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Weld on a hex nut and it works with normal tools. Or don't buy a BMW. They have been well known for building overpriced scrap on wheels for decades by now.
They blew their rod bearing R&D budget on this shit
It’s a masterpiece of anti-functional design.
From the company that brought you subscription seat heaters.
Cars take a lot after phones, like one big screen and no way to repair it. Maybe when a car needs to be replaced when their tank is empty, people gone think about what they buy
Most luxury car owners will be on to their next car before the warranty is out.
Yeah I'm made about these unrepairable and phone home cars.
I got a 2010s car that's dumb and it works.
I really want a SUV with adaptive cruise control. Preferably hybrid 4WD. I'm shit out of luck for privacy.
I have a 2016 Subaru with eyesight (which includes adaptive cruise).
It lost its phone home when they killed 3g which I’m happy about.
Less happy about when the camera isn’t happy, like when there’s a salty windshield or direct sunlight, it fully disables all forms of cruise control. So if there’s ever a hardware problem with the camera system, it’s going to not have any cruise control until fixed (if parts will even be available).
Cars don't take after phones, phones took after cars. The car industry pioneered enshittification in the mid 2000s. It started with crazy shit like lights where you had to disassemble half of the car in order to change a burnt out bulb.
How long are we guessing it will take until we can find the tools on aliexpress?
Not long at all, that's missing the point.
The point is that someone will want to fix something about their car, get stopped by these screws that they don't own a screwdriver for, and will have to make a decision: wait a week for the screwdriver from aliexpress, with no guarantee they will actually get their car fixed once it arrives, or... just take the car to the authorized service and get it fixed now. And they have the thing on Saturday and their car needs to work, and...
Some will buy the screwdriver, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that many people won't, and that's extra profit for BMW.
And more and more reason to be anti consumer
I was just being snarky that it's a shit and pointless exercise. It's a delaying or hurdle rather than any real "security" (or "stop the user futzing with your stuff). And I agree with you, most people won't buy it, and being available isn't changing much. It's just the same as all the other "security" screw heads out there. It's just a hurdle.
The easiest way to get around all this is just to not buy BMW (or any other manufacturer that pulls this shit)
EDIT: nice username too :D
I know 3 guys with older BMWs who want to know what sizes they can order them in so they can use them as engine bay dress up bolts.
this post was submitted on 05 Feb 2026
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