2009 BMW M3: Subtle Details Losing Subtelty

I hate when that part of the car falls apart. That part is often abused by people not picking their feel up all the way. I have a friend with a volvo s80 and weather stripping comes out when you aren't careful. This should not happen on such an expensive car.

These trim pieces always feel very sensitive to me when I am cleaning the interior of my car. I've never had one snap off on me though.

A new trend in build quality? Maybe not build quality but component quality. Cheaper plastic snaps make it easier for the manufacturer to offer more features and tech without raising the price too much. True and through quality costs a lot. This is faster and cheaper. It's the price you pay for most mass produced products.

For a car that costs $67,370 that is inexcusable. I have a 2004 IS300 with 110,000 miles and nothing has fallen apart yet, and that car was $31k.
My suggestion is go sell that overpriced aluminum can and buy a MK4 Supra and test that or a new S2000 and modify them. I am sure you will get as much if not more satisfaction from either one of those cars then the M3.
I am hopping for a Supra ;). I want to hear insideline staffs’ opinion an impressions on that car.

At least it is easy to remove if you want to run some wires through there for whatever reason. :) Although that probably is not likely, since any audio hacks that do not require a head unit swap are going to start in the trunk anyway.

All I get is scratches on mine.

I have never had anything like this happen in either of my A4's. My '04 had some peeling problems, which were common and replaced under warranty. My newer one just gets scuffed up and dirty, since I have the lighter tan interior. Everything is still solid and rattle free.

Typical shoddy German workmanship (:

Kidding aside, that is pathetic. $67k car and that happens? Wow.

Nothing similar has happened with my past or current Bimmers.
Come to think of it, the same is true of my Jeep and Mazda.

This has happened in my 335, but only once. I was able to overlook this minor annoyance based on the fact that it is the single greatest vehicle that I have ever owned....

no such problems on my MINI.

I think it is just the Edmunds staff, I have never had this happen on any car I have owned. To have it happen on two cars in the long term fleet, I'm guessing it's from all the different people driving them and not caring as much as they don't own them.

I have a 2008 BMW 328xi coupe, and it has the same trim piece, and all mine has is a couple scratches, it has never fallen off, and the trim piece is the same on the M3. I work at a BMW dealership, and I have NEVER seen this happen before, you guys just need to watch your feet.

+1 Watch where you stick those toe nails. You might pry up the lighted side sill. :D

I think all vehicles of your fleet should undergo the kick test.

I am relieved, however, after the beating the Z got for having "build quality" issues. Turns out it's an editor error. I mean, an M3 can't have build quality issues can it? Naw, never. It's German!

^^Yes, I think a kick test is in order. Just power the seat back, bring your knees into your chest for "attack position", and jam your feet rapidly into everything: doors, instruments, windshield, ceiling. Everything. We gotta see for ourselves what the Germans are trying to pull with the M3 build quality.

Bwahahaha at at all the people that criticized the Z for having this kind of issue. honestly though, this kind of problem should be happening in ANY car regardless of how much you spend this early on. still, funny to see everyone trying to justify that it happens on this BMW only. I'm sure others have had the issue, just like the Z, and I'm sure other cars go through it too. issues happen and while i don't buy German cars for my own personal reasons, I know this is one that slipped through the cracks. not all will have this issue but this isn't and won't be the only BMW made in 09 that has it happen to it.

So on the Z it is a built quality error and on the M3 it is user error?

Could you guys be any more biased?

Please I would like to know. What a joke.

The dealer most likely installed the optional kick plates on the Z incorrectly. Any explanations why this happened on the M3?

You guys are both clumsy and BMW snobs. The number of people who are quick enough to try and fix problems with BMWs never ceases to amaze me. I don't think any attempt was made to fix the same problem on the Z.

That said, these trim pieces should have stronger clips.

"I think it is just the Edmunds staff, I have never had this happen on any car I have owned. To have it happen on two cars in the long term fleet, I'm guessing it's from all the different people driving them and not caring as much as they don't own them."

YOu cannot be serious. If the components were assembled in a robust manner they would stay in place no matter WHO is driving. Every time something breaks on a GErman car its driver abuse but on other cars its a matter of shoddy workmanship. I dont remember them being nearly as gracious when the trim came detached from the underside of the CTS' seat.

31,000 miles on my E90 and no trim pieces have fallen off, so far. You guys are automotive abusers, regardless of what car it is, Z ir M! Remember Sid in Toy Story?

Your LT fleet is seeing the same kind of love rental cars see and you guys would probably even trash a Hummer!

Now honestly: did this happen during a "normal" entry or was there something worth mentioning that you left out?

That's lame, regardless of abuse this car only has 4k miles worth of it and this part should be built to handle much more. I will say I've now owned 3 E9x 3-Series cars (2- and 4-doors) since 2005 and never had a problem with any of the kickplates. I looked at the piece earlier today in my 335i Coupe and it's very firmly installed, I can't imagine how this thing came loose.

The Z gets a free pass because it (supposedly) has dealer-installed lighted door sills. And dealers rarely do anything right.

Yes.. you all are clumsy and no... this is not a new phenomenon. Now that GM and Chrysler are off-radar and no longer the focus of your insensate whipping, you are finally noticing what has been all along. Yes Dorothy, other auto manufacturers do indeed have shoddy build quality and design. Who would have thunk? ;)

Wow..they must've really changed the way that piece is designed on the e90. On my e46, i once removed that piece because i thought it was the source of a rattle. It was nearly impossibly to pull off..was sweating trying to rip that thing out of there. Can't imagine being able to do it accidentally w/ my foot.

The weak clips holding the door sill together are part of the M-division's exhaustive weight reduction program. Who needs excess ounces from "porky" fasteners offered by other automakers?

rjg96 Ditto for my E36, E39, and E83.

I agree with drewsrx - there seems to be bias in the reporting of BMWs on this site. i.e. Z build quality vs BMW editor error. Another example is the lack of an oil cooler on the Z and early 335s: BMW fixed the problem after complaints; the Z - poor design from Nissan.
Oh well - as long as the bias is known & accounted for we can glean information from a darn good website.

Cheers,
Kevin