New I3 Recall > Cars Held At Port?

[johnnydrim]

I was told that my new BMW i3 is being held at the port north of Los Angeles because there is a recall on it.

According to the dealer, it has been trapped there for 10 days and they don't know when it'll be released for shipment to the dealer.

They said it has to receive new software. The car was manufactured on Oct 10. I am guessing the software upgrade is done at the port. I would've thought it would be done at the dealer.

Does anyone know about this? I'm guessing this means all of the cars are due for another software update.

 

[Sparky]

My car arrived at Oxnard on Wednesday. I was told that there is a backlog of 100 cars requiring software and they can only update 6 per day.

 

[robkap]

I'm guess I'm one of the 100 waiting in line with you at Port Hueneme.

My i3 manufactured 6 October and arrived at Port 13 November. Shipper website confirms car off the boat and"released", but BMW website shows it still en route. Somehow, in a little over a week, the car hasn't managed to cross the street in Oxnard to go from port to VPC!

iConcierge looked up my production number and stated vehicle has no "checks" against it...in other words, the KLE is good and cast should go right to dealership after VPC. Dealer, on the other hand, said they thought KLE's being switched out. Another local salesperson posted in the Facebook i3 group that VPC simply jammed, especially this time of year.

Sure would be nice if someone at BMW could take the time to let customers know the real story and timetable!

 

[Sparky]

My car was assembled on October 10 and arrived at the port November 19th. Yesterday it entered VPC (work order opened).
What is the iConcierge service, sounds like your received detail on your car.

 

[WoodlandHills]

If BMW can only update 6 cars per day at their predelivery center, they are in big trouble. At 30 cars a week will they be able to finish updating one shipment before the next one arrives? I can see this becoming a choke point as far as timely deliveries. The strategy of having all updates run through servers in Germany may be due for a rethink at some point, what will happen when BMW have more than just the i3 and i8 on sale? Fast forwards a few years with a far larger fleet out there, how would they handle a mass recall and software update of the whole fleet should that become necessary: they can barely keep up with things now.....

Honestly, I don't think BMW thought through all the details before rolling out the new line of cars: it was a hugely complex job and some things slipped through the cracks. The cumbersome software updating process is just one example, the wonky iRemote app is another. And what ever happened to the Borrow a BMW for Long Trips Program, or whatever they called it? Mobility? Or some sort of vague trendy catchword.....

 

[Sparky]

You're right. Before I ordered the i3, I drove a Tesla. Didn't want the car, but boy, do they have their software update act together.

 

[robkap]

iConcierge is BMW phone service for electric car owners. Very helpful team based in Ohio. (855) 236-1025.

 

[Sparky]

Robkap, did you receive your car or get an updated status?

 

[robkap]

Hi, Sparky.

I pushed the dealer yesterday, pointing out the lack of information ridiculous. While the shipping company tracking confirmed car's delivery to Port Hueneme 13 November, BMW online has consistently shown it being "en route" (still on ship) for two weeks since car arrived at Port Hueneme.

The Dealer emailed back with good news - The Manager got into it and car now scheduled to be trucked out of VPC 2 December.

Being slightly obsessive, I checked the BMW site this morning - still shows car "en route"...

Then, since the info didn't match up I was somewhat more obsessive: I decided to check the automated phone line for production status. The computer voice calmly told me that my car is at the dock in Germany waiting for a boat!

Car is clearly in three places at once.

Any update on your situation?

PS During this month, I've been told car delayed because it needs new KLE (dealer). I've been told car was manufactured with new KLE and has no "checks" that will delay it at VPC (iConcierge). I've been told that the VPC is slammed this time of year and everything is super slow (a different dealer on Facebook i3 group). Maybe it's all true...I am clueless.

 

[Sparky]

I'm suffering from the exact same inconsistent, misinformation (no flags, needs KLE, released to carrier, waiting for shipping vessel)! Do you think your dealer may have actually escalated your priority or just got the correct status?

 

[robkap]

I don't think salesperson would make up the whole story about manager intervening.

But I also don't think anyone on the Dealer-level truly has knowledge of what is happening at Hueneme and the VPC.

VPC clearly overwhelmed and not good communicators.

I'm hopeful that my car gets on the truck when promised, but I wouldn't wager on it...

 

[Sparky]

Well, since my car is a week behind yours, I won't expect it to be shipped until maybe the 9th. I'll be out of town then. I've obsessed too much already, I'll just wait until I get home to escalate. It sure is a crappy process, when you spend $50k, you expect accurate information. BMW needs to get down to one, precise, real time information resource.

 

[jadnashuanh]

I ordered my previous car, and BMW's status was poor then, and never actually said it was completed on the owner's access (probably did via the dealer's access portal, though). I picked it up in Munich, and the status still said something like preparing for shipment or something like that. It seems it's not any better 4-years later with the i3. Somebody knows, but they do not update their database as frequently and the mirror you can access can be way behind. Just be glad you're not in, say, Europe, and have to wait 6-months or more for yours to show up.

 

[blaxerB]

Same boat here (pardon the pun), I have consistently conflicting information from:

1. My dealer
2. The website
3. The automated phone line
4. The i-concierge

It has been just overly frustrating and stressful trying to get any useful information out of anyone. I am kind of shocked to be honest, this is my first BMW and it's been a very disappointing experience to say the least. My car was finished on 10/27 and as far as I can guess, it's still not even on a boat yet. According to the shipping schedules I have missed two boats since the car was "released to the shipper", it's basically infuriating because I get different information from everyone I talk to, who knows what the truth is anymore.

I would like to give BMW my 2 cents on this whole process but I fear, like any big company, it wouldn't do any good. I feel like the dealership has done all they can to try and help me but it seems like their hands are tied as far as information as well.

So now I'm just to the point where I'm numb and really sadly no longer trying to be involved in the whole process, and I think that is a real shame. BMW can't buy that kind of enthusiasm but they could so easily cultivate it with some real-time information about what is going on, it can't be that hard to be more transparent to people that are paying good money for their product.

 

[Sparky]

I emailed then called iConcierge on the same day and got two different results.

 

[WoodlandHills]

Maybe cars are being held at the shipping port to prevent overloading the receiving port, if there are issues with delays at the pre-delivery centers? It could come down to something as simple as who has the bigger parking lot for storage: the shipping port or the destination port.

 

[Sparky]

I think you are correct. There is an epic choke point at the VPC's trying to deal with KLE replacements. It seems that the Oxnard location can only complete around 8 per day. Last I heard there were 400-500 i3's there awaiting replacement. My salesman claimed 100 were priority one cars, which would imply about a two week delay if you're last in the P1 line.

Can't imagine BMW wanting to ship more i3's to that location!
I would bet that the cars being held at port already have the new unit.

My car landed 11/19 and was immediately given the status of "open work order". I'm guessing it won't be in my hands for another two weeks.

 

[robkap]

My car was two weeks at Port Hueneme before it got to VPC last weekend. Happily, it's now on truck headed to Seattle.

My experience was that when car is out of Bmw hands ( at port waiting for VPC to accept it), info is sketchy to non existent. Once VPC took control of vehicle, IiConcierge knew everything down to time and day it was loaded onto truck for trip North.

It's a frustrating process when you're in the Communications black out.

Good luck to everyone waiting!

 

[Sparky]

So you were only in VPC for 2 days?

 

[johnnydrim]

IConcierge just told me my car was released to the trucker late this afternoon. I learned the news before the dealer

Now we'll see how long it takes them to travel two hundred miles.

I've been wanting this car since before they turned the assembly line on.