Part taking two week to ship from Germany

[patrikr]

Cross-post from BF but didn't get any response so thought I'd try here.

The check engine light came on in my '14 F15 5.0 and I took it to the dealer who found that a hose in the engine was starting to melt so they ordered a new one. Unfortunately the part didn't exist anywhere in the US so they ordered the part as rush from Germany where they had 233 of them. Two weeks later the part still hasn't arrived and is apparently stuck in customs. Is it normal for rush orders to take two weeks or more? This is my first time experiencing this and I compare to having shipped stuff to Europe with FedEx overnight and clearly that's not how BMW seems to work (or my dealership is trying to BS me).

[E90Fleet]

Standard parts shipments from the main BMW Dingolfing parts warehouse in Germany take 14 days to get here.

Would think certain p[arts could be rush ordered overnight or within 48 Hours.
Think a USA dealer would have to submit a PUMA case for that first, but im not 100% sure.


Customs is another story. I f the decide to hols a shipment for checking there is nothing the manufacturer can do but wait for them.

Maybe get the head of the dealership to give you an official explanation as to why its taking so long and wasn't rushed ?

[ferrarif1]

My X5 has been at the dealer since March 30 waiting for a new HVAC control panel. The first part replacement was mis-labeled an could not be programmed by the dealer. The second one is supposed to arrive on April 25 from Germany....BMW must be having inventory or spare parts issues again.

[Anonymous 2]

as i know, the all x5 and x6 s is building in USA even the Germany versions, so why Part takes two week to ship from Germany?

[5tony]

Originally Posted by the one2

as i know, the all x5 and x6 s is building in USA even the Germany versions, so why Part takes two week to ship from Germany?

A lot, if not most, of the parts are still imported from Germany and Austria and then the vehicle is assembled in the US.

[masc2279]

Originally Posted by patrikr

Cross-post from BF but didn't get any response so thought I'd try here.

The check engine light came on in my '14 F15 5.0 and I took it to the dealer who found that a hose in the engine was starting to melt so they ordered a new one. Unfortunately the part didn't exist anywhere in the US so they ordered the part as rush from Germany where they had 233 of them. Two weeks later the part still hasn't arrived and is apparently stuck in customs. Is it normal for rush orders to take two weeks or more? This is my first time experiencing this and I compare to having shipped stuff to Europe with FedEx overnight and clearly that's not how BMW seems to work (or my dealership is trying to BS me).

Just took my 2015 x6 in for the front window and I was quoted 18 to 22 days to get part from Germany.

[patrikr]

Thanks guys, as crazy as it is, 2+ weeks seem to be the norm unfortunately. At least now I know my dealer isn't trying to BS me.

[E90Fleet]

Originally Posted by the one2

as i know, the all x5 and x6 s is building in USA even the Germany versions, so why Part takes two week to ship from Germany?

BMW's main parts warehouse is in Dingolfing Germany.

Factories do not supply parts.
So even though the X5 is made in the USA parts that are not in stock in the BMW USA warehouse will come from Dinglolfing.
Same here where we make the 3 Series, parts not in stock at our main parts warehouse (nowhere near the factory) come from Dingolfing Germany.

Factories only get what they need for each car a few minutes to a few hours before the car is built. (except engines and gearboxes, those arrive much earlier)

[patrikr]

Funky timing, my dealer called this morning saying the part had just arrived and 30 minutes ago they called and said the car is ready.

[ferrarif1]

Does anyone have a good contact at BMW NA that I can escalate to? My X5 has been at the dealer since March 30 awaiting a new IHKA module (HVAC controls).

The latest ETA on the part is arrival in Germany on April 25 and in the US on April 30. I called BMW NA customer service at 800-831-1117 but they simply called my dealers parts department to let them know about the escalation and essentially told me to wait.

[42pilot]

Originally Posted by patrikr

Cross-post from BF but didn't get any response so thought I'd try here.

The check engine light came on in my '14 F15 5.0 and I took it to the dealer who found that a hose in the engine was starting to melt so they ordered a new one. Unfortunately the part didn't exist anywhere in the US so they ordered the part as rush from Germany where they had 233 of them. Two weeks later the part still hasn't arrived and is apparently stuck in customs. Is it normal for rush orders to take two weeks or more? This is my first time experiencing this and I compare to having shipped stuff to Europe with FedEx overnight and clearly that's not how BMW seems to work (or my dealership is trying to BS me).

For future info, stuck in customs, for US customers, is BS. More than likely, an emergency shipment (or VOR - vehicle off road) is the highest urgency within BMW and probably came through the company I work for. Urgent doesn't mean anything in the cargo world - it must be defined with proper terminology to the auto industry. We are held to one day transit time from the origin airport - Munich or Frankfurt or Stuttgart - to the destination airport - closest to the distribution center for VOR parts. From there, it's an overnight delivery from the airport to the distribution center. So, maximum transit time, distribution center door to dealer door is about 3 working days. Since BMW imports so much, their customs invoice and paperwork is perfect and the customs broker BMW uses clears the shipment before it arrives (called wheels-up - literally when the flight departs FRA).

Anyway, what probably happened is, the dealer didn't note VOR. Or the part wasn't available. There was cargo congestion issues from Europe to the US, but BMW's VOR fly as required - so does VW, Merc and Audi for that matter. It looks like you received standard air freight service. I am waiting on a part for the rear hatch now for 6 weeks. Since it's not critical for safety or operation, it comes via ocean freight via all the warehouses, distribution centers and consolidated deliveries.

[E90Fleet]

Originally Posted by ferrarif1

Does anyone have a good contact at BMW NA that I can escalate to? My X5 has been at the dealer since March 30 awaiting a new IHKA module (HVAC controls).

The latest ETA on the part is arrival in Germany on April 25 and in the US on April 30. I called BMW NA customer service at 800-831-1117 but they simply called my dealers parts department to let them know about the escalation and essentially told me to wait.

If its only arriving in Germany on 25 April that means there were none in stock in the parts warehouse and they had to wait for the manufacturer to produce one.

There is no way to speed this up.