[sandman0921]

To start off, I am new to this forum, and I usually do not post much on forums in general, but I find them a good source of information from time to time, especially in regards to forces at play like we're seeing now in the auto industry at large. I think it's been good seeing several data points regarding people's experiences when it comes to ordering new BMW vehicles in this forum, so I wanted to add one in the form a new thread....yay.

As everyone is well aware of, there have been several different threads started in different forums (M3/4, 5-series, etc) regarding the various campaign "stop-sales" at different ports. I realize there are many, but it gets tedious to go back and forth pouring over all of the various ones everyday looking for some bit of hope, so I figured why not make one detailing buyers experiences at the Brunswick VPC for current production orders? In advance, I apologize for the length of this first post, but maybe by being detailed, someone can glean some information that will be useful...

I have been following this forum peripherally for a few months after I ordered my new BMW. As an aside, I am also new to BMW, and this will be the first BMW that I have owned. I've been in the market for a daily driver, and ready to get out of my large truck as a daily driver for some time. For a couple of years I have been back and forth on a sedan, and have looked at many luxury models, but after having a chance to see my FIL's CPO 2020 BMW 540i, I liked it the most of the cars I was considering, and decided to focus on BMW as the brand I wanted.

Fast-Forward to July of this year, and after doing a lot of research on various models, I decided to pull the trigger on new BMW M550i X-Drive. My justification was that it was a comfortable vehicle for commuting to work and hauling the kids, easy to pull in and out of a parking deck as opposed to my Ford F-250SD, but also provided enough of a kick in the pants to tame the desire for purchasing something impractical at this stage in my life. I originally went in to this naive, and thought I could simply contact dealerships (including my own) regarding inventory that was listed on their respective websites and negotiate a deal as I've done for many vehicles over the past several years. However, what quickly became apparent, was that there was no real inventory of new M550i's, and most of the vehicles listed that I was interested in, were already pre-sales and thus spoken for. As such, I decided to custom order a new BMW M550i X-drive from my local dealership, and was actually surprised when they were willing to negotiate on the price with the options I wanted.

Since this was a custom order, and I am one to drive vehicles for at least 5 years if not longer, I decided to go all out and order the options that I wanted. It just so happened that my order was placed right at the transition between the 2021 and 2022 models, so my order ended up being for a 2022 model.

I have to say, at that time, it was confusing as to what options were being included and which ones were being deleted, and even my CA did not really have a great handle on it, but for the most part I got everything I wanted on the vehicle at a fair price (I believe)...

The specs of the vehicle were as follows:

2022 BMW M550i X-Drive
Carbon Black w/ Ivory Nappa Leather Interior and Fineline Ridge Wood Trim
20-in. 846M wheels with PRF tires (wish I had ordered non-runflat performance tires in retrospect but will eventually change to those)
Driving Assistance Package
Dynamic Handling Package
Executive Package
Parking Assistance Package
M Sport Brakes w/ Red Calipers
Anthracite Alcantara Headliner
Front Rear Heated Seats
Front Massaging Seats
Front Ventilated Seats
Heated Steering Wheel
Leather Dashboard
Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System

So as stated above, loaded. I figured why not...., and I include this only for a means of comparison. Maybe my options are causing a longer delay in the stop-sales than others that do not have them?

Interestingly the order was placed around the time that the Parking Assistance Package was being rumored as being cut, but my CA assured me it was in there. The only thing that was indicated as deleted on the original order was the hands-free tailgate operation. Later, I found out (from this forum initially and confirmed by my CA) that the wireless charging pad and digital key features had been deleted as well, but after reading most people's experiences with the barely functional wireless charging pad, and not really understanding the whole digital key thing, I really wasn't upset.

The timeline of the order was as follows:

07/13/2021 - Order placed with dealer and deposit given for a slot / allocation slot
07/27/2021 - Notification of allocation receipt
07/30/2021 - Order accepted (Status Code 111) and awaiting production date
08/06/2021 - Production Date Assigned (Estimated for Week 35)
08/23/2021 - Production Started / Number Assigned (Status Code 150)
09/03/2021 - Actual Production Started / VIN # assigned
09/09/2021 - Vehicle enters body shop (Status Code 151)
09/10/2021 - Vehicle enters paint shop (Status Code 152)
09/13/2021 - Vehicle enters assembly (Status Code 153)
09/14/2021 - Vehicle assembly (Status Code 154)
09/14/2021 - Vehicle finish assembly/quality check (Status Code 155)
09/15/2021 - Vehicle handover to Sales (Status Code 160)

The vehicle was marked as finished production (actual) on 09/15/2021 which is Week 38 according to the status log my CA shared with me.

To continue the timeline...

09/20/2021 - Vehicle Arrival at Port or Compound (Status Code 193)

CA also notifies me for the first time on 09/20/2021 that my vehicle has a stop-sale/campaign hold for "Audio Voice Receiver"

09/21/2021 - CA notifies me that my vehicle has been assigned to a ship (Donnington) in Bremerhaven and is scheduled to arrive at the Brunswick, GA port/VPC stateside on 10/07/2021. The CA also told me that they were hearing that Brunswick VPC had the RAM parts, and the fix was only taking a few days (less than a week) so she was cautiously optimistic...

I actually was surprised that my vehicle had made it out of the factory, to Bremerhaven, and scheduled for a ship so quickly...

09/24/2021 (appx) - Donnington departs Bremerhaven, DE in route for Brunswick
10/07/2021 - Donnington makes it to Brunswick, GA port and car off-loaded
10/08/2021 - BMW USA tracking status shows vehicle as "At Port"

10/08/21 - Email correspondence with the CA confirming arrival at Brunswick VPC, and also let me know that a "tentative" ship date to their dealership was marked for 10/14/21 and scheduled for actual delivery on 10/16/21. The CA did say they were skeptical because they had vehicles in Brunswick, GA that were set to be delivered that day (10/08) which still hadn't left the port of Brunswick..

10/13/2021 - in checking with the CA on the status of my vehicle, I was notified that I now had 2 stop sales...(0066570100 / VPC Campaign Only: Retrofit cameras and Control Unit (TRSVC)) AND (0065480300 / B651221 Delivery Stop: Receiver Audio Module (RAM)). That was a kick in the gut...


At this point, there was a lot of checking of the vehicle status on BMW USA website, and even though I knew better, hoping that the date of 10/16/2021 delivery just might occur. As 10/16/2021 came and went, I realized that I was going to be waiting longer...

At this point, and over the next several days, there was generally not much information from either the CA or the BMW Genius line. No one was reportedly being told anything. My CA did say that in general for vehicles they had ordered before mine, and that were affected by the same stop-sales, the repairs were taking a minimum of 1 week and no more than 4 weeks...The CA also confirmed that the repairs were being prioritized for pre-sale vehicles over dealer orders (at least that was what was relayed to them)

I kept hoping that as my vehicle inched closer to the 1 month since-in-port mark, that I would get notification from my CA that it was suddenly on its way as many on this forum have....but no results...

Finally, this past week, on 11/02/2021, my CA updated me that the status had changed, and now they were showing a ship out date on a car transport truck from Brunswick, GA on......drumroll.......11/26/2021 with a delivery on 11/28/2021....over 7 weeks from when it arrived at port in Brunswick, GA. Beyond that, there was no other information from my CA. I asked if this was another false alarm, and a place holder ship date, and they had no idea...

I called the BMW Genius line to see if the stories matched and he pretty much told me the same thing....He did say that the date may be a placeholder date, but they usually don't schedule transit for a vehicle unless they anticipate the fix will be done. I told him my vehicle had a delivery date originally scheduled for 10/16/2021 and he had no answers...I did find out one useful piece of information, and that was the work order date to fix the 2 stop-sales was actually started on 10/11/2021 (4 days after arrival to the port). The genius said in his experience lately these 2 stop-sales were taking around 1 month to resolve...sometimes a little less and sometimes a little more. He also said that if they got if fixed sooner, it would definitely be shipped out sooner....

The last time I emailed with my CA, I told them that I was getting very frustrated and that I'm not sure the vehicle will be worth all this in the long run. They expressed understanding, and did tell me that I ordered at the right time as new orders do not include automatic seats, touch screen infotainment screens, or HUD, in addition to all of the premium options that were once included like the upgraded B&W stereo, confirming the reports that I have seen on these forums.

SO, as it stands now, if the delivery date of 11/28/2021 holds true, I will actually be eligible to take delivery of my 2022 BMW M550i X-drive approximately 4.5 months from when a deposit was placed.

Again, I am sorry for the long post detailing every single item, but I figured that some people like me, who like to Nth degree every thing, might gain some useful information from my order experience. The main thing is that it is another data point, and unfortunately for those hoping this will resolve quickly, that's probably not going to be the case. I certainly hope that's not true for others, but with these stories all over these forums detailing many different BMW models, I would say it's more likely than not. Also, there is no rhyme or reason for any decision that is being made as to what cars are being delivered to owners when. I've seen several reports of vehicles on this forum that were ordered after mine, finished production after mine, and arrived to the US after mine, which have already been handed over to their owners, and while I am happy for them, it does stoke the frustration fires even more...

Luckily, I don't need a vehicle right now, so can afford to be patient. I can keep driving the diesel tank a little longer, and hopefully the joy I get from the BMW M550i will offset the aggravation this process has caused. In a few months, hopefully this bad taste in my mouth will be a distant memory...

I will continue to try and update the vehicle's progress as I get information.

Good luck everyone, and keep on, keeping on......

[claykin]

Wow, you've never posted to a forum, but your first is quite a story.

Your experience is common these days. You're not alone!

The two STOP sales on your car are common, many others have experienced same/similar. In some cases it takes days/weeks/months to clear the missing components. BMW is at the mercy of suppliers, such as Bosch and Continental.

Currently, the M550i is not subject to other option / feature constraints. Your CA is trying to pacify you by stating option / feature constraints not (yet) affecting the M550i.

You have few choices here. Either wait for the car you ordered, try to find another M550i in dealer inventory (or incoming) or cancel it and find another car that will work for your needs.

My guess and hope for you is your car will ship from Brunswick by the end of November. {fingers crossed 4u}

[Brucelinc]

Wow....I just don't know what to think at this point. I also have an M550i on order. It is currently in Bremerhaven waiting for a ship. According to all of the info that I have gotten from websites and the genius line, my car has no stop sales and no open items. The build sheet does show an $80 credit for deletion of the digital key....which I knew would be the case. Otherwise, all appears to be fine and on schedule.

I do not understand the apparent differences in customer experiences with the ordering, production and delivery process. I still might get a rude awakening and there could still be issues.

These are strange times for sure. I hope for the best to everyone who is waiting for their cars.

[Brucelinc]

I wonder if the dynamic handling package or the B&W sound system could be causing delays for some. I didn't order either of those.

[claykin]

Originally Posted by Brucelinc

I wonder if the dynamic handling package or the B&W sound system could be causing delays for some. I didn't order either of those.

Neither of those options are affecting the OP based on info he posted.

It's all a function of timing. If components are available for install during production, they're installed. If not, the car gets a Stop sale on it.

BMWAG priority is to keep production moving.

[sandman0921]

Originally Posted by claykin

Wow, you've never posted to a forum, but your first is quite a story.

Your experience is common these days. You're not alone!

The two STOP sales on your car are common, many others have experienced same/similar. In some cases it takes days/weeks/months to clear the missing components. BMW is at the mercy of suppliers, such as Bosch and Continental.

Currently, the M550i is not subject to other option / feature constraints. Your CA is trying to pacify you by stating option / feature constraints not (yet) affecting the M550i.

You have few choices here. Either wait for the car you ordered, try to find another M550i in dealer inventory (or incoming) or cancel it and find another car that will work for your needs.

My guess and hope for you is your car will ship from Brunswick by the end of November. {fingers crossed 4u}

I can certainly ramble on with the best of them I guess….😄

I made my mind up a long time ago that I would wait it out. There’s not really anything else that I really want right now, and I’ve heard other manufacturers are going through the same issues.

Plus, it’s really crazy what people are paying right now for new and used vehicles. I’m pretty happy with the price I landed on with this vehicle. A friend of mine recently was looking to purchase a new GMC Yukon Denali XL once he learned his wife was pregnant with their 4th child. The dealership told him it would have to be factory ordered and he would need to pay $5,000 over MSRP for the “privilege” of ordering it….he laughed it off, but then was told the same thing by another area dealer…

Crazy times….and 1st world problems I guess…

[claykin]

Originally Posted by sandman0921

I can certainly ramble on with the best of them I guess….

I made my mind up a long time ago that I would wait it out. There’s not really anything else that I really want right now, and I’ve heard other manufacturers are going through the same issues.

Plus, it’s really crazy what people are paying right now for new and used vehicles. I’m pretty happy with the price I landed on with this vehicle. A friend of mine recently was looking to purchase a new GMC Yukon Denali XL once he learned his wife was pregnant with their 4th child. The dealership told him it would have to be factory ordered and he would need to pay $5,000 over MSRP for the “privilege” of ordering it….he laughed it off, but then was told the same thing by another area dealer…

Crazy times….and 1st world problems I guess…

Touche, my friend.

I hear you, but your deal isn't done till you take delivery. I've heard multiple stories of people leaving deposits on ordered cars only to learn the dealer won't honor the deal when the car arrives. Sure, you'll get your deposit back, but the car is what you want. Keep your fingers crossed for the car to show up soon and for the dealer to live up to their commitments.

[sandman0921]

Originally Posted by claykin

Touche, my friend.

I hear you, but your deal isn't done till you take delivery. I've heard multiple stories of people leaving deposits on ordered cars only to learn the dealer won't honor the deal when the car arrives. Sure, you'll get your deposit back, but the car is what you want. Keep your fingers crossed for the car to show up soon and for the dealer to live up to their commitments.

Yep. I’ve seen that as well. I plan to open up that discussion with my CA next week. That would definitely be the final straw. Like I said before, right now for me it’s a matter or want rather than need….We shall certainly see.

[crypto]

Waiting sucks but all things considered 4.5 months is not too bad. Hopefully it'll end up arriving sooner. It took my car 3 months and 7 days from ordering October 2020 to delivery January 2021 and there was no chip shortage/stop sale items or globally impactful pandemic at the time. It's annoying and communication sucks but you'll be happy when it finally arrives.👍

[LuvMyE92]

Yeah, all of this start/stop hurry up and wait business really sucks, and I feel for you guys waiting on your cars. It's bad enough in normal days, and the car seems to be sitting around waiting for a boat or a truck or whatever...

OP, I know it's a pain, but the car will be worth it!

I talked to my dealer this morning and I have an order in, which means that I am waiting for an allocation. I'm not holding my breath, at this point, I figure it will be March at the earliest.

[G30 B58]

That was a lot to read and your story is just like MANY others. Our Sept 1 order is now on a boat and it too is missing the RAM. We don't "need" the car but we are still excited for it.

We have a purchase agreement and the price has been locked in, the dealership never took our deposit but they do have our credit card info. If the price isn't what we agreed upon, below MSRP, we'll walk and wait for better times maybe but I doubt that will happen.

We're still hoping for Performance Center Delivery if the timeline and weather cooperate.

https://g30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1863053

[macdaddy_o]

FYI

If you use this link

https://bmw-recall-tool.netlify.app/

And enter your vin, it will show you the status of the two missing items.

The camera and sound system missing from the car seems to be a very common affliction for cars produced for 2022. It looks like it coincided with the reduction of features from lower models. Obviously the m550 being a high end price tag gets all the options…

I understand your frustration, but I think it's better to get the car with all the features you wanted and wait extra time, then have the features deleted ( see 3 series hud removal, or 4 series touchscreen removal, etc Al)

Btw the spec on your car is perfect… except you should have gone with the blue m sport brakes…. 😀 of course then it would be a "carbon" copy of mine ha see what I did there?

[sandman0921]

Originally Posted by macdaddy_o

FYI

If you use this link

https://bmw-recall-tool.netlify.app/

And enter your vin, it will show you the status of the two missing items.

The camera and sound system missing from the car seems to be a very common affliction for cars produced for 2022. It looks like it coincided with the reduction of features from lower models. Obviously the m550 being a high end price tag gets all the options…

I understand your frustration, but I think it's better to get the car with all the features you wanted and wait extra time, then have the features deleted ( see 3 series hud removal, or 4 series touchscreen removal, etc Al)

Btw the spec on your car is perfect… except you should have gone with the blue m sport brakes…. 😀 of course then it would be a "carbon" copy of mine ha see what I did there?

Macdaddy,

I agree that the features that I chose were important to me and that’s why I’ve chosen to wait. I’m hopeful it will be well worth the wait, and I think they will, especially the B&W sound system….

Funny that our vehicles are pretty much mirror images. Again the only thing I wish I had changed was ordering performance non-run flat tires versus the RFT tires, however those can be changed at some point.

I have been using the BMW recall website religiously since I learned of it, probably 5-10 times per day over the last 2-3 weeks just hoping, AND…

Just this afternoon, the status for the camera and RAM stop sale switched to closed! The UK recall website that was posted on one of these stop sales threads confirms that the stop sales are closed!

I reached out to my CA to see if there was any indication on their end regarding possible delivery to the dealership in the coming days and they’re checking on it. Here’s hoping I’ll take delivery sometime next week. But regardless, I’m hopeful that my car will be here soon. Interestingly, earlier this week, my CA had indicated that they were hoping to see movement of vehicles on or about Nov. 11, which gives me an indication that they are probably privy to a little more information than they let on to…

I also did broach the subject with them and inquired if they intended to honor my original sales contract, and alluded to some of the crazy stories I’ve been reading about regarding dealers reneging on their original agreements. They indicated that they had heard those stories as well, but that’s not how they do business. Their intention is to honor the sales contract I signed back in July. That was certainly reassuring….

As soon as I learn more regarding when the vehicle is shipped and delivered, I will post it. Hopefully another data point and source of encouragement for those that are awaiting delivery of their vehicles.

[macdaddy_o]

You sir, have impeccable taste.

hear ya.

I negotiated 3% off MSRP on mine. If they tried to renege on that, I'd be pissed enough to sue. I have a signed P&S agreement with a 3k down payment.

I've got my order queued up for Geyon quartz leather shield to protect those white seats… just waiting for my car to leave port

[sandman0921]

An update…

My CA emailed my yesterday verifying that the stop sales were removed / closed and my M550i is set to be delivered to the dealership next Wednesday (11/17). Very excited but admittedly a little disappointed that it won’t arrive earlier. I’ve read threads recently where other owners have had their vehicles loaded onto a truck and at the dealership within a couple of days of their stop sales being removed.

Having said that, it appears that my journey to obtaining a new M550i is about to end…hopefully.

[YETIinFL]

Sandman -- did you receive your car? Looking forward to the happy ending of your story.

[Antec800]

How are people adding b&w?

[SonD]

In the UK its part of the Tech+ pack as an option versus HK, or, I think as a stand alone option on some specs
Can't be done for a 3 series, just 5 and above.

[YETIinFL]

Originally Posted by Antec800

How are people adding b&w?

Antec, it was not available as an option with my order -- placed late November and the build sheet showed the BW stereo as 'End of Production Aug 2021.'

I'm OK with the standard HK stereo.