BMW Plans Loaner Car Program

MUNICH, GERMANY – BMW of North America is creating a national loaner car program that could be ready in April, according to the Web site www.automotivenews.com. 

BMW dealers learned the program could be announced at BMW's national after sales conference in April, says Barton Cohen, chairman of the BMW Dealer Forum. "It's to make certain our customers have a consistent and excellent service experience," Cohen says.

He described the initiative as an enhancement to the existing reimbursement program for dealers who provide BMW loaner cars. "Everyone's anxiously awaiting this program," Cohen says. "It's been on everyone's radar screen."

Dealers didn't get much detail about the program, says Warren Waugh Jr., managing partner in the Lyon-Waugh Auto Group in Peabody, Mass. "But a committee's looking into it," Waugh says. “Our loaner car expenses have risen over the years."

Tom Purves, CEO of BMW of North America, says there must be a balance between this expense and giving BMW owners an excellent service experience, according to the Web site.