# Car arrived at port hueneme - how long do I have to wait?



## e46 to 335is (Oct 31, 2011)

i am! :hi:

Passed Panama Canal on 1/23/12. Heading to Oxnard (scheduled for 2/2/12)

Edit: Tracked my ship (Daedalus Leader) and saw that it has arrived at the port. How long do I have to wait until I get my car?


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## e46 to 335is (Oct 31, 2011)

BUMP - My ship reached port today (2/1) - how long can I expect to wait to receive my car at the dealership?


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## jsciv (Oct 5, 2010)

It depends. You could get your car in a few days or in a few weeks. There are a couple of things that happen at the port. The first is US Customs: some cars breeze right through while others can be waiting for a week or more. The second is the VDC, BMW's facility where they repair any damage incurred either during your ED or in transit across the Atlantic and otherwise get the car back into shape after its trip.

I'm down in Orange County, so like me the time to put the car onto a truck and get it to you is more about "what day is the truck leaving" than about transit time.

In my case, there was damage from the ED (driver's side mirror). The MADAME BUTTERFLY docked on May 3, 2011, the car was released by Customs on the 5th, and then BMW made repairs before finally delivering it to my dealership on May 19th. I came as soon as they called and they were still washing it when I got there.


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## e46 to 335is (Oct 31, 2011)

jsciv said:


> In my case, there was damage from the ED (driver's side mirror). The MADAME BUTTERFLY docked on May 3, 2011, the car was released by Customs on the 5th, and then BMW made repairs before finally delivering it to my dealership on May 19th. I came as soon as they called and they were still washing it when I got there.


Thank you for the info.

How do I find out the specific dates:

Docking date
Car release date
Date delivered to BMW
Pick up date

THanks in advance


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## Chuck W. (Apr 27, 2007)

My car arrived at Port Huememe on Thursday, January 12. It arrived at my dealer in Los Angeles on Tuesday, January 24; 12 days later.


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## dkreidel (Aug 24, 2005)

e46 to 335is said:


> Thank you for the info.
> 
> How do I find out the specific dates:
> 
> ...


Call your CA (best) or BMW ED dept in NJ (okay)

Or better yet, relax, have a beer and wait for your CA to give you a couple of days notice on arrival at your dealership. Why do you care what the internal milestones are; you have zero control and influence on the process? I've done 10 ED's and have given up trying to "manage" the unmanageable elements of an ED

dk


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## jsciv (Oct 5, 2010)

e46 to 335is said:


> Thank you for the info.
> 
> How do I find out the specific dates:
> 
> ...


The docking date and release from customs are on the W&W website if you're tracking the car there. BMW moves it literally down the street a couple of blocks as soon as customs releases it. You can bug your CA to see if there was damage reported, but beyond that they won't be able to tell you how long inspection or repairs will take: it really is just a waiting game.


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## Prost (Nov 23, 2005)

My Z4 took 14 days and the 535i took 21 days due to minor repair at VPC...go figure!


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## 3ismagic# (Mar 17, 2011)

My car arrived at Port Hueneme on 9/7/2011 and was in my garage in PHX by 9/20/2011


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## SD ///M4 (Jan 24, 2011)

Our car arrived at Port Hueneme on Wednesday night, June 29, just a few hours more than two days before the 4-day Independence Day Holiday (Customs was off from Saturday through Tuesday). On Thursday the following week there was a leak in the overhead sprinkler system at the VDC and the facility shut down for a day. More delay as the car finally made it out of Customs and was transported to the VDC only to find out then that they didn't have the wheel and tire in stock that would replace the wheel we scratched in Salzburg. Bottom line, the car arrived at our dealer in San Diego on Wednesday, July 20, three weeks after arriving in Port Hueneme.

It's a crap shoot. One person's experience won't be your experience.


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## dkreidel (Aug 24, 2005)

SD 335is said:


> Our car arrived at Port Hueneme on Wednesday night, June 29, just a few hours more than two days before the 4-day Independence Day Holiday (Customs was off from Saturday through Tuesday). On Thursday the following week there was a leak in the overhead sprinkler system at the VDC and the facility shut down for a day. More delay as the car finally made it out of Customs and was transported to the VDC only to find out then that they didn't have the wheel and tire in stock that would replace the wheel we scratched in Salzburg. Bottom line, the car arrived at our dealer in San Diego on Wednesday, July 20, three weeks after arriving in Port Hueneme.
> 
> *It's a crap shoot. One person's experience won't be your experience*.


My point exactly - relax and wait for your CA to give you a call. All 10 of my ED's and several I've been peripherally involved in resulted in dock --> dealer times from 4 to 46 days. It really is out of your control and obsessing over it only creates more anxiety.

Dick


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## e46 to 335is (Oct 31, 2011)

thanks for all of your replies. I try not to think about it and just enjoy the time as it passes. 

Unfortunately, I am just the type of person that keeps checking EVERYDAY even tho I try not to. On a good note, BMW Tracking has moved to 'Finishing Touches'... whatever that means. I'll keep you guys posted on when I get my car. 

Cheers!


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## Gluhwein (Aug 21, 2011)

Don't feel badly - I know I'm gonna be 50x more impatient than you. You truly can't do anything about it, but logic plays no part in your feelings. Waiting for the ship's slow progress is understandable but the random processing time once the car arrives in the US will drive me nuts too.


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## 4-series (Oct 7, 2006)

e46 to 335is said:


> i am! :hi:
> 
> Passed Panama Canal on 1/23/12. Heading to Oxnard (scheduled for 2/2/12)
> 
> Edit: Tracked my ship (Daedalus Leader) and saw that it has arrived at the port. How long do I have to wait until I get my car?


i picked up today. Car is in garage. 2/6/2012.

here is my ship schedule. I was pleasantly surprised! 1 month + 1 week from the time it left Germany. It took a few more days from drop off. overall 6 weeks to west coast.

LINER RELEASE PORT HUENEME, CA 01-02-2012 09:47:29 
DELIVERED FROM PORT HUENEME, CA 01-02-2012 08:00:00 1
CUSTOMS RELEASE PORT HUENEME, CA 01-02-2012 00:00:00 
DISCHARGED PORT HUENEME, CA 29-01-2012 15:30:00 1
LOADED ON VESSEL BREMERHAVEN 30-12-2011 12:26:59 1
RECEIVED AT TERMINAL BREMERHAVEN 29-12-2011 12:58:41 1
BOOKED BREMERHAVEN 23-12-2011 15:08:21 1


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## e46 to 335is (Oct 31, 2011)

thanks for the update and congrats on your car.

Did you pick up your car the same day they called you?


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## 4-series (Oct 7, 2006)

yes


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## e46 to 335is (Oct 31, 2011)

4-series said:


> LINER RELEASE PORT HUENEME, CA 01-02-2012 09:47:29
> DELIVERED FROM PORT HUENEME, CA 01-02-2012 08:00:00 1
> CUSTOMS RELEASE PORT HUENEME, CA 01-02-2012 00:00:00
> DISCHARGED PORT HUENEME, CA 29-01-2012 15:30:00 1
> ...


I see i see.. hopefully my car will follow your same schedule. How did you find the above schedule for your car?


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