL refers to "Telephone", but my Bluetooth is working just fine... so my assumption must be wrong..?

And what's it with the "not complained about"? Did they pick up an error but I didn't complain about it so they didn't tell me about it so it wasn't fixed....?:argh:

---

what brand is the windscreen?

we had this issue way back when i worked at honda with a few accords and the like. windscreens were replaced with oem parts and all the issues went away

Where do I find the Windscreen brand name? I noticed Shatterprufe, but nothing else...

 

[LevanM]

I supposed to have the BMW branding and logo at the bottom left of the windscreen.

 

[Acheron]

Clearly they fitted a non-acoustic windscreen because it's cheaper, but as expected and as you found out it will not function with a rain sensor correctly (or at all)

I found this out first hand when I traded in my A3 a few year ago. The trade-in was on condition that I replace the windscreen via insurance since the crack had occurred after the valuation of the car. I lodged the claim with my insurance company, went for a quote and was given 2 options, acoustic or non-acoustic. The non-acoustic was cheaper by some margin and initially chose to go that way until the manager of the glass fitment place phoned me to ask if my car had rain sensors. I replied that it had and he told me that only the acoustic windshield should be fitted as he could not guarantee that the sensors would continue to function without a non-acoustic.

 

[Iceman007]

How a Rain sensor works. I dont think the Acoustic has anything to do with the rain sensor but its due to the thickness of the glass and the rain sensor is made for that exact thickness of glass. Acoustic glass is thinner than Non-Acoustic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_sensor
:fencelook:

Hope you get it sorted

 

[alwynpv]

Thanks for the responses thus far, needed a confirmation that I am not being unreasonable.

I left the issue with them for two days, got no feedback. So I just mailed the salesman again and CC'd his Manager and Dealer Principle. He got back to me half an hour later to state that they will be able to do the windscreen replacement at my place of work if I have basement parking, otherwise they will be doing the replacement at their dealership.

Seeing that we have shade netting at my office I will be taking the car in to Sandton in the near future. While I'm there I'll ask them to double check that the Rain sensor is fitted correctly as it might be an issue if they only did it at my workplace

 

[LevanM]

Do that, that way you will know that it is done right and tested by the dealer afterwards.

 

[GPGrobler]

Also have the other faults checked that the technician had listed on the job card, they have to fix all faults, whether complained about or not.

Guys like me who buy the car after you have owned it will really appreciate your diligence in keeping the vehicle properly maintained. :ty:

 

[alwynpv]

Also have the other faults checked that the technician had listed on the job card, they have to fix all faults, whether complained about or not.

Guys like me who buy the car after you have owned it will really appreciate your diligence in keeping the vehicle properly maintained. :ty:

You are welcome, but not really:rollsmile:, cause I plan to drive this guy for a looooong time :rollsmile: so you are going to have to wait a long time before taking it off my hands :rollsmile:

But I like your suggestion on the "TEL & AHM" comment from the technician, will definitely add it to the jobcard.

 

[akash]

Thanks for all the advice and confirmation.

Thus far I have informed the actual salesman that sold the car to me, who is responsible for fitting a non-genuine windscreen, as well as his manager and the dealer principle. Thus far I have only received a CC of the dealer principle telling the manager to "attend to this immediately" It has been two days and no response...


I picked up on a note that the technician wrote on the job card:

Technician's comments: TEL & AHM not responding - not complained about:thumbdo:

What does this mean?!

I assume TEL refers to "Telephone", but my Bluetooth is working just fine... so my assumption must be wrong..?

And what's it with the "not complained about"? Did they pick up an error but I didn't complain about it so they didn't tell me about it so it wasn't fixed....?:argh:

---

what brand is the windscreen?

we had this issue way back when i worked at honda with a few accords and the like. windscreens were replaced with oem parts and all the issues went away

Where do I find the Windscreen brand name? I noticed Shatterprufe, but nothing else...

---

Look at your door windows and the rear widscreen the brand that BMW users is called Pilkington

 

[alwynpv]

Sandton Auto is really not covering themselves in glory.:thumbdo:

Finally arranged to hand the car in Yesterday(27 March), took it in at 10:00, they gave me a lift back to the office but said I would have to arrange my own lift back or they will have to send the car with a driver that I will need to bring back to the dealership. So I got someone to take me back to the dealership after work.

At 16:00 they informed me that the windscreen they received has a crack in it, they never checked the box. WTF?! They need to keep the car overnight. What BULL?! I was stranded and needed to jump through hoops to get home and again to work today.

And then the explanation for the initial windscreen cock-up: Their supplier, GP windscreens, replaced it with an appropriate BMW Approved(Not Genuine BMW Windscreen but didn't replace the rain sensor with the appropriate sensor for this other brand of windscreen.... Sounds like SALESMAN BULL**** too me...?:bravo:

They told me they would have the car dropped off this morning. So I contact the Salesman to find out what the plans are. "We got the windscreen but the installers are coming after 12 to install it"

I tell him that I already have plans and need to leave at 3pm. He tells me he is not too sure if that is going to happen.... I nearly LOSE IT:argh:

From my experience, I would advise future BMW buyers to stay away from Sandton Auto Premium Selection Salesmen, I am not sure if one is allowed to name the salesman on the Forum... so tempted to name and shame :bangdesk:

 

[akash]

Hold On... this is crap

When i bought my 335i from Vader at his BMW dealership, he fitted a new original Pilkington windscreen that they use when they assemble the cars at the BMW plant in Rosslyn.

What make are they fiitting to your car? Someone is cutting corners here

 

[alwynpv]

Hold On... this is crap

When i bought my 335i from Vader at his BMW dealership, he fitted a new original Pilkington windscreen that they use when they assemble the cars at the BMW plant in Rosslyn.

What make are they fiitting to your car? Someone is cutting corners here

As far as I could gather, they are fitting the right windscreen today.

I checked the windows earlier, all of them have the little BMW Badge where all the other text is located, except for the windscreen, which didn't have the symbol. I will definitely be scrutinising the windscreen when they drop it off later today, let there not be a BMW badge on that window and all hell will break loose.....:argh:

 

[akash]

Make sure it is a Pilkington. The make will appear on the bottom right hand corner of the windscreen. Watch out for this dealership.