Paint damage during trucking transport to dealer

[///bproden]

So a few of you might have seen my European Delivery I posted a few months back. I've been waiting as best I can to receive the car. It finally arrived today after over 8 weeks (seems like the very last car to arrive from our ship). BMWUSA said it was delivered July 3rd, however, the dealership swore up and down it wasn't there and said it was still with the trucking company. Who knows.... Today it was supposed to finally arrive and I was planning on picking her up tonight.

However, I get the call from the sales manager that we all dread right before pick up. That tone and short message stating to call him back, without expressing any details.


I was told the car was the very last on the truck and was positioned in the top front of the trailer with it's back facing forward. The back was then wrapped with a plastic wrap in order to prevent bugs (maybe rocks too) from hitting it. Supposedly this wrap is a fairly new process or at least that my dealer has seen. It's similar to the factory wrap they do when delivering, but it's not a perfect fit like the factory. Rather a looser fit and I was told it gets tucked into the doors.


Long story short, something with the wrap put tiny scratches/dents into the car over the entire top lip of the trunk and over the rear fenders closer to the trunk. They are pretty noticeable in person and about 1 cm in length. I'd say there are 50-80 of them. I also don't think they can be buffed out, as they look deeper into the paint. Has this happened to anyone else during transport?

The sales manager said something similar has happened once before and that he believed was caused by moisture that got trapped in the paint. I have never seen anything like it. It has been very hot this past week and almost looks like the wrap melted into the paint somehow, giving indentations. Although, I was also told it might have went through a rain storm yesterday. I've never seen anything like it before, but I know when I dropped the car off in Munich it was absolutely flawless.

Anyone have any ideas what this is from? I hate having a brand new car that already will need to be repaired somehow. Plus, this wait has been terrible and very frustrating. Now this. I really almost do not want to accept the car. Is that even possible after an ED? I am now paying for the car every day without it even being in my possession.

I tried to capture these in photo's, but the car was in the service bay and they're hard to see in the pics for some reason. They are all over the back end of the car though and you can easily see them in person.

[omaralt]

That sucks. It really depends on if you're leasing or buying. If you're leasing who cares? Have them fix it and have bmwna credit you a month or two of payments (depends on how long it takes to fix) and move on. If you purchased it then I would demand a new car. Or at the minimum a check for the amount the car will depreciate because it now has had paintwork done.

[04RC51]

Just fix it and move on? VDC will make it good as new or even better in some cases. You are the one who chose ED and chose to make payments while your car was in transit so you can't complain now that there's a delay?

Or is this another "I want a new car" or "diminished value" thread? Move on, it's just a car that's going to get fixed up. BFD!

[m3rxn]

Hope all goes well and BMW will make it right.. I'm sure it/they will.

[///bproden]

Originally Posted by 04RC51

Just fix it and move on? VDC will make it good as new or even better in some cases. You are the one who chose ED and chose to make payments while your car was in transit so you can't complain now that there's a delay?

Or is this another "I want a new car" or "diminished value" thread? Move on, it's just a car that's going to get fixed up. BFD!

It has passed "VPC". It's now at the dealer. I wish it was VPC because I know it would be taken care of properly and by the top professionals.

It's not really a "I want a new car" thread. More about being curious if this has happened to anyone else during transport via truck. If this is a newer process like my dealer says, then I have a feeling this will happen to others. The scratches or dents or whatever happened in the paint is unusual. Maybe the extreme heat while being wrapped?

And I'm sorry but paint on a $80k car is a big fucking deal to me. Maybe not you, so if not move on nothing to see here.... I'm sure BMW will take care of the situation and everything will work out in the long run.

[JL135i]

Too many non empathetic people in this forum. If this was my car, I'd be pissed and demand everything to be made right.

[chillindrdude]

Originally Posted by JL135i

Too many non empathetic people in this forum. If this was my car, I'd be pissed and demand everything to be made right.

This,

It's easy to be an internet badass and say BFD when it isn't your car or it's not your money.

[Vigilant]

OP...who applied the wrap to your F8x? If it indeed was different from the factory wrap, there is no telling what material or skill with which it was applied. From what I gather from your post, it seems the material was baked into the paint from heat/sun exposure/ maybe application. I am not sure...

No one likes to deal with these issues...these are emotional purchases and we tend to have similar responses when disappointed...it's called passion!

I would encourage you to take it up with your CA, the SM, and then BMWNA. If you financed, maybe they can spot you a couple of payments.

Hang in there.

[aboulfad]

OP, that is plain horrible. I really feel your frustration and disappointment. Nothing is worse than that. You are absolutely right, repainting or fixing those scratches will not be the same as the factory robot paint. I'd insist that they replace the trunk completely, not sure if they do it.

Also, it sounds a bit of BS about this new wrapping process, if it's true, then blame it on the manufacturer and try to get away with replacing parts instead of painting/fixing at dealer or other incentives... def call BMW NA and also send them pics and make sure you keep them for records.

Sorry about your lousy delivery experience, hope it gets fixed to your liking and drive it in good health

[secretariat]

OP, can you show us some pictures of what you are talking about? Better to understand with pictures.

[///bproden]

Originally Posted by JL135i

Too many non empathetic people in this forum. If this was my car, I'd be pissed and demand everything to be made right.

Originally Posted by chillindrdude

This,

It's easy to be an internet badass and say BFD when it isn't your car or it's not your money.

Originally Posted by Vigilant

OP...who applied the wrap to your F8x? If it indeed was different from the factory wrap, there is no telling what material or skill with which it was applied. From what I gather from your post, it seems the material was baked into the paint from heat/sun exposure/ maybe application. I am not sure...

No one likes to deal with these issues...these are emotional purchases and we tend to have similar responses when disappointed...it's called passion!

I would encourage you to take it up with your CA, the SM, and then BMWNA. If you financed, maybe they can spot you a couple of payments.

Hang in there.

Originally Posted by aboulfad

OP, that is plain horrible. I really feel your frustration and disappointment. Nothing is worse than that. You are absolutely right, repainting or fixing those scratches will not be the same as the factory robot paint. I'd insist that they replace the trunk completely, not sure if they do it.

Also, it sounds a bit of BS about this new wrapping process, if it's true, then blame it on the manufacturer and try to get away with replacing parts instead of painting/fixing at dealer or other incentives... def call BMW NA and also send them pics and make sure you keep them for records.

Sorry about your lousy delivery experience, hope it gets fixed to your liking and drive it in good health

Originally Posted by secretariat

OP, can you show us some pictures of what you are talking about? Better to understand with pictures.

I think that it has to do with the heat and wrap. The SM said it is like a saran wrap. So it probably doesn't have the breathable properties that come from the factory wraps. The car would have sat in about 100-110 degree weather for about 5 days. I'm not sure if it's the trucking company or if BMW is putting these on. I'm just astonished that BMW would even allow this to be put on new cars. If it is like a saran wrap, I would think BMW would clearly know that is a no-no on paint.

The flaws look deeper than normal scratches. More at the base-coat level rather than the top clear coat. What worries me is that the dealer would do a "quick fix", however, over time the paint would deteriorate or show other issues in these areas.


I believe most of us here on the forum are real car enthusiasts who appreciate cars more than a material. Yes, it's a passion and there is somewhat of an emotional attachment to some. I guess for the few, they could care less what happens to their cars, but when it's your own car, it's a very different feeling. So thanks guys for the nice comments. I didn't come on to necessarily bitch and moan, but to warn others, and see if this has happened to other people; and if so, what was the end fix/result.

I'll try and get a pic today. The ones I took are hard to see as my phone couldn't really focus up close.

[04RC51]

Originally Posted by aboulfad

You are absolutely right, repainting or fixing those scratches will not be the same as the factory robot paint. I'd insist that they replace the trunk completely, not sure if they do it.

That is a lie. The VDC can fix stuff better than when it left the factory. Stop fear mongering. If the dealer can get the car back to the VDC, it will be better than new or at least as good as when the OP dropped it off after joy riding it during his ED. We need to remember that his car was used when he dropped it off and the VDC will make it NEW again. Again, this is all IF they can get it back to the VDC for repairs. Otherwise, he can fold his arms and stomp his feet and lawyer up while looking for the littlest flaw in work done by the local auto body shop.

[aboulfad]

I believe most of us here on the forum are real car enthusiasts who appreciate cars more than a material. Yes, it's a passion and there is somewhat of an emotional attachment to some. I guess for the few, they could care less what happens to their cars, but when it's your own car, it's a very different feeling. So thanks guys for the nice comments. I didn't come on to necessarily bitch and moan, but to warn others, and see if this has happened to other people; and if so, what was the end fix/result.

I'll try and get a pic today. The ones I took are hard to see as my phone couldn't really focus up close.

+1 even if you were bitching here (which you are not), this is the place to do it, among other car enthusiasts that care and worry about this stuff.

So what are your options? what did the dealer say they will do ?

[///bproden]

Originally Posted by 04RC51

That is a lie. The VDC can fix stuff better than when it left the factory. Stop fear mongering. If the dealer can get the car back to the VDC, it will be better than new or at least as good as when the OP dropped it off after joy riding it during his ED. We need to remember that his car was used when he dropped it off and the VDC will make it NEW again. Again, this is all IF they can get it back to the VDC for repairs. Otherwise, he can fold his arms and stomp his feet and lawyer up while looking for the littlest flaw in work done by the local auto body shop.

Lol really dude? Stomp my feet and lawyer up? Quit being a fucking moron. Move on, no one needs to hear your smartass comments.

It's the VPC and it's passed that in the process. It's arrived at the dealer now. The car wouldn't go back 900 miles to the VPC to get fixed.

The car was dropped off in absolute pristine condition in Munich. It was in new condition when dropped off and when picked up there are now flaws in the paint that need fixed. Flaws that if not fixed right could show back up years down the road and could cause problems.

I also just received a call from the Sales Manager, who said he spoke with other dealers. I guess this has happened to other cars also recently. So, it isn't just my car. We are waiting for approval from the regional guy to start working on it (more about who's responsible for it and paying for it -BMW or trucking company). Not really sure what the route is the dealer wants to take at this moment.