R56 Water Pump Failure (Settlement/Reimbursement)
(RESOLVED) Water Pump Failure (Settlement/Reimbursement)
*UPDATED 11/23/16*
It seems like water pump is a common failure in our R56 Minis and hopefully this thread will be helpful to people who may be trying to figure out what to do when the water pump fails on the vehicle.
I will be updating this thread as my case with BMW or the settlement has any updates.
If anyone has any questions about the progress of this, feel free to PM or leave a reply, and hopefully I'll get back to you.
11/11/16 - The water pump on my 2012 MCS with 51k miles started to have the textbook signs of it going bad (Whining sound during idle below 1k rpm after car has been warmed up).
11/12/16 - Went to the dealership and started the inspection ($138 just for inspection) and of course it was indeed the dreaded water pump failure. The dealer originally quoted me $782.17 ($540 labor, $242.17 parts) before tax, but I asked for a discount and they had offered to discount 15%, bringing the entire total to $681.31 after tax. Towards end of the day, the dealership let me know that the car was ready for pickup, but I suggested I'd like to pick up the vehicle on the following Monday (11/14/16).
11/13/16 - I did some searching online about issues with Mini's water pump failures, and found a page https://waterpumpsettlement.com/ in regards to a class action lawsuit about the water pump equipped on my vehicle. According to the settlement, it seems promising that I could potentially claim up to $500 for the repair costs. But it would still leave me $181.31 out of pocket expense even if I went this route.
11/14/16 - In the morning before going to the dealership, I called BMW customer relations at +1 201 307 4000 and asked about the possibility of reimbursement from BMW directly instead of claiming through the settlement. The customer relations person opened a ticket to have someone look at my case and see if there's anything they could help me out on their end and it will take 2-3 business days for someone to reach out to me.
I went to the dealership and paid for the total repair costs ($681.31) and picked up my car. Car seems to be running a lot better than before
11/16/16 - As promised, a case manager called me back to inform me that they are now looking into this case and will be getting back to me by next Wednesday (11/23/16). The case manager has also said there is absolutely no guarantee that BMW will be covering any of the costs associated with the repair, and if upon denial, the best bet would be to file a claim with the settlement mentioned above.
11/23/16 - Received a call from Customer Relations and they have told me that the dealership that did the repairs will be in contact with me shortly. BMW will be reimbursing me for the entire cost of the replacement of the water pump. BMW has also noted that the entire process may take up to 2 weeks, but it's still great news
If anyone has any questions, feel free to PM or leave a reply!
Thanks for reading everyone
It seems like water pump is a common failure in our R56 Minis and hopefully this thread will be helpful to people who may be trying to figure out what to do when the water pump fails on the vehicle.
I will be updating this thread as my case with BMW or the settlement has any updates.
If anyone has any questions about the progress of this, feel free to PM or leave a reply, and hopefully I'll get back to you.
11/11/16 - The water pump on my 2012 MCS with 51k miles started to have the textbook signs of it going bad (Whining sound during idle below 1k rpm after car has been warmed up).
11/12/16 - Went to the dealership and started the inspection ($138 just for inspection) and of course it was indeed the dreaded water pump failure. The dealer originally quoted me $782.17 ($540 labor, $242.17 parts) before tax, but I asked for a discount and they had offered to discount 15%, bringing the entire total to $681.31 after tax. Towards end of the day, the dealership let me know that the car was ready for pickup, but I suggested I'd like to pick up the vehicle on the following Monday (11/14/16).
11/13/16 - I did some searching online about issues with Mini's water pump failures, and found a page https://waterpumpsettlement.com/ in regards to a class action lawsuit about the water pump equipped on my vehicle. According to the settlement, it seems promising that I could potentially claim up to $500 for the repair costs. But it would still leave me $181.31 out of pocket expense even if I went this route.
11/14/16 - In the morning before going to the dealership, I called BMW customer relations at +1 201 307 4000 and asked about the possibility of reimbursement from BMW directly instead of claiming through the settlement. The customer relations person opened a ticket to have someone look at my case and see if there's anything they could help me out on their end and it will take 2-3 business days for someone to reach out to me.
I went to the dealership and paid for the total repair costs ($681.31) and picked up my car. Car seems to be running a lot better than before
11/16/16 - As promised, a case manager called me back to inform me that they are now looking into this case and will be getting back to me by next Wednesday (11/23/16). The case manager has also said there is absolutely no guarantee that BMW will be covering any of the costs associated with the repair, and if upon denial, the best bet would be to file a claim with the settlement mentioned above.
11/23/16 - Received a call from Customer Relations and they have told me that the dealership that did the repairs will be in contact with me shortly. BMW will be reimbursing me for the entire cost of the replacement of the water pump. BMW has also noted that the entire process may take up to 2 weeks, but it's still great news
If anyone has any questions, feel free to PM or leave a reply!
Thanks for reading everyone
Last edited by xacoffeemx; Nov 23, 2016 at 09:49 AM. Reason: Follow-up from BMW that water pump replacement will be fully reimbursed.