Santa Monica BMW

I've purchased 3-new BMWs from this dealership over the past 3 years (and 2 other new BMWs from other SoCal dealerships over the past 5 years) and have had good/bad experiences will almost all of the BMW s past 3 years (and 2 other new BMWs from other SoCal dealerships over the past 5 years) and have had good/bad experiences will almost all of the BMW service departments throughout SoCal. Santa Monica has certainly been NO WORSE than other BMW dealers in the LA/Orange County areas, and in some cases was much better. A few of my observations<br><br>1) They are a small dealership and therefore don't have a high sales volume as compared to SouthBay, Crevier or New Century. Their stock of new 3's, and 5's is usually nowhere near that of the other dealerships. Even though they're willing to get a vehicle from another dealer, pricing will generally not be as competitive given the much lower volume. However, they've really stood heads and shoulders above other dealers for me whenever I've been looking for a hard-to-find model (e.g., an M5, M3 Cabrio, and a Z8). When the other dealers have had maybe 0-1 of them in stock in most cases, SantaMonica must've l had at least 5 of each "hidden" in a warehouse someplace.<br><br>2) There were substantial dealer markups posted on those M's and Z8's, and I did get the "if the sales managers in a good mood today" line when trying to negotiate with them. However, I was able to negotiate down those substantial markups AND I was able to drive out of the dealership in a new M or Z8 within an hour or two. It sure beat the special order, or waiting-list process I was being offered by some of the other larger dealers<br><br>3) SMBMW seems to have a fairly large percentage of high-profile celebrity clientele and as a result the place can seem a bit snooty at times (particularly if they don't "know" you). I've been in there on several occasions when there has only been MAYBE 2-3 sales people (on a weekday afternoon or early-evening), and a famous celebrity (or even 2!) buying cars. Fair or not, it was a little difficult getting some attention - even when planning to spend $75-100K all at once - with that sort of competition. <br><br>4) I know a lot of people that buy their BMWs elsewhere and then end up bringing them into Santa Monica for service because of the location. As a result the service department is way overloaded with customers and they can be difficult to deal with (difficult make appts & get return calls, abrupt & inflexible at times, etc.). I've also received some of that famous "take it or leave it" attitude BMW service departments seem to be able to dish out around Southern California (no more so than from others). In spite of that, whenever I've had a problem the dealership has always recognized that I was one of the customers that actually bought my cars from SantaMonica and have then actually gone out of their way to make things right when asked. <br><br>5) A good sales person has been invaluable in assisting me at this delearship. Every time I've been in the dealership - for service, parts, or whatever - my sales person has never failed to stop and find out if there is anything he can do to improve my ownership experience. He has even interceded on my behalf when I've not been there to resolve issues with say obtaining a service appointment, or resolving a difficult service issue. My Lexus and MBZ sales people have NEVER done that.<br> More

over the years, i have worked basically with everyone at the dealership. they are condescending, rude, and patronizing. they cannot get work done in a reasonable amount of time - or, in many cases, in the a the dealership. they are condescending, rude, and patronizing. they cannot get work done in a reasonable amount of time - or, in many cases, in the amount of time promised. they treat you like a second-class citizen if you buy your car at another dealership and have gone so far as to say that if i want the warranty work done on my car in a timely fashion, i should go back to new century where i bought my car. they only give loaners to people who buy from them and will only give you a ride one-way. after waiting a week, each time, for an appointment, it's ridiculous to have to wait an entire day for them to hook up the computer to your car to check error codes (a 5-minute job, literally). sort of defeats the purpose of a warranty when you can't get anything fixed in a timely fashion and have to pay for the rental car in the meantime. if it weren't for the warranty, i'd never step foot in the dealership again. rude, horrible people who will NEVER return a phone call... More

This dealership is full of incompetent fools. My property has been stolen from my car on two different occassions and the Service Manager stated, "my guys don't steal." I told him I wanted to see t property has been stolen from my car on two different occassions and the Service Manager stated, "my guys don't steal." I told him I wanted to see the video surveylance and he refused. If he was so confident about this then why was he so unwilling? Obviously doubt. In any case a pair of $400 sun glasses and a $1000 camera were stolen. <br><br>There IS NO CUSTOMER SERVICE, RESPECT, OR COMPETENCE at this dealership. They make you wait and wait before you get helped, make you wait even more for an appt., and then tell you there is nothing wrong with your car when something obviosuly is wrong. I had issues with my fan for months and months and they kept on replacing it and the same noise occurred, until they finally gave up and said "some fans are louder than others." Well I doubt some fans sound like air blowers and jet engines. <br><br>On top of all this I have a 540ia with 53k miles and the reverse gear on the transmission is gone and now the dealer wants $5,400 to replace it, saying the entire transmission is gone, when in fact the car drives beautifully in 1-5. Please tell me how the transmission can not be fixed?<br><br>It seems BMW dealerships are the pits, especially the jerks in service. I will never buy a BMW (after 3 owned) I will go back to Mercedes where the cars are more reliable and the customer service is great. More

Where to begin... I just got back from having a $1,200 brake job done on a 2001 530 with 37,000 miles on it. I was told the brakes usually last about 25,000 miles, and that I was lucky. I've had 2 new 4-r brake job done on a 2001 530 with 37,000 miles on it. I was told the brakes usually last about 25,000 miles, and that I was lucky. I've had 2 new 4-runners, 1 new Ford SHO, and a new Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4. They all cost less, two of them had higher horsepower, one was about the same (220HP on the SHO, 300HP on the Mitsu, 260HP on the 4-runner with a blower). NONE failed as often or required brakes, turn signal service, or engine shutdown repair as early.<br><br>I asked them to fix a rattling sunroof, it rattled all the way home. Probably because it was still under warranty.<br><br>When I bought the car from this dealership I was PROMISED I would get a loaner BMW every time I came in for service. Del promised me that. Lying comes easy for some. I've never gotten a loaner. Even after bitching and moaning.<br><br>Here's a list of some fun things they've done in the last three years:<br><br>Were asked to patch a small hole in driver-side leather seat. They said the good news is I don't have to pay for the "fix," the bad news is that the seat has what looks to be a nickel sized tar patch on it.<br><br>After having the car for two months I noticed that the odometer and speedometer were 7% fast. This means my warranty runs out 7% fast. I verified this with mile markers, a properly calibrated vehicle driven by my wife, and a GPS. I had a screaming match with the service manager about it. He told me there was no way to calibrate the odo, and that I was safer if I thought I was going faster than I was actually going.<br><br>EVERY time I bring the car in I need to be sure to call them by the end of the day to see if the car is ready. If not, they will not call me and I'll need to catch a ride home. Yesterday I read my number to the service rep. He said "yep, that's what I have, we'll call you when the car's ready." They had my number wrong in the computer. After three years of getting the wrong number when (if) they tried to call me, wouldn't they think to correct it?<br><br>The rear deck factory speaker blew twice. Each time it happened I lost the car for two days to service. How long does it take to put a speaker in? Why do they keep blowing? I put an after-market system in after the second time.<br><br>Several times I've taken the car in for service and had something else go wonky as a result of their service. One example is the $4K sound system I had installed at Al and Ed's. It sounded great until I brought the car in for the malfunction of the month. When I got the car back the left/front speaker wasn't working. "It's not factory intsalled, we're not responsible for it." Yea, but you broke it ya jerks. I also love the big grease smear on my sun visor.<br><br>I'm too angry to recount any more of my experiences. These guys are incompetent crooks. Steer clear of them. I'll be test driving the C55 AMG this weekend.<br> More

After reading the other post, I feel like I am not the only one that after making an appointment a WEEK ahead that somehow that appointment was not in the system. Maybe, they are just saying it for the he only one that after making an appointment a WEEK ahead that somehow that appointment was not in the system. Maybe, they are just saying it for the hell of it. I have had Many BMW's in the past, went to SM BMW for the first time in 04/2004 with a car still under warranty. They kept me for about 45 min. before they even talked to me, then comes all this issue with not the appointment being set up. After a heated argument they tried to make me feel good by "arranging" the next available slot. Pissed as hell, I took off that place never to return. I have been to Beverly Hills BMW and Pacific BMW (Glendale) who have treated me and my wife wonderfully. So why take my car to place where none cares ? Everytime I pass by the dealer, it gives me the shiver! More

I have dealt with three Southern California BMW dealerships and the Santa Monica BMW dealership was hands down the worst of the three. In fact I would say they have the worst service of any dealer dealerships and the Santa Monica BMW dealership was hands down the worst of the three. In fact I would say they have the worst service of any dealership I have ever dealt with. Let me summarize my service experience that lasted three days. <br><br>I brought my 2004-530i into the Santa Monica service center to inspect an airbag light. I arrived at my scheduled time and everything went smoothly that morning. I did not receive an update call the entire day from my service rep. After a few attempts in contacting my rep, he finally got back to me in the early evening. I was told that they could not work on my car that day because they were busy with other cars. Despite my displease, I gave them the benefit of the doubt (mistake!).<br><br>I picked up my car and returned the following morning for a new appointment. The first hint of an issue was that my representative had no idea who I was and went on to ask what I needed done on my car. After a few minutes of explaining that my appointment was the day before and that he told me to come back that morning, he finally remembered. I made it clear that I needed the car done that day, and he assured me that my car would have priority. Once again I received no calls all day. I contacted the rep in the afternoon and was told to call back about an hour later, I did. I was then told that the car would be ready at about 5pm and everything looked great. I called back at 6pm to confirm that it was ready, the service rep told me the car was all done. Upon arrival I was told that they just had to finish some paper work and it would be ready in a few minutes. A few more minutes went by and my service rep came out to tell me that the car was in fact not ready and they needed it for another day. He went on to say that they will have to load new software that takes hours to do and they will have to do it in the morning. At this point I was livid and just wanted my car back. I knew this would cost me big because I had to ask my wife to drive an hour down to Santa Monica to pick me up.<br><br>Finally on the third day the car was ready, BUT they could not find my car. The id tags were switched and it took them 20 minutes to locate my car. I thought the nightmare was over, only to discover the next day that they did not fully reattach my dash. I have yet to go back.<br><br>This experience is unacceptable, especially at the premium paid for this car. I don’t know about the sales side of Santa Monica BMW but I know I would advise everyone to avoid the service department, if possible. <br> More

left car for routine service, and noted a couple of minor warranty repairs. Car was returned marked all work performed, but the two warranty problems still persisted. I went to the dealer, and the mechan warranty repairs. Car was returned marked all work performed, but the two warranty problems still persisted. I went to the dealer, and the mechanic told me they did not look at the warranty items because they "did not have time" and I would have to make another appointment to have them looked at, even though the paperwork said otherwise. I would not trust these guys at all, and will never take my car there again. More

Hard to know where to start. I can say I have never had a worse experience. The irony is that they have signs on their desks that say "Listen, Solve, Care." <br><br>An example: My X5 died on a Tuesday - a worse experience. The irony is that they have signs on their desks that say "Listen, Solve, Care." <br><br>An example: My X5 died on a Tuesday - wouldn't start - no click. BMW road svc was dispatched - got a 90 min estimate. In the mean time, the 3rd attempt at jumpstarting started the car, but numerous warning lts were lit. Called RoadSvc, and was told it was safe, but to bring it in to SM BMW in the AM. When I did, I was asked what the problem was. I told the svc rep, and was asked if the car was working now. When I said it was, he refused to write up a ticket. I told him that the car had died, and even had pictures of the warning lights. He would not write up a ticket. He said I should wait for it to fail again. <br><br>Finally, after 20 minutes of arguing, he wrote up a ticket with a due date of 4p later that day. He would not provide a loaner. I did not hear back, so I called that afternoon, Thu and Fri. Finally I got a call back saying "just like I thought, it was the battery." Of course, this warranty battery (2nd time for the car) cost me $160 in rental car charges which they refused to pick up even though they were late. On the failure to call back, the svcrep said "I didn't have anything to tell you so I didn't call you back." Listen, Solve, Care indeed.<br><br>Also: When you ask for the Svc Mgr's manager, they give you the number of their attorney. More

They charge exorbitant rates for service. A brake job costs twice as much as a brake job at Century BMW in the valley. This is not an exageration. The total at Santa Monica BMW was $990.31 for 4brakes/ro costs twice as much as a brake job at Century BMW in the valley. This is not an exageration. The total at Santa Monica BMW was $990.31 for 4brakes/rotors. The total at Center BMW was $501.54 for exactly the same service. They clean your car; however, they leave water marks all over the car bad enough that a real car wash is necessary. My gas tank was 1/4 full when I dropped off my car. When I picked it up, the yellow light was on. More

I've have owned my new 325i for 3 weeks. This morning, the engine started to make a "rattle sound", the Service Engine light illuminated . I proceed 1 block to the dealership. Upon arrival, I had to ask a the engine started to make a "rattle sound", the Service Engine light illuminated . I proceed 1 block to the dealership. Upon arrival, I had to ask around for help and was directed a Service Consultant. Charles Hicks immediately informed me he could not help until Monday! And could not offer a loaner car. I replied that I just purchased the car 3 weeks ago and you're telling me "I'm screwed?" Charles responded that even the Space Ship Columbia fell out of the sky. I asked him not to humor me, and he responded that a lot more expensive cars and wealthier people require his assistance. I stood up to ask for a manager and he smiled like an I was a waste of his time offered a rental car. I signed the service papers and proceed to the rental shop. A few hours later; I received a call from Charles Hicks. Charles informed me that my BMW "is a car with movable parts and a complicated engine. It seems to be running fine and he cleared the codes that indicated a miss-fire". I requested a greater explanation; Charles responded his expertise is with his experience at Mercedes. I requested to speak with the manager. Charles informed me that the manager is off on Saturdays. I replied I will right in to speak with the acting manager. Charles responded that I make sure I spell his name correctly. He then disconnected the line. I picked up the car at about 2:30 PM, drove 100 ft and the car immediately miss-fired. I turned around and pulled right into the Santa Monica BMW service center. I did not turn the car off. The car was rattling and shaking. Charles was with-in 10 ft and refused to speak with me. I'm lost my temper and yelled out in front of other customers "this is my fixed car!” A man named Bill emerged and claimed to be the manager. I explained to Bill the problem and re-iterated the story with Charles Hicks. Bills response over the entire conversation was: "Yes the spaceship can fall out of the sky""Yes the car has an engine". Realizing Bill was of no help. I requested to know what the tech did to give my car a clean bill of health. Bill responded that BMW provides a VERY expensive machine that tells them exactly what is wrong with the car. My response was that I drove 100 ft and the problem returned, the expensive machine is obviously wrong. Bill informed me that the machine was always correct and BMW policy is to trust the machine and NOT TEST DRIVE the car. I requested that he test drive the car this time. Bill moved in with-in 1 inch of my face, told me that I have a poor attitude, he likes me so he is going to take care of the car. Feeling threatened my immediate response was "I can feel the love". I backed-up and walked away to the sales floor. I found my original salesman and regurgitated this story. He informed me that I am not the first person to have this problem with those particular individuals. He will immediately talk to Dell Jr. the owner and take action. This is the worst service I have ever experienced. It is obvious that BMW of Santa Monica regards its customer’s as non intelligent beings that can be taken advantage of. Thank you for taking the time to read this messege. I hope you think twice before dealing with Santa Monica BMW. <br><br>HiPowerWeb.com<br><br> More