Who can help you with your emissions warranty claim when you are denied coverage?

 Who can help you with your emissions warranty claim when you are denied coverage?

When no one will honor your warranty claim what do you do?

If after asking the dealership and the company about your emissions warranty coverage and no one will honor it,the next step is if you live in California call the CARB California Air Resource Board.

Phone Number 

1800-242-4450

If you don't live in California you can write the EPA Environmental Protection Agency. the address is

  Environmental Protection Agency

 Office of Transportation and Air Quality

 Compliance Division, Light-Duty Vehicle Group  

Attn: Warranty Complaints  

2000 Traverwood Drive 

Ann Arbor, MI 48105 
Email: complianceinfo@epa.gov

 If you have followed the manufacturer’s procedures (including  those for appeals) for making a warranty claim as set out in your owner’s manual or warranty booklet, have received a written denial and you are not satisfied with the manufacturer’s  determination, you may submit a letter to EPA at the above address. It should provide details of the situation including the basis for the claim, a copy of the written denial, copies of your letters to the manufacturers, and copies of any receipts for emission control parts and repairs you have paid for,

Informal Warranty Complaint Form from the California Air Resource Board

Informal Warranty Complaint Form from the California Air Resource Board:

There are two pages to fill out and you will need to send support documents;

* Copies of the warranty pages from the owners manual 

 *Your maintenance records/receipts (if you don't have them you still can get assistance with enforcing your warranty)

*Please call (800) 242-4450 to get an original form from the California Air Resource Board these copies are only for your information.

Page 1 of  2 Informal Warranty Complaint Form California Air Resource Board
Emissions Warranty

Page 2 of 2 Informal Warranty Complaint Form California Air Resource Board
Emissions Warranty

BMW 328i 2007 drive cycle to reset computer

I finally got my BMW fixed but now the smog place is telling me I need to do a drive cycle so the computer will reset. The drive cycle I finally got from the BMW dealership was as follows:

1.) DRIVE VEHICLE FOR 60 MILES - BETWEEN 50-60 mph ON THE FREEWAY AND NOT TO EXCEED 3,000 rpm.

2.) DURING THE DRIVE CYCLE ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO COAST TO 30 mph  AND RE-ACCELERATE TO COMPLETE THE CYCLE, NOT TO EXCEED 3,000 rpm. WHEN ACCELERATING.



I thought how am going to do this living in Los Angeles with no tags? I had to do this after 10 pm but before 3 am to miss traffic. Driving between 50 - 60 mph then coast to 30 mph on the 405 Freeway, with no tags for 2 hours?


I tried to get the dealership to do this but they refused,


I tried to get a temporary day pass from the DMV to drive the car legally, they refused because I was now 4 months late. I did pay my fees on time which prevents them from going up with additional charges. I explained the situation but they would not do it.




I was nervous, I had every piece of paperwork to show an officer of my situation as to why I was driving my car with no tags in case I got pulled over. I almost wanted to put a note on my window saying

I am resetting my car's computer so I can pass my smog test please do not pull me over/

     

I didn't put that note up, after explaining the situation to my boyfriend who was not happy about this late night 2 hour drive I had to take I went for it.
MY ACTUAL DRIVE CYCLE:

...TRAFFIC at this Hour and 2 ACCIDENTS that had the freeway stopped! I sat in the car at a dead stop people were getting out of their cars to see what was holding up the freeway, 
  I had driven 30 miles at the 50 -60 mph range using the cruise control,  Then I sat on the freeway until the accident cleared  15 - 20 minutes, drove  for another 5 minutes and then sat for the 2nd accident to clear 10 -15 minutes. Then drove home.

I decided to just drive my car to work, on errands like normal even without my tags for a few days,

I really missed driving my BMW it felt so good to be behind the wheel of this car. My boyfriend who is wonderful generous and the best ever has let me drive his 2000 FORD Explorer for the last 4 months. I am grateful for this, but once I drove my BMW for that drive cycle all those reasons why I pay $350 for an oil change and all the other high costs of driving a BMW seemed perfectly logical or why I have not been able to drive my car for 4 months.
I love the way it drives it fits me like it was made for me, and now with a brand new cylinder head I can keep her longer than I expected, which is wonderful because I just made my last car payment.

And I took her back to the smog place and she passed!  

BMW Emissions Warranty 15 years/ 150,000 miles

BMW Warranty Coverage 

Failed smog test? Carbon build up?  

Are you a BMW owner who has failed a smog test due to carbon build up? or for any other reason? Is the dealership telling you it is going to cost you in the thousands to repair the problem? Don't let them trick you, YOU HAVE WARRANTY COVERAGE! 

My CAR:

• 2007 BMW 328i
• 147, 484 miles
• SULEV (super ultra low emissions vehicle) PZEV(Partial zero emissions vehicle)
• California

I was told that I would have to pay $8000 to clean out the carbon build up by a BMW dealership after my car failed a California smog test, this is my story and I hope other people can use this knowledge to get the warranty coverage they are entitled to.

I failed my California smog test and was told by my independent BMW mechanic and the dealership that I had carbon build up that was preventing me from passing the smog test The code was P0402. The cost to repair was way too expensive my independent mechanic even offered to buy my car from me. The repair is not easy and very time consuming for a mechanic. After re- reading the failed smog test paper I noticed it said some cars may be covered by  a warranty up to 15 years/150,000 miles. My car was at 147,484 miles. For coverage to apply your car has to have this label under the hood:

Check under the hood for this label: the label will let you know that you have a SULEV (PZEV) warranty. 

 I looked up the warranty information at BMW's website, get your book at the below link, fill out your year ,make and model and download your warranty book.

http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Content/Explore/BMWValue/BMWUltimateService/ServiceandWarrantyBooks.aspx

The warranty book stated in black and white that if I failed a smog test, BMW would repair at no cost to me.

Ok, so now I give BMWNA a call thinking they will agree with me and enforce the warranty, they are very polite but still refusing to enforce it with the dealership, the dealership claims that BMWNA has to approve it and BMWNA is claiming the dealership has to approve it. I spoke with the Service Manager, the warranty specialist, customer service everyone, back and forth, this was consuming a great amount of time. 

 I was told everything from I didn't have a warranty, it was a maintenance issue etc. I requested their refusal in writing, which no one would do. THEY ARE REQUIRED BY LAW to do this within 30 days of being informed of the  problem.

It was looking like they were sweeping me under the rug, no one at BMW was enforcing the warranty I would not give this up, I had rights, so I called the CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCE BOARD (CARB), they sent me a  Informal Warranty Complaint Form   that I had to fill out, and send my supporting documents (maintenance records, copies of the warranty pages that apply ) to enforce my warranty claim. I mailed it all back to them and then received a call from them, They said I had sent all the information they needed and they would call BMW and then call me back.

After, she heard their  reasons or argument she said that they had to fix my car under the warranty. A few days later, I had to call the dealership and make an appointment  I dropped my car off, picked up my BMW loaner car and waited  for it to be fixed. 

I received a call from the mechanic 4 days later stating he had good news not only was my car ready but BMW decided to not repair my car  but to replace my cylinder head to ensure I would pass my smog test! and the $195.00 service charge to diagnosis my BMW, I paid, would be reimbursed to me.