Fleet Assist has stepped in to dispel an industry rumour that has been circulating in garages, dealerships and workshops around the country for the past couple of months.
The rumour is that BMW has patented logo-shaped screws that it would use in the production of its cars that would prevent independent garages from working on its future range of cars.
The alleged screwhead design follows the shape of the BMW roundel which features an outer ring and internal quarter segments, and as such would need a special tool to fasten and unfasten it.
Fleet Assist’s supply chain director Nikos Kotrozos approached BMW UK who issued an official statement which said:
“Whilst there appears to have been discussion online regarding a patent filing, BMW UK is not aware of any plans to introduce such a specialist bolt.
“It is also worth noting that Block Exemption regulations are designed to ensure that vehicle manufacturers cannot prevent independent operators from accessing the information, tools and resources required to carry out servicing, maintenance and repair activities. As such, any suggestion that BMW would seek to restrict access to SMR through the use of proprietary fixings should be viewed carefully.”
Kotrozos said: “As this fake publicity was building momentum, we felt responsible to bring it to the attention of BMW UK to give them an opportunity to refute it. We are very pleased it has been responded to with the professionalism associated with the global brand.
“It is also important for our garage network customers and suppliers to make sure that Block Exemption regulations apply, and relevant vehicles can continue to be maintained in congruence with their elected work direction policies both at franchised and independent garages accordingly,” he added.
Fleet Assist has a network of over 9,300 service points and 900+ mobile units and provides its customers with a wide range of repairer options that meet their expectations while making every effort to preserving the integrity of the aftermarket services for the good of the industry.
