[baylorfan05]

Hi everyone!
Well, its been over 1 month (32 days) since I ordered my car and I'm still waiting. The 800 number says "released to carrier and is awaiting transportation to the port of exit." I tried to check the schedule for ships leaving Durban and it looks like Jan 21 arriving in baltimore Feb 26 is the next ship???!!!!

Are there other places to look for ships? I used MOL vessel schedule at http://www.molroro.com/MOLVesselSchedule.aspx.

I'd love to find another car elsewhere but my CA isn't letting me because he made me put down a deposit.

Will someone verify ships out of Durban for me or at least participate in my gripe-fest? Anyone else in the same spot as me?

[chrisny]

Deposit should be refundable. But find a car elsewhere before you give up your ordered car.

[ianturner]

i had to put up a fight to get my deposit back from the local dealership after they screwed up my order and refused to locate a car for me.....ended up buying one elsewhere.

[3driver]

My car left Durban late January and is on a European harbor tour prior to its deliver to me in the States. When all is said and done the time from order to delivery will be over 1/3 year. The car was ordered in mid November and I'll be lucky to see it in March.
I suppose if you actually wanted a "new" model year auto, you would need to order it four months prior to the new model year.
My last car, an 02, was built and delivered in less than 8 weeks.

[Tsuyoi]

Look on your order form, most will say something like "if car is not delivered within 60 days of agreed upon delivery date, buyer shall be entitled to full refund of deposit" or something like that.

[baylorfan05]

3driver, are you on the grand cosmo? I'm supposed to see my car in the states around Feb 27 but likely won't have it until first week of March. I feel your pain my friend.

[3driver]

Yes we are shipmates on the Grand Cosmo. I understand after coming up from Africa our vehicles enjoyed ham in Vigo and a Latte in Brussels. After taking some Weissbier in Bremerhaven they will make the crossing.
By the time our vehicles meet us they will be more traveled than the Secretary of State.
If you are reading this and are thinking about a 2014, ask if you can order now.

[baylorfan05]

I hear that. Its bad when my car is more traveled than me. I tell you, this whole thing has been a learning experience. I will never get a South Africa car again. I'm sure the quality will be there, but the time is ridiculous.

You getting excited about the 335? After I placed my order, I was definitely second guessing. I see this isn't your first BMW. This will be my first, so I'm super excited to start somewhere!

[3driver]

This process has been so long that my excitement has jumped the shark. I guess if the car actually materializes some day I might get wide eyed. The process has taken so long I'm bordering on letting them keep it and ordering a '14.
Our vehicles are in Bremerhaven at this time. Mine may very well transship to a New Jersey bound vessel.
I'm getting the blue luxury with brown upholstery and every option but the shade cause that would just be silly.

[JPinky]

Originally Posted by 3driver

This process has been so long that my excitement has jumped the shark. I guess if the car actually materializes some day I might get wide eyed. The process has taken so long I'm bordering on letting them keep it and ordering a '14.
Our vehicles are in Bremerhaven at this time. Mine may very well transship to a New Jersey bound vessel.
I'm getting the blue luxury with brown upholstery and every option but the shade cause that would just be silly.

If you ever order again (I wouldn't blame you if you didn't), make sure you request a Germany build. These will actually come within 6-8 weeks for East coast and 8-10 for West coast.

[baylorfan05]

When you get the car, post some pics. That saddle brown will look great with the blue. I got the blue and venetian beige. Shouldn't be much longer now though. I'm sort of have the mind set, "I'll believe it when I see it." haha

[3driver]

I will post the pics. I am now educated about SA delivery so would only order again contingent on German build. The vehicle took twice as long to build and three times as long to ship as the German build I had 11 years ago.
I don't know yet if the vehicle transhipped in Bremerhaven. The VIN doesn't yet show up on the W & W site. Then again, with how its all gone so far it may sit on the dock there until the 2014s begin to appear.

[rooski]

Looks like I'm in the same situation as most of the "owners" here. My 335i was ordered on 12/21/12 and completed production on 1/19/13. Originally thinking all 335i vehicles were made in Munich, I kept watching the Wallenius Wilhelmsen tracking info but never saw the VIN there. Then I found out that if you have an N in position 11 of your VIN, that your car is made in SA.

It took two weeks for my car to make it to the port on 2/4/13. And, according to 800-831-1117 BMW 'Vehicle Production Status', it is still sitting at the port awaiting a ship. The big question I have is will my car go to Bremerhaven and be transshipped to the NY port? If so, I'll be lucky to see it before the end of March.

If you're in my position and not on a ship, there are a few things you can do to get an idea of when your car will get on a ship. Once you know your VIN number, you can find out when it was built on www.bmwvin.com. If you subtract about 20 numbers from the end, you will find another vehicle that was built about a week before yours. Call the 800 number and find out the status of that car. For me as of today, the car produced a week before mine (1/12/13) is STILL IN PORT! Fortunately, the car produced on 1/8/13 is on a ship.

Now if you really want to be POed, you can check some of the VIN numbers on WW track and trace. Some cars produced in Munich in early February are already on ships bound for the USA and Canada.

[cfm56d7b]

The chances of your vehicle being transshipped are very high - almost a certainty. My SA built 2013 335i xDrive was transshipped in Bremerhaven.

Incidentally, once the vehicle is placed on a vessel in Durban, the dealer's system will continue to show the same vessel even if the vehicle has been transshipped and placed on another vessel.

[rooski]

Thank you cfm56d7b. The information you provided is most useful!

I emailed my CA a few days ago telling her that my car was manufactured in SA. Figured she already knew this.

Today I got an email back from her telling me that my car is in transit due in Newark on 3/12. This is confirmed on the 800 number which said it was in Durban port yesterday. The My BMW WEB site is still behind.

Looks like I'll get my car before the end of March. Hurray!

Now I wait while my CA tries to find out the name of the ship my car is on.

Did I mention that my CA is a gorgeous young woman with long blond hair in her 20s?

[rooski]

My CA tells me my car is on the Supreme Ace. The MOL WEB site says that load voyage 0010A left Durban on 2/16. It stops in East London SA then non-stop to Bayonne NJ NEAT where it is scheduled to arrive 3/13. Looks like it will not be transshipped via Bremerhaven.

[3driver]

My 335xi left Durban 1/24. It sat in Bremerhaven a week and boarded "Mignon" today. Looks like Bayonne on March 8.
Here is how it will have spent the seven weeks prior to arrival in Jersey:

Durban, South Africa
East London, South Africa
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Vigo, Spain
Zeebrugge, Belgium (3 different berths)
Bremerhaven, Germany (Transhipped from MOL to W & W)
Gothenburg, Sweden
Zeebrugge, Belgium
Southhampton, United Kingdom
Halifax, Canada
New York, USA

[baylorfan05]

Well 3driver, our cars have parted ways. I'm still on Grand Cosmo scheduled for Baltimore on 3/1. Let me know when you get yours and happy waiting!

[3driver]

@baylorfan05, you sure you didn't transship? I didn't know until a week after Grand Cosmo left Bremerhaven that my vehicle transhipped. I could only tell after doing "track and trace" on the W & W website yesterday.
In any case, we are both short. A week one way or another doesn't mean Jack.

[baylorfan05]

So true. After your post, I double checked with W/W website to make sure. Looks like I'm still on Grand cosmo. 1 week!

[3driver]

Good for you! Send pics.
I don't know why mine was transshiped. Baltimore is the same drive as Jersey. Then again, it is their logistics, not mine. I should be docking in Gothenburg later today.