You'd think so, wouldn't you? I've tried about 10 over the years and in
general been between dissatisfied and very dissatisfied with the results.
Everything from incompetence to dishonesty.

Why use one? Well I don't now the car is older, but when newish the UK
market sets great store by a dealer service history. I never intended
keeping this car as long as I have - but it's never told me it's time to
change like others do. ;-)

I now use a specialist who is closer to me than the nearest dealer anyway
(luck) and am very satisfied with them. Just one example - I took my
'other' car there for an MOT and they fixed two minor - but 'fail' things
without charge and without even telling me.

It was amusing - it's a 22 year old Rover SD1 in pretty good condition.
Gleaming black. And despite being surrounded by BMWs and Mercs all day the
mechanics all came out to have a look when I arrived with it.

Although I hate using dealers they do - actually - know more about the car than
anybody else. I spent over 30 years in the performance car business in the UK
and know that in general the "Shady back street Joe" image will always be
present. Rip off merchants are still about and many I came into contact with
were actually the local main FORD & BL (Austin, Morris etc.) and the odd Jaguar
dealers and not the independents!

As an example there is a ritual to go through when re-setting the on board
computer on an E65 and that is to add up all the digits (numbers) in the VIN
code and press the mileage reset button that number of times - in my case it's
24 times and in the centre of the speedo you will get a read-out of the things
you can do.

I think it runs Linux!

I complained that my car was rather sluggish from a standing start and had a
flat spot when rolling to a junction and then gunning it into the traffic.

The dealer's "technician" and specialist deduced that the problem was the
"learning" feature of the auto box programming. I thought it was fuel cut off on
the over-run or dropping 2 gears before pulling away.

So in fact my last deduction was partially correct and the gearbox program had
learnt that the dealer I had bought the car from used it as a town run-about
demo unit having done only 3K in 4 months as a gently driven show car.

The guy wiped the memory and reprogrammed the unit to actually engage 1st gear
when stopped and it appears that the new programming is half way between normal
and sport - sport hangs the gears longer and doesn't engage 6th.

the car now goes like a rocket and is a real pleasure to drive - Downside - a
little more fuel being used down from an average of 34MPG (IMP) to 32MPG (IMP)

BTW the car is a new 07 E65 730d.

Depends on what you have and who the dealer is.  For a lot of older cars,
the dealers just can't keep an old-timer around who knows what the odd
problems with them are, and you're better off with an independent shop
that knows them well.

BMW's recent change in service schedule now means that although you get
"free" preventative maintenance for the dealer, much of the important
maintenance that really needs to be done has been dropped off the schedule.
Convincing the dealer that you REALLY DO want to change your transmission
fluid on a regular basis can be difficult.

There are some excellent dealers out there, and there are some terrible
ones, and if you live in a small town there may not actually be any.
Learn to do at least routine maintenance and don't trust someone else to do
it.
--scott

You'd have thought so but I've been through about 4 so far.