6th Dec 2011, 19:50
Thank you for your reply.
The vehicle has been in 10 times in one year, and it appears that they finally repaired the initial problem (I hope!). It still hesitates on acceleration, or chokes as if it really doesn't want to move forward. I am tolerating it, as BMW will not allow me to move out of my lease or switch the vehicle, or offer me compensation for my constant interruption of service. There were times I was given a loaner car (other times, they were unavailable and I was driven with a shuttle service, or I relied on good friends). I truly believe that BMW takes for granted their client base, and does not make the necessary efforts to stand behind their product. Past successes that BMW has had does not necessarily carry over to the present.
I feel this company is riding with inflated pride, when they really are not all that they appear to be.
I drove home this evening, and watched a fellow BMW driver make a left turn and stall (barely making it through the intersection). A new car, and I felt her pain and frustration. BMW needs to change. I cannot wait until my lease is up so I can get a real car. BMW does not deserve my business, and I write this hoping I can prevent another consumer from the same frustrations.
9th Jan 2012, 00:39
I have seen reports on this website that BMW cars made in the USA have had quality problems. Maybe yours was too. My family has owned and driven 7 BMW's over 11 years. They were made in Germany or South Africa, and we have never had problems. I will only buy BMW because I have never had problems, they are fantastic designs, and they have performed superbly. I can't stand Lexus, Audi and VW. Not interested in Mercedes.
10th Jan 2012, 21:53
"I feel this company is riding with inflated pride, when they really are not all that they appear to be."
Most luxury brands are the same...
12th Jan 2012, 10:20
You too may change your mind if they continue to up the production in the US and they are problematic. I know the new X3 is exclusively made in the US now, and soon you may not have the choice of one built anywhere else.
It's not enough that American companies lag behind imports when it comes to design and quality, but now even when a high end luxury brand builds vehicles here, the quality goes south. We really need to step up our game here in the US if we are to survive!
15th Jan 2012, 19:19
Maybe that is the problem with the American economy. Americans do not seem to be able to build cars to the same quality standards as the Japanese and the Germans. The study of Quality Assurance originated in the US. The Germans do it as a matter of course. America should go back to the basics of what made it the greatest country in the first place. What about the phenomenal production output of the US during world wars? I have always believed in America and still do. It is about time all Americans started doing the same.
16th Jan 2012, 09:42
I totally agree, but the problem has become entitlement. People believe they are entitled to a paycheck because they show up for work. There is no sense of earning something anymore. Americans want top dollar for minimum effort. This is true in virtually every business. The last office I was in, had people on Facebook and playing online games all day long. They actually worked maybe 30% or 40% of the time.
The same holds true for the auto industry. There is little incentive to up the game, and I feel that is a union thing. They get paid a lot of money and are pretty secure if they are part of the union. This scenario once again makes for a minimum level of effort to make the vehicles better. We do have the know how in this country to make the best and be the best, but we have become lazy, self serving, reality TV watching fools. Time for a BIG change.
19th Jan 2012, 18:39
Go back to your BMW dealer and trade your 323i for a 320d (E90). Take the financial hit and you will be pleasantly surprised.
20th Jan 2012, 08:57
"Take the financial hit and you'll be pleasantly surprised".
Really? So they are already disappointed in BMW, which by the way is already overpriced for the level of performance against the competition, and now you think they should trade it in, losing even more money, and then go for a more expensive model to compensate for what they are missing? You are a BMW salesman aren't you?
How about trying a better brand that offers more all around performance for the dollar. You can choose from many different ones. BMW is not the God of car makers. I have been in plenty of them, and not once have I thought they were anything special over every other car. I just don't see the 20% difference in price.
3rd Feb 2012, 18:39
At least consider what you could have purchased for the same price. My 320d is stunning; will not part with it. The whole BMW diesel range is fantastic. Jeremy Clarkson (Top Gear) has just announced the 530d M as the 'Best Car in the World'. He would know because he has test driven every car in the world for the last 30 years.
5th Feb 2012, 06:32
Maybe that's where you work. With downsizing and monitoring Internet usage, you wouldn't last where I work. I play hard after work. If you park in front of TV though, it's likely you are not paid as well. I think many people buy BMW for image and status, but that's not mentioned on here. If anything, there are great American sports cars that aren't in the shop all the time. I got tired of the sedans and bought a Vette. They have bulletproof drive trains, and are not boring in styling and performance.
22nd Apr 2012, 09:58
I have a 2011 328i, and am also disappointed. I fear that BMW is trying to become the Toyota of premium automobile companies, and, like Toyota, is expanding too quickly while sacrificing quality.
My biggest concern, which you seem to share, is the hesitation upon acceleration, which seems to be a product of the drive by wire throttle system. At times the car is extremely unresponsive to throttle input; I mean it makes you feel like you're driving a 100 horsepower car, when this is one of the best 6 cylinder engines the industry has to offer.
I've owned BMW's in the past and this didn't seem to be an issue; I wonder if the drive by wire systems are just becoming more complicated, as automakers are under increasing pressure to meet new regulations for fuel economy etc.
Anyway, this hesitation / lack of throttle response issue is a serious, I repeat SERIOUS, problem. Hope to test the new 2012 model to see how it compares in terms of throttle response.
7th Jun 2012, 10:29
There is not any sedan manufacture in the Spartenburg USA BMW factory; first the X5 and Z4, and now only the X5 and X3.
20th Jun 2013, 16:15
BMW has only one factory in the United States and it's in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The labor there is NON-UNION and South Carolina is a so-called "right-to-work" state. So your anti-union diatribe would seem to be specious and without merit.
24th Jun 2013, 11:40
I do not think America needs to build this type of vehicle. I personally do not see where the value is price wise.
I wound up buying new Acuras. More amenities, nice Bose systems and well optioned 0-60 under 6 seconds.
The only brand from Germany I like is Porsche. I had expensive issues with Mercedes, and our family had issues with a VW Passat.
I think America is doing very well with the Ford lineup today. And I would rather have a Cadillac than BMW (even an M Series) any day.
6th Dec 2011, 19:35
The 323i 2011 BMW, which we have now, is called "Broken Machine Weekly".