2003 model with 45K miles out of warranty. intermittent electric steering failure. intermittent remote door unlock failure. after diagnostic, dealer says i need to replace the upper steering column for $2360 and the lock-up basic module for $655. that seems an awful big expense for a five year old luxury vehicle. do i have any other options? BMW NorthAmerica was no help.
That is definitely bad news, and while I can’t comment on the dealer’s diagnosis, I can tell you that luxury cars inevitably have much higher costs for parts (and sometimes for labor) than less expensive cars. And, luxury cars are not necessarily more reliable than less expensive cars.
In other words, expensive car = expensive repairs. However, you might be able to find an independent BMW specialist who would charge less than the dealership.
I hope that you can find a lower-cost solution to the problem. Good luck!
Well heres an example of the difference between a dealer replacing a part & an independant shop fixing a part.
The Ford dealer wanted to replace the speedometer on my 95 Taurus for $350.
An independant/mom & pop speedometer shop fixed the old speedometer for $120.
If you’re lucky an independant shop can fix this for a lot less than -OUCH- $3,000.
My source (BMW Master Tech) says keep trying with BMW ask for a Goodwill exception. Good Luck