[tw04]

Having previously owned a used BMW: I wouldn't touch a BMW without a warranty with a 20ft pole. I mean... The only way to realign the headlights if they get thrown off for some reason is to pay the dealership $200+ because they can't self correct and the only tool that can access the headlight controllers is BMW proprietary. Run, run while you can.

[serf]

>Having previously owned a used BMW: I wouldn't touch a BMW without a warranty with a 20ft pole.

Yeah, i'd agree if we were talking about traditional cars, and this comes from someone who has wrenched on every bolt of their BMW.

As far as the DIY repair-ability of BMW's electric cars? About the same as every other electric car -- which is to say 'near-zero', unless we're talking about wiper blade replacement level stuff.

[CogitoCogito]

To be clear, are you saying you're okay with a lack of repairability in BMW electric cars because that's standard for electrics? You're free to your perspective, but I find it a little odd. My reaction would be to simply not buy any electric cars at all. Is there any reason why the owner shouldn't be able to realign headlights in an electric car when they are able to do so with ICE cars?

[JohnJamesRambo]

I’m sure they are referring to the fact that electric cars need very little maintenance.

[StudentStuff]

Electric cars might need very little maintenance during the first few years of operation, but why should I be needlessly locked out from making repairs on my own vehicle? We've let car companies create what will end up being massive hunks of useless metal and batteries, all because we won't properly regulate them to ensure end users can work on their own cars and extend their useful lives.

That right there is why current electric cars are far from green, if it ain't repairable, its trashcan ready. Trashcan ready products are the anti-thesis of environmentally sound products.

[kamaal]

That's true to a bigger extent with ICE's than with Electric cars.

There is very little you can repair in an electric car, Its basically a battery, motor, electronics and software, and that's a plus, not a negative.

Why do you want repair something that shouldn't even exist at the first place?

[jakevn]

Many of the issues I've had with German vehicles were not related to the ICE. These are the issues I faced in 100k miles of German car ownership: Window motor, Parasitic draw, Blower motor, Headlight ballast, Wheel bearing, Strut mount bushings, Sunroof drain channel

[StudentStuff]

There is not as much to have fail in an electric car, but that shouldn't mean I lose the right to repair a vehicle I own. Rebuilding batteries isn't new to me, nor is compiling software.

Why should Tesla be allowed to brick every electric car that gets in a fender bender, or refuse to sell parts for cars once the vehicle is out of warranty? A lack of enforcement of the right to repair has driven repair costs on Tesla's vehicles sky high, causing their vehicles to have notably more expensive insurance premiums.

[CogitoCogito]

Sure the engine needs less maintenance (at least that's the claim), but there's more to the car than that. Besides the specific example was for realigning headlights and I'm not sure why the maintenance of something like that should be different for an electric car.

[kamaal]

Because servicing and spare parts are a huge business. And unless some one is specifically looking to disrupt that part of the business. Its in their interest to keep the charges for something like that high.

[CogitoCogito]

I believe you misunderstood me. My original question was why serf was okay with an electric car having this lack or repairability vs one with an ICE when the specific repairability question involves something like realigning headlights which has nothing to do with ICE or not. Of course you're right that manufacturers are more than happy to extract extra money from consumers through such servicing agreements, but that has nothing to do with my question. Besides that reasoning applies to manufactures of ICE vehicles as well so your point is honestly totally irrelevant.