I recently bought my first BMW - a 2004 325i with about 40,000 miles on it. The previous owner bought it as a "certified" used car, and it has more than a year and lots of miles to go before the certified warranty expires. So, I was reassured by my salesman (not a franchised BMW dealer) that the warranty would cover "everything but the tires".
I brought the car in to a BMW dealer to check it over, and he discovered that the front lower control arm bushings were "torn". According to him, these are a normal "wear and tear" item and they wouldn't be covered under my warranty. I didn't authorize the repair, and didn't even ask for an estimate.
Does anyone know if the bushings are really a "wear and tear" item? From a little Googling, it seems like they are prone to tearing. Do you think I can successfully appeal this to the dealer or a regional BMW rep? Does anyone have an opinion as to whether I should let the dealer or an independent shop do the repair? The car is in the L.A. area, so any recommendations on a repair facility would be appreciated.
Thanks to all.