Probably not anything you guys don't already know......but I am not too happy, I can tell you that.
Some of you seem to have had pretty good luck with your local dealer regarding the door trim problems with the coupe, whether still under warranty or not. Be glad you don't have to deal with BMW of Nashville, the service director is the "not our fault" type. A real piece of work.
Start at the bottom of the post and read up.
Dear Mr. Miller:
Thank you for contacting BMW of North America, LLC regarding the problems you are having with your 2001 BMW 325Ci. I apologize for the issues and inconvenience you have experienced with this BMW.
The actual length of life of any given vehicle part is dependent on a number of factors including care, maintenance, use, and climate. During the life of a vehicle, it is natural to expect that some parts may have to be replaced due to mechanical failures, or normal wear and tear.
The warranty for your vehicle provided coverage up to 4 years or 50,000 miles. Our records indicate this coverage expired on 7/11/05. Although we empathize with your situation, we stand behind and endorse the decisions made by Mr. Corey and the BMW of Nashville service department. Unfortunately, BMW of North America, LLC cannot offer further assistance in this case.
We value our customers and are sorry if we were unable to meet your expectations. If you have any further questions, please respond to this e-mail or contact the Customer Relations and Services Department at 1-800-831-1117, Monday through Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M., Eastern Standard Time. Again, thank you for contacting BMW.
Sincerely,
Adam Fischer
Customer Relations and Services
Representative
-----Original Message-----
From: scmgoblue@hotmail.com
Sent: 8/17/2005 12:00:00 AM
To: CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com
Subject: Other [1-295020034]
Adam,
I did take my 325Ci to the local BMW service center (BMW of Nashville) as
you advised. I must say I was less than satisfied with their response.
The initial service advisor I met with was most helpful. He did say that
they see 3-5 coupes per week with the same type door trim problems. He did
also inform me that the service director, Don Correy, would be the only
person to help me as the vehicle is out of warranty. The vehicle warranty
ended July 11, 2005. Presently the vehicle has 42000 miles on it. Mr. Correy
was at lunch so I had to come back later.
Upon returning, I met with Mr. Correy. His initial response when I described
my problem was that BMWNA does not treat second owners as they do initial
owners, and that there was probably not alot he could do. I appreciated his
honesty, but must say I was almost offended by the comment. What difference does it make if I am the first owner or the second owner? There is a problem with the car, not to mention this being a common problem among coupes.
After inspecting the worn through black rubber door trim he stated that
persons rubbing against it (as they entered and exited the vehicle) were
causing the wear. I stated that I did not believe this to be the case, but
rather that opening and closing of the doors were wearing away the trim as extra effort is required to actually close the doors. After showing him that
both doors will not close normally due to the trim wedging between the body
and the door panel, he did agree that there was a problem with the trim.
I did also show him where the passenger side interior door trim had been cut
away by the previous owner due to it sagging/hanging down, making it
impossible to enter/exit the vehicle without ducking one's head below it.
Everyone I have talked to regarding this problem with the coupe says the
factory adhesive just doesn't hold, thus the trim releasing and sagging.
I did tell Mr. Correy I was not looking for a free fix, but that I thought
some concession was in order as this problem was due to a defect in the trim as well as the adhesive and had obviously been occuring prior to the
expiration of the warranty. Mr. Correy said all he could do was offer the
parts to me at a 15% discount but that the labor would be at normal rates. I
feel this is a minimal offering to say the least.
Every friend/relative/co-worker that has viewed the car cannot believe a BMW
with 42000 miles could have such a problem, and I must say nor can I. As it
is now, the operation of the doors and the appearace of the trim are simply
an embarrassment.
I am curious, would I be correct to assume Mr. Correy's compensation is in
some way tied to profit/loss margins in the service department? I must say
that is the impression I got.
For what it is worth, I have made four trips to the parts department at BMW
of Nashville for various items, and have found them to be very helpful and
accomodating.
Thank you for your time, any help on your end would be appreciated. Please advise as to my next course of action.
Thanks,
From: CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com
To: scmgoblue@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: Other [1-295020034]
Date: 11 Aug 2005 08:17:59 -0400
Dear Mr. Miller:
Thank you for contacting BMW of North America, LLC regarding your 2001 BMW 325Ci. I was sorry to read of the concerns you have with your vehicle's
door trim.
We do not have the ability to advise you in a technical matter via e-mail.
I suggest contacting the service team at your authorized BMW center
directly, so they can review your concerns in person and provide technical
support.
If you have any further questions, please respond to this e-mail or contact
the Customer Relations and Services Department at 1-800-831-1117, Monday
through Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M., Eastern Standard Time. Again,
thank you for contacting BMW.
Sincerely,
Adam Fischer
Customer Relations and Services
Representative
-----Original Message-----
From: scmgoblue@hotmail.com
Sent: 8/11/2005 12:00:00 AM
To:
Subject: Other
From: scmgoblue@hotmail.com
Subject: Other
VIN: ModelYear: 2001
MfgNme: BMW
ModelNme: 325Ci
ContactBy: Email
ContactPhone:
ContactTime:
email: scmgoblue@hotmail.com
Comments: The black rubber door seals, as well as the beige (velvet-like)
door trims are in terrible shape on my car (325 Ci). The rubber door seals
are wearing away due to contact with interior door panel each time the
door is opened/closed. This also has left a black residue on the door
panels that looks terrible. The beige trim has fallen down and the glue no
longer works.
After viewing several BMW forums, this seems to be a very common problem
with the E46. Is BMW trying to rectify this ongoing problem, and if so,
how do I go about getting it repaired.
Thanks, S M
Some of you seem to have had pretty good luck with your local dealer regarding the door trim problems with the coupe, whether still under warranty or not. Be glad you don't have to deal with BMW of Nashville, the service director is the "not our fault" type. A real piece of work.
Start at the bottom of the post and read up.
Dear Mr. Miller:
Thank you for contacting BMW of North America, LLC regarding the problems you are having with your 2001 BMW 325Ci. I apologize for the issues and inconvenience you have experienced with this BMW.
The actual length of life of any given vehicle part is dependent on a number of factors including care, maintenance, use, and climate. During the life of a vehicle, it is natural to expect that some parts may have to be replaced due to mechanical failures, or normal wear and tear.
The warranty for your vehicle provided coverage up to 4 years or 50,000 miles. Our records indicate this coverage expired on 7/11/05. Although we empathize with your situation, we stand behind and endorse the decisions made by Mr. Corey and the BMW of Nashville service department. Unfortunately, BMW of North America, LLC cannot offer further assistance in this case.
We value our customers and are sorry if we were unable to meet your expectations. If you have any further questions, please respond to this e-mail or contact the Customer Relations and Services Department at 1-800-831-1117, Monday through Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M., Eastern Standard Time. Again, thank you for contacting BMW.
Sincerely,
Adam Fischer
Customer Relations and Services
Representative
-----Original Message-----
From: scmgoblue@hotmail.com
Sent: 8/17/2005 12:00:00 AM
To: CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com
Subject: Other [1-295020034]
Adam,
I did take my 325Ci to the local BMW service center (BMW of Nashville) as
you advised. I must say I was less than satisfied with their response.
The initial service advisor I met with was most helpful. He did say that
they see 3-5 coupes per week with the same type door trim problems. He did
also inform me that the service director, Don Correy, would be the only
person to help me as the vehicle is out of warranty. The vehicle warranty
ended July 11, 2005. Presently the vehicle has 42000 miles on it. Mr. Correy
was at lunch so I had to come back later.
Upon returning, I met with Mr. Correy. His initial response when I described
my problem was that BMWNA does not treat second owners as they do initial
owners, and that there was probably not alot he could do. I appreciated his
honesty, but must say I was almost offended by the comment. What difference does it make if I am the first owner or the second owner? There is a problem with the car, not to mention this being a common problem among coupes.
After inspecting the worn through black rubber door trim he stated that
persons rubbing against it (as they entered and exited the vehicle) were
causing the wear. I stated that I did not believe this to be the case, but
rather that opening and closing of the doors were wearing away the trim as extra effort is required to actually close the doors. After showing him that
both doors will not close normally due to the trim wedging between the body
and the door panel, he did agree that there was a problem with the trim.
I did also show him where the passenger side interior door trim had been cut
away by the previous owner due to it sagging/hanging down, making it
impossible to enter/exit the vehicle without ducking one's head below it.
Everyone I have talked to regarding this problem with the coupe says the
factory adhesive just doesn't hold, thus the trim releasing and sagging.
I did tell Mr. Correy I was not looking for a free fix, but that I thought
some concession was in order as this problem was due to a defect in the trim as well as the adhesive and had obviously been occuring prior to the
expiration of the warranty. Mr. Correy said all he could do was offer the
parts to me at a 15% discount but that the labor would be at normal rates. I
feel this is a minimal offering to say the least.
Every friend/relative/co-worker that has viewed the car cannot believe a BMW
with 42000 miles could have such a problem, and I must say nor can I. As it
is now, the operation of the doors and the appearace of the trim are simply
an embarrassment.
I am curious, would I be correct to assume Mr. Correy's compensation is in
some way tied to profit/loss margins in the service department? I must say
that is the impression I got.
For what it is worth, I have made four trips to the parts department at BMW
of Nashville for various items, and have found them to be very helpful and
accomodating.
Thank you for your time, any help on your end would be appreciated. Please advise as to my next course of action.
Thanks,
From: CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com
To: scmgoblue@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: Other [1-295020034]
Date: 11 Aug 2005 08:17:59 -0400
Dear Mr. Miller:
Thank you for contacting BMW of North America, LLC regarding your 2001 BMW 325Ci. I was sorry to read of the concerns you have with your vehicle's
door trim.
We do not have the ability to advise you in a technical matter via e-mail.
I suggest contacting the service team at your authorized BMW center
directly, so they can review your concerns in person and provide technical
support.
If you have any further questions, please respond to this e-mail or contact
the Customer Relations and Services Department at 1-800-831-1117, Monday
through Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M., Eastern Standard Time. Again,
thank you for contacting BMW.
Sincerely,
Adam Fischer
Customer Relations and Services
Representative
-----Original Message-----
From: scmgoblue@hotmail.com
Sent: 8/11/2005 12:00:00 AM
To:
Subject: Other
From: scmgoblue@hotmail.com
Subject: Other
VIN: ModelYear: 2001
MfgNme: BMW
ModelNme: 325Ci
ContactBy: Email
ContactPhone:
ContactTime:
email: scmgoblue@hotmail.com
Comments: The black rubber door seals, as well as the beige (velvet-like)
door trims are in terrible shape on my car (325 Ci). The rubber door seals
are wearing away due to contact with interior door panel each time the
door is opened/closed. This also has left a black residue on the door
panels that looks terrible. The beige trim has fallen down and the glue no
longer works.
After viewing several BMW forums, this seems to be a very common problem
with the E46. Is BMW trying to rectify this ongoing problem, and if so,
how do I go about getting it repaired.
Thanks, S M
![[mad]](/images/smilies/mad.png "Mad [mad]")
