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CRAP build quality

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senwar

Active member
sheffield
I had a few issues at the beginning with my car. More than annoying niggles, I let them go as they were eventually fixed, mainly because I love the car.

Then, a few months ago, the plastic cover over the steering wheel (with the ///M badge) just fell off. I'd not touched it, poked it, nothing. Just fell off. And the clips were sheered. Then, last week, adjusting my interior mirror very slightly, the plastic cover behind it, housing the wires, just fell off - its two pieces, both just came away and fell off onto the dash.

Then, Monday, getting in the car, I put my hand on the door frame just inside the pillar, and off in my hand comes the pillar cover. No force, nothing. Again, broken.

Now I love this car with a passion, but this is really beginning to p me off now, and is spoiling my love for the car.

Do you just grin and bear it? Do you complain? I paid over 40k for a car that basically has a lesser build quality than cars I've paid a lot less for.

Rant over!

:x
 
I know how you feel. I went through a long period of non stop problems and trips to the stealer but nowadays I just fix it myself or live with it. It's the one downside of owning a Z4.
 
Sorry to hear that...

Not sure what Id do in those circumstances... dont think I could put up with bits of trim falling off all over the place though :(

Had an Alfa 147 once which spent what seemed like more time in the dealer than on the road.... guess I should have expected it from Alfa but I got suckered into thinking the newer ones were better (so not true). Cut my losses in the end and got rid of it - which broke my heart but was a lot of hassle keeping going to the dealer for stupid things.

Your car is in a different league to Alfa's though.... Have you talked to the dealer about it?
 
Having stripped some of the trim from my car (when doing the roof install), I find it hard to believe they'd fall off without being previously damaged or faulty in some way. The A-pillars for example, are pretty strongly clipped on, or at least they are in my car!

Has your car been in for any trim work previously that you know of??
 
i had mine in over xmas for a bulb fault, and listed all the other crap which needed fixing too.

in fairness, they did it all without too much complaint and whilst a couple of the niggly things remain I'm still happy with their service. This was Robert Stern in Worcester, by the way.

Anyway, my point was that the door trim cover was one of those things, and whilst I haven't checked what they did, it hasn't fallen off since - it used to do it every day before =)
 
When I removed large parts of the interior of the car when fitting the Intravee, I found 3 screws laying about. No idea where they were from, but it seems obvious that not all parts are fixed properly ...
 
Curtis said:
I know how you feel. I went through a long period of non stop problems and trips to the stealer but nowadays I just fix it myself or live with it. It's the one downside of owning a Z4.
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Thing is - on my previous 2.5 roadster - not a single problem in 2 years. Thats the frustration

gannet said:
Sorry to hear that...

Not sure what Id do in those circumstances... dont think I could put up with bits of trim falling off all over the place though :(

Had an Alfa 147 once which spent what seemed like more time in the dealer than on the road.... guess I should have expected it from Alfa but I got suckered into thinking the newer ones were better (so not true). Cut my losses in the end and got rid of it - which broke my heart but was a lot of hassle keeping going to the dealer for stupid things.

Your car is in a different league to Alfa's though.... Have you talked to the dealer about it?
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I'm waiting for a call back on a Nav upgrade they're getting me FOC - gonna bring it up then - tempted to get it in for them to have a look at it.

sixspeed said:
Having stripped some of the trim from my car (when doing the roof install), I find it hard to believe they'd fall off without being previously damaged or faulty in some way. The A-pillars for example, are pretty strongly clipped on, or at least they are in my car!

Has your car been in for any trim work previously that you know of??
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The interior mirror was actually replaced in the first few months. However, I'm not aware of anything that would have touched the pillars. As I say, the top of it (inside) is cracked.

Andy said:
i had mine in over xmas for a bulb fault, and listed all the other crap which needed fixing too.

in fairness, they did it all without too much complaint and whilst a couple of the niggly things remain I'm still happy with their service. This was Robert Stern in Worcester, by the way.

Anyway, my point was that the door trim cover was one of those things, and whilst I haven't checked what they did, it hasn't fallen off since - it used to do it every day before =)
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Think I'll just get them to do a once over on the car in the next few weeks. it is disappointing though (and I previously put a post about poor service in the dealers forum last year).

pvr said:
When I removed large parts of the interior of the car when fitting the Intravee, I found 3 screws laying about. No idea where they were from, but it seems obvious that not all parts are fixed properly ...
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I'm similar there as I ended up with 2 extra when I fitted the DICE!

Its intravee time this weekend. Will see what that brings!
 
I certainly don't think your experiences are typical of BMW build and if under warranty I pursue them.

I've owned an X5 for several years and virtually zero prolems. Z4 has a few more creaks, but it's a roadster. That said bits don't fall off.

The only time I ever have problems is after the dealer serviced the X5 or did recall / warranty work. That's when I discover the bordmonitor had to be removed for a recall and was fitted back in using balls of insulation tape to centre it, a new windscreen fitted and the mirror fell off a week later, etc.

Experience has these day taught me to live through niggles, get them fixed (usually myself) as trading in or moving on, just gets you a new set on an unknown car at invariably higher price....
 
This car is pretty bad with build. I had a Z4M Roaster that was replaced due to build quality by BMW Canada. THe Coupe I now have is not the best. THe plastic on the dash is of poor quality and is getting discolored. On the other hand my Infiniti (a 2004) looks brand new.... Go figure!
 
:thumbsdown: Sorry to hear of your troubles mate. So far I have no issues with build quality, no rattles or squeaks either and car has just gone past the 16k miles mark.

Only issue I have is with the drivers seat, looking shiny and I guess needs some attention but the seat in my M3 never suffered like this.

Only thing that pisses me off about the car is the depreciation, horrendous!!!
 
JayD said:
Only thing that pisses me off about the car is the depreciation, horrendous!!!
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Oh christ, don't start me off and that one! Absolutely frightening isn't it!

Oh - and I'm sure my window is not 'shutting up' properly when fully raised and closing the door.

Perhaps a trip to the dealers is required.
 
I have an annoying rattle coming from inside my head . . . oh wait, it's just my walnut brain! 8) :P



Seriously, I have a rattle from the behind of my car, which is the exhaust banging against the heatshields when they are cold. Started after a visits to the dealer where they disassembled the exhaust & changed a lambda sonde. The cars been in a couple of times to fix it and it's better. But it's still there and the son-of-a-gun is always silent & refuses to rattle when I bring the car in for further checks. So I've kinda given up on it. Will try and see if I can revive the subject on the next planned trip to the garage. Started getting humidity inside a front light the dealer had a go at half a year ago, so I'm gonna have to ask them to fix it.
 
When I was test-driving the M-coupe, the passenger side A-pillar cover just fell off on its own. :D (but other than that the car was superb and simply a better car than the M-roadster).

I've had my share of frustrations with the rattle noises and the poor build quality of the Z4. Out of the 3 Z4's I've owned, my 2003 2.5i actually turns out to be the most robust and most reliable of them all.
 
senwar, whilst annoying, the upside is two things -

- usually BMW are pretty good at sorting these niggles under warranty and without too much arguing, although there is the hassle of dropping off and collecting the car
- the Z4 does have a "soul" - I love my SLK, but I do browse the BMW AUC website and wonder about what might have been :sweetheart:




cj10jeeper said:
I certainly don't think your experiences are typical of BMW build and if under warranty I pursue them.

I've owned an X5 for several years and virtually zero prolems...
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The X5 is built at Spartanburg too isn't it, so it can't be that, can it? Hmmm.
 
Sounds like a Friday built car. :lol: Y'know... Friday... everyone's too focused on getting off work for the weekend and they end up doing a half-assed job.
 
Wondermike said:
senwar, whilst annoying, the upside is two things -

- usually BMW are pretty good at sorting these niggles under warranty and without too much arguing, although there is the hassle of dropping off and collecting the car
- the Z4 does have a "soul" - I love my SLK, but I do browse the BMW AUC website and wonder about what might have been :sweetheart:
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Mmm - I've had issues with my dealer before - hate having to take the car in. Should have bought this one from Sandals, who were always superb!

You're right about the soul though. You must be a glutton for punishment then browsing the AUC! You have a great motor though Mike as you say.

Rick Hunter said:
Sounds like a Friday built car. :lol: Y'know... Friday... everyone's too focused on getting off work for the weekend and they end up doing a half-assed job.
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:lol:
 
Why don't you try taking it back to Sandal as it's all under warranty they'll sort it anyway? My Z4 came from Maidenhead but Sandal still sorted all my warranty claims.
 
i've had a couple of problems with the plastics in the car, but both got fixed at dealer under warranty :thumbsup:

- passenger side cup holder just broke & nobody's ever used it
- glove box became loose although i don't keep heavy stuff inside

what scares me most is if it starts to rattle like my 1999 Z3 after a couple of years :headbang:
 
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