BMW Quality !?

[Stressed]

Gentlemen,

I have recently discovered rusty parts in my car (see attached photos) that the dealer alleges are not covered by warranty. Cost for replacement of 1 piece is around US$ 250.

The car is roughly 3 years old, and it's been inside the garage during last autumn and winter (oct-apr), kept clean and away from salt and other predators.

Can the quality in these cars be so low that they start to rust so early? Does the price I was given look reasonable to you?


Regards,
Stressed

 

[codex57]

Don't our cars have corrosion warranty? My car's the same year, but has spent all but the last few months in SoCal where cold is nonexistant and even rain is super rare so I'm not all up on the problems with rust.

$250 is prolly right. Parts on these things aren't cheap. Well, the weather stripping is prolly too expensive at US$250, but the other door pieces might be. I'd check your owner's manual and see what kind of corrosion warranty you've got.

 

[jrt67ss350]

Corrosion warranties only cover rust-through perforation of the metal. Surface rust isn't covered.

 

[JUS]

Rust

Seek assistance a vehicle 3 YRS old should not have rust [fake] You can contact BMW of North America, INC
Customer Realations Department
P.O. BOX 1227
Westwood, New Jersey 07675-1227

TEL 1800-831-1117

Good Luck
JUS

 

[Big Daddy]

Surface rust is not covered as it can be caused by many things not relative to BMW. For example forms of acid rain, living in a community where heavy metal processing occurs and is in the air, super damp or wet climates, etc. Surface rust should be removed using cleaning solutions and can be prevented by good polishing and waxing.

 

[Stressed]

Thanks for the attention, guys!

My problem in this case is that this is rust that came from under the paint, and in areas that are really difficult to be kept clean (not possible to see in the images, but there is a good amount of rust behind the piece, in the part covered by the rubber seal). Keeping them dry and clean would mean to have to dismount the window rubber seal. It looks to me more like a manufacturing defect, as if that part (I don't know what it is called) hadn't received proper protective treatment or was deficiently painted.

 

[William330]

I think that exterior rust is completely unnacceptable in a 3-year-old
car.

Take some clearer photos (only the last one of these three
was useful, take more like that), and contact BMW North
America.

Good luck!

 

[bmw046series]

Well I don't think it will do any good to contact BMW NA because he lives in Sweden, good luck in the WC today btw, this could very well be brake dust rust, I see it all the time on my truck in areas that has chrome and if you look closer the lower half has it in the paint, I know people that have other vehicles that get the same thing, every make and model, the best thing to do is what Big Daddy said Clean it, Wax it, Protect it, it will come off.

The other big area that a lot of people don't think about is right under the door that has a water drain from the roof (no shit), BMW has had this in their design for about ten years now, if you get dust up there the water gets in to, and gets nasty, gotta clean from top to bottom.

 

[Big Daddy]

I guess what I was trying to say is that "surface Rust" is usually the result of something rusting on the surface, like brake dust, acid rain, etc., not a result of paint or exposed factory metals. Clean it, clay it and protect it, it should never return. And even I failed to notice he is indeed in Sweden, therefore contacting BMW NA is inappropriate, not their problem!

 

[Kirby]

Is it just the one panel, or is it on all of them? Did you buy the car new or used?

 

[330i and like it]

I got surface rust fixed uner warranty! Tell the dealer to fix it.

 

[Stressed]

Is it just the one panel, or is it on all of them? Did you buy the car new or used?

So far it is only 1 panel, but the paint seems as bad as (rough and deficient) in the front one driver side too, so I expect rust in that one very soon. I bought the car used (it was 2 1/2 years old then).

As soon as I return from vacation I shall post better photos.


Thanks,
Stressed

 

[bmw046series]

I always say... If you want to keep your BMW nice and Grey (assuming you have a grey BMW), Always wash it once a day!

But seriously washing it every week after a weeks worth of driving does a lot for a car.