E46 SULEV engine image courtesy of E46fanatics.com
I’ve been publishing Work, Wine and Wheels articles since 2008. I started the site in part to acquire the hands-on skills necessary as the nature of communications work changed dramatically. I counsel clients on how to become online publishers, so I needed to learn how to do it myself.
The site has been very successful in that regard. But it has also delivered a different kind of publishing satisfaction. As any writer will tell you, nothing beats the feeling of someone telling you something you published helped them in some way. I received one of those messages last week.
Some of my most popular Wheels stories discuss BMW’s E46 Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (SULEVs) built in the early aughts. These cars came with a very unusual one-piece fuel filter and gas tank, and because of this were backed by a 15 year, 150,000 warranty on those parts. (Read here and here if you’d like more background.)
Since I’ve written those articles, I’ve heard from numerous owners of these vehicles. Many of them are being given repair estimates ranging from $6,000-$9,000 to have their filters replaced (because the fuel tank has to be replaced as well), without being informed of the warranty. According to many owners, BMW dealers are denying the warranty exists even when the owner asks about it specifically.
Last week an owner wrote in to say that my stories helped her get her car covered under the BMW SULEV warranty:
Thanks so much for the information. I had to take my car to a mechanic shop because BMW warranty specialist told me that it’s past the 10 years warranty. They apparently lied to me. My car is a 2003 325ci BMW purchased in CA. After reading this I called them again and mentioned the Bulletin from BMW they mentioned 10 years and I had to correct him again with 15 years warranty. Finally he told me to take the car to the dealership and I won’t have to pay a single cent. I was so ecstatic so thank you so much for this blog. God bless you.
The power of the Internet to broadly share information that empowers people is conventional wisdom, and has been for years now. But when you personally play your part in that process and help someone out, it’s a wonderful feeling.
I have a 2008 BMW 328i California emission. Do you know what kind of warrantee there is on the Catalytic converter?
Hello Chris , recently I been told that my 2003 bmw 325i sulev wagon with 94k on it and manufacturing date of June 2003 would not be covered by bmwna because the vehicle “originated in Tennessee “ according to the bmw bulletin TRI B11 75 02 these sulev models will be sold in California, New York and Massachusetts in 03 and in Vermont in 04. ( FYI I’m in Rhode Island ) The answer I got was they were sold throughout the USA? My question is 1. Is this in fact true ? Where they sold throughout the USA ? And question 2. Can bmw issue a warranty differing from state to state son the same vehicle? And any help you can offer would be greatly appreciate.