BMW Original Equipment Wheels - Made in China?

[klondikekat]

I purchased a set of 19" wheels (BMW style 334) to use as a winter set. I was told they were OEM by a reputable seller (referred/referenced by several posters here and on Bimmerfest, top seller on eBay,etc). They look like the OEM pictures, stamped with BMW (just letters, not logo), appear to have the correct markings, and appear have the part number in correct, it shows as BMW 6 788 077, the full part number being 36 11 6 788 007. I have seen other BMW OE wheels marked the same way.

What I found strange is that they were marked 'Made in China' and the manufacturer was Dicastal. A little Google research seems to indicate that Dicastal is one, if not the, largest exporter of wheels in China and does supply to BMW.

I've heard lots of bad things about wheels made in China but the proper manufacturing techniques and quality standards were applied, it doesn't really matter where it was made.

I'm just surprised that a BMW OEM wheel was made in China though I suppose I shouldnt be. I even mentioned it to the seller who said he gets the same concern all the time but they are in fact BMW OE wheels.

[ard]

Be careful with the term OEM. It has been abused to the point of uselessness:

In your case you thought you were buying OE 334 wheels, right? Do you think BMW allows their OEM supplier (whomever that is) to make direct copies of their style and sell them in competition to BMW? IMO, No. But perhaps they do....

So what you have is a wheel mfg that once made a wheel for a car company- maybe BMW, maybe Daihatsu..they are therefore "An OEM" or a MANUFACTURER of OE wheels. Now they copy the BMW wheel, say "it is OEM" and they are, in fact, correct: It is a copy of a BMW wheel made by an OEM, therefore they call it OEM.


Finally, your last comment says that the seller has confirmed that this is OE, not OEM. Very different things.

I don't care where a wheel is made, I want to know the company bearing the legal responsibility for the quality within that wheel has such DEEP pockets that they will ensure the quality is there to protect THEIR pockets (and my life).

In this case, if indeed they make the OE and "OEM Copies", does dicastal have the same process in place for their OEM as their OE products? It would be interesting to know.

Not sure the discussion helps you answer your question, but wanted to comment.

A

[Xtony]

My '08 4.8 Sport has wheels made in Mexico, but I think the original equipment wheels always have the BMW logo in addition to the part number.

[dhroz]

Sad to say but most wheels are now made in China under license from the OEM's. The only the thing that gives them away is that the country of origin must be on the product and not easily removed. The wheels are still made to the requirements of the drawings and specifications. Unfortunately there is no way to actually verify this unless the OEM were to put a witness in the suppliers plant. Too expensive, besides he would probably be bought off because he would need to citizen of china to work there. Many wheels are sold as seconds that do not meet the requirements. These can be found on auction sites and other mechants but they would not have the BMW trademark. They could have have the same part number and BMW stamped mechanically and still be seconds.

[motordavid]

It would be interesting for LeMans, et al, to bug their sources for the real skinny
on whether BMW is really having oem wheels made in China...

I suspect not, but anything is possible. World econ.
GL, mD

[Penguin]

As far as OE vs. OEM, back in the 1980's a reputable supplier had some motorcycle parts rejected by BMW for being slightly out of spec. Rather than throw them away, they sold them to a wholesaler who subsequently sold them at a discount in the U.S. as "OEM." I can't remember what the exact parts were, but they were some engine component, such as valve guides or something. I do remember that some people using these part had problems.

They certainly were "OEM;" however, not "OE." In that case, the difference was significant.

[JCL]

Looks like BMW does buy wheels from China:

Originally Posted by autonews

Europe hits China with five-year tariff on wheels used by BMW, Renault

From Bloomberg October 27, 2010

The European Union imposed a five- year tariff on aluminum car wheels from China to help German, French, Italian and other EU producers compete against cheaper imports, threatening cost rises for automakers.

The 22.3 percent duty punishes Chinese exporters including YHI Manufacturing (Shanghai) Co. and Zhejiang Wanfeng Auto Wheel Co. for selling the wheels in the 27-nation EU below cost, a practice known as dumping. Car manufacturers including Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, the world’s biggest maker of luxury autos, and Renault SA use the wheels.

European aluminum-wheel producers including Borbet Solingen GmbH of Germany, Francaise de Roues and Italy’s Speedline Srl suffered “material injury” as a result of dumped imports from China, the EU said in a decision today in Luxembourg. The five- year levy is higher than a provisional duty of 20.6 percent introduced in May and will take effect after publication in the EU Official Journal by Nov. 11.

Chinese exporters doubled their combined share of the EU market for aluminum wheels to 12.4 percent in the 12 months through June 2009 compared with 2006, according to the bloc.

The EU said the benefits of the anti-dumping duty for European aluminum-wheel producers outweigh the disadvantages for carmakers. With aluminum road wheels representing about 1 percent of the cost of a car, automakers face a maximum cost increase of 0.22 percent, according to the bloc.

‘Cost Impact’

“Even this maximum cost impact appears limited in view of the turnover achieved by carmakers,” said the EU. It said some automakers claimed that the import duty would force them to move production abroad and rejected the assertion as “disproportionate.”

Europe accounts for about 10 percent of China’s aluminum- wheel exports and demand from carmakers would be hit were the EU anti-dumping duty above 25 percent, Eric Zhang, an analyst at researcher Shanghai Metals Market, said in September.

In a separate decision today, the EU imposed five-year anti-dumping duties as high as 53.2 percent against China on a chemical used in the construction, metals and food industries. The levy on sodium gluconate aims to curb import competition for EU producers including a French unit of Switzerland’s Jungbunzlauer AG and an Italian subsidiary of France’s Roquette Freres.

The five-year import taxes follow provisional levies as high as 53.4 percent introduced in May and will take effect after publication in the EU Official Journal by Nov. 4

Full article: Europe hits China with five-year tariff on wheels used by BMW, Renault

[dhroz]

Originally Posted by motordavid

It would be interesting for LeMans, et al, to bug their sources for the real skinny
on whether BMW is really having oem wheels made in China...

I suspect not, but anything is possible. World econ.
GL, mD

Actually the rotors, calipers,wheels and most everything else made of cast aluminum, iron is currently or will be made in China due to environmental and safety requirements. The parts are then shipped via boat to a facility near the assembly plants (US and Europe) for machining. Actually the wheels are completed in China. The aluminum shavings are recycled by centrifucal force equipment to remove the coolant and cutting fluids then the shavings are sent back to a holding furnace for remelt.
Remember - China will become the largest producer of autos within the next two to three years. They already make more cars monthly than we do in the states. Pretty shocking. I have program managed two auto assy plants there for GM and Toyota. Also a kit plant in Beijing for AMC/Jeep back in 1985.

[xoutpostking]

Pretty soon we will be driving CMW's!!! Lol

[klondikekat]

I had all-seasons mounted on these 19" rims for the winter (pics attached, sorry for poor quality). Yes, I went with all seasons versus snow as 90% of the time the roads are clear where I live but the 20" summers weren't going to fly. I've lived in snow country nearly all my life and never needed 'real' snow tires. At the beginning and end of snow season the temperatures invariably rise for a few days to the point where I'd chew up snows pretty quickly at highway speeds (which is where I do most of my driving).

To answer some of the questions posted in this thread:

Do you think BMW allows their OEM supplier (whomever that is) to make direct copies of their style and sell them in competition to BMW? Yes. You can buy OEM Michelins, Bridgestones, Dunlop (sp?), etc. from anyone and they come with the 'BMW approved' star, they're even covered until the wheel and tire warranty BMW sells even if not sold by a BMW dealer. I understand the question of 'style' but this is the same concept.

As to the question of product liability, I think these are takeoffs, so if there was a defect in the product that caused injury to me, wouldn't BMW still be liable?

I think the original equipment wheels always have the BMW logo in addition to the part number. The 336's I replaced for the winter did not have the logo, just the BMW stamped letters, and the same part number notation (BMW x xxx xxx versus xx xx x xxx xxx). Unless the dealer switched my OEM's 336's for some cheap knock offs at the dealer, they are OEM. The did have UNITED STATES stamped on them though (not cast).