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2019+ BMW 3 AND 4-SERIES FORUMS (G2x Generation) Ordering / Pricing / Order Tracking Forum How to recognize a Mexican build by VIN

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      11-22-2018, 12:25 AM   #1
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How to recognize a Mexican build by VIN

US models built in Mexico have "J" in the 7th position.

German builds have "C" in that position.

At some point, the Mexican VINs should start using "3MW" as the first three characters, but the 7th position appears to be more reliable.

Last edited by ynguldyn; 11-22-2018 at 01:17 AM..
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      11-23-2018, 09:01 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ynguldyn View Post
US models built in Mexico have "J" in the 7th position.

German builds have "C" in that position.

At some point, the Mexican VINs should start using "3MW" as the first three characters, but the 7th position appears to be more reliable.
Good info thanks
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      11-26-2018, 10:58 AM   #3
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Why are you asking? Is it a problem that your build isn't German? Are you insinuating something?
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      11-26-2018, 12:31 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by ThatKrazyPolak View Post
Why are you asking? Is it a problem that your build isn't German? Are you insinuating something?
My job is to inform. I'm no longer a BMW customer myself. Stop seeking ulterior motives where there are none.
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      11-26-2018, 02:53 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ynguldyn View Post
My job is to inform. I'm no longer a BMW customer myself. Stop seeking ulterior motives where there are none.
But you could have titled your post “How to identify which country the car is built in” ... by specifying a country name in the post title it can give the impression that there are negative connotations ... well that’s how it looked to me. My job is to inform also ;-)
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      11-26-2018, 05:56 PM   #6
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But you could have titled your post “How to identify which country the car is built in” ... by specifying a country name in the post title it can give the impression that there are negative connotations ... well that’s how it looked to me. My job is to inform also ;-)
The San Luis Potosi plant just came online. All other plants have been in operation for years, and their identification has been covered by multiple posts and FAQs in the past. Are you really suggesting that the only way for me to sound objective is to repeat old well-known factoids?
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      12-08-2018, 10:13 AM   #7
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So are all US cars going to be built in MX or no?
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      12-08-2018, 11:33 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spikecraib View Post
But you could have titled your post “How to identify which country the car is built in” ... by specifying a country name in the post title it can give the impression that there are negative connotations ... well that’s how it looked to me. My job is to inform also ;-)

Negative connotations are always in the eye of the beholder.

What if the title had instead read, "How to recognize a Munich build by VIN"?

Any negative connotations there?

Aaaaah.
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      12-08-2018, 01:51 PM   #9
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So are all US cars going to be built in MX or no?
Right now the ratio is 1:5 SLP:Munich. I'm sure in the future it will change in favor of SLP, but it'll take time for the plant to ramp up. Right now they're only building a couple dozen cars per day, nowhere close to the US-wide demand for the new model.
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      12-08-2018, 04:42 PM   #10
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Quote:
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Why are you asking? Is it a problem that your build isn't German? Are you insinuating something?
WTF, I want a German car that was made in Germany. There, go analyze that. If it was a 20K golf then I don't give a shit. For 60K I want it German, okay?
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      12-08-2018, 07:21 PM   #11
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WTF, I want a German car that was made in Germany. There, go analyze that. If it was a 20K golf then I don't give a shit. For 60K I want it German, okay?
As I'm a market research person, I'll accept your invitation for your interesting opinion. Not trolling or being sarcastic. I'm sure BMW has also studied this in depth, although far more rigorous than n=1. Would you say the most important issue causing you to feel this way is:

A) The physical location of the assembly plant building
B) The ethnicity of the people on the assembly line
C) Traditional/historical source of past vehicles
D) The potential use of local component suppliers
E) Other_____________________________
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      12-08-2018, 09:26 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sportstick View Post
As I'm a market research person, I'll accept your invitation for your interesting opinion. Not trolling or being sarcastic. I'm sure BMW has also studied this in depth, although far more rigorous than n=1. Would you say the most important issue causing you to feel this way is:

A) The physical location of the assembly plant building
B) The ethnicity of the people on the assembly line
C) Traditional/historical source of past vehicles
D) The potential use of local component suppliers
E) Other_____________________________
Yes, you are trolling.
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      12-08-2018, 09:29 PM   #13
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Yes, you are trolling.
You are absolutely wrong. I’m actually interested and automotive market research is my profession. Large sample data is comprised of many diverse individuals and each opinion is insightful.
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      12-08-2018, 09:31 PM   #14
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You are absolutely wrong. I’m actually interested and automotive market research is my profession. Large sample data is comprised of many diverse individuals and each opinion is insightful.
Yeah...

I hope no one bites.
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      12-08-2018, 09:36 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ynguldyn View Post
Yeah...

I hope no one bites.
That’s fine. When we do online recruiting, a 2% response rate is typical so we’re used to people being unwilling to share their thoughts. I anticipated more openness on a BMW forum. When MB moved C Class to the US, there was quite a bit of sharing of opinion on their forum on the very issue of losing “German-ness”.
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      12-08-2018, 11:26 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sportstick View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by MT4life View Post
WTF, I want a German car that was made in Germany. There, go analyze that. If it was a 20K golf then I don't give a shit. For 60K I want it German, okay?
As I'm a market research person, I'll accept your invitation for your interesting opinion. Not trolling or being sarcastic. I'm sure BMW has also studied this in depth, although far more rigorous than n=1. Would you say the most important issue causing you to feel this way is:

A) The physical location of the assembly plant building
B) The ethnicity of the people on the assembly line
C) Traditional/historical source of past vehicles
D) The potential use of local component suppliers
E) Other_____________________________
Yeah your second option in your "poll" makes it pretty clear you are both sarcastic and trolling.
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      12-09-2018, 07:41 AM   #17
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Yeah your second option in your "poll" makes it pretty clear you are both sarcastic and trolling.
That's just not true, but the suspiciousness is striking. It was clear from the chat on the MB forum about the C class move that there was a belief that assembly by Germans provided some superior result than by Americans, even under the MB German management team in the Alabama plant. Although, some fears were based on not understanding the difference between design vs. assembly. When some learned of the high presence of Turks as immigrant labor in the German plants in the course of that chat, there was disappointment, as some desired nothing but Germans from the first pencil sketch to the last bolt tightening. Whether it’s Americans, Mexicans, or some other group substituting for Germans, that answer would provide for that point of view.

Perhaps the more interesting finding here is the cynical response when offered the opportunity to give an honest, anonymous reaction. I’m seeing this topic is provoking much anxiety. That’s ok. We can move on.

Last edited by Sportstick; 12-09-2018 at 08:10 AM..
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      12-09-2018, 10:10 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sportstick View Post
As I'm a market research person, I'll accept your invitation for your interesting opinion. Not trolling or being sarcastic. I'm sure BMW has also studied this in depth, although far more rigorous than n=1. Would you say the most important issue causing you to feel this way is:

A) The physical location of the assembly plant building
B) The ethnicity of the people on the assembly line
C) Traditional/historical source of past vehicles
D) The potential use of local component suppliers
E) Other_____________________________
For me it's very simple and I'm sure there are others feel the same way.
If I'm paying 55-60K for a car with vinyl seats I want to know that it costs a lot to BMW to make that car because of high German labor wages and transport from Germany to USA. Then and only then I am okay to pay that kinda money for an economy beginner class BMW.

Pass on the savings to me BMW, sell me a Mexican m340i for 35K and I won't have a problem where it's made
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      12-09-2018, 11:15 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MT4life View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sportstick View Post
As I'm a market research person, I'll accept your invitation for your interesting opinion. Not trolling or being sarcastic. I'm sure BMW has also studied this in depth, although far more rigorous than n=1. Would you say the most important issue causing you to feel this way is:

A) The physical location of the assembly plant building
B) The ethnicity of the people on the assembly line
C) Traditional/historical source of past vehicles
D) The potential use of local component suppliers
E) Other_____________________________
For me it's very simple and I'm sure there are others feel the same way.
If I'm paying 55-60K for a car with vinyl seats I want to know that it costs a lot to BMW to make that car because of high German labor wages and transport from Germany to USA. Then and only then I am okay to pay that kinda money for an economy beginner class BMW.

Pass on the savings to me BMW, sell me a Mexican m340i for 35K and I won't have a problem where it's made
Disagree with this... it is not about who assembles the car. if I am paying 65k for a car I want to know the money went into research and development to design the best components and features available. A well designed and tested component is less likely to break and to give optimal performance. A breakthrough or optimized feature is going to give the best ownership experience. The actual assembly of the car is just following instructions and can be done anywhere. Despite anecdotal stories, judging by the quality scores across bmws plants that holds true.

In fact you should want the assembly labor cost to be as low as possible so more of the car's total cost can be from R+D and features. That is how you get a better car.

However, if BMW decided they were going to immediately move designing the car to a brand new engineering office in Mexico without the institutional knowledge and engineering talent pool that fill their (and other brands) German offices I would have concerns
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      12-09-2018, 12:07 PM   #20
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Originally Posted by xlover View Post
Disagree with this... it is not about who assembles the car. if I am paying 65k for a car I want to know the money went into research and development to design the best components and features available. A well designed and tested component is less likely to break and to give optimal performance. A breakthrough or optimized feature is going to give the best ownership experience. The actual assembly of the car is just following instructions and can be done anywhere. Despite anecdotal stories, judging by the quality scores across bmws plants that holds true.

In fact you should want the assembly labor cost to be as low as possible so more of the car's total cost can be from R+D and features. That is how you get a better car.

However, if BMW decided they were going to immediately move designing the car to a brand new engineering office in Mexico without the institutional knowledge and engineering talent pool that fill their (and other brands) German offices I would have concerns
As long as the savings go to R&D and not someone's pockets.
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      12-09-2018, 01:24 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spikecraib View Post
But you could have titled your post “How to identify which country the car is built in” ... by specifying a country name in the post title it can give the impression that there are negative connotations ... well that’s how it looked to me. My job is to inform also ;-)
Lay it a freakin rest dude.

If I'm buying a BMW I want it built in Germany. I'm sorry you see race and hatred in innocent things.
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      12-09-2018, 04:07 PM   #22
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But you could have titled your post “How to identify which country the car is built in” ... by specifying a country name in the post title it can give the impression that there are negative connotations ... well that’s how it looked to me. My job is to inform also ;-)
Lay it a freakin rest dude.

If I'm buying a BMW I want it built in Germany. I'm sorry you see race and hatred in innocent things.
Unfortunately that's the world we live in today. Every word is scrutinized and evaluated in the off chance that someone could feel marginalized by them, even though the intent to do so was not there. That's part of the reason I don't facechat or snap book or any of that crap. Frankly I don't give a damn where the car is made. I pretty sure the QA standards and methods of assembly are determined in Germany by BMW. I doubt they have just handed the plans to Mexico and said here make this.
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