Report: BMW struggles with cost-cutting

[hades]

(from autonews.com)

FRANKFURT (Thomson Financial) -- BMW is struggling to reach its cost-cutting targets due to difficulties in laying off employees and high raw material costs, Handelsblatt reported.

BMW plans to complete the lay-off of 8,100 workers this year as part of its cost-cutting program that is targeting 500 million euros in savings during 2009.

"We said early on that these (job cut) figures can't be reached, "said supervisory board member and unionist Werner Neugebauer.

The report said while the bulk of the 5,000 temporary workers has been reduced, only a few hundred full-time employees have signed termination agreements, citing unidentified union sources.

Get more updates from the automotive industry in Autopartswarehouse blog.

 

[OilPatch197]

Interesting, I did not know BMW was union. I thought BMW was in the class with Mercedes Benz, where "Cheap" is second to performance.(the BMW crotch rockets are the exception)

..then again when Toyota vehicles have about as good of a ride as a Mercedes....at much less $$$

 

[snake]

At the risk of offending someone, BMW cars suck. They are overpriced POS's and the service dept folks are arrogant bastards. Last car on the planet I would consider owning.

I don't know why I had to share that opinion with everyone, I just somehow had an overwhelming desire and therefore felt compelled to do so.

 

[pillen140]

At the risk of offending someone, BMW cars suck. They are overpriced POS's and the service dept folks are arrogant bastards. Last car on the planet I would consider owning.

I don't know why I had to share that opinion with everyone, I just somehow had an overwhelming desire and therefore felt compelled to do so.

you said it all!!! i work in a bmw dealer. shitty cars! status symbols, for stupid idiots that spent way more for an inferior car. they are junk!!!! they have been surpassed in technology, comfort, performance and quality for about 20 years now. god i hate them!

 

[COPPERHEAD85]

had a 89 325i vert and loved it............best car i ever had.......and ive had almost 30 differnt rides.

 

[cr_the_machinist]

I've never owned a Beamer so my 2 cents would be kinda worthless but I don't think I would ever buy one. Over-priced.... over-rated.... never been a big fan of the luxury cars myself. I get cut off by at least one of them a week driving though ann arbor.... but it's fun when they are driving a convertible cause I get to blare my 125db air horns at them hahahaha.

 

[Shoeboy]

BMW is right up there with Mini, Volkswagen, Audi, Saab, Porsche, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, and pretty much anything Right Hand drive here. I don't like working on one, and with the amount of pain in the ass designs they have, and retarded way of doing things...I'd rather rip off my arm and try to beat myself to death with it, before I would willing work on one of their POS "automobiles" that they are trying to pass off as a Quality product. By making them "High End" they are creating to many problem areas. If they were to cut all the bullshit ideas, and stupid pointless things (like under hood "beauty covers" covering the engine, and everything else), maybe they wouldn't have to lay of 8100 people. With the number of engine covers on some of them, and completely redundant things, if they cut them back by half, they could probably hire another 8100 people.

 

[matt32]

i work at a BMW dealership, and i think that they are pretty decent vehicles, and at my particular dealership, cant speak for any others, our service people are really awesome. We have customers that drive over 80 miles just to get their cars serviced here. Every dealership is different cuz different ppl work at them....but w/e thats my .02

I wont ever have enough money to own one, so i dont care

 

[c_note]

my buddy who owned an Audi (same exact model as mine) traded it for a newer bmw. he said it had no comparison to the Audi. it handled like hell, it was gutless compared to the audi and not even AWD. at first he was all excited about the new ride but slowly started to lean twards the Audi again since id let him drive mine from time to time.

however, the older early 90s beamers were supposed to be tough.

 

[OilPatch197]

So I bought my 2000 540i off ebay (my first mistake) not too long ago. Now I've had to replace an alternator ($900 something) and all the tires ($1300 something because of the 19" rims). My air conditioner went out the other day so I scheduled an appointment to get that fixed because it's been 110 degrees for the last week and a black 5-series sucks in the summer. Now two nights ago the clutch went out and it won't go into gear. I towed it behind my tacoma the other night to the shop and that's where it sits. WHEN THE HELL IS ENOUGH ENOUGH!!! Oh yeah, and this is all after the guys at the tire place told me my front rims are bent so it won't ever align right until I replace them.

also in the future do not flat tow your bmw- it is to be trailered only!

 

[Carlos Murphy]

OilPatch197

This is no place to thump yer bible!

Doesn't yer bible tell you to pray in private? in secrete? and you'll be rewarded in public?
So whats with all the CHURCHES?

 

[pillen140]

BMW is right up there with Mini, Volkswagen, Audi, Saab, Porsche, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, and pretty much anything Right Hand drive here. I don't like working on one, and with the amount of pain in the ass designs they have, and retarded way of doing things...I'd rather rip off my arm and try to beat myself to death with it, before I would willing work on one of their POS "automobiles" that they are trying to pass off as a Quality product. By making them "High End" they are creating to many problem areas. If they were to cut all the bullshit ideas, and stupid pointless things (like under hood "beauty covers" covering the engine, and everything else), maybe they wouldn't have to lay of 8100 people. With the number of engine covers on some of them, and completely redundant things, if they cut them back by half, they could probably hire another 8100 people.

nickle plated cylinder walls? or how bout water cooled alternators? how does $1200 plus labor sound? wtf? i hate em. the worst one ever made was the 8-series bmw.... at my work we give people who own one a cheap as hell price... these guys are f&%^in' idiots. one of the worst cars ever made!

i work at a BMW dealership, and i think that they are pretty decent vehicles, and at my particular dealership, cant speak for any others, our service people are really awesome. We have customers that drive over 80 miles just to get their cars serviced here. Every dealership is different cuz different ppl work at them....but w/e thats my .02

I wont ever have enough money to own one, so i dont care

do you work in sales? or service parts? or on the lot? you must work somewhere other than parts or service to think they are good vehicles? most our techs are good, one ferrari owner trailers his car 400 miles to get it inspected by one of our techs. but even the techs hate bmws.

 

[Carlos Murphy]

Over Engineered

nickle plated cylinder walls? or how bout water cooled alternators? how does $1200 plus labor sound? wtf? i hate em. the worst one ever made was the 8-series bmw.... at my work we give people who own one a cheap as hell price... these guys are f&%^in' idiots. one of the worst cars ever made!

Yep, some of them can be a real pain in the ass to repair.
About 6 years when the new 7's came out with all the damn computers in them, we would have to reprogram them and that would take OVERNIGHT hooked up to the factory computer station.
All the doors, hood and trunk had to be open and fans stationed in front of the opened doors to keep everything cool, what a freekin over engineered peice of crap.
The standard climate control system in most ALL BMW's is far too complicated for the average consumer let alone that damn I-DRIVE system... x Beemer tech...

This stupid damn thread keeps telling me my message is too short??? WTF?





do you work in sales? or service parts? or on the lot? you must work somewhere other than parts or service to think they are good vehicles? most our techs are good, one ferrari owner trailers his car 400 miles to get it inspected by one of our techs. but even the techs hate bmws.

kihwje4r8cn 2w8345tr bpqoieurhfc ;2oeirh kuy6t~!!!