1M in Body Shop

[SpencerMH]

So I went in for my first oil change and had been taking notes of all of the little things that were irritating me to take care of it all at once. I had the loud pop from the dash with the a/c on that many have experienced, I have a large rust spot on my muffler for some reason, a creak from what I thought was the rear shock mounts, little nick nacks, and... rattles from the rear interior trim where the arm rests are.

The rattles were researched and the answer was that the spot welds that join the three body panels at the b pillar were not holding, the rattle was the rear quarter panel against the unibody or other two layers of metal that are joined under the weather stripping just below the window line at the back of the drivers side door. So it is now at the local dealerships collision center waiting for BMW to approve the work, which will consist of stripping the paint, redoing the weld and repainting.

I have not been up in arms as I know there's not a supply of 1M's for me to try and argue I should get a new one, but how upset should I be? It's a relatively new car with failing welds, it will now have some level of repainting and blending. I have never been in an accident and am OCD about the car so this is a bad way to pop that cherry. I have a e37 z3 and am very aware of the imperfection of some welding and construction on structural parts of BMW's as those cars all rip out their own rear subframe eventually without serious aftermarket reinforcement, is this the signs of an issue in the construction of 1's or 1M's I'm not aware of? Should I be flipping out? Asking for something? Worried about other welds? Or just get over it and be glad I have the car? So far its been over a week they've had my car and they haven't even started.

[Dee Pee]

I wouldn't sweat that at all.

I put a scratch on my front left fender within a month of getting the car. It was only an inch long but the location necessitated painting a large area and the adjoining panel. It won't affect resale at all and corrects a serious problem. I've also rashed two rims which have also been repaired to perfect condition.

This repair will only improve your car overall and should definitely be done while still under warranty and before the problem can metastasize into adjoining areas.

The car takes damage every time you drive it. Most if it is easily mitigated or undetectable. Enjoy the car my friend.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by SpencerMH

Should I be flipping out?
Asking for something?
Worried about other welds?
Or just get over it and be glad I have the car?

No. Keep cool.
Maybe some courtesy gesture.
No.
Yes - yes.

[borabora]

Originally Posted by Dee Pee

I wouldn't sweat that at all.

I put a scratch on my front left fender within a month of getting the car. It was only an inch long but the location necessitated painting a large area and the adjoining panel. It won't affect resale at all and corrects a serious problem. I've also rashed two rims which have also been repaired to perfect condition.

This repair will only improve your car overall and should definitely be done while still under warranty and before the problem can metastasize into adjoining areas.

The car takes damage every time you drive it. Most if it is easily mitigated or undetectable. Enjoy the car my friend.

hi ,
were your rims repaired because you purchased tire/wheel warranty ? i also rashed mine but though i purchased this wheel/tire coverage , my dealership won't repair my wheels because they're not badly rashed enough

[SpencerMH]

OK I'll keep doing what I do and stay cool. I guess I got upset when I found out its been five days and they haven't gotten "approval" for something they should be all over.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by borabora

hi ,
were your rims repaired because you purchased tire/wheel warranty ? i also rashed mine but though i purchased this wheel/tire coverage , my dealership won't repair my wheels because they're not badly rashed enough

If insurance ain't collaborating and the rim rash disturbs you, get it repaired by a specialized body shop. It ain't expensive. No need to buy a new rim. Do know that we all visit 'the curbed club' sooner or later if we use the 1M in the urban jungle. Its stance is definitely wide.
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=632851
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=578380

[borabora]

Originally Posted by Artemis

It's stance is definitely wide.

this is exactly what caught me . though i must admit i was still dumb not seeing these curbs ..

to the OP : i too have a bad weld on one exhaust tip

[Dee Pee]

Originally Posted by borabora

hi ,
were your rims repaired because you purchased tire/wheel warranty ? i also rashed mine but though i purchased this wheel/tire coverage , my dealership won't repair my wheels because they're not badly rashed enough

I rashed my front rims bc the car is freakishly wide up front and I've been in a Mini for the past five years.

There's a thread on this where I posted photos, but the bottom line is that it will cost you about $120-$150 and an hour for a portable repair truck to come over and fix the thing. It's well worth the money if you're a perfectionist like me.

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by SpencerMH

So I went in for my first oil change and had been taking notes of all of the little things that were irritating me to take care of it all at once. I had the loud pop from the dash with the a/c on that many have experienced, I have a large rust spot on my muffler for some reason, a creak from what I thought was the rear shock mounts, little nick nacks, and... rattles from the rear interior trim where the arm rests are.

The rattles were researched and the answer was that the spot welds that join the three body panels at the b pillar were not holding, the rattle was the rear quarter panel against the unibody or other two layers of metal that are joined under the weather stripping just below the window line at the back of the drivers side door. So it is now at the local dealerships collision center waiting for BMW to approve the work, which will consist of stripping the paint, redoing the weld and repainting.

I have not been up in arms as I know there's not a supply of 1M's for me to try and argue I should get a new one, but how upset should I be? It's a relatively new car with failing welds, it will now have some level of repainting and blending. I have never been in an accident and am OCD about the car so this is a bad way to pop that cherry. I have a e37 z3 and am very aware of the imperfection of some welding and construction on structural parts of BMW's as those cars all rip out their own rear subframe eventually without serious aftermarket reinforcement, is this the signs of an issue in the construction of 1's or 1M's I'm not aware of? Should I be flipping out? Asking for something? Worried about other welds? Or just get over it and be glad I have the car? So far its been over a week they've had my car and they haven't even started.

Get over it and be happy you have a 1M geez. As far as "failing welds". How about, welds that were not done properly? Mistakes happen. None of this will change how awesome the car is.


If you are worried about chassis integrity issues, there are thousands as thousands of e82s on the road. I suppose if there is an issue with other 128s and 135s then there might be cause for concern, but a single example does not a bad batch make.

[OAM]

Originally Posted by Dee Pee

I wouldn't sweat that at all.

I put a scratch on my front left fender within a month of getting the car. It was only an inch long but the location necessitated painting a large area and the adjoining panel. It won't affect resale at all and corrects a serious problem. I've also rashed two rims which have also been repaired to perfect condition.

This repair will only improve your car overall and should definitely be done while still under warranty and before the problem can metastasize into adjoining areas.

The car takes damage every time you drive it. Most if it is easily mitigated or undetectable. Enjoy the car my friend.

Agreed car takes abuse every time you drive it, but it seem the OP's issue is a defect from the factory. Unless he was abusing the car doesn't seem like welds should be failing. When I went to the performance center to pick up my car back in November I was 7 hours into a 13 hour drive down when they called me to tell me I wouldn't be able to leave with my car because my abs sensors had a failure. I got to look at my car while I was down there but they had to keep it for another two weeks for the repair. While i was inspecting my car I also noticed that my rear spoiler wasn't on perfectly straight. Maybe I'm just a ball buster, but I don't expect parts to fail or not be put on straight on a brand new car. Took me a while but I think I was fairly compensated by BMW NA. If I was the OP I'd be pretty pissed.

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by SpencerMH

OK I'll keep doing what I do and stay cool. I guess I got upset when I found out its been five days and they haven't gotten "approval" for something they should be all over.

Guess they have to work on your schedule too? I am pretty sure the local dealer isn't going to give the approval for this work. Again, since this likely isn't something that happens often, I bet the first step of the approval process started with, wtf? No way? Let's get someone from corporate or get a regional sales manager out there to look at this thing. And I'll bet THAT person has a few things on their plate as well. Not saying that your car is not important, but I can guarantee that it's going to take a few levels of people to sign off on handling based on the dealer diagnosis.



Pull back and see the Big Picture my friend.

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by OAM

Maybe I'm just a ball buster, but I don't expect parts to fail or not be put on straight on a brand new car. .

oh lord. Really ? not only are you a ball buster.. you apparently don't live in the real world either. " I don't expect parts to fail " ? that's why cars COME with a a warranty.. because parts DO fail.. It doesn't get any simpler than that. If parts DIDNT fail, then there would be no NEED for a warranty right? I'm no Quality Control guy, but my gawd.. there would be a lot of QC managers without jobs if parts worked 100% of the time LOL.. I take it you have never worked in ANY sort of manufacturing job????

To say that a part should never fail... that's like saying... I have never heard of an attorney losing a case... or.. I have never heard of medical malpractice.. because Doctors go to school for years so they should NEVER make a mistake.

I hope I have made the point abundantly clear... LOL

[OAM]

Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster

To say that a part should never fail... that's like saying... I have never heard of an attorney losing a case... or.. I have never heard of medical malpractice.. because Doctors go to school for years so they should NEVER make a mistake.

I hope I have made the point abundantly clear... LOL

You made your point clear but you missed mine. I don't expect a weld on a car to fail when it's brand new as I wouldn't expect a doctor to remove my balls when I went in to get my tonsils removed. However, if he did I'm sure I would be compensated for my troubles as I would expect the OP to be.

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by OAM

You made your point clear but you missed mine. I don't expect a weld on a car to fail when it's brand new as I wouldn't expect a doctor to remove my balls when I went in to get my tonsils removed. However, if he did I'm sure I would be compensated for my troubles as I would expect the OP to be.

Ok..no... got your point.. and again.. my reply is that your position is unreasonable. If a doctor removed your balls (for a ball buster such as yourself... that might actually be poetic justice?? instead of tonsils... well.. there is some PERMANENT, IRREPARABLE DAMAGE that is done. So compensation? yes.

A weld that wasn't done right on a new vehicle is something that can be REMEDIED or REPAIRED, without any DAMAGE being done... Heck... there probably isnt going to even be much painting of the outer body panels! The body shop will remove the outer panels... Redo the welds... add some primer to cover the area to print rust... then some additional rust proofing.... and replace the outer panels... This is all easily done by a local repair shop.. So..... not going to be a lot (or perhaps any) compensation going on other than a loaner vehicle and a sincere apology . As stated previously.. that's why there is a warranty. And with that warranty in place, there is going to be little or no compensation other than RECTIFYING the issue. To get serious about anything beyond that one would need to check on local LEMON laws.

Now then... if there was NO WARRANTY on the new vehicle... well.. THEN the OP would have a a car with an issue that the OP would then have to repair on their own.. So there would be DAMAGES. And in that situation, one would expect compensation.

[OAM]

Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster

Ok..no... got your point.. and again.. my reply is that your position is unreasonable. If a doctor removed your balls (for a ball buster such as yourself... that might actually be poetic justice?? instead of tonsils... well.. there is some PERMANENT, IRREPARABLE DAMAGE that is done. So compensation? yes.

A weld that wasn't done right on a new vehicle is something that can be REMEDIED or REPAIRED, without any DAMAGE being done... Heck... there probably isnt going to even be much painting of the outer body panels! The body shop will remove the outer panels... Redo the welds... add some primer to cover the area to print rust... then some additional rust proofing.... and replace the outer panels... This is all easily done by a local repair shop.. So..... not going saying a lot (or perhaps any) compensation going on other than a loaner vehicle and a sincere apology . As stated previously.. that's why there is a warranty. No compensation other than RECTIFYING the issue. to get serious about anything beyond that one would need to check on local LEMON laws.

All I'm saying is I had a similar issue and I was told by people affiliated at BMW NA that things like this shouldn't happen, that's why they do have QC, and I should ask for compensation. I think defective welds are something that QC should catch.

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by OAM

All I'm saying is I had a similar issue and I was told by people affiliated at BMW NA that things like this shouldn't happen, that's why they do have QC, and I should ask for compensation. I think defective welds are something that QC should catch.

I work for an insurance company as a claim adjuster. People that work for my insurance company that are employed in the agents office say things all the time that they think are right and are simply incorrect. Just because Joe Employee works for BMW doesn't mean that they know any more than a bum on the street.

This is EXACTLY my point why the local dealer opinion isn't the one that is Carrying the day for the OP. It's clear that the local dealer has an opinion on how the OPs vehicle should be remedied. The fact that it hasn't been authorized just yet is clear indicator that they certainly have an opinion, yet lack the authority to implement their plan. Might the dealer opinion turn out to be correct? Sure. But for now.... They are JAFO.

[OAM]

Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster

I work for an insurance company as a claim adjuster. People that work for my insurance company that are employed in the agents office say things all the time that they think are right and are simply incorrect. Just because Joe Employee works for BMW doesn't mean that they know any more than a bum on the street.

This is EXACTLY my point why the local dealer opinion isn't the one that is Carrying the day for the OP. It's clear that the local dealer has an opinion on how the OPs vehicle should be remedied. The fact that it hasn't been authorized just yet is clear indicator that they certainly have an opinion, yet lack the authority to implement their plan. Might the dealer opinion turn out to be correct? Sure. But for now.... They are JAFO.

I as well work in the insurance industry on the company side. Yes employees do say things that are incorrect, however those employees don't last long at my company. As I'm sure you know, especially on the claims side, saying the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong time can mean the difference of being on a million dollar loss or not. I think its fair to expect your employees to know more than a bum off the street. Also the employee in question was fairly high up. He said to ask for compensation, I did and was fairly compensated. The OP asked a question about compensation I'm just letting them know how it panned out for me.

[rogbmw]

Originally Posted by SpencerMH

So I went in for my first oil change and had been taking notes of all of the little things that were irritating me to take care of it all at once. I had the loud pop from the dash with the a/c on that many have experienced, I have a large rust spot on my muffler for some reason, a creak from what I thought was the rear shock mounts, little nick nacks, and... rattles from the rear interior trim where the arm rests are.

The rattles were researched and the answer was that the spot welds that join the three body panels at the b pillar were not holding.

Can you expand on the B-pillar issue. I too have a pop in the right front corner of the dash area occasionally when turning slightly left over a rough surface.

[SpencerMH]

The B pillar is where the body panels are not welded properly and rattles, the pop is from the dash. They believe it is plastic framing inside the dash, it is loud and pronounced, for me it is distinctly tied to the A/C which makes sense as rapidly cooling the hot dash will cause it to contract and expand.

I hear you guys that shit happens and I am glad to have the car, I was aware of this for a week before I posted. I am well aware that beyond authorizing the repair and manner in which it is repaired BMW NA may want to take a look before the repair, but this is my new car, and my obsession; which I haven't had for over a week and they have not begun to repair it which I find a little absurd. As far as warranty etc, this is not a part wearing and failing,this is piss poor craftsmanship. I'll leave it at that as I hope I am just experiencing a hiccup and drew the short straw on this statistically. It is fair to ask here if this is a larger problem than I am experiencing though, I have direct experience with BMW under engineering body welds to the point of "when will it fail, not if" so I think some people need to tone their opinions down a little to the point of intending to help.

Still sucks and I will be asking them to polish my poorly self repaired paint chips and maybe a good overall polish at no charge, I figure that way I get something that costs them and hour of someones time who makes $15/hr, but would've cost me a $100-$300. All they can say is no.

[SpencerMH]

Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster

Get over it and be happy you have a 1M geez. As far as "failing welds". How about, welds that were not done properly? Mistakes happen. None of this will change how awesome the car is.


If you are worried about chassis integrity issues, there are thousands as thousands of e82s on the road. I suppose if there is an issue with other 128s and 135s then there might be cause for concern, but a single example does not a bad batch make.

Agree with your post, except for the use of the "geez" attitude on the interwebz that you carried through the rests of your posts.

[IZAGLO]

no i do not have a 1M but i treat my tuned 135i the same way i would a 1M or a Prosche...I am a detail lunatic as my car is still showroom condition with 22,000 miles on it..If that was my 1M i would be really really upset... besides the welding..which there is no excuse..sorry.. mistakes happen but not at YOUR mental expense...i no there are some pretty good shops out there for painting ( have had some painting done on other cars)but would much rather have a factory painted car..This alone would have me bonkers..especially after spending 50-60 grand on this beauty. I would file a claim with BMW and ask for something to ease the pain...maybe some nice CF OEM bits or some other OEM mods or even a couple months credit on your monthly payments if you have any..This to me is a big deal..to others maybe not but it would bother me...in fact i would looooose quite a bit of sleep over it!!!!!!