South Bay BMW

Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of South Bay BMW:
I've had 4 BMWs back to back in the past 10 years and worked with 6 different dealerships in 3 different states. I have never experienced a more unfriendly staff. No return calls. No communication. it is almost like pulling teeth every time you are there, as if you are only there to argue with them! Gave them 3 chances and they remained consistent. Will not go back again.

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of South Bay BMW:
Bought a brand new $70k 545 w/sport pkg there 1.5 yrs ago. Vehicle currently has only 11k miles & has 2.5 yrs left on warranty & free service. Recently we took it there for 1 maintenance item, ~2 warranty repairs & 2 updates. As typical of this dealer, they did not offer a loaner car. They also argued (didn't believe) that we were experiencing problems. Afrer a few minutes, the SA witnessed some of the I-Drive problems while he attempted to use it & then took the vehicle in for repair. Dealer returned the car (after 3 days) mostly unfixed & made an excuse that the updates may not apply to my car (anyone can search online & find the TSB's & updates that say they apply to my specific model). Funny, as BMW corporate admits they fixed many of my I-Drive issues with a software update. I have a factory BMW service bulletin that says so! South Bay BMW argued this point & denied to perform the fix on the car until after they speak to their corporate bosses to see if the fix applies.

They also suggested we spend $2500 with them to perform non-covered maintenance to replace rear tires ($1000 for 2), and a complete front brake job with alignment ($1500). Funny, the front brakes are well within BMW spec and only about 10% worn. They were friendly while arguing however, if that means anything.

Then, they still asked me to give them a 5 for service when BMW calls! Vehicle was returned with only 1 of 5 problems fixed and they want a 5?!?! This dealer is highly NOT RECOMMENDED for anything.

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of South Bay BMW:
this was a horible they tried to charge me 1200.00 for a sensor that went out. guess what the extended warranty company got involved and they only charged them like 400.00 to fix it. so they were trying to rip me off by 800.00 bad bad people

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of South Bay BMW:
The battery light came on in my 2002 BMW which per the manual, meant that the alternator needed to be replaced. I took it to South Bay BMW and they called me after inspecting the vehicle and said that it would cost $1100 to replace it. I thought it was a little high, but opted to do it. What really got me upset was that they said that the car needed all kinds of other repairs totaling over $4000. In addition to the alternator, they recommended the following: new power steering hoses, new water pump, thermostat, radiator, expansion tank, control arm and other miscellaneous work. They even said that the tires had some wear on them and they were brand new! Oh and get this, I recently had changed the battery and got a non-BMW battery since it was 1/2 the price. They said that a non-BMW battery could even cause problems. Come on, it's the same voltage whether it comes from a BMW battery or other brand.

This is a BMW and is supposed to be built to last. It's why I paid $45k for it. If it needs $4000 worth of repairs for a 4-5 year old car, something is wrong. The bottom line is that the car didn't need the extra repairs. These guys are unethical and only looking to take advantage of their customers and maximize profits. I'll never go back to them again. I'm lucky that I knew enough not to do the unecessary work, but I feel sorry for the next customer that might believe them. Stay away!

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of South Bay BMW:
SB BMW damaged my vehicle during repairs. They hid the damage by replacing it with a salvage part that, unfortunately for them, I did notice. They are pulling a Clinton and denying everything. I then filed with the Better Business Bureau (and discovered they have an F rating) which they never responded to. When they did finally agree to meet with me, 5 months to the date later, I was informed that since I filed with the BBB they could do nothing because it was now a legal matter. I wrote BBB asking if this is true and was told it was not. FYI, I have since been told, if you need repair work done it this area, the only reputable dealer is Beverly Hills BMW.

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: Yes

My Review of South Bay BMW:
They have excellent customer service and friendship between customers. However, many times whenever my car get service they don't complete the job so i had to go back there. I had experience with them for over 2 years, they still do the same thing and calls me that the car is done and ready to pick it up. haha..

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of South Bay BMW:
I went to the dealership it had great service a wonderful selection too bad their prices are sky high. Completely overpriced all cars were 9,000 dollars over their blue book price. I almost started laughing each time I read a price tag. Great dealership if you dont have anything else to do with an extra 9-10000 dollars

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of South Bay BMW:
Bought a pre-owned certified car. First of all, everything about it is pre-owned and nothing is certified.

Brake light failure, my fault. Hardtop electrical system doesn't work, my fault too.

I was accused of putting in an "American" bulb, only I hadn't touched the car, it was two weeks old.

I dropped off the car at 7:45 this morning for the hardtop fix and second try at the brake light, it is 6:11 p.m. I have not received one call all day. So now, I called. Surprise, Surprise, I am told the top was working when I got it. I asked, how so? It was never installed or shown to be working. Then, I was told I must have done something while putting it on. Hummm ... insert pins, flip levers. When I asked how the main wiring harness or electrical could be damaged by me and my partner locking down the top (for the first time), I got no answer. I also commented, "I bet it was installed correctly, wasn't it". Again, no reply.

My keyless remote entry system, sold as part of the original sticker - I was told would cost $500 to install. I had to throw a tantrum to prove to the professional that it was in-fact installed. However, I did agree to buy the actual remote with the stipulation of free programming. Did I say free? That changed 3 times since I negotiated the fix to my system. Of course in the upward direction and with no actual changes in work or additional terms.

I could go on and on, but they are unethical and try to take as much money as they can. As for the person who said he felt sorry for the lady who got ripped by an angry customer, trust me it was probably well deserved.



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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: Yes

My Review of South Bay BMW:
i brought my 745il in for service, not only was my sales person linda great, but my advisor deb was super. she was nice and respectfull...even the operator was nice (how rare is that to find). deb kept in contact with me throughout the whole time my vehicle was there, then i met the customer relations mgr tammy, let me tell you, she was great. unfortunally, another customer rudely came up to me & tammy while i was waiting for my car to be pulled up, and ripped tammy a new one...poor girl, i wanted to slap that other customer, but tammy didn't yell back and was very professional about the situation she was in. i later called her to make sure she was ok, and she was...i highly recomend Linda Smalley to all my friends, she is great, i've never had a non-slimmy salesperson when purchacing a vehicle, and i will always buy my cars through her...

a+++++

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of South Bay BMW:
Went there for several visits, went from good to really bad.
First was to get Full Maintenance II, which went OK. The advisor (Joe) was really nice and courteous. He explained everything they checked and told me that I don't need to change the brake pads yet.

However, a month later, I noticed some screeching noise when backing up the car. Called the dealer, they said it might be some dirt stuck in the pads. Since it was on and off, I thought they might be right. It became more frequent and I finally decided to call the dealership.. again. Turned out that I need to replace all 4 brake pads and rotors!! Could've told me that a month ago and saved my rotors, idiots! Not only that, when I picked up the car, it wasn't ready. Plus I had to wait for almost 1 hour just to find out they need to clean the car first. AARGH!! They said they didn't know I was there. What did they think I was doing in the waiting area?? D-OH! BTW, the svc. advisor's name was Jeff, and guess what. He wasn't even THERE to explain about the work being done. I had to READ my copy of bills (which I didn't pay, thanks to the warranty). Later on I noticed they lost one of my tire bolts. Sure made me feel safe driving it. However, they put a new one on as soon as I call them.

Third time I brought it in was for oil service. As usual, they found some things need to be done, and what a coincidence, they're all not covered in the warranty! After an hour of discussion and inquiries, I finally agreed to the service. When I took my car (in a dark evening), they forgot to reset the oil change indicator. The next day I noticed that emblem on the hood was chipped and there's a new scratch on my door (driver side). Called them and I brought it in a couple days later. Jeff was really nice in getting me into a loaner, but I was quite annoyed when he said it must be from a rock. Well, the chip was really big and there was a scratch mark on the rest of the emblem. It must've been a HUGE rock and how come I didn't see/hear it?

Finally, got a new emblem and the scratch fixed. Took it from the lot on a rainy day (DARN!) and the next day found a new scratch on my driver side window. I'm in a dilemma whether to bring it back and get it fixed but get a new problem, or just don't bring it back at all. I chose the latter.

Good thing about this place: free loaners, friendly advisors (when you get a hold of them).
Bad thing: poor quality of service (which I think is more important than nice customer service and a free loaner).

All in all, I'll never bring it back there. Not after the third, ridiculously expensive visit.

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of South Bay BMW:
This was the first place I went to when I was shopping for my BMW, since I live like 15 mins away. I just graduated from college and got a job that pays well so I wanted to get myself a nice car. Being young and all, I was there for a good while before anyone wanted to help me. Some of the sales literally saw me but they wouldn't even bother to come over and help. Then Brian came up, whom was quite friendly and helpful. However he wouldn't budge on the prices. I'm a reasonable guy and I just wanted a fair price on the car. The sales gotta make a living too right?! But he was unwilling to budge so too bad. I found another dealership whom was willing to deal with me fairly. Ended up getting a '04 330Ci (fully loaded) and later got my mom to buy a '03 745Li from the same sales guy at the other dealership. Sux for South Bay BMW but to be fair, Brian was friendy and helpful though.

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of South Bay BMW:
I had been warned against visiting this dealer by a couple co-workers who had bought vehicles here, but they are the only dealer close to me. I took my new 330i there for it's 1st service, some minor warranty fixes (trim) & key programming of vehicle functions. I dropped the car off 1st thing in the morning & they barely finished it before closing, and decided to charge me $162 to program my key settings (which I was told would be free initially). Also, they returned the car unwashed & with mechanics greasy fingerprints all over the console, doors & gray headliner (everything was immaculate)!!! I picked the car up at close when it was dark, so unfortunately didn't notice the dirt until the next day. My neighbors receive better service from their Acura dealer... ridiculous. I called the Service Dept. Mgr. the next day (Dan) & he did say they would clean it, but I have to leave the car there most of the day. Nice gesture after the fact, but with the hassle to leave it there, it's easier for me just to detail it myself.

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: Yes

My Review of South Bay BMW:
I've bought 2 BMWs here and have had most of the service done here. Every person in sales and service has been professional and provided great customer service. Service work has always been done before the time promised.

There were some complications with my last trade-in because of paperwork that I lost, but they went out of their to accomadate of me and make things easy on me by doing extra work.

I wouldn't even consider going elsewhere.

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: Yes

My Review of South Bay BMW:
Having had a terrible experience at La Mar Hyundai in Cerritos, CA, I became very wary of the entire car-buying process. But I had a really pleasant experience at South Bay BMW.

Ryan (sales) was incredibly nice, patient, and explained everything to me carefully. He didn't rush me, and really seemed to care that I bought a car that I wanted and would love. Most importantly, he didn't insult my intelligence and try to slip things by me, and I got a deal that I feel good about. Repeat customer? Absolutely.

John Moore (financing) was great as well. Explained all the terms of the contract to me very carefully, didn't rush me or try to gloss over anything. I asked a lot of questions and he took his time answering them all to make sure I was comfortable with the transaction. Even gave me good advice on problems I had with another car!

I actually had fun shopping for a car this time. (And I love the car.)

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: Yes

My Review of South Bay BMW:
I bought my first bimmer here, and it was a great experience. Great customer service and reasonable price. Highly Recommended!

I did my Inspecction 1 and fixed some problems last week. The service was done Fast and Accurate! Plus, I got a retal car while my car was in service. Andy even called me several times to notify the status of my car. A++

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: Yes

My Review of South Bay BMW:
I purchased my first BMW (X5 4.4i) from this dealership. I had an auto broker negotiate a deal for me, so all I had to do was go in and sign the paperwork. The deal IMO was the best in socal and on forums I've seen, I was actually VERY happy with the deal I got. The service was superior.

Because I just went in to sign papers I can't give an opinion of the "first contact" attitude. I'm 23 (but look 16) , work full time to pay for my own car. I've been blown off several times by many BMW dealers because of this fact.

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: Yes

My Review of South Bay BMW:
I bought a 2002 M3 from Josef. He's straightforward, no B.S., and is generally very accomodating. I've also herad good things about Monty in sales.

The entire purchase process was very easy and hassle-free. The staff were helpful and respectful. Highly recommended.

I've also dealt with Franklin in the Parts Department; he's knowledgeable and provides great customer service.

All around, highly recommended.

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