You run a BMW, you pay BMW prices, same with Mercedes and AUDIS. They are all snob cars but no better than other cars.
The dealer claims that a 5 year old genuine BMW failed after 5 years, they are either lying to get trade or the BMW one is shite, my Golf is 13 years old & no brake pipes have been replaced yet. It's a Scam, it's always a Scam when it comes to a Main StealerWas the independent using a genuine BMW item? Pound to a pile of dung it wasn't, they were making their own off the roll, whereas a franchise dealer will be required by their contract to use BMW supplied parts.
I've posted this before, but I think it bears repeating...Unless it has changed since I was in the trade a 'Main Dealer' has to go by the 'Book' price set by the manufacturer for each job, they aren't allowed to set their own 'price' for doing the job, each job has a set time allocated to complete it. They can probably set their own 'Hourly Rate' but if the book says that 'task' takes 3hrs then they're only allowed to charge 3hrs labour no matter how long it takes them.
An example,
I worked at a SAAB main dealer (until I worked out that fixing cars was a horrible filthy and painful way to earn money) and there was 1 job that came up half a dozen times whilst I was there, changing a worn/leaking 'front' crankshaft oil seal on a 99 (It's on the back of the engine on the 99 cos the engine is fitted 'backwards' with the clutch on the front)
'Book' time for this job is 9hrs because the engine/gearbox has to come out to access this as there is not enough room to get the bolt out between the engine and the 'firewall/bulkhead' however our service manager worked out that if you loosened the engine mounts off and sent the car up on a ramp with an idiot (me) armed with a big crowbar (a 4ft length of 2inch bar nicknamed 'Big Bertha') then you could lever the engine far enough forward to get the bolt out, remove the pulley and change the seal. It used to take us 1 1/2 hrs.