[U11sirgawain]

There is information dispersed in various threads about under trimming from 2nd half of 2023.
One of the victims of the detrimming is the glovebox light, but apparently there is still a hole in glovebox and electrical connection behind which might lead to buying the light and retrofitting. Some forum members stated their intention to refit the light.
Any success story?
TIA

[Tippy]

Originally Posted by U11sirgawain

There is information dispersed in various threads about under trimming from 2nd half of 2023.
One of the victims of the detrimming is the glovebox light, but apparently there is still a hole in glovebox and electrical connection behind which might lead to buying the light and retrofitting. Some forum members stated their intention to refit the light.
Any success story?
TIA

No, not at present - we are waiting for dealer to confirm with BMW directly the state of play. We have not been able to find a retrofit or part number for the light.

They have indicated that it may not even be wired for a light to be fitted.

Why on earth they’d forgo what is such a trivial bit of kit but very useful is completely dumbfounding.

Would love to hear what others say too.
Thanks,
T

[U11sirgawain]

This is the P/N , and how detrimmed glovebox looks (2023, second half).
My car will be delivered in October, and just wondering what shall I expect

[COOLGREANY]

To be honest, the omission of a glovebox light is not a significant feature for me. However, I do agree that it's a trivial feature to remove. I assume that if the parts and labor cost $1 to install, and BMW sell one million X1s annually, the cost saving to BMW is one million dollars. Not trivial to BMW bean counters.

[U11sirgawain]

It's not vital, but it's a comfort feature.
I compare their saving....to the price list of the car.
They have introduced X1 as a premium SAV, kind of mini X5, lend vehicles to journos to write, picture, and videorecord their reviews......and 6 month later, down trim it.
Their brand image not the best now in my view

And as someone said, if they dared to do this on noticeable items...is worrying to think what they might have done to non noticeable ones: sound/heat insulation, paint thickness,...!

[Tippy]

I just wanted to come back for everyone’s information to say that eventually (77 days after receipt) - after complaining to the dealership, they have installed the missing glove box light and door sills.

It’s a bit of a painful process, but if you’re in the same boat, I’d encourage you to do the same, unless you were sold the car without these features they should be assumed there based on previous models etc - if not explicitly said.

Best of luck to all.

[hawaiiguy]

hope they did nothing to the paint thickness, as AUTOMOTIVE PRESS did a YouTube video about the x1's paint thickness (go to the 3:00 minute mark) and it was way in front of paint thickness on vehicles coming out of Japan or the U.S.

Originally Posted by U11sirgawain

It's not vital, but it's a comfort feature.
I compare their saving....to the price list of the car.
They have introduced X1 as a premium SAV, kind of mini X5, lend vehicles to journos to write, picture, and videorecord their reviews......and 6 month later, down trim it.
Their brand image not the best now in my view

And as someone said, if they dared to do this on noticeable items...is worrying to think what they might have done to non noticeable ones: sound/heat insulation, paint thickness,...!

[sherlock411]

Originally Posted by hawaiiguy

hope they did nothing to the paint thickness, as AUTOMOTIVE PRESS did a YouTube video about the x1's paint thickness (go to the 3:00 minute mark) and it was way in front of paint thickness on vehicles coming out of Japan or the U.S.

I don't think they did. I was just looking at my X1 and the paint looks thick. I know it's not a thickness tester but even to the naked eye it's thick. This car is extremely well put together inside and out. The panel gaps are all very even and the interior parts are tightly fitted and aligned very well.

[U11sirgawain]

Originally Posted by sherlock411

I don't think they did. I was just looking at my X1 and the paint looks thick. I know it's not a thickness tester but even to the naked eye it's thick. This car is extremely well put together inside and out. The panel gaps are all very even and the interior parts are tightly fitted and aligned very well.

Monday rant:
And they ruin it by being mean on a gloveboxlight and door sills.
Given the margins that BMW runs, each prospective customer that buys another brand not doing the cheapo undertriming, it spoils BMW saving on parts for hundreds of produced. cars

[BMWZ4]

Originally Posted by U11sirgawain

Monday rant:
And they ruin it by being mean on a gloveboxlight and door sills.
Given the margins that BMW runs, each prospective customer that buys another brand not doing the cheapo undertriming, it spoils BMW saving on parts for hundreds of produced. cars

Curious what you believe any car manufacturer's profit margin is on average...not just bmw

[U11sirgawain]

My believe is a 25 to 30 pct on list price.
Its just a guess but better said, a recall of something I read somewhere somewhen.

[BMWZ4]

Originally Posted by KosticKen

A:Like Apple, MB, Telsa,Ray-Ban etc,etc.... Whatever they can get away with! given their corner of the market is a virtual monopoly fueled by obsession . (not my words by the way).

Car manufacturers are generally less than 20%... apparel is 80+%...apple...55+%....

So, no comparison of car companies to the likes of apple or clothing....

[U11sirgawain]

Originally Posted by BMWZ4

Car manufacturers are generally less than 20%... apparel is 80+%...apple...55+%....

+20 % on costs, or 20% of list price?
Dealer margin included or not?

But it doesn't impact my rationale.
If sills + glovebox light cost is , 60$, they might save millions by undertrimming.
If they raise price by 60$ and keep sills and glove box light....they will be financially even, and almost nobody will refrain from buying a 50K $ car because now is 60$ more expensive.
But if they remove the sills and glovebox light, even if I am eager to pay 60 $ more in order to have them, may be one buyer out of fifty, or one out of hundred....may prefer an Audi which has the glovebox light that cheapest Hyunday has...and posh BMW has removed.

[BMWZ4]

Originally Posted by U11sirgawain

+20 % on costs, or 20% of list price?
Dealer margin included or not?

But it doesn't impact my rationale.
If sills + glovebox light cost is , 60$, they might save millions by undertrimming.
If they raise price by 60$ and keep sills and glove box light....they will be financially even, and almost nobody will refrain from buying a 50K $ car because now is 60$ more expensive.
But if they remove the sills and glovebox light, even if I am eager to pay 60 $ more in order to have them, may be one buyer out of fifty, or one out of hundred....may prefer an Audi which has the glovebox light that cheapest Hyunday has...and posh BMW has removed.

Manufacturer margin...dealer margin CAN BE less than 8%...that's generally why one dealer may own many, many different shops

[timesone]

No responsibility or accountability

[BMWZ4]

Originally Posted by KosticKen

It is not the actual petty and almost irrelavent removal of a cheap bit of plastic from the glove box or removal of the door sills that is the issue it is the mentality and motives of the people who have done it and their frivalous attitude to there customers. It is obvious from some of the enlightened replies here there is a question of trust in a company you have given a massive amount of cash to and must continue to pay them service etc. They may have inadvertently crossed a red line here and wrongly treated their loyal customers as fools. Although there is probably damn all they can do about it in the short term, they do have memories though.

So you should sell your BMW and buy from a manufacturer who cares...simple

[BMWZ4]

Originally Posted by timesone

No responsibility or accountability

Huh? They are accountable to their shareholders first, customer second. Rule of publicly run businesses despite what you might believe

[Yorksdales66]

I would be interested in BMWs reason for changing specification such as the glovebox light. Can there be any other reason for its deletion other than the bean counters pennypinching? I guess we will never get a straight answer and will never know.

Likewise why have the locking buttons been removed from the top of the doors? These had been usefull for a visual check that car doors have been locked for decades on all makes of car. Could it be better security without the buttons on the door top, or have they become obsolete with the advent of central locking?

Again I guess that unless we can be convinced we are better off without a certain feature then we will suspect the bean counters have been at work again.

[U11sirgawain]

Glovebox light is short sighted penny-pinching for sure.
When first units started to be delivered with hole lacking bulb in glove box, we can think, hey ,this could be a supply chain issue!
When now cars are being delivered with glovebox which do not have the hole, its clear they have removed it on purpose...and they even got rid of last batches of holed gloveboxes without bothering to include the led bulb.

[BMWZ4]

Originally Posted by KosticKen

Thanks for the advice!
Too late!....I have done!. but not for the glove box or the money (it was still a more than decent car it was BMW who were the problem and made ownership of it embarrassing and completely untenable.
I doubt if they give a toss as X1 as order book is full for next 12 month regardless of the price or glove box lights or posts on Bimmerpost.

"buy from a manufacturer who cares." cares about what?...NO SUCH BEAST. The money is back in the bank. Perhaps you could suggest one. Not MB, Audi, Volvo, Honda(except for their smashing lawn mowers), JLR or worst one of all...Toyota. Just have to like it or lump it with them all. Mobile phone contracts are even worse not to mention Supermarkets, Amazon or ebay. Sad isn't it? I used to think it was me but Trust Pilot taught me otherwise I believe it all.
I will tell you what is the best thing I have ever bought: Still made and able to get spares for it after 37 years, Made in Britain. No electronics and does not need a smartphone to work.

So no car for you...since it sounds like they're all out to get you. Bus/Uber/Taxi sounds like fun!

[richiro]

This all comes down to dollars and cents my friends.

I work in an industry where we have to think about large scale and the impact of what cents in margin, do to long term growth and run rates.

Compounded over thousands, the numbers will probably tip in the favor or "take profits, piss people off" mentality.

Look at Tesla, 2M cars recalled, will a formal apology be released? Sure, absolutely. Will they refund people their money? I think not, maybe compensate a few here and there, but they are laughing to the bank now. $6k or $15k for autopilot, let's average 10k to be conservative, that's a lot of money in profit for selling some minor hardware additions and mostly programming and coding, even with the pay outs.

[DestinationMoon!]

My September build doesn't have a light either.
I ordered a motion sensing led puck lamp from Amazon. Should be a workable answer to a problem that shouldn't exist