Brand New BMW 320i - needs new gearbox after 1 week.

[casualbiker]

Some of the replies are so childishly predictable. I worked in the motor trade for over 40 years. You are entitled to a new

replacement car, please don't accept anything less.

I doubt very much he will get a replacement and if you worked in the Motor Trade for 40 years I don't think you will have witnessed too many cars being replaced because of a transmission/cooling fault.

Many posters are critical of the "Thai" assembly which is also very erroneous.

BMW Thailand Manufacturing is a 100% wholly owned subsidiary of BMW AG and attains exceptional results from their internal audits every year.

The cars aren't 100% assembled in as they come in SKD (semi knocked down) as opposed to CKD (completely knocked down)

This fact is not well known.

The OP should let them replace the transmission and whatever else is necessary and use the loan car in the mean time. However if after that the car is still not right, the OP will perhaps have a rightful grievance.

If what you wrote is correct then that explains why the BMW are still expensive here. It would have to be built in a BOI factory zone therefore still being imported into Thailand.. Unless they have some special rules that circumvent the foreign ownership rules for vehicle manufacturers (which is possible)

[Woodsie888]

Some of the replies are so childishly predictable. I worked in the motor trade for over 40 years. You are entitled to a new

replacement car, please don't accept anything less.

I doubt very much he will get a replacement and if you worked in the Motor Trade for 40 years I don't think you will have witnessed too many cars being replaced because of a transmission/cooling fault.

Many posters are critical of the "Thai" assembly which is also very erroneous.

BMW Thailand Manufacturing is a 100% wholly owned subsidiary of BMW AG and attains exceptional results from their internal audits every year.

The cars aren't 100% assembled in as they come in SKD (semi knocked down) as opposed to CKD (completely knocked down)

This fact is not well known.

The OP should let them replace the transmission and whatever else is necessary and use the loan car in the mean time. However if after that the car is still not right, the OP will perhaps have a rightful grievance.

If what you wrote is correct then that explains why the BMW are still expensive here. It would have to be built in a BOI factory zone therefore still being imported into Thailand.. Unless they have some special rules that circumvent the foreign ownership rules for vehicle manufacturers (which is possible)

Correct, they are partially assembled in a BOI zone.

The rest is very complex. This is Thailand after all.

[Dogbreath]

I was not referring to BMW cars of the future in my post. The first front driver by BMW is a 2015 model.

All BMWs are rear wheel drive. There have been some four wheel drive models, but never a front wheel drive.

I have know idea if the OP's car is front wheel drive. If it is not, then the water thing is something I don't understand. Perhaps he is being fobbed off. Sounds like it. BUT, modern stuff is out of my domain, perhaps there is some sort of trans water cooling, I don't know. BL transverse engines and trans used the same oil, they were one, if a head gasket went then water went into the gearbox and sump.

Obviously due to reading this thread and horrified that TV armchair experts have no idea how their products are driven or which way round the engine is.... BMW announce the Front Wheel Drive 2 series Active Tourer to be sold Worldwide including Thailand. Therefore any future threads will have all bases covered

[saakura]

We have a fleet of variou models of BMW, Volvo and Benz in our company for the owner and top management. And Honda Accord + Toyota Camry for middle management. Toyota Vios for the rest. Altogether about 25 cars and 2 dedicated technicsl guys to deal with the servicing/repairs when cars are taken yo the garage. The European luxury cars almost always give perennial problems, very often major ones like the one mentioned here and very high outgoing maintenance costs and downtime. The Japanese cars have almost never had any problems, only need routine servicing with consequent low maintenance costs and downtime. So we have now decided to slowly replace with Lexus.

[Stuart21]

Pedro - auto or manual?

[Thai at Heart]

The 320i has an auto-box from ZF. It's very reliable, and BMW uses it on all models now. Even on some of the M-models.

The 320i is assembled in Thailand. So my guess it's something wrong happened in the assembly line.

I would demand a new car as well. Actually If you don't want get the feedback you want from your dealer, I would head over to BMW at the 4 seasons in Wireless Road, and have a chat with them.

I bought a few cars from Bmw Thailand, and had a great experience with both quality and service.

If the 320i is assembled in Thailand why are they so expensive in Thailand.

Because the parts are imported. A 320i assembled in Thailand is priced at around 2.65m, whereas an 320i Cabriolet imported from overseas is close to 5m. In the real world the difference would only be around 500k, but in Thailand it's close to 2 million. So you see foreign cars assembled in Thailand are better value than those imported from overseas as tax is calculated on the components rather than the complete car, which are two different tax brackets.

A few years ago I opted to pay the extra Baht 300,000 to have my car built in Germany rather than locally built. Only issue was the waiting time for delivery

The parts still attract a big tax when assembled here.

A new 320i in the uk with 20% vat is a lot cheaper.

[pedro01]

Pedro - auto or manual?

Both!

Its an 8 speed auto but can be switched to manual with those fancy paddles to shift on the steering wheel.

Excellent for doing James Hunt impressions stuck in traffic on Sathorn rd

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[Woodsie888]

The parts still attract a big tax when assembled here.

A new 320i in the uk with 20% vat is a lot cheaper.

In the UK a 320d Luxury with approximately the same spec as the Thai version is about £40,000 without any discount. In Thailand it's about £53,000 without discount.

It's easy to forget the Thai spec is quite a lot higher than the run of the mill versions generally sold in the UK.

Not a worrying difference in my view.

Perhaps BMW TH should bring in some low spec cars just for the Expat (tiny) market. They'd then be complaining about the not so great resale value too.

[pedro01]

The parts still attract a big tax when assembled here.

A new 320i in the uk with 20% vat is a lot cheaper.

In the UK a 320d Luxury with approximately the same spec as the Thai version is about £40,000 without any discount. In Thailand it's about £53,000 without discount.

It's easy to forget the Thai spec is quite a lot higher than the run of the mill versions generally sold in the UK.

Not a worrying difference in my view.

Perhaps BMW TH should bring in some low spec cars just for the Expat (tiny) market. They'd then be complaining about the not so great resale value too.

True. Spec wise, this car is fully loaded - jump in it with your phone in your pocket and you can play all the songs on the phone, call hands free with 2 mics in the car. Sat nav, different driving modes, big lcd screen, hard disk you can dowload cds onto. It even has an office feature - maybe they envisaged it beig stationery...

Looks lovely too... Just doesnt go...

Ho hum...

Camry? Really??? Cmon guys....

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Edited February 27, 2014 by pedro01

[Woodsie888]

The parts still attract a big tax when assembled here.

A new 320i in the uk with 20% vat is a lot cheaper.

In the UK a 320d Luxury with approximately the same spec as the Thai version is about £40,000 without any discount. In Thailand it's about £53,000 without discount.

It's easy to forget the Thai spec is quite a lot higher than the run of the mill versions generally sold in the UK.

Not a worrying difference in my view.

Perhaps BMW TH should bring in some low spec cars just for the Expat (tiny) market. They'd then be complaining about the not so great resale value too.

True. Spec wise, this car is fully loaded - jump in it with your phone in your pocket and you can play all the songs on the phone, call hands free with 2 mics in the car. Sat nav, different driving modes, big lcd screen, hard disk you can dowload cds onto. It even has an office feature - maybe they envisaged it beig stationery...

Looks lovely too... Just doesnt go...

ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect Thailand1393475640.212148.jpg

ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect Thailand1393475673.445106.jpg

ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect Thailand1393475710.978433.jpg

Ho hum...

Camry? Really??? Cmon guys....

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Don't worry about it Pedro. Let BMW do their thing and in a years time you will have forgotten all about this issue.

[Ace of Pop]

Anyone noticed the Dash layout is the same as the New City, Dials n All.Not impressed,remembering the old 3.0 Alpina Coupe, to me the most super B.M. ever without going OTT.

[I knew this would happen]

Anyone noticed the Dash layout is the same as the New City, Dials n All.Not impressed,remembering the old 3.0 Alpina Coupe, to me the most super B.M. ever without going OTT.

I think the 850CSi.......................

BMW.jpg...................

850

The new Vios interior is far better than the old one, agreed. But the 3series has a little more to offer, even though it could be better, little more class leading like it used to be.

[thailandbeachisland]

The new C-class 2014 is a lot nice than any 3-series...

[Ace of Pop]

Nah, looks like some Jap thing,never be a Classic Shape to me.

[pedro01]

Anyone noticed the Dash layout is the same as the New City, Dials n All.Not impressed,remembering the old 3.0 Alpina Coupe, to me the most super B.M. ever without going OTT.

Lol@ City.

Has anyone noticed Ace of Pops wife has the same number of legs as Naomi Campbell???

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Edited February 27, 2014 by pedro01

[pedro01]

The new C-class 2014 is a lot nice than any 3-series...

I agree there, till you drive it.

It was a toss up between this and the cheaper C Class but Benz have decided to put underpowered engines in those cars here, plus the car is well sound proofed but noise coming up thru the wheels is excessive.

Benz lost at the test drive but i do agree they are prettier. Probably last more than a week too.

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[Ace of Pop]

pedro01, on 27 Feb 2014 - 14:30, said:

Ace of Pop, on 27 Feb 2014 - 12:52, said:

Anyone noticed the Dash layout is the same as the New City, Dials n All.Not impressed,remembering the old 3.0 Alpina Coupe, to me the most super B.M. ever without going OTT.

Lol@ City.

Has anyone noticed Ace of Pops wife has the same number of legs as Naomi Campbell???

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

But better than Donalds.

[thailandbeachisland]

The new C-class 2014 is a lot nice than any 3-series...

I agree there, till you drive it.

It was a toss up between this and the cheaper C Class but Benz have decided to put underpowered engines in those cars here, plus the car is well sound proofed but noise coming up thru the wheels is excessive.

Benz lost at the test drive but i do agree they are prettier. Probably last more than a week too.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

You didn't drive the new C-class yet, just few journalists could test drive, but maybe you are one of them ?

It can only be seen on German Benz site also:

http://www.mercedes-benz.de/content/germany/mpc/mpc_germany_website/de/home_mpc/passengercars/home/new_cars/models/c-class/w205.flash.html#_int_passengercars:home:model-navi:w205

[pedro01]

The new C-class 2014 is a lot nice than any 3-series...

I agree there, till you drive it.

It was a toss up between this and the cheaper C Class but Benz have decided to put underpowered engines in those cars here, plus the car is well sound proofed but noise coming up thru the wheels is excessive.

Benz lost at the test drive but i do agree they are prettier. Probably last more than a week too.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

You didn't drive the new C-class yet, just few journalists could test drive, but maybe you are one of them ?

It can only be seen on German Benz site also:

http://www.mercedes-benz.de/content/germany/mpc/mpc_germany_website/de/home_mpc/passengercars/home/new_cars/models/c-class/w205.flash.html#_int_passengercars:home:model-navi:w205

Correct, i drove the ones they are currently selling on account of them not having 'future cars' in the showroom.

So, how are they to drive?

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Edited February 27, 2014 by pedro01

[steelepulse]

The new C-class 2014 is a lot nice than any 3-series...

I agree there, till you drive it.

It was a toss up between this and the cheaper C Class but Benz have decided to put underpowered engines in those cars here, plus the car is well sound proofed but noise coming up thru the wheels is excessive.

Benz lost at the test drive but i do agree they are prettier. Probably last more than a week too.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

You didn't drive the new C-class yet, just few journalists could test drive, but maybe you are one of them ?

It can only be seen on German Benz site also:

http://www.mercedes-benz.de/content/germany/mpc/mpc_germany_website/de/home_mpc/passengercars/home/new_cars/models/c-class/w205.flash.html#_int_passengercars:home:model-navi:w205

Looks like a mini CLS.

[Naam]

Anyone noticed the Dash layout is the same as the New City, Dials n All.Not impressed,remembering the old 3.0 Alpina Coupe, to me the most super B.M. ever without going OTT.

I think the 850CSi.......................

BMW.jpg...................

850

The new Vios interior is far better than the old one, agreed. But the 3series has a little more to offer, even though it could be better, little more class leading like it used to be.

We do have a member here that has an 850.....................

had Trans! it was a very difficult decision to get of rid of my 850 and replace it with the E-Type. but i had no choice. the Mrs made wild threats when i suggested she could park her vegetable-shopping-mini-SUV on the guest parking spot next to the carport. ahhh... women folks

[pedro01]

Word from the dealer today is that BMW will replace the car, now just waiting on a delivery date.

[Woodsie888]

Word from the dealer today is that BMW will replace the car, now just waiting on a delivery date.

Well done to you!

I'm very surprised they're doing that.

Perhaps they've been shown this thread?

[Somtamnication]

Word from the dealer today is that BMW will replace the car, now just waiting on a delivery date.

[seedy]

Congrats !!

[seedy]

Ask them what they want for your original one - if the price is right ... I'm here.

[Woodsie888]

Ask them what they want for your original one - if the price is right ... I'm here.

hehe

They'll probably put it on the BMW TH fleet for a while instead.

[whoisyourdaddy]

Word from the dealer today is that BMW will replace the car, now just waiting on a delivery date.

Are they providing something for the mean time?

[whoisyourdaddy]

Ask them what they want for your original one - if the price is right ... I'm here.

hehe

They'll probably put it on the BMW TH fleet for a while instead.

If i had to guess, they would replace the gear and either sell it again as new or as new second hand.

With my experience with bike, they fixed the problem and put it back on the market as new (rewind the meter)

[pedro01]

Word from the dealer today is that BMW will replace the car, now just waiting on a delivery date.

Are they providing something for the mean time?

Yup - the 320i "Luxury" - it's like Grandads car inside - not for me.