Re: Insurance questions 5-Series
- From: "Pat Durkin" <clovers@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 18:26:52 -0700
"Jim" <j.n@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:DkA6f.6417$tV6.4988@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Err no. BMW has gone to adhesive bonding instead of welding on certain
> body assemblies. Changing requires:
> 1. Significant investment in new equipment (BMW dealers must install this
> equipment)
> 2. Additional training of body shop workers (BMW dealers must get their
> personnel up to speed).
>
> Independent body shops feel frustrated by the new equipment needed and
> training of their employees (who resist learning new things at all cost).
>
> BMW is doing this to reduce the cost of manufacture.
That was sort of the thrust of the article. The writer also said it had to
do with BMW engineering's desire to lighten the front of the car to improve
weight distribution but the upshot was a car that was VERY difficult and
expensive to repair, and the independents - even if they bought all the
pricey equipment and had BMW trained personnel could never be "certified",
thus the only acceptable repair on a BMW could only be achieved at an
authorized BMW dealership, otherwise the car would probably have zero resale
value. And of course with BMW dealers realizing they have an EXCLUSIVE the
predictable result is preposterously high repair estimates --- thereby
forcing insurers to "total" a lot of late model cars that might be
satisfactorily repairable at reasonable prices if they were steel.
I never did make contact with my agent today (a lot of football games, ya
know?) to check rates on BMW's vs. competing models so I'm still curious.
Pat
.
- References:
- Insurance questions 5-Series
- From: Pat Durkin
- Re: Insurance questions 5-Series
- From: Jim
- Insurance questions 5-Series
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