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Thread: Did I buy a lemon?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
    Location
    Bridgewater, NJ
    Posts
    2
    My Cars
    2013 650i xDrive Gran Cp

    Question Did I buy a lemon?

    Good day.

    I recently purchased a used 2013 650i X with 31,000 miles from Flemington BMW in NJ. My prior purchase history:
    • 328 xDrive
    • X5
    • e46 M3
    • e92 M3
    • 528 x
    • X5 e40

    And now this car. None of these prior cars had any issue and have kept me with BMW. This car was pristine, looked as good as it did day 1. Original sticker was $109,000. One owner. All services performed at this dealer and no issues other than regular maintenance.

    After my purchase, within the first week I starting feeling a shuttering that got progressively worse. From prior non-BMW vehicles I owned I would have classified this as a mis-fire... I faulted spark plug, shorting plug wire etc. I brought it back to the dealer and they determined it was the transfer case and replaced it.

    In the next 2 weeks I started doing the research I should have done and I learned of the N63 engine in the years up to 2012 and the N63TU after. Thanks to the people of this forum and I identified my car as having the N63TU because of the two CPU's, one on each bank of the engine. At the same time I also decided I would be getting the extended warranty if anything else would happen in my 3mo 3,000 mile warranty.

    So in the next 3 months my DTM story began. Each time the car reporting DTM, driving real rough and often going away. Every time the car goes to the dealer, gets a part replaced, drives nice for 50 miles and then a mild misfire feeling or shuttering starts, then gets worse and then DTM's. Sometimes resulting in me being stuck with the car not starting. So here is what has been replaced: (after each I get the car back and then have to return to the dealer)


    • Transfer Case
    • Spark Plug Fouled by Oil, Ignition coil replaced
    • High pressure fuel pump (around here I needed to add a quart of oil)
    • Another High pressure fuel pump
    • (dealer keeps car 2 weeks to drive) O2 Sensor fault, replacement


    Now I got my car back to me on 11/6, by the 12th I got next DTM (146 miles driven) and continued to get them the 16th, 17th & 18th. This time the dealer didn't want to rush my car in for service so I took an appointment for 11/19.

    So to summarize I have had the car less than 6mo, its been to the dealer 6 times and remained there for a sum of at least a month. Do I have any recourse here or method for escalating this? I thought this could be a valve stem seal some people has described but given that this occurs 50,90,150 miles after a fix I also wonder if this is starting with a software problem.

    Suggestions appreciated.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Hampshire UK
    Posts
    8,867
    My Cars
    99 840ci Sport Indv
    It sounds more like it is a single problem, but the dealer can't find what it is. It would help you to have diagnostics of your own so that you could see what the error codes were....
    Timm..2007 E64 650i Individual Sport..1999 E31 840ci Individual Sport..ex owner of 2000 E38 740..1999 E38 740i V8 M62..1998 E38 735i V8..1993 E32 730i V8..1988 E28 518i


    My BMW Repair YouTube Channel
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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    .
    Posts
    7,708
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    Sounds like you got stuck with an inexperience tech, and/or a shop that doesn't do a good job of quality control. On repeat visits such as yours, a shop foreman should always be involved in the diagnosis and repair. And the car should be driven several hundred miles before being released back to you.
    ASE and BMW Master Certified Technician

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
    Location
    Bridgewater, NJ
    Posts
    2
    My Cars
    2013 650i xDrive Gran Cp
    Quick Update. Dropped my vehicle off 11/19, returned to me 11/21, they replaced a high pressure fuel sensor. By last Friday it was back in the shop after 67 miles, got a DTM and the vehicle was stalling.

    I've opened a case with BMW NA and left a message for the shop foreman to make sure I have some senior people looking into the car, haven't heard back from the foreman yet but BMW NA promises I will get a response from then by 12/4.

    I have also secured an Autel ODB scanner for the moment I get the vehicle back. Thanks for that suggestion Timm.

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