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4 series interior quality: not good at all

37K views 390 replies 74 participants last post by  eazy 
#1 · (Edited)
Apologies for the long and somewhat rant-like post. Please take what I'm about to write as a genuine opinion from a frustrated owner.

So I've had my 435i for close to 6 months and it has roughly 7000 miles on it. The car is incredibly great to drive, amazingly comfortable and sounds fantastic. We just came back from a 2000 mile 7 day road trip where I did 100% of the driving and I never got tired or worn out. Brilliant car dynamically, fantastic engine, 8 speed auto box is essentially perfect. I love the heads up display, and the active cruise is the best feature on any car I've ever owned, period.

That being said, I have to vent a bit on BMW's interior quality. It's flat out bad. Maybe my car is one of those 'last shift on Friday' cars. The interior has developed about 6 separate intermittent and annoying rattles, and a couple of severe constant ones as well. The car has been in the shop for a total of 3 weeks since new for this and other issues (other major issue was electronic cooling fan failure). Some of the rattles are not fixed yet, the worst one being related to the ski hatch between the rear seats.

Coming from a C class that had 15,000 miles when I sold it, I am deeply disappointed with BMW's interior quality. The interior finishes just are not up to the same standard as Mercedes. That car never had a single squeak or rattle the entire time I had it. Some specific things I dislike about the BMW:

- Cup holder lid that has to be removed and stashed - cheapness personified. How about a hinged lid? The one on my Merc was hinged and nicely damped.
- Center console storage bin lid - again cheapness personified. Cheap feeling latch, no damping so it just falls shut.
- Use of cheap looking glossy (or matt if you order it) plastic trim as highlight details on the dash and doors.
- Cheap-looking silver-painted plastic on the steering wheel and gearshift surround, where other brands normally have nice brushed aluminum

Overall the interior is symptomatic of a company that doesn't understand or doesn't care about surprise and delight (it's a thing in product design). This is not some opinion from someone who kicked the tyres on some cars at a dealership, I've owned both cars for considerable periods and paid from them out of my own pocket. If it was just the finishing that was poor compared to other luxury brands I could forgive it. But a car should not sound like it is falling apart after 5000 miles. I will probably have one more go with the dealership trying to fix the ski hatch rattle, then just live with it after that.

At this point I don't see myself staying with the BMW brand next time I lease a car. Very disappointed.
 
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#94 ·
Is this a tongue-in-cheek statement? :) Incidentally I have both of those, in case you missed my mentioning the MSRP of 62k! Full options list:

435i mineral grey
Sport line
Black dakota leather
Brushed aluminum trim with gloss black finishers
Harmon Kardon sound
Comfort Access (comes with the lumbar adjustment blah blah)
Driver Assistance (Backup camera and PDC)
Tech package incl. head up display
Active Cruise
Lighting package - LED adaptive headlamps
Dynamic handling package

IIRC that's pretty much every option except for Driver Assistance+
 
#87 ·
Apologies if it has been stated before. I read one page of complaints and then saw three more so I just skipped to the end.

To me, the interior is awesome. I got a 2015 M-Sport with Black Leather interior. I went to the Brushed Aluminum and black gloss trim.

I have zero issues with the black gloss or brushed aluminum. I wanted a sporty/tech look and I think I got exactly what I wanted.

Yes, there are some cheap hard plastics in places, but really, no big issues for me. I like how leather covers the areas that I touch on a daily basis.

To address some of the common complaints***8230;
Rattles ***8211; I may or may not experience this (only 1700 miles on the car), and I agree that rattles are annoying so I understand why people may be upset at the rattles on their car.

The cupholder ***8220;lid***8221;. So that is gone for 2015. I just have exposed cupholders. However, the cupholders are in a dumb spot. You can***8217;t fit anything really tall in there (my 20oz contigo coffee thermos)

The brushed aluminum definitely ***8220;feels***8221; like real metal. I like that.

The seat belt helpers are awesome, however I wonder when they may stop working.

A few things I can***8217;t seem to figure out,
Where are you supposed to put the drivers manual? My old car had a dedicated cutout in the glovebox for it. I put the manual in the glovebox, but it doesn***8217;t seem to fit correctly in there.

What are all the hooks for in the trunk? I have the cargo net installed, but what are the two random ***8220;latches/hooks***8221; toward the back of the trunk. Also there is a stretchy/elastic band on the passenger side of the trunk a bit inside***8230;what is that for?

I don***8217;t mind the Velcro for mats***8230;but the all-weather mats don***8217;t lie flat at the edge. As a result, when you move the seat forward (you do this a lot in a coupe) it catches the end of the mat and curls it up.

In general there is a lack of storage space. I would have liked the center arm rest lid/storage area to be deeper, or expose a second, bigger box underneath.

Overall though, I really like this interior, makes me feel good everytime I get in.
 
#90 ·
Apologies if it has been stated before. I read one page of complaints and then saw three more so I just skipped to the end.

To me, the interior is awesome. I got a 2015 M-Sport with Black Leather interior. I went to the Brushed Aluminum and black gloss trim.

I have zero issues with the black gloss or brushed aluminum. I wanted a sporty/tech look and I think I got exactly what I wanted.

Yes, there are some cheap hard plastics in places, but really, no big issues for me. I like how leather covers the areas that I touch on a daily basis.

To address some of the common complaints….
Rattles - I may or may not experience this (only 1700 miles on the car), and I agree that rattles are annoying so I understand why people may be upset at the rattles on their car.

The cupholder "lid". So that is gone for 2015. I just have exposed cupholders. However, the cupholders are in a dumb spot. You can't fit anything really tall in there (my 20oz contigo coffee thermos)

The brushed aluminum definitely "feels" like real metal. I like that.

The seat belt helpers are awesome, however I wonder when they may stop working.

A few things I can't seem to figure out,
Where are you supposed to put the drivers manual? My old car had a dedicated cutout in the glovebox for it. I put the manual in the glovebox, but it doesn't seem to fit correctly in there.

What are all the hooks for in the trunk? I have the cargo net installed, but what are the two random "latches/hooks" toward the back of the trunk. Also there is a stretchy/elastic band on the passenger side of the trunk a bit inside….what is that for?

I don't mind the Velcro for mats….but the all-weather mats don't lie flat at the edge. As a result, when you move the seat forward (you do this a lot in a coupe) it catches the end of the mat and curls it up.

In general there is a lack of storage space. I would have liked the center arm rest lid/storage area to be deeper, or expose a second, bigger box underneath.

Overall though, I really like this interior, makes me feel good everytime I get in.
There should be a spot in the back right of the trunk for the owners manual. It is the same access panel for the battery. This is how it is in the 3 and I can't imagine it is different in the 4.
 
#93 ·
I find the BMW 328i interior very elegant and understated. I also find the fit and finish excellent. It isn't plush like a Lexus but when I sit in an ES350 it feels like I should be wearing a mink coat for the occasion. That said, I don't think BMW is the class leader in squeak and rattle elimination. I've got a buzz that comes from the steering column cover and I can also hear clanking of the seat belt receivers when the buckles are engaged, but I know the Japanese are the kings in this area.
I agree, the 328i interior with Dakota black leather is really attractive. No squeaks...so far.

I do find certain things in the interior that make me scratch my head:

1) Trunk release button which cannot be seen.
Yeah, what were they thinking.

2) Passenger 12V port that cannot be seen.
3) 12V ports that have removable caps instead of hinged doors. Where do I put them?
I've mastered using the port by feel 'cause it can't be seen. Because the ports are used so frequently I just store the caps. Hinged doors would tend to get broken off.
4) Removable lid for the cupholders.
Mine are used so frequently a cover would be a hassle.
5) No tint on the door glass.
Not anything I would miss.
6) Velcro to hold the floor mats down. Are you serious?
The water proof BMW mats use velcro fasteners and those seem to work pretty well.
7) No sync button on the climate control.
Yup, that's missing.

To your list I would add:
BMW could have put more effort into having a completely smooth trunk floor. And the factory trunk or luggage mat has a ridge along each side that serves only to make the not large trunk even less flat.
 
#102 ·
I agree with the OPs comments about the interior quality. I have test driven a lot of F30s and nearly all of them had rattles or some type or vibrations right from the get go, which to me is simply unacceptable in a German car. I've also owned three, 3 Series BMWs, and while they've all developed some rattles over time, the interior quality of the cars seemed much better.
 
#109 ·
There seem to be a quite a lot of complaints about the F30's interior quality. I can't speak for the long term quality but I like the design more than the E90. It is simple and clean but I do think that some competitors do seem a little more upscale, specifically the new C and the ATS. The new C class looks like it is almost in a class above the 3 and the Cadddy is just more modern and upscale looking. On the other hand when it comes to ergonomics I think BMW has done a fantastic job. It is not the best interior look wise but I think it is the most driver focused. I am not sure about the long term quality of the F30 but my E90 is significantly better built than any VAG product I owned.
 
#110 ·
People love to complain about voluntary choices they make. Just sell the damn car.
 
#115 ·
I'm not an owner (yet), but I am a shopper. While comparing other models in this segment, I thought that the Cadillac ATS had probably the best looking interior in terms of quality leather and materials, however I did not like their CUE infotainment system and the trunk was too small. That's why I'm leaning towards the 435i. I like the fact that BMW has so many performance options available which to me is more important than interior components. I do like the interior with the MSport trim package, however I think the leather dashboard (currently on hold) really improves the looks and feel of the interior. My first interior color choice is Coral Red, so the black leather dashboard also reduces the amount of red in the cabin if that's important to anyone.
 
#117 ·
I'm not an owner (yet), but I am a shopper. While comparing other models in this segment, I thought that the Cadillac ATS had probably the best looking interior in terms of quality leather and materials, however I did not like their CUE infotainment system and the trunk was too small. That's why I'm leaning towards the 435i. I like the fact that BMW has so many performance options available which to me is more important than interior components. I do like the interior with the MSport trim package, however I think the leather dashboard (currently on hold) really improves the looks and feel of the interior. My first interior color choice is Coral Red, so the black leather dashboard also reduces the amount of red in the cabin if that's important to anyone.
It really does.
 
#116 · (Edited)
The 3/4 Series interior certainly has areas that could use improvement but I think "Not good at all" is somewhat of an exaggeration. As has been stated it is an interior that was designed for a $34,000 car and in that context I think it is acceptable.
 
#120 ·
I think it's unfair to expect a car that starts in the low $30K's to have details suitable for a $60K to $80K car. And just as much, it's not realistic for the owner of an $80K car based on a $32K car to expect that sort of detail.

Last, it's not like a base F30 320 is like a Corolla. It uses high quality materials for the most part and everything fits well together. As far as squeaks and rattles, my 3 BMW's have been better than anything else I've owned if I can recall correctly. YMMV.
 
#125 ·
Your 435 is basically a loaded econo lux $30k 320i with 2 doors, much like the ES is a loaded Toyota Camry. Oh wait, the Lexus does have a better interior.





To me, the F3X interior felt like 2008 when Mercedes decided to cheapen the C class interior. Endless sea of plastic. Pair that with RFT's, it won't be long before panels start squeaking.
 
#128 ·
Your 435 is basically a loaded econo lux $30k 320i with 2 doors, much like the ES is a loaded Toyota Camry. Oh wait, the Lexus does have a better interior.
Yeah until you start trying to use the shifter.

The 320i is just too reasonably priced, especially with the sports package. Nobody's fault.

To me, the F3X interior felt like 2008 when Mercedes decided to cheapen the C class interior. Endless sea of plastic. Pair that with RFT's, it won't be long before panels start squeaking.
Nah. Early W204s were absolutely terrible. I'm not a huge fan of the F30 interior, but no, BMW are amateurs compared to the carnage that the combination of Mercedes and Chrysler brought upon the freeloaders that weren't willing to go E class. Oh wait, the early W211 were terrible, too.
 
#126 ·
My $.02

I've had a variety of Benz's in the stable since 1999 (couple of SLK and CLK). I've also driven a number of their loaners as well and these were mostly the C-class.

Current C-class excluded the previous gens C-class had the cheapest looking interior for years. All contained large sections of plastic. The generation that was just replaced shouldn't rattle because the dash was basically one huge piece of plastic. BMW dash design contains more pieces and therefore more seams. More seams equals higher chances of creaks n rattles. Oh and you don't want felt lined door pockets as it gets dirty and is impossible to clean.

I would say that finally BMW improved the quality of the buttons on the dash. They match Benz I believe.
 
#127 ·
My $.02

I've had a variety of Benz's in the stable since 1999 (couple of SLK and CLK). I've also driven a number of their loaners as well and these were mostly the C-class.

Current C-class excluded the previous gens C-class had the cheapest looking interior for years. All contained large sections of plastic. The generation that was just replaced shouldn't rattle because the dash was basically one huge piece of plastic. BMW dash design contains more pieces and therefore more seams. More seams equals higher chances of creaks n rattles. Oh and you don't want felt lined door pockets as it gets dirty and is impossible to clean.

I would say that finally BMW improved the quality of the buttons on the dash. They match Benz I believe.
To my knowledge bmw has used one piece dashes since atleast the e46. What seams are you referring to?
 
#140 ·
Actually, I think what you mean to say is that you're a fan of the way the car drives, not a fan of the badge. In other words, if you found something that drove & felt similar/better with a different badge, you wouldn't have a problem owning that. That is pretty much true of most 'festers.

People that care about only the badge would not even be on this forum. Driving and all this talk would not even be of interest.

That does not mean that BMW will float everyone's boat. There are folks that prefer the way Audis handle. Or the way VWs handle. And if you tell them BMW is better than Audi/VW (because of the way they handle), they will beat you up for being a fanboi, because their experience is different.
 
#145 · (Edited)
Wow, lots of strong words in a thread like this. Lots of, "Blow out of the water", "despise", such and such is a "joke", "hideous", etc. I may not have a sophisticated interior quality palate and some cars may be a little nicer than others, but personally, I'd be happy as a clam to be in any of the cars mentioned and pictured in this thread.

- Mark
 
#146 ·
The pre-facelift W204 and W212 are unbelievable bad. I don't know what Mercedes was thinking, if any. I mean even the steering wheel looks like a half-molten statue of an ant eater's face.

Mind-2000s CLKs and SLs are really, really good. But hey no AMG no manual mode for the transmission. So no deal.
 
#150 · (Edited)
Well folks, another update on my problematic 4 series.

When the cold weather finally arrived in California last month, all my noises got even worse. The car spent 10 days at the beginning of December at the dealership. There was a PUMA ticket, and they tried (allegedly) a few recommended fixes. This has done exactly diddly squat.

I kind of fixed one of the noises by stuffing some cloth into the gap between the backrest and seat pad of the rear seat. For the rear seat noise the official word is it can't be resolved and even replacing the rear seat won't fix it. The other noise is coming from the passenger door and no amount of lubing seals, checking door alignment etc has resolved that one. Incredibly annoying because it creaks over even the smoothest of roads.

I'm actually reaching the point now where I'm thinking about getting rid of the car. I don't enjoy driving it any more, because it constantly creaks like a clipper in a gale. I've made a written complaint to BMW NA to the effect that if they can't resolve these problems I want a replacement or refund. I'm probably dreaming on that one, but you never know.

I'm tempted to go into a diatribe about quality and disappointment and all that, but it won't add anything. Suffice it to say I'll be looking to a different brand next time. And my username on this forum is looking increasingly ironic.
 
#151 · (Edited)
Sorry to hear that. In my previous F30 I had rattles and squeaks that were intermittent and that would usually come to life on rough pavement (which we have plenty of where I live). It drove me nuts.

I have about 3.5K miles on my new F30 and that seems to be holding up better, although there are occasionally rattles and squeaks but nowhere as bad as the previous car.

There are stories in other car forums about similar issues (Porsche included, see below), so going to a different brand may or may not solve the problem.

I think you're doing the right thing taking up the issue firmly with BMWNA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eXUnZrykDY
 
#152 ·
A few months ago, I would have thought that 4awesome was just making a big deal. But as I have owned my '14 F30 for about a year now. I must say that I am somewhat let down at BMW. My F30 has had some quality issues that I would think would have been caught/resolved at year 3 of the F30. My driver seat developed a squeak/creak every time I move a millimeter or go over a rough road which fills the cabin with this ridiculous leather squeak. My radio preset buttons have fineline scratches all through them, with the dealer claiming it was external force, yet I have still no idea of how someone can cause these scratches, a few weeks ago when detailing the car, the luxury line chrome trim separated from the glue attached clamp from the body, as shown in one of my previous threads.

IMO, BMW cheapened the 3 Series more with the introduction of the 320 model. The thing doesn't even have standard power seats. BMW should have done what MB and Audi did and develop a 4 door sedan that is SLIGHTLY smaller, yet separate from their mid-size sports sedans, A4 and C Class. Notice how Mercedes C Class starts around $40K since they don't want to sell loads of them to people, that is why they made the CLA which is selling very well for young buyers who only spend a few grand more that a Camry or Accord and get a Mercedes.

I must lastly say that BMW quality/design has let me down. From rusting seat bases, taillights popping out, rattles, squeaks, annoying road noise/roar, tiny center console, ect. I saw the new C Class and was blown away at the quality and design that IMO is about the 3 in nearly every way.

All I can say is that with 24 months left on my lease, I will most likely switch to the new C Class without hesitation unless BMW can wow me again with an LCI 3 Series. And no a slightly different bumpers and 1-2 more standard features will be any LCI 3 Series that I would consider buying again.
 
#160 ·
A few months ago, I would have thought that 4awesome was just making a big deal. But as I have owned my '14 F30 for about a year now. I must say that I am somewhat let down at BMW. My F30 has had some quality issues that I would think would have been caught/resolved at year 3 of the F30. My driver seat developed a squeak/creak every time I move a millimeter or go over a rough road which fills the cabin with this ridiculous leather squeak. My radio preset buttons have fineline scratches all through them, with the dealer claiming it was external force, yet I have still no idea of how someone can cause these scratches, a few weeks ago when detailing the car, the luxury line chrome trim separated from the glue attached clamp from the body, as shown in one of my previous threads.

IMO, BMW cheapened the 3 Series more with the introduction of the 320 model. The thing doesn't even have standard power seats. BMW should have done what MB and Audi did and develop a 4 door sedan that is SLIGHTLY smaller, yet separate from their mid-size sports sedans, A4 and C Class. Notice how Mercedes C Class starts around $40K since they don't want to sell loads of them to people, that is why they made the CLA which is selling very well for young buyers who only spend a few grand more that a Camry or Accord and get a Mercedes.

I must lastly say that BMW quality/design has let me down. From rusting seat bases, taillights popping out, rattles, squeaks, annoying road noise/roar, tiny center console, ect. I saw the new C Class and was blown away at the quality and design that IMO is about the 3 in nearly every way.

All I can say is that with 24 months left on my lease, I will most likely switch to the new C Class without hesitation unless BMW can wow me again with an LCI 3 Series. And no a slightly different bumpers and 1-2 more standard features will be any LCI 3 Series that I would consider buying again.
Mercedes still selling a boat load of C classes in fact C Class sales have increase 17% last month. Also C Classes are beginning to get nice lease deals.
 
#153 ·
Thanks for the vote of sympathy mr_clueless! It's such a pity because the car is really great otherwise. I guess I'm just more picky about these things than some people. I don't sweat the occasional buzz or rattle on rough roads but this is nothing like that - it's constant.

I fully agree that all brands have their issues. It just is not a very good first experience with BMW and makes me very wary of going there again. The video is interesting. Ironically, one potential replacement I've been considering is the Macan S. Never owned an SUV before...
 
#154 ·
When BMW had agreed to buy my car back, I looked at the new C class. The interior fit and finish is definitely better than BMW, but the drive is not as fun. Given the lack of a manual, plus my lack of familiarity with MB (I would have to spend a lot of time researching the car and its options and possibly having to place an order) I decided to just give the F30 another shot.

So far I'd say I've been happy with the car, but I'm always worried that rattles will show up. What makes it worse is that the dealer service department is an absolute pain to deal with. I think if the rattles show up, I will be inclined to just "live with it" because I just don't have the time and patience to go through multiple appointments at the dealership (and they never seem to be able to fix everything anyway). And rattles are easier to live with compared to chassis and drivetrain errors!

If the rattles do happen I will complain to BMW. I think the more of us that complain, the more likely they are to spend resources on addressing these issues in the future.

The only manufacturer in this segment that hasn't tried to cheapen it's interior materials is Audi. But they seem to have their own set of issues.
 
#156 ·
We keep getting told that cars are more reliable than ever and the lemons are few and far between, but I wonder. They are just getting too darn complex. I've had a number of weird and small problems with the 4 series that I've never even mentioned to the dealer because they only happened once and disappeared:

- iDrive system froze and then rebooted while driving one day
- battery mysteriously discharged one night, next morning lots of warnings about discharging, low battery. Car was idling high, I guess in order to drive more amps back into the battery.
- audio system sometimes refuses to utter a sound from bluetooth streaming. The fix is to switch to radio, then back to media. Software bug.

I think in terms of the number of individual defects, this is the most faulty car I've ever owned. I've had software gremlins in my GM cars, and rattles too. I had an ECU gremlin in my C class. So they do have them, but when there are many problems in one car...

... you have a 911 like Nick Murray. Man that video made me laugh so hard.
 
#158 ·
- audio system sometimes refuses to utter a sound from bluetooth streaming. The fix is to switch to radio, then back to media. Software bug.
I have had the problem you mention above. Also sometimes the music gets streamed as if it were a phone call (sounding really tinny) and when that happens, I'm not able to shut it off via the audio controls (other than lowering the volume, but turning it back up produces the same tinny sound). The only thing I can do is turn off bluetooth on the phone and turn it back on, and that seems to resolve it.

On my last car, I had several instances where the screen would get stuck saying "Connecting...".

Software glitches is the reason I didn't bother getting the tech/nav pack...I try to keep things simple so there is less to break.
 
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