BMW MADE IN S.A are FAULTY

[cassanova22m]

Hello, I will try to be as brief as possible..... I want share this information so the public will be aware of what BMW USA is doing. I got a new 2004 BMW 325 i on 02/26/04. awesome car..... what can I say.... ...about 2 weeks after I got my car everytime I got in and out of my car it started to hear a "squeak" (the type of squeak an old american car would make while being driven through a dirt road) I called Pacific BMW (this is where I got my car) to get it checked out, after I got my car returned from the service department they explained to me that about 50% of BMW's have this problem, and that they couldn't fix it permanently, they could only fix it temporarily, Daniel (service rep) explained to me that some people learn to live with it, and some don't. Two days went by and the noise came back. I called the service department at Pacific BMW to set up a 2nd appointment for my 325 i, I spoke with Daniel (same service Rep) and started laughing and said "I told you this can not be fixed". I then decided to speak with the manager of the service department "Dhuc" he said that he's been working for BMW since 1978 and that this is a common problem BMW's have had since he started working. I called the sales department of Pacific BMW pretending to be a client interested in a new 325 i, I told Mary (sales rep) that I wanted to get a car, but I wasn't too sure since a friend of mine was having trouble with his hand break sqeaking.....Mary then said that this problem was found on the BMWs manufactured in South Africa, and that if I would come in for a test drive she could finger point which BMW's have this problem and which don't....she also said that the BMW manufactured in South Africa were a "low end" type of vehicles. I called BMW USA and told them everything I was told by Pacific BMW, Ryan (the rep I spoke to ) went out of his way to help me out, but said that this may just be a common "situation" with BMW's, and that I could have my vehicle checked at a differnt BMW service center, or that I could choose not to buy my vehicle. I think that the public should be aware of this problem before they choose to purchase a vehilce that starts at around 35k since BMW is selling faulty vehicles and is aware of it, on top of everything according to Mary (sales Rep) BMW will begin to manufacture all vehicle in South Africa. hopefully you won't have to live my experience, or least be aware that the BMW's manufactured in South Africa are faultyor may be faulty.

[MioCLK]

BMW North America has been importing 3 series from South Africa because there is no import tax.
BMW has been building 3 series in South Africa for a long time. And just a few years back (2002), the South Africa plant won the "Gold Plant" award (Europe) from JD Power, the BMW's Munich won the "Silver Plant."
Besides South Africa, BMW also has a plant in China, for 3 and 5 series. As for now, the vehicles are for the Chinese domestic markets, and it will soon be distributed to some Asian regions.

[ec437]

doesn't bmw also have a plant in the US?

[Bavarian Boy M3]

yes, in spartanburg south carolina they do

[samhi01]

What does the squeak sound like? I have had my SA 325i sedan since March of 2004 and the only squeak I have is from the seatbelt of the passengers safety belt. I asked my passenger to move the seat forward, and it quit. Are you talking mechanical squeak or suspension? I work with a major American corporation in maintaining their fleet of equipment for 16 years, so this really interest me. I was hesitant in buying a SA product, but looked it up on the internet and read about the awards, and spent hours reading about the people living there before deciding to buy my automobile. I have had only two problems... one being a shimmy when I start it cold in the AM. I read on this board to use better gasoline, and it quit. The other being a pause to start. It will always start, but there have been several occasions that there was a pause before it turned over. I now have 4500 miles and plan to have the oil changed before the 15000 and have the starting problem looked at then. Please let me know if the sqeak is mechanical or suspension etc.? I am truly curious as in this my first non-Japanese car out of 8 cars in the last 10 years.

[cassanova22m]

hey samhi01, the squeak is when the handbrake pads rub against the rear left tire. When you take your car for service ask the BMW people, they all know about it, and they'll even show you. They fixed mine, but I was told that it may come back as the seasons change. Is not a suspension problem, is just how they do the handbrakes in S.A.