BMW owner says Australian dealership drove their car 136 miles, including a KFC stop

A standard repair booking at a Melbourne BMW dealership allegedly ended with an SUV covering more than 100 miles around several suburbs.

The dealership defended the car's odyssey, which reportedly included a stop at a KFC drive-through.

Here's what to know

According to 7NEWS, BMW owner Andrew Back said he left his BMW X5 for repairs and later found the vehicle had added more than 136 miles (220 kilometers) over four days while at the dealership. He also said about a third of the SUV's fuel was used.

Back told the station the first sign something was wrong was a sharp drop in the car's remaining range, and the BMW app later showed trips through multiple suburbs, including a stop at a KFC in Lynbrook. 

"When I initially dropped it off, there was about 300 kilometres left, and then suddenly I opened the app and it says 44 kilometres left," Back said.

7NEWS reported the app showed the vehicle back out before it was returned to the dealership, after a late-night drive that included Lynbrook and Clyde North and ended near midnight in Hampton Park. 

Earlier in the four-day period, the route history showed the BMW going from Bentleigh to Lynbrook and Hampton Park, then through Narre Warren South and Cranbourne North, before later reaching Bayswater and Boronia.

In a statement shared with the station, the dealership said the driving was part of necessary testing: "This type of real-world testing is essential. We dispute any assertion the usage was inappropriate."

More background

Back wasn't exactly buying that rationale.

"The servicemen said they need to eat," he recalled to 7NEWS. "I was like, 'OK, great. KFC, eat [in] your car.' Yeah, they have to eat."

Dissatisfied with the explanation, Back said he raised the matter with BMW Australia's headquarters. He said the company did not take over the complaint and instead sent him back to the dealership's service department.

What's being done?

A company spokesperson told 7NEWS that they discovered another mechanical issue during those trips, which prevented further damage.

Marcus Denning, a lawyer from MK Law Firm, said a lawsuit may not make financial sense for the customer, even if the behavior itself is concerning.

"The juice isn't worth a squeeze in terms of suing, but it's clearly not professional conduct, and it's conduct that a dealership should be concerned about," Denning explained to the station.

That was no doubt a frustrating outcome for Back, who has to just accept what he thinks was a joyride for the workers.

"I worked my ass off to get this," he told 7NEWS. "Why is this guy ruining my car?"

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