Trailer hitch kit on backorder still

[Morrison]

I placed an order for an OEM hitch from a dealer in Nebraska back on October 9th, and it's still on backorder with BMW North America.

Does anybody have any better insight why these go on backorder so often? Anybody know when they will have some on stock again?

[JCL]

They are (were) built by a local supplier, specifically for BMW North America. The last supplier went out of business, so there was a significant delay some time back. Not sure if the replacement supplier has any issues or it is just an order backlog.

[SlickGT1]

Call BMW of Bloomfield NJ. Ask for Craig in the online sales Dept. Last I talked to him he had 5 left. tell him you from Xoutpost "club". Make sure you reach him. I will get you the info for him later. Try searching here for my name and Craig Bloomfield. I posted his contact before.

[killcrap]

Originally Posted by JCL

They are (were) built by a local supplier, specifically for BMW North America. The last supplier went out of business, so there was a significant delay some time back. Not sure if the replacement supplier has any issues or it is just an order backlog.

Incorrect, BMW went with a different supplier for the E70 when it came out, and they decided to stop and force BMW's hand, which did not work. So they only make so many of these trailer hitches in batches.

There is no ETA on this part. The following dealers may have 1 or 2 in stock, but you must call them.

21188 Irvine BMW/MINI CA 2 (888) 842-2418
24399 Chapman BMW AZ 2 (310) 939-7300
10729 Chapman BMW AZ 1 (480) 344-4269
16483 BMW of Escondido CA 1 (760) 745-3000
17990 Steve Thomas BMW CA 1 (805) 482-8878
20268 Century West BMW CA 1 (818) 432-5800
20741 BMW North Scottsdale AZ 1 (800) 578-6817
21102 BMW of Bridgewater NJ 1 (908) 287-1800
21294 Desert BMW of Las Vegas NV 1 (702) 871-1010
22007 South Bay BMW/MINI CA 1 (310) 939-7300
26419 Bill Pearce BMW NV 1 (775) 826-2100
26718 BMW Santa Barbara CA 1 (805) 682-2000
76886 BMW of Riverside CA 1 (951) 785-4444
86846 Rusnak BMW CA 1 (805) 496-6500

[JCL]

Originally Posted by killcrap

Incorrect, BMW went with a different supplier for the E70 when it came out, and they decided to stop and force BMW's hand, which did not work. So they only make so many of these trailer hitches in batches.

There is no ETA on this part. The following dealers may have 1 or 2 in stock, but you must call them.

There has been more than one supplier for the E53 hitch in North America.

For the OP, realize that the vehicle has been out of production for six years, and this wasn't a factory part, it was an aftermarket dealer-installed item. It doesn't meet the same supplier performance specifications as factory parts in terms of availability, etc.

[Morrison]

I'm coming to realize that it doesn't have the same availability that is for sure.

In comparison, my other BMW is an '89 325ix and I didn't have to wait at all for a euro catless front exhaust section or a viscous coupling for the transfer case. Either one of those parts should have been difficult to find just due to the rarity of the "ix" model alone, but I'm sure glad they weren't.

I'll try the Bloomfield route if it doesn't come in soon. I doubt they can match the $400 shipped price I have going right now though.

[killcrap]

Originally Posted by JCL

There has been more than one supplier for the E53 hitch in North America.

For the OP, realize that the vehicle has been out of production for six years, and this wasn't a factory part, it was an aftermarket dealer-installed item. It doesn't meet the same supplier performance specifications as factory parts in terms of availability, etc.

I have installed countless OEM trailer hitch kits, and they have always been from the same supplier. Please provide some details on other suppliers? The installation kit is currently produced by Westfalia USA with BMW sourced parts(wiring, control unit, etc.) This part is 100% genuine original equipment, non aftermarket part. It carries a 2 year unlimited milage warranty, and can be serviced at any USA BMW dealership.

BMW is federally required to continue to supply originally equipped parts for 7 - 10 years from any model year, with the exception of the Z8, which is required for 50 years.

[Bayerische E53]

I'm selling my OEM hitch and wiring if you're interested. It's 15 months old. I've also got a Tekonsha P3 brake controller if you'd like it. The brake controller is about 12 months old.

PM me if interested.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by killcrap

I have installed countless OEM trailer hitch kits, and they have always been from the same supplier. Please provide some details on other suppliers? The installation kit is currently produced by Westfalia USA with BMW sourced parts(wiring, control unit, etc.) This part is 100% genuine original equipment, non aftermarket part. It carries a 2 year unlimited milage warranty, and can be serviced at any USA BMW dealership.

BMW is federally required to continue to supply originally equipped parts for 7 - 10 years from any model year, with the exception of the Z8, which is required for 50 years.

Early OE hitch kits didn't have the Westfalia markings, they had other manufacturers who did the welding of the receiver. It came up because different hitches had different paint quality and weld quality when they were compared. One other manufacturer was Dalan, I have heard of others, but we are going back to the 2001/2002 time frame here. I only saw and heard of Westfalia ones in the latter years of the E53. I have no idea who made the E70 hitch for BMW. The Dalan hitch came with the same BMW sourced parts (wiring, module, instructions). That probably ended in 2002 when Dalan was bought out by Curt (I had to look that up, I didn't know when they were bought out).

We are talking about BMW OE here, not aftermarket parts, but there is a distinction in between parts supplied to the factory assembly line and then on to consumers (like engine parts, for example) and parts supplied not to the factory assembly line but rather through the BMW aftermarket sales channel directly to dealers (like roof racks, hitches, floor mats, etc). This is not the same distribution channel, although consumers may not realize it. It comes in a BMW box. But it isn't typically subject to the same stocking requirements as parts sold as part of a new vehicle. Yes, I know you can get a hitch installed at the factory delivery centre, but I believe it is installed after the end of the line, not on the line. Sometimes this class of parts is called OES, for Original Equipment Service parts (as opposed to replacement parts). Sometimes they are simply called Accessory Parts.

APQP as defined by the Automotive Industry Action Group gets into the subject of how long parts must be available from date of production. I think the 7-10 year requirement has to do with maintaining the ability to be emissions compliant, not the ability to carry a bike on a roofrack or tow a trailer, if the consumer so wishes. I have also read that the requirement was eliminated due to deregulation, but I don't know that. Manufacturers typically specify how long parts must be available from a supplier (one of my current projects with an automotive OE has a 15 year requirement for our company to supply spares) but my point was simply that BMW-supplied aftermarket accessory parts can go through a different channel than BMW factory-installed parts.