BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

denright

Thanks a lot!

Quick question... would Steel Gray Metallic be considered a clear coat or regular finish for the purposes of selecting a polish?

killer99

Would it be possible for those wanting gurumike to check their status to do so via e-mail? It seems that a third of the messages are either someone asking for, or mike responding to a query regarding order status.

Assuming it's ok with gurumike, I kindly request that you take it off line.

Thanks.

allano

I believe all 2001 BMWs have a clear coat on top of their paint. To be more specific, the Steel Gray Metallic is clear-coated so you would use Z-2 rather than Z-3.
You will want to get their Z-1 and Z-2 as a minimum cost, see-if-you-like-it starting point. However, their fix-cost postage/handling fee makes buying other products attractive.
BTW, I found Cannon 100% cotton towels at WallMart in the Boston area.

gggphd

I need some help. I posted a shorter version of this appeal a couple of weeks ago but did not get any responses. I recently purchased a 1996 318i with 65,000 miles on it. Car is very clean, runs great and is tight for the most part. I have one nagging problem, however. Going over speed bumps, potholes, even irregular pavement, there is a brief squeek /squawk in driver's side door post at rear of front door and front of rear door. Sound seems to originate in door post, not under car and so, I don't suspect anything is wrong with suspension. Dealership suggested it might be door seals making noise rubbing against one another or against door frame. I silicone lubed all seals, window tracks, door hinges, etc., even lubed driver's side top seat belt attatchment. Still the noise persists. Any suggests for fix would be appreciated. I love the car otherwise.

cccmd

I am presently on the waiting list to have the steering in my 2001 330i retrofitted. I was curious if anyone on the board has done this and how much difference did it make. Thanks.

Congrats to all of the new owners. You will find it was worth the long wait.

taos2

How much should the price of a new 2001 325xi Sportwagon depreciate in September when orders
for 2002 start being produced. My local dealer
has a new one but will only budge $1000 under
MSRP. It seems to me this car should take a bigger hit in value and be discounted more. The
salesmanager claims that BMWs do not depreciate
as fast as other companies and that BMW will be
behind in XI production for 2002 for several months. He just called to confirm that the
dealership did not receive any awd allocations
for September. Claims they probably won't see any
2002 xi Sportwagon for 5 months.

drstan

Just ordered a 2002 330i for European delivery in November, with 5-speed, Premium package, sapphire black with a sand interior. I ordered the color sight unseen (gulp) and am wondering if you have any comments about the color i.e. how black is it, how much metal flake, will it go wel with the sand interior etc. Appreciate any remarks. Thanx, Stan drstan@swbell.net

cccmd

I have seen both sapphire black and jet black. They were pretty much undistinguishable except when you got up close and could see the 'metallic flakes.'

bavarian

Yessir! Much thigh slappin' and a hollerin' now that your long wait is over. My best wishes to you and good luck with the car. I have very much enjoyed reading your first impressions as you drive. I can only add, that with over 12,000 miles on my 2.5L engine, your car will feel and sound much better after a few thousand miles. Your mission-should you choose to accept it-is to rack up those miles. So-when the missus says she fancies some Kentucky Fried Chicken I would take that to mean a drive to Kentucky is in order. You can use this same tactic for trips to the California Pizza Kitchen and Boston Market and I am sure many others.

gurumike

taos2 - 2001 doesn't "depreciate", in anyway really, when September comes. Not on that model. If they really have an AWD coming in (and not on the long term "112" status program) $1,000 off an AWD wagon sounds like a deal to me.

drempt - Sorry............ next week?

killer99 - James, a couple of things. Firstly, most people do email me. I get about 2:1 email to post requests. I think many readers actually like to see how this process works, to understand it better and become enlightened. Also, I think some get a kick out of knowing where another board readers car is. Some people prefer that to be private or "off board" and they email me. It's not like it's wasting your printer paper of wearing out the monitor, can't you just skim over this type of post (assuming it's causing you some discomfort).
Also, was that your first post on this peticular forum? At least recently. Isn't your question really the type that you ask, casually in conversation, after you've "broken the ice"?
PS - Yes, a 1-4 skip shift is where a gate in the 'box forces a first to forth gear shift. I didn't read the preceding posts, but I assume it was talking about Camaro Z28 (or equivalent) shifting feature. In theory to improve gas mileage, of course.

Sapphire black - If you're really into your paint, nothing looks as primo as Jet black when perfectly polished and waxed. It is also a very soft paint and will pick up surface scratches with little effort. Easy to buff out, of course but the much harder and clear-coated metallic paint will be the lower maintainence of the two. But the Sapphire really is very black ! I say that because many black metallics look very grey, usually.

dparis1

Lexol leather cleaner and conditioner have done wonders for my black leather.

christofori

Denright - Congratulations on your new car. I did get a 330 xi in April. I took European delivery and bought it from Tischer BMW in Silver Spring.

My engine over heated once in Germany and once in Baltimore. After they replaced the defective fan, I started feeling vibrations at the idle speed. Now I am awaiting a replacement clutch.

Since day one, I hear a thud sound from the rear differential area whenever I depress the clutch or when I release it. Other than these problems, it is a great car and I love it. My question is do you hear any sound similar to it? Second how does it shift gears? Is it smooth? Mine is buttery smooth some times, and down right jerky other times.

Also,you mentioned that you got the old steering mechanism. BMWNA told me that the retro fit would affect only the non- xi models.

I did get the sport package. I absolutely love it. The wheels themselves were worth it.

Please do let me know about the gear shift and the idle. I would appreciate it.

Congratulations again. Good luck!

tenet1

I tried the 800 number you gave me but it has been busy all day. I that usually the case or am I calling the wrong number??

As for the SA issue, I will post a message and see what people have to say.

tenet1

Anyone have a 325 that is built in South Africa?? NO one seems to mention it on the site and most VIN decoders don't even tell you how to ID a SA built car.

Anyone out there driving one?? What do you think?? Are there any known difference and any reason to be concerned?

Anyone.

boelke

Have you seen the impact of Zaino on white?
Mike

bmw323is

drstan - I have a jet black car with the sand leather. Obviously, I think it is a fantastic looking combo. Also have the wood trim which looks great with the sand interior. Haven't seen the sapphire black up close. You'll like the combination. I can't say that I've ever seen an E46 color I didn't like. Only saw the yellow/brown one in a picture - not too sure about that one. The ED sounds great. I would have done that as well if I had known about it when I ordered. Instead, I waited 3 1/2 long months.

cristofori - I know what you mean about the shifting. Sometimes is it very notchy and sometimes smooth. Usually it is better when warmed up. I will say that the car is made for driving and shifting fast. It just jumps forward when making quick shifts 2nd to 3rd, and 3rd to 4th. I even get a chirp from the tires when shifting into second with a fast shift. A few months after I bought the car, the cluth started making a very little squeak at the end of it's travel. I told the servie tech about it and thought they would simply lubricate it. They replaced a bushing and the squeak was gone. Now, a few more months later, I can feel a kind of vibration in the cluth pedal when I depress it while shifting. It isn't there all the time. I'm going to live with it for a while and see if it improves or gets worse.

drempt

Apparently, it was my post requesting order status what got you so worked up.

I don't know how long you've been reading this board but I do know that, at least in the past three months, the order status requests have not been "a third of the messages," not even close.

Such requests (thanks to Mike's immense kindness) are _on topic_ and I don't think you have the right to ask people to clutter Mike's personal Inbox just because the subject bothers you. Live and let live, will you?

drempt

q777

I have had my 01 325 for almost a month now and love it. I have been reading this forum and the beamer.org for a couple of months. The information from both forums was very useful and made the purchasing experience much easier.

I was very lucky to find the car with the exact desired options at the dealers website. Here are the details:

Auto-Metallic Paint- Leather-Sunroof- CD (MSRP $32,085)

I had gone to about 5 other dealers for this car. All of them had cars with SP and PP with MSRP of 35K to 36K. They told me that I had to order the car and wait for over 2 or 3 months. Also, they all said that I shouldn’t expect more than $700 on a base car.

I was able to negotiate a pretty good deal with Internet manager of the dealer close to my home. It was roughly about 5% off from the MSRP. I figured that it was time to make the final purchase.
All the other dealers also had marked up their interest rate. I was able to get their buy rate of interest and this made my final payment much lower. One dealer offered me a much better discount off MSRP but he also marked up the interest rate. Thus my monthly payments would have been much more! Watch out for this trick.

I have heard that $1500 over invoice is a pretty good deal. But the problem is that most dealers add another $500-$600 to the figure that you get at Edmunds or MSN. This includes prep charges ($185), Floor Mats ($100), MACO (Advertising-roughly 1% of MSRP). So, I figure $1500 over invoice is a pretty good deal if those charges are included. Anyway, there is nothing wrong with this since they don’t add it to the MSRP.
My point is that it is best to negotiate the deal by simply taking 5% to 7 % off the MSRP rather than their invoice. We will never know their true invoice cost.

Anyway, I was very impressed with my dealer. I just went down there to sign the paper work. I live in LA and had traveled to several dealership miles away from me without any kind of luck. I plan to buy my next car using the ED program. Hopefully, I will have the luxury of planning it better. I have seen a few have got deals several hundred dollars below US invoice.

q777

Tenet 1:

I saw a South African production 325 at Valencia BMW in CA .I was surprised because most 325s that I had test driven were made in Germany(Regensburg). The salesman either didn't know or didn't wanted to answer the question. Well, I have the original invoice of my car and it was made in Regensburg.
I don't think that there are a lot of these cars around. Your best bet is to call BMWNA and hopefully find someone who can answer the question.

rel

My 325i was built in SA, I bought it at BMW of Peabody, MA. I have about 5000 miles on the car. It is perfect, workmanship is flawless.

denright

No thunk in the rear, no vibrations, no fan problems (knock on wood).

As far as the steering goes, I test drove a bunch of 325is and 330is in April, and I find the 330xi's steering to be significantly heavier and more centered. I assumed it was a reversion to earlier steering mechanisms, but maybe this was just the 330xi's standard steering all along. In fact, I do recall reading (in an Autoweek review) that the 330xi has heavier steering than the 330i. I guess that may explain it.

unboringuy

Mike:

I've got the Jet Black exterior, and agree that it looks unbelievable when clean. I had a black car a few cars ago, and had forgotten how great they look, and also how hard they are to keep clean.

Question: Can you elaborate on your comment regarding the softness of the black paint? Does this mean that the black is not clear coated? If I get the Zaino product, do I then need to get the Z3?

Thanks.

nbnjbimmer

My 325 is scheduled to arrive in NJ on Sunday. My salesman says I should get the car within 3-5 days after- does this sound right?
Also, they'll install the alarm for $529 plus tax-Does anyone know of other less expensive options?
Thanks for your help

lowflyer

How good is the standard leatherette upholstery as far as comfort, in the heat? compared to MONTANA? It looks identical and I bet when they go used, some dealers would refer to the leatherette as being leather. How does it smell compared to real.
In Canada what can be expected off MSRP? 2% , 3% or more. I know the dealers story.
THANKS

sunnybrook

Does anyone know if it's possible to order these from your local dealerships yet? If not, when will they start taking orders for American delivery? Also, how much more of a premium should one be expected to pay for a comparably equipped 2002 vs. a 2001?

errickson

nbnjbimmer:
"they'll install the alarm for $529 plus tax-Does anyone know of other less expensive options?"

yes. buy the alarm from Circle BMW for $225 and take the 30 minutes to install it yourself (e-z install).

boelke:
have not tried zaino on white...yet. We have a white Volvo I will be "zaino-ing" as soon as I can carve out the time. Will report my results when finished.

lowflyer:
leather vs leatherette
we have the leather. you will find the peanut gallery pretty divided on this one. I will share what I know and have heard...I know my car smells great when I get in. The leather covers the majority of the front seats, and all of the back. The leather breathes better than the leatherette (vinyl). I went back-and-fourth on this option, and while I was not ecstatic about forking over the xtra $1200 to $1400, in the end I figured I would rather be surrounded by leather in the Texas heat as opposed to vinyl.

jasonkureejii

tenet1,

The number should be correct (800-831-1117 opt. 3 and then maybe opt 2 but I think they've changed the options...opt 3 should take you to automobiles). I wish I could go back to when I asked the question about SA owners, because there was at least 1 or 2 others besides rel who responded the same way. I would like to know some others' experience as well.

nbnjbimmer,

That sounds a bit high, but then again, we're talking about a dealer install, which will be widely different in price from dealership to dealership. My dealer quoted me $460. I've heard others quoted in the lower $400s. You can order the alarm from circlebmw.com or maybe pacificbmw.com for $225 the last time I remember...and there have been a few who have posted installing the alarm themselves. Good Luck and congratulations.

Denright,

CONGRATS, man...great post on your first impressions.

Any other owners of SA built 325i, please respond with honest impressions. rel, thanks for your input! I will definitely keep you in mind.

reubencahn

I remember reading in some official BMW publication that all paints including non-metallics were clear-coated. And it seems unlikely that any cars are being produced today without clearcoat. On the other hand, nothing shows scratches and dirt like jet black. I've owned one black car, a 1990 RX-7. It was beautiful but an incredible pain. And as much as I love dark colors like black and steel grey, I don't think I'll ever buy one again. I just don't have the time.

Also, somebody asked about Zaino on white. I have silver not white, and I think the effects are less dramatic on light colors. The shine is still excellent--better than any wax I've used. But what I like best is the durability (Here in the hot Florida sun, I get three months between applications) and the way it sheds rather than attracts dirt. I don't want to overstate the case for Zaino. It will not change your life, but for my purposes, it is a significant improvement over any carnuba wax I've used.

twoof1

There is a nice article in the current issue of BMW magazine titled "Think Globally, Act Locally" that talks about BMW's involvement in SA and how they are trying to help the local economy by doing more than just employing workers. They are investing more than $5,000,000 into a project to build new schools and medical centers. It is a very enlightening article.
BMW has been building cars in SA for more than 25 years. This is not new to them. Yes they recently expanded the production facility to increase output to the USA and abroad, but you are still getting BMW engineering and QC. BMW cars are only built in 3 places Germany, south Carolina and South Africa.
My 325i (sp, pp, step) was built in April '01 in South Africa. I had no hesitation on buying a SA built car. The build quality is excellent. I also had a Z3 (built in south Carolina)which had more build quality issues than my 325.
From a social responsibility standpoint, it feels good to know that my car was assembled by people who really do need some help. South Africa faces some very serious challenges, and they are trying to get over decades of racist ignorance. This is not an easy transition....but I digress.. sorry for the rant.

jasonkureejii

Rant all you want! This IS a place to voice opinions on matters that also stretch beyond BMWs, right? Thanks for the input. I think you were the one that told me some time ago to quit worrying, right? What issue is that BMW magazine...maybe I should start subscribing...anyways, the more I hear impressions from owners like yourself and rel and hopefully others, the more I will quiet down a notch on this issue, if it's an issue at all...BTW, were you able to track the ship name by chance and how (since it's coming from SA)...bet you weren't even conerned about that...anyhow, thanks again!

aaron330i

I've just finished my fourth application of Z2, and I can tell you that my Silver 330i looks fabulous. Being a lighter colored car, it doesn't have the reflectivity of darker ones, but when parked next to the *other* Silver 325i in the parking lot, the different is staggering.

And with a few cotton towels and some Z6, the need to actually wash the vehicles is reduced. In fact, I haven't washed mine in two weeks. I just use Z6 on it every 2 to 3 days. I do wash the wheels once a week as the brake dust accumulates fast.

From what I've read, if you properly take care of the vehicle, you should only have to use Z2 once a year.

gordonsgirl

I too ordered Sapphire Black sight unseen. My first view was when I picked it up at the Performance Center. The main differences for me are the way it sparkles in the sun. In the garage they are very similar unless you get up close. Also, I perceive that it doesn't look as dirty (might be my imagination) but I park next to a jet black and mine always looks cleaner. I prefer metallic paints in general so I am probably biased. But bottom line is I am very happy with the decision!!!

sandecki

DOes anyone have the experience with installing an intake for 330i? Is it worth it? How does it affect fuel economy? Also - same questions for Dinan engine software download - is it worth it?

Alarm by nbnjbimmer - I got mine from Morristown BMW for $350 installed at delivery. I think your dealer might be 'ripping' you a little.

killer99

I was certainly not trying to be bitchy, I'm sorry if it came off that way.
It just seemed to me that it would be more direct for this to be handled in email... Then if there was a change the owner-to-be could post that on the board if they wanted, rather than every reader be party to the conversation(s) between gurumike and said owner-to-be.

I do subscribe/read this board and most of the other BMW boards here at Edmunds (and have for at least a year). I mostly enjoy reading about the more technical aspects of the car and the driving experiences, rather than the 'what color combo do you like', 'what kind of wax do you like', etc. But to each his own.

I currenly do not own a BMW, but I dream about them every day. I have driven (not owned) 4 different BMWs on a few occations (Z3 1.9 (my Stepmothers previous car), E30 318ic (a friends), E46 323i 4 door, Step, with SP (My Dad's loaner), and E46 330ci Step, with PP (My Dad's). I think that they are amazing cars. They set a fire inside me that won't extiguish. I would like to own, love, and cherish any of the BMWs that I have driven, but I would spec my dream BMW out like this: Convertible + Sport Package + 5 speed + Inline 6 (The more displacement the better, as $ allows). I also want the Power Top, and I understand that the Premium Package is required for that so it must be added to the must-have list. I am not real picky about the color... Not big on red or white, prefer the metalic slivers, greys, blues, but when I'm driving, I can't see much of the color anyway.

Unfortunately, my wife's car must be paid off before I can buy my dream. And even still I will be looking for a CPO to keep the cost within my means (man, do kids have a way of sucking the means!) But mark my words! A BMW will be my next vehicle!

Sorry for the long post, but it seems that an introduction was in order. My name is James (Killer99 is meaningless, just needed a login name and that is what came to me).

I'll be lurking.
Thanks,
James

genie1

Mine has a great coat of wax that beads beautifully ... Like morning dew on a rose ... But water spots look horrible when dry. They seem more like spots of sticky dust that i have to scrub out when I wash the car.

I can understand seeing spots after the polluted rain we have here. But they also appear after I wash the car. Is it just a case of hard water and me not wiping down properly? Is there anything I can do, short of using distilled water for the final rinse? I may just not be washing/drying the car right way.

I've also noticed some scratches on the car that I didn't see before. (They could have been there all along) Could it be my poor cleaning/waxing techniques? Is the paint that fragile?

Andy98

I ordered a 2002 330xi this past Saturday. I should be getting it towards the end of October, early November (I hope). As far as price goes, I was only able, after many rounds of negotiation, to get about $900 off sticker. Some have gotten much better. I guess it depends on several factors (number of dealers in your area, average income in your area, etc.). Anyway, I'm still very happy and can't wait to get it. Hope this helps.

mfeldman

At first I didn't think I needed it. But then I noticed the left right imbalance in steering resistence, so I figured I might as well get the retro fit and get the good heavy steering. I can do it next week. I,ve heard lots of positive feedback on it. Does anyone have regrets?

unboringuy

Congrats on your order. I just got my 2001 330xi early this month, and I'm very happy with it. Here in Cincinnati, $900 off of MSRP is a decent deal. I had to go to Dayton to get the "coveted" $1500-2000 over invoice that seems to be the best deal on a 2001.

I'm sure everyone here would like to know about pricing on the 2002s. Has the MSRP or the invoice pricing changed from the 2001? Since you just ordered, I thought you might know.

brave1heart

I second James's request to cut down on the number of order requests and possibly keep it off-line. See, in the Townhall community, as in any other community, you contribute and you benefit from it. I can't think of a more selfish, mundane, boring and vapid request than order status. There are at least two other ways to track order status. It doesn't benefit anyone knowing that JoeShmoe's car just moved to status 151 from 150. Yes, Wolfgang just mixed the paint and started applying it to the car, thank you. Hopefully the beer-lifting injury he sustained 2 years ago at Oktoberfest will not hinder his painting performance. Same goes for the ships. Hmmm, let's see - I need the captain's name and his sailing history. I want to make sure he's had no sailing violations and that he'll steer the 300-ton boat clear of any waves exceeding 2 ft. in height.
Every time you post, please ask yourself: are you really contributing anything meaningful, useful and funny that we all can benefit from or you are the only beneficiary of your post.

brave1heart

I called back first thing this morning and they told me they would be faxing the necessary paperwork to my dealer today and that I can contact them in the aft to schedule the retrofit. They confirmed that no-one has had a single complaint about the retrofit so far and that there is no shortage of retrofit parts, so the dealer should be ready to do it in a matter of 2-3 days. I'm excited about getting it - it would be almost like getting a new car because the heavier steering is so much more fun.

brave1heart

Just wanted to mention that I've had my 325i for almost 3 months now and my salesperson Mary Galvin at BMW Peabody, MA has been treating me like a new customer that she cares about. She's been checking with me periodically to make sure that everything is fine with my car, to see if I'm getting the retrofit, to find out if I need anything else as far as service. This is on top of the reasonable deal that she gave me on the price and all the freebies that I was able to negotiate with her. I'm sure I'll buy my next BMW from her again. If anyone of you is considering doing business with her, remember to ask for freebies - she's very good at making you feel special and won't turn down a reasonable request.

twoof1

The article is in the current issue (sorry don't have it with me right now) You automatically get a subscription to the magazine with the car purchase. I'm not sure if it's available to non-owners.
I bought my car from the dealer lot, so I did not need to do any tracking.

mfeldman

One guy on the e46 board has complained of a breaking induced vibration, but that's the only problem I've heard. I'm alittle nervous about fixing something that isn't broken, but I would like tighter steering and no imbalance. It sounds like you will get to the dealer before me because of my and my dealer's schedule. Please keep us posted.

jasonkureejii

I will agree that frequent posts of order status, ship names, "how long does it take from A to B", and "hell, I know I'm not contributing anything, but I want to be heard anyways" are definitely not what owners here want to read. I understand this...honestly. I also understand that there are many new owners and awaiting ones who are entirely anxious...and maybe too anxious, like myself. However, I cannot contribute much with the little experience in this realm I do have. I hopefully will be able to bring some top notch input once I experience it for myself. For now, I mostly read what I can, post a concern, and, yes, try to contact someone who is literally in the same boat as me, because we or many need a little more reassurance that the vehicle is going to be as perfect as the owners picture theirs, right? Anyhow, yes, there are an insane amount of posts to gurumike. I wouldn't mind quite a few less. BMWNA may not have everything perfectly insync on the tracking status sometimes, but it's as good as it gets. Otherwise, braveheart, you and few others are about as invaluable to this board as they come, that is, until the new and awaiting owners catch up!!!

aaron330i

...of my Titanium Silver 330i. I would have taken some when I got home, but I wanted to give it the Zaino treatment first. Then I wanted to replace the front license bracket with the single piece of trim.

So this weekend after I do my little detail, I'll find a nice spot and take some pictures and post a link.

I might head to Port Aransas for the weekend so I might wind up with some picturesque beach shots.

helli

I have 5200 miles on the 2001 330i and so far it has been out of service for 12 days since I purchased it for my wife 7 months ago. I have owned many new vehicles in my lifetime and never had as many problems with all of them combined as I am having with this one. Additionally, I never expected that I would have encountered the problems that I have with BMW N/A.

First time I had a problem, the dealer closest to me (30 miles) refused to repair the vehicle and returned it to me in the same condition as it had been in when it was flat bedded to them. Reason: I did not purchase the vehicle at that dealership (Yes, that is what they said).

I never once envisioned that it would matter which dealership I purchased my BMW when it came to service. It never seemed to matter to FORD or CHEVROLET when I owned them. I wonder what would happen if I were in California and this problem arose being that I purchased my BMW in New York.

Currently, I have 2 additional serious problems with the 330i.
(1). Warning lamps illuminated on the instrument panel that indicate a problem with the ABS and ASC+T/DSC. According to the owners manual (pg. 119) "The entire ABS, CBC and ASC+T/DSC control system has failed. Avoid Full Brake Applications. This could cause the vehicle to lose stability and you might no longer be able to control it."
Based upon what the manual specifies, this seems to be a serious safety problem and as a matter of my wife's safety, I cannot allow her to drive the vehicle under these conditions.
(2). Interior of windshield is constantly becoming fogged. It is is very troublesome and annoying not to mention the safety concerns that arise from a fogging windshield.

BMW was contacted on July 19 and notified about the current problems. The vehicle is still sitting in our driveway almost a full week later. I am told that I cannot get a warrantee repair at the nearest dealership until August 2. That is a full 15 (fifteen) days past the manufacturer's receipt of notice of defect by me.

I was however offered a sooner repair date at a dealership 100 miles away. It seems unreasonable that BMW would expect anybody to travel that far for service. Nor do I feel asthough I am compelled to do so.

If I must wait until the 2nd of August for service, so be it. The vehicle will have clocked 21 days out of service by that time. According to New York State Law, within the first 2 years or 18,000 miles, which ever comes first, if the vehicle is out of service for 30 days, I can bring BMW N/A into arbitration. The outcome of the hearing could possibly be that BMW will have to refund the full purchase price, including taxes, title and registration fees.

The facts are all documented via Certified Return Receipt Mail to BMW N/A.

My advice to you if you haven't purchased a BMW yet: think twice.

Brother, Am I sorry I purchased a BMW.

mmcbride1

Most are good, some are terrible.

That doesn't make the car bad. I'll bet they can fix the problems very quickly.

aaron330i

Sorry about your woes. The dealer doesn't sound very nice, especially since you *could* be a future customer of theirs. I've never undersood the "you didn't buy it from us so we won't do warranty work" attitude. Most dealers, thank heaven, are not like that. In my case, if I have to brin my car to John Roberts of Austin, the worst I can expect is to not get a loaner car.

As far as my 330i, it's flawless. But then I only have 1600+- miles on it so far.

brave1heart

What a saga - the BMW from hell. It sounds that this evil car would spin in the middle of the highway right in front of an 18-wheeler while screaming at you "Go back to Ford and Chevy, you loser" right before the 18-wheeler runs you over. BMWNA would then send the dealer from hell, no, no - the devil himself to scrape you off the pavement so they can put your head on the wall as a hunting trophy right next to that grandma that ended up on the trophy wall.

- What was the first problem that you encountered? No dealer can deny servicing your car. Why do I keep thinking that your request might have been unreasonable...The service dept. is separate from the sales dept. anyhow.
- It is clear from the technical manual that your car's ABS system is off. It should be OK to drive the car without ABS.
- BMWNA offered to accommodate your request immediately. They would tow the car 100 miles away, right? Why would it have to be their fault that there is only one dealership in your area and they are very busy. BTW, how much money did you save by buying from a dealership 100 miles away - was it worth it?
- You personally are making the choice to wait for 2 weeks. Why does this have to be BMWNA's fault?
It is immature to start recommending that people don't buy BMW's because you had a bad experience with your car.

As I have stated before, my dealer has treated me with the utmost respect and honesty. BMWNA has always been very responsive to my needs and concerns. Name another company out there that would offer a free steering retrofit that costs the company $1,000+ a car without safety concerns - just to keep the enthusiasts happy. Which other company offers online order tracking and doesn't mind if you call them every hour to check the status of your car? How many other manufacturers would replace the brake pads and wipers for 36K miles even though it might be entirely related to use? Try Chevy and Ford - better luck there maybe.

Oh, "safety concerns that arise from a fogging windshield." There are buttons there on the dash to push and there's also this thing called Rain-X.