What is going on with BMW build quality lately?

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by Mr.Black

not sure why they went with rubber coating when I've seen other switches (06 5 series) with a metal turn switch which looks better in my opinion and is more durable, which would make more sense in a SUV

The "soft feel" is suppose to provide a more luxurious feeling of quality and not be as cold on the fingers in the Winter... or so they say.

[alexmish]

Probably safety reasons there too... In crash, there will not be much of damage to your left knee...

[WhiteWhip]

sometimes you have to cut your losses before the hand strikes

[mtech8]

Thanks everyone for the input.

Good to hear it's covered under warranty. Debating if I should stop by the dealership before my next scheduled service (sometime next year). If it's fixed eventually for free, then I really don't care when it's done.

Yeah. I totally don't remember ever touching the light switch. I'm guessing my jeans might have brushed against it once or twice. But to peel like that. Wow.

Penguin, is the seat supplier really going bankrupt? That's actually good news. Companies that can't produce good products / be responsible about it should go bankrupt. Recently bought a container of ceramic products from China and can you believe that the stupid factory didn't provide any inner protection. More than 70% of the stuff arrived broke and they are trying to play it off as our fault. Our employees unloading it too rough.

jayjay04x5, yeah those are active ventilated seats. Thus they are the muti-contour seats. (I think that's the same as Comfort seats). Love the multi-contour part of it. The adjustability on it is really nice. You can adjust the side bolsters on them too. I wouldn't pay for the ventilation or the active part of it (if I had to re-order it again). The perforated leather is nice. A lot more sturdy than I expected. I've only been in the sports seats once. They bolsters in the sports seemed to make it harder to get in and out and overall the seats seemed more firm. I just went with the active because so many threads and members had such positive things to say about them.

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by mtech8

Penguin, is the seat supplier really going bankrupt?

I'm 99% sure that Lear is the seat supplier. Of course, GM has gone bankrupt as well. Nowadays bankruptcy is not what it use to be, and companies typically keep operating almost as if nothing has happened. But often going through bankruptcy does involve cutbacks and such which are not a morale-builder with the workforce and does not help the quality of the product being manufactured. And typically the companies have already been going through rough times and cutbacks prior to the formal bankruptcy.

Auto parts maker Lear Corp files for bankruptcy | U.S. | Reuters

[faz]

Originally Posted by Weasel

Gotta love full warranty!

My wife's 328i is under warranty, and we had a problem with the gas cap stuck that the dealer replaced quickly at no charge. (The green plastic piece inside was problematic.)

The driver side seat cover is wrinkled in the corner from day one. (bad fit.)

I swear you can scratch the aluminum trim by just looking at it in anger !!!

The cup holder makes a rattling noise when it is open... so much so that my wife takes my bottle of water out of it and puts it on the passenger seat beside herself, and closes the cup holder.

Yes, having a full warranty is good... but one hopes that issues like these don't exist in a $40-$50k+ luxury brand to begin with. As much as I love the engine/drive of BMW cars, I am not very impressed by these types of flaws.

[rh71]

I went and saw the same problem with my light switch... it's barely there in the left lower corner but it's starting. Some white fuzz, whatever that is.

BTW, I recommend doing as much fixes in 1 shot at the dealer when possible. Each time I bring it in they manage to do something to my car. Last time they dinged my front right rim. Time before that another dealer scratched my fender (the big thread I had). At the body shop they scratched the back too. Nobody cares about your car but yourself.

[Jime60]

My '06 M5 has peeling on the back of the steering wheel (and apparently so did many others and since relpaced under warranty). You would thnk after 3 or more years of replacing these under warranty BMW would do something ...change suppliers, change the material, change the design??

[Destination: Moon]

Originally Posted by Jime60

My '06 M5 has peeling on the back of the steering wheel (and apparently so did many others and since relpaced under warranty). You would thnk after 3 or more years of replacing these under warranty BMW would do something ...change suppliers, change the material, change the design??

My 2002 Audi had the same thing with the paint they use on the platic delaminating. It came from Germany. Replaced the switches on the driver door panel twice. Its probably like the banks that have decided that a few billion in credit card fraud are cheaper than solving the problem.... The dumb ass world we live in....DTMB!

[Destination: Moon]

Originally Posted by Jime60

My '06 M5 has peeling on the back of the steering wheel (and apparently so did many others and since relpaced under warranty). You would thnk after 3 or more years of replacing these under warranty BMW would do something ...change suppliers, change the material, change the design??

My 2002 Audi had the same thing with the paint they use on the plastic delaminating. It came from Germany. Replaced the switches on the driver door panel twice. Its probably like the banks that have decided that a few billion in credit card fraud are cheaper than solving the problem.... The dumb ass world we live in....DTMB!