sorry i dont quite buy that. i have owned a number of other hi end cars with a variety of trim and finishes over the years and have had no damage issues from the hand car washes that i use. if the car needs to be waxed once or twice a year more often because of it , no big deal. this problem shouldnt happen , period.

what exactly is the problem...can you post a photo?

I know this post is about stains but I'm posting this photo to show another problem with the running boards. As you can see from the photo, the rubber dimples with the red lines are showing flat, almost at the same level as the silver surface. The rubber with the red circle shows how it should be. This happened after I stepped on it for an extended period while installing a roof rack. You can tell it's broken because you can actually press the rubber and it will move back. I don't think it's supposed to do that. I tell you, there's something wrong with these boards.

I have to agree with the person who said that this is NOT a car wash issue. We noticed the stains on the passenger side running board when the car was only one month old. The car had NEVER been to a car wash, yet the stains started to appear. It seems almost like chemical etching. The only thing I can remember is the fact that the running board was covered with mud when we went skiing........and when I washed off the mud the stains appeared. The funny thing is that the driver's side running board was also covered with mud, yet it has no stains so far.

I haven't tried any polishes yet. If it is truly water spots then there is hope of possibly removing them with certain polishes/products........but if they have been etched then I can't see any way of removing them.

i honestly haven't noticed anything unusual... i've had my truck for 2 months and have had it "car washed" about 4-5 times.... (usually on weekends when i go out)

i do notice a small reddish stain on the boards after a wash but it's aluminum and nothing more than typical water stain which comes off easily with a rag...

i guess the main thing is to not let it sit for too long.... a water stain on aluminum can ultimately turn into a rust problem...

again, wipe it off with some polish or stain remover and you shouldn't have any problems....

i use a little of the same spray wax that i apply on the vehicle's finish...(just a quick pass on the boards right before discarding the rag....enough to clean it but not enough to make it slippery)

seems to work for me....

honestly, I "gave up" pursuing with the dealer instead I use a "dressing" to keep them polished looking. But it's one of those things where you have to do it almost every time you wash the car. In my case I wash my car pretty much weekly. I am fine putting the dressing on....just like you do for tires.

I have the problem on my 2008 X5 4.8i...my BMW dealer is working on it as we speak with the manufacturer, but I am not holding my breath on a permanent resolution other than replacing them with the same crap....

I have an 09 and the running boards look terrible. Cleaning and polishing doesn't really help. I noticed this thread died. Are the new ones better? Or did everyone just stop complaining? Any insight is appreciated.

This is why i never take my car to the carwash. Wash it once or twice a week by hand :)

I would recommend asking Phil the detailing forum sponsor if he knows of any solutions...

Yeah mine aren't bad there's a little orange residue around the dimple but I use Armor All Extreme Shine on all the lower black trim including the running boards and it disappears.