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BMW 3 series VIN number

10 messages,  Last post on May 30, 2011 at 7:50 PM

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What is this discussion about? BMW 3 Series, Car Buying, Sedan

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#1 of 10 BMW 3 series VIN number by winston2000

May 25, 2011 (3:18 pm)

I bought a car over a week ago. I was told the car was in production when bought but now the car is listed "in Transit " and therefore the dealer doesn't know where it is in the inventory system. He also doesn't know the VIN number either. I was hoping to track the car during production and travel to the Us from Germany but can"t do without the VIN number . Has anyone else had this type of problem ? Thanks

#2 of 10 Re: BMW 3 series VIN number [winston2000] by kyfdx HOST

May 25, 2011 (3:23 pm)

Replying to: winston2000 (May 25, 2011 3:18 pm)
Did you order this car, specifically?
 
Because BMWs get a VIN number when production starts... if he doesn't have a VIN, maybe he is just hoping for a car like the one you want? If you actually ordered it, it has a VIN...
 
regards,
kyfdx

#3 of 10 Re: BMW 3 series VIN number [kyfdx] by winston2000

May 25, 2011 (3:39 pm)

Replying to: kyfdx (May 25, 2011 3:23 pm)
I was told this car was ordered per my equipment request. It would therefore take 6-8 weeks to produce in Germany . I was told the next day the car was now listed as completed and in transit and should be here in four weeks. The VIN number was not available since it was somewhere in the system. I was told I would get the VIN this week but starting to have some problems with this entire issue. Are you suggesting someone is having fun with me at my expense ? Are you sure the VIN should be available when ordered at the dealership as noted.

#4 of 10 Re: BMW 3 series VIN number [winston2000] by kyfdx HOST

May 25, 2011 (7:33 pm)

Replying to: winston2000 (May 25, 2011 3:39 pm)
Not at time of order, but once the car goes into production, it has a VIN number... It doesn't matter where it is in the system, as it has your dealer's name on it.. If you salesperson can't give you the VIN, then he is either ignorant or lazy...
 
All sorts of prospective BMW owners track their cars through transport, and can even tell you the name of the ship they are on...
 
I was told the next day the car was now listed as completed and in transit and should be here in four weeks.
 
How would they know that without the VIN number?

#5 of 10 Re: BMW 3 series VIN number [kyfdx] by winston2000

May 25, 2011 (8:50 pm)

Replying to: kyfdx (May 25, 2011 7:33 pm)
Thank you very much for your response . I will handle with the dealer tomorrow

#6 of 10 Re: BMW 3 series VIN number [winston2000] by busiris

May 27, 2011 (10:39 am)

Replying to: winston2000 (May 25, 2011 8:50 pm)
Just for the record, I have had the VIN for EVERY BMW I have ever ordered within 48 hours of placing the order.
 
Usually, the dealership simply converts a pre-exisiting, allocated, non-sold car to your order and modifies the specs accordingly, so they move it into the system pretty quickly.
 
FWIW...

#7 of 10 Re: BMW 3 series VIN number [busiris] by winston2000

May 27, 2011 (2:32 pm)

Replying to: busiris (May 27, 2011 10:39 am)
Thank you. I now have the VIN / Production number . A non-sold car was converted to my order and I am now following the production process at the BMWUSA site.
 
Thanks to all

#8 of 10 Re: BMW 3 series VIN number [winston2000] by kyfdx HOST

May 27, 2011 (8:27 pm)

Replying to: winston2000 (May 27, 2011 2:32 pm)
Good deal!

#9 of 10 Re: BMW 3 series VIN number [winston2000] by rhmass

May 28, 2011 (5:00 am)

Replying to: winston2000 (May 25, 2011 8:50 pm)
I ordered three BMWs with equipments I had specified. Each time, I was able to track the movement of the car from pre-production to the entire transport process including the ports the cars arrived in the US. However your order appeared to be matching one of those coming dealer's way with equipment you wanted, so it was not exactly ordered by you. It should arrive as promised, except hopefully the car is not only closely matching what you want as options. It is possible dealer may pull something like "Sorry they missed this or added that option to your ordered car by mistake"! This certainly has happened even with a car ordered at the outset by the customer, but rarely..

#10 of 10 Re: BMW 3 series VIN number [rhmass] by busiris

May 30, 2011 (7:50 pm)

Replying to: rhmass (May 28, 2011 5:00 am)
However your order appeared to be matching one of those coming dealer's way with equipment you wanted, so it was not exactly ordered by you. It should arrive as promised, except hopefully the car is not only closely matching what you want as options. It is possible dealer may pull something like "Sorry they missed this or added that option to your ordered car by mistake"!
 
I disagree.
 
BMW allocates vehicles to each dealer far in advance of manufacture, and the dealer "pre-configures" each vehicle as if it is going on his lot. As special orders are placed, these same vehicles are re-configured to exactly match the order from the customer (as long as the vehicle hasn't entered production already).
 
That is how the dealer can give a correct VIN to the special order customer within 24-48 hours, as they already have the list of VIN's allocated to the dealer.
 
Now, if a car arrives with different specifications than ordered, either the dealer ordered it incorrectly or is intentionally attempting to pass-off a car as a special order when in fact it was already in the "no-change" position in pre-production.

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