BMW of Monterey — Local services in Seaside

I had a pretty unique experience with this dealership, one that justifies a detailed review.

We were in the market for a new car for my wife. I was shopping dealers all over the state trying to find a car with most of the specs we were after. After some back and forth, we settled on a car at BMW of Monterey. The deal was really good, and both Dillon and Walid provided excellent customer service throughout the process.

We are not local to the area, so all paperwork was completed electronically. The process was fairly smooth and straightforward.

Now for the real reason I wanted to write a thorough review. I am extremely meticulous and given I was buying this car sight unseen, I had asked both client advisors and the transporter to ensure the car was pristine before transport. Any dings/chips/blemishes etc were to be disclosed and ideally repaired if necessary before delivery.

Well the car was delivered rather late at night on a weekend, and it was too dark to get a good look at the vehicle. The transporter immediately pointed out a fairly large scrape on the passenger side of the front bumper - this was also noted on the bill of lading before the car was loaded for transport. It definitely seemed like it was a known issue with the car but one they were prepared to deal with after delivery or just forgot to disclose.

I was pretty upset and ready to unwind the entire deal. I immediately called my SA and after a bit of back and forth, was put in touch with the GSM, Andrew Jennings.

This is where the review goes from potentially disastrous to exceptional. I explained to Andrew that I wanted to refuse delivery and unwind the deal given this had not been disclosed. While he was prepared and willing to cancel the sale, he calmly suggested taking delivery and inspecting the car in the morning under proper lighting. If I was still not satisfied, he would unwind the sale.

He very politely explained that this was likely an honest mistake, not one he was proud of, but indeed a mistake. He explained that these issues can happy during transport from the port, or even at the port itself. And of course accidents can happen at the dealership or anywhere else for that matter. He put all of this in writing and I accepted delivery as we agreed.

The next morning I went over every inch of the car and it was pretty perfect outside of this scrape on the bumper. I reached out to Andrew and we had a candid discussion as to how he was going to make things right. They ended up sending a loaner vehicle from their fleet on a flatbed (I live over 150 miles away), and took the new vehicle back to their dealership where they work with several great paint shops / independent repair facilities. They had the car repaired to my satisfaction within 2 days and then sent it back down on a flatbed and grabbed the loaner. They also paid 2 of my upcoming lease payments as a courtesy. I was absolutely shocked at how far above and beyond Andrew himself went to make this right and again turned what could have been a very miserable experience into a great one. He was extremely patient and professional and I would never hesitate to do another deal with these guys. I am extremely satisfied overall and my wife is also very happy. THANK YOU BMW of Monterey for a wonderful experience and for doing the...

I have been having my car serviced here for decades. We have also bought several cars from this dealership. We currently own two BMWs and have them serviced here. My experience lately is that they are more interested in adding more service items to boost their profit than actually serving what the customer needs. I have been very disappointed with the service. One time I booked a service in advance. Then when it came to pick up the car they say they could not complete the service because they did not have the oil in stock! And expect me to keep calling them to see if the oil is in stock so I can make one more appointment and take the car there again. They could have checked they had all parts and items in stock or warn me in advance it will not be complete. This was on top of making me feel like a fraud after arguing with me about the actual mileage of my car compared to what the car's key was reporting according their computer. They were going to do a 45k mile service on my car when the car had 32k something miles because their system read the wrong mileage from the key. I said I know how many miles my car has done and their reading is wrong. But they kept saying the key is reporting different mileage and they need to verify! I felt like they were accusing me off something. It turns out there was a software glitch on their computer system that BMW warned them about and somehow they did not know about it. I think that was the worst experience I ever had having my car serviced anywhere. We are also disappointed with BMWs in general. During the winter we started getting an infuriating error message about emergency call system. The message persists and you are unable to see part of the dashboard! It turns out there is a premature failure of a small battery used by the emergency system call. We know this because we got a letter from BMW USA later during the winter saying they are extending the warranty on that emergency call system battery (car is about 5 years old) an that we can have it taken care of by a dealer. When we got this letter we were somewhat happy that at least we do not have to pay for fixing it. And that perhaps BMW does care about their customers and how bad an impression it leaves on us with such an early failure and how infuriating the error message is. So at a regular oil service I asked the dealer to take a look at that too. They said sure they will. But when I arrived at the dealer, they said it can take a long time to do that, may need to leave the car over night and they will not know if it will be covered by the extended warranty BMW USA mailed us about! How wonderful! Right now I am seriously considering getting rid the...

I recently purchased a Isle of Man Green X5M from BMW of Monterey, and I must say that the experience was nothing short of exceptional. From my very first call with Erdal Kenar, it was clear that he was going to go above and beyond to make the entire process effortless and quick, leaving me with a lasting impression of their dedication and expertise. To give some background, I called 8 different dealers across the country for a IOM X5M and Erdal was the only one who accomidated my needs and helped me feel completely at ease.

Erdal patiently answered all my questions, addressed any concerns, and never once applied any pressure throughout the decision-making process. Erdal's professionalism and friendly demeanor made it easy for me to trust his recommendations and ultimately make an informed choice.

Once I was locked in on the car, the finance manager, Jimmy Nehrer took the reins, and the real magic began. Jimmy's efficiency in handling all the necessary paperwork was astounding. He had everything prepared and organized, allowing me to breeze through the paperwork process in no time. From the dealer paperwork to state vehicle registration, Jimmy ensured that every detail was meticulously taken care of, sparing me the usual headache of buying a car.

The most impressive part of my experience was the incredible speed with which the entire transaction was completed. Within less than two weeks, I had my X5M delivered to my doorstep in Florida, thanks to the seamless coordination of the BMW of Monterey team. The fact that the car arrived in perfect condition and was shipped via an enclosed trailer further demonstrates the dealership's commitment to customer satisfaction.

I must admit that I was initially hesitant about purchasing a car from California, but BMW of Monterey exceeded all my expectations and alleviated any doubts I had. Their dedication to customer service, attention to detail, and timely execution made this purchase a truly delightful experience. It is abundantly clear that THIS is the dealership to go with to buy a car from, regardless of where you live.

In conclusion, I highly recommend BMW of Monterey to anyone looking to purchase a new vehicle, especially if you're hesitant about buying from out-of-state. Erdal Kenar and Jimmy Nehrer are a dream team, and their outstanding service will undoubtedly leave you impressed and satisfied. They've gained a loyal customer in me, and I wouldn't hesitate to return for...