OEM Windshields Now Available Through BMW

[HayekFan]

Anyone having luck still ordering these? I tried last week and was told NLA....

The US windshield has been NLA for nearly a decade. That's probably what your dealer is seeing. You need to order the Euro windshield using the procedure in the OP. It's the same windshield, just a different part number. Previously BMW wouldn't let dealers order the Euro windshield for US cars, but now they're allowing those orders.

[Johnled]

Update. Following the OP procedures, it took a few days, but my order was approved today. 3-4 weeks delivery.

[hunneman]

Anyone having luck still ordering these? I tried last week and was told NLA....

I tried ordering through BMW in MA, they told me that they are available, accepted payment only to get a call 2 days later telling me that is not available for the USA market.
I also contact 2 other dealer in MA & NH same thing not available for USA market.
after Adam's suggestion I contacted Blunt tech, I placed the order waiting to hear back if they approve it.
will keep you posted

[hunneman]

question for those who replaced their windshield, has anyone used the URO windshield gasket https://www.ecstuning.com/b-uro-parts/w ... 22185~uro/

if you can comment on quality and any issue with tolerances..
thanks

[HayekFan]

I tried ordering through BMW in MA, they told me that they are available, accepted payment only to get a call 2 days later telling me that is not available for the USA market.
I also contact 2 other dealer in MA & NH same thing not available for USA market.

Did you let the dealer know they need to use the procedure in the OP?

If they don't use that procedure, the system will automatically flag the order as invalid when they go to place it. It's a system generated flag with no human in the loop.

[Mike W.]

question for those who replaced their windshield, has anyone used the URO windshield gasket https://www.ecstuning.com/b-uro-parts/w ... 22185~uro/

if you can comment on quality and any issue with tolerances..
thanks

I used one in my E12 around 2008, sold it last year and never had any issues, it didn't leak a drop. I may be a little less sensitive than others on the cosmetic end, as usual I used the 3M sealant, but again, no issues. E12 and E28 same windshields, same seal.

[John in VA]

question for those who replaced their windshield, has anyone used the URO windshield gasket https://www.ecstuning.com/b-uro-parts/w ... 22185~uro/

if you can comment on quality and any issue with tolerances..
thanks

The gasket has been discussed - you might find threads by putting Uro windshield gasket in the search box at the top right side of the page. For 2002 owners, we know the Uro rubber parts are garbage & save to afford the genuine dealer gaskets.

[acfetch]

Man, I can't even get a dealer to listen to me about this request. "If the system flags it as Euro, then they won't order" Won't even entertain the notion of a non-standard order. I've called three dealers in DFW and nothing!

Those of you that have ordered, can you share with me a contact number, name? Maybe someone can help these guys in Dallas get on board.

[Mike W.]

Man, I can't even get a dealer to listen to me about this request. "If the system flags it as Euro, then they won't order" Won't even entertain the notion of a non-standard order. I've called three dealers in DFW and nothing!

Those of you that have ordered, can you share with me a contact number, name? Maybe someone can help these guys in Dallas get on board.

Might, or might not, work better if you make an appearance in person. Butter them up a bit about how this is kind of weird and I'm sure a PITA, but multiple people have told me this procedure works.

[vinceg101]

Man, I can't even get a dealer to listen to me about this request. "If the system flags it as Euro, then they won't order" Won't even entertain the notion of a non-standard order. I've called three dealers in DFW and nothing!

Those of you that have ordered, can you share with me a contact number, name? Maybe someone can help these guys in Dallas get on board.

It's strange you're getting this response as, at the moment, the part (pn: 51311848431) is listed as the ONLY windshield available for ANY E28 in BMW's system. From appearances and from my calling & asking several Parts Departments, BMW has lifted the EU only restriction for 431 and made it a universal part. All I had to do was give them the part number and they told me the cost, how many were listed in Germany (+/-63) and lead time (2-3 weeks).
(There is some question as to whether or not the other Green Band and Clear EU specific units are still available since US Parts systems can't look for them. I know from Schmiedmann that they are indeed still available, however just unobtainable for me here. Incidentally those are 51311853771 and 51311820502 respectively).

My only problem right now is the cost: I have contacted two local dealerships (CenterBMW in Sherman Oaks, fairly local to me and Irvine BMW, very not local to me) and was quoted wildly different prices. Both told me the list price was $454.xx; the best Center would do was $408 plus tax (that's $446.76 out the door) and the best Irvine would do was $352.93 (that's $380.93 with the tax). Ouch.
I asked Center about the CCA Discount and she kind of shrugged and said I would have to talk to the Manager about that (usually they laugh out loud when you mention the CCA discount for anything other than coolant. So much for club membership ).
There are about 8 other dealerships in the wide circle of greater LA around me but I honestly don't think I'll do better. Maybe it's worth a shot in the morning to keep calling.

FYI for anyone remotely close to Silver Springs BMW in Maryland, you can't beat their price: $218.11 plus tax. It's worth the drive up/down there if you're in that area. Too bad they don't ship windshields.

[HayekFan]

What's tricky is the error message only pops up when they attempt to place an order. When they're just browsing to check availability, everything looks fine -- they'll see the Euro part number with a quantity available and a price. It's only when they take the extra step of actually submitting an order that the system flags it as invalid. That's when they get the message about not available for US market.

My dealer will "ping" the system with a dummy order so as to flush out these kinds of sneaky ordering flags. This avoids downstream surprises and callbacks to customers saying whoops we actually can't order this.

To get around the flag, the dealer will need to go outside the normal ordering system and instead use their IDS (Integrated Dealer Support) system and place a special order for a non-US part. When this channel is used, there's a human approval that has to be given by someone at BMW Germany. Under the old policy these approvals weren't given (unless you had a Euro VIN). Under the new policy they are.

There's enough convolution in all this that it'd be easy for a parts guy to get tripped up. Also, it's doubtful BMW sent out a bulletin announcing the policy change regarding E28 windshields. It's almost guaranteed you'll know more about it than your dealer does. So it's sort of up to you to educate him so he can help you. You'll probably need to explain the procedure, and it might help to give a little background so he has a better feel for the situation.

Possible failure modes:

1) Dealer pulls up the US windshield and sees it's NLA (sold out since ~2011) and stops there

2) Dealer sees US part has been superseded by the Euro part, attempts to place order but gets system generated error

3) Dealer realizes he needs to place special order for non-US part but doesn't populate the order correctly with comments noting supersession of part numbers and approval is denied by someone at BMW Germany.

4) Dealer correctly places special order but BMW Germany doesn't approve (maybe the approver wasn't briefed on new policy, slept through meeting, etc.)

5) I think there's an approval step at BMW NA prior to approval at BMW Germany where things could get hung as well

[vinceg101]

After spending the last hour on the phone reciting both the last 7 digits of my VIN and the part # to about a dozen Parts Departments around the greater LA area, these were my results:

Nick Alexander BMW, Huntington Park, CA: $302.93 +10.25% sales tax = $333.98; 3-4 weeks
McKenna BMW, Downey, CA: $302.93 + 10% sales tax = $333.22; 3-4 weeks
Runsack BMW, Thousand Oaks, CA: $302.93 + 7.25% sales tax = $324.89; 3-4 weeks
Long Beach BMW, Long Beach, CA: $302.93 + 10.25% sales tax = $333.98; 7-10 days
South Bay BMW, Torrance, CA: $451.12 + 9.5% sales tax = $493.98; 2-3 weeks
New Century BMW, Alhambra, CA: $315.05 + 9.5% sales tax = $344.98; TBD
Irvine BMW, Irvine, CA: $454.40 (quoted list price, but "best" price is $352.93) + 7.75% sales tax = $380.28
Center BMW, Sherman Oaks, CA: $454.40 (again quoted list price, but "best" price is $408.00) + 9.5% sales tax = $446.76
Santa Monica BMW, Santa Monica, CA: $258.00 + 10.25% sales tax = $284.45; 5-7 days (although he was unsure of that price, he said it should be $302.93 but that was what was listed in his database)
BMW of Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills, CA: $302.93 + 9.5% sales tax = $331.71; Lead time is TBD

So it does pay off to call around; the two closest shops to me (Santa Monica & Beverly Hills) turned out to be competitive after all. Surprising given their demographics and clientele.
However, a handful of them were not even sure they could order it: New Century, Beverly Hills, and Long Beach. When I mentioned that it was a EU part most of them were familiar with the request procedure, but were unsure of the ultimate outcome as it was up to both BMW Corporate in Germany and BMW NA.

If it turns out that Santa Monica honors that price, I'm ordering two (Gary is supposed to get back to me after he emails BMW NA).

[stuartinmn]

After spending the last hour on the phone reciting both the last 7 digits of my VIN and the part # to about a dozen Parts Departments around the greater LA area, these were my results:

It's interesting how most of those dealers had more or less the same price, while two were the same but significantly higher, and one was significantly lower. Makes you wonder about their general pricing structure.

[Mike W.]

Since "List Price" is short for "manufacturer's suggested retail price" it makes me wonder how BMW can have different suggested prices in the same area. Which they of course do not. So it really pisses me off when they lie about what list price is. Now I'm aware they can charge whatever they want, and have no issue there, but inflating the list price by up to 50% and claiming it is the list is poor form. Which is what my local dealer does and one reason I go out of my way not to shop there.

I don't like businesses that lie to me.

[HayekFan]

Yeah, some dealers are clearly gaming their list prices. Thanks vinceg101 for the reveal on this.

Also, I'm going to risk being a broken record and remind folks that it's not enough for your dealer to simply place a special order for a Euro part. According to the guidance from BMW corporate, these windshields require a special special order that includes additional information that isn't normally required. Unless the dealer is a myE28.com member, he probably won't be aware of this, so it's up to the buyer to let him know.

The additional info (noting the supersession and listing the US and Euro part numbers) is explained in the procedure in the OP.

[Blue Shadow]

Matrix pricing used by BMW dealers gives them the option (matrix use) to set the list price wherever they want. It is their list price, not the MSRP which is BMW's list price. They are different numbers. Since BMW dealers have different pricing structures, you can maybe get your friendly local parts guy put in a discount code for you that will make you think you won the lottery. I had that for a while and some here that have bought nearly complete cars in parts (2002 restorers and such) can sometimes get great pricing. There is the Dealer Price, BMW Price, CCA price, Good discount price and a jobber price. If you are quoted anything over MSRP the dealer is looking for extra profit and will usually offer that 10% off for a CCA discount. The Good discount price was sweet when I had it. The local dealer rebuilt the building and rebooted the computer dropping all those discounts so I have to go talk to someone again or just the mail order (for a dealer 4 miles from the crib) to get sweet pricing again. Really depends on who you know.

[11427512300]

You do not need to do anything special this part is now open for normal ordering 51 31 1 848 431

[11427512300]

Some good news for those in need of an OEM windshield. Apparently BMW has changed their policy and will now allow US dealers to order Euro windshields for customers with US cars.

The previous situation was that you'd go to your dealer and your VIN would pull up the US part number which is NLA. They would do a little digging and find the number had been superseded by the number for the Euro spec windshield which is a direct replacement. The problem is they would be blocked from ordering the Euro windshield due to a technicality related to DOT markings and import regs. At that point you would be forced to find some other source which has been problematic.

After running into this roadblock again recently, my dealer opened a case with BMW asking if there was some way to order the Euro windshield. To my surprise, the response came back YES.

Procedure for ordering a Euro windshield for a US car. The dealer should use a non-US BMW parts ordering form. On the form the dealer should state that the US part number has been superseded by the Euro part number and should include both numbers. BMW is aware of the underlying availability problem and will approve the order.

Part numbers (for green with green shade band):

US: 51-31-1-466-362

Euro: 51-31-1-848-431

I should add that I have not tried placing an order under this apparent new policy, but the response from BMW seems authoritative so presumably it will work.

List price of the Euro windshield as of January 2020 is $302.93.

I opened a help case with BMW This part is open for normal ordering at any BMW dealer 51 31 1 848 431

[chuuey]

Hi everyone, was going to post but I believe the gentleman above me already took care of it. The post above is a Parts Manager at Herb Chambers BMW in Boston.

He was very helpful, opened a help case and found out it is now open for normal ordering.

My cost was $302.93 and at least 2 weeks.

-Matt

[vinceg101]

I just placed my order (and paid for) for two units through Santa Monica BMW. The real price turned out being what everyone was quoting: $302.93. Delivery time is +/-2 weeks. They would not honor the CCA discount for these either.
Gary (the parts guys I was dealing with) tried placing a mock order last Thursday and no flags or alarms went off in his system. When I actually placed the order yesterday everything seemed normal and went through.

Oh, when they checked inventory in Germany there were only 41 units left (now 39 ). Better get them while you can; we all expect that when this stock is depleted, that will be all she wrote.

[HayekFan]

Good to hear it's just a regular order now. That should make it possible to just cold call a dealer and place an order with no snags.

I've updated the OP with the new ordering info.

RE the numbers in the warehouse, it does seem doubtful they'd do another production run of these ancient windshields. At the current burn rate of about 10/month, the current forty pieces will be gone by June 2020 or so, and that will be that.

The only thing that makes me think maybe they could be replenished is the fact that there were only 50 showing in the warehouse this past summer (2019). I happen to know because I was planning a purchase back then and was checking availability. Assuming that number was correct, the inventory must've gotten plussed up somewhere between summer and December (at which point there were 70 something). And if this is the case, then it seems possible it could happen again. OTOH that bump was probably just them consolidating inventory, or discovering some in dusty corners, or who knows what. It will be an interesting number to keep an eye on.

[HayekFan]

Gary (the parts guys I was dealing with) tried placing a mock order last Thursday and no flags or alarms went off in his system. When I actually placed the order yesterday everything seemed normal and went through.

My dealer tried the same thing yesterday as a test and got the same result -- the order went right through just like a normal part.

[davidc13]

I ordered a windshield back in early January from a local dealership and at that time BMW-Germany was requesting a copy of the registration and a photo ID for approval. It took nearly two weeks to get the green light from BMW. Once obtained, it arrived three weeks later. I paid 214 plus tax. The dealership was willing to match an online price from Score BMW.

https://www.scorebmwparts.com/oem-parts ... c3VsdHM%3D

Now to find someone who is willing to install it.

[hunneman]

Some good news for those in need of an OEM windshield. Apparently BMW has changed their policy and will now allow US dealers to order Euro windshields for customers with US cars.

The previous situation was that you'd go to your dealer and your VIN would pull up the US part number which is NLA. They would do a little digging and find the number had been superseded by the number for the Euro spec windshield which is a direct replacement. The problem is they would be blocked from ordering the Euro windshield due to a technicality related to DOT markings and import regs. At that point you would be forced to find some other source which has been problematic.

After running into this roadblock again recently, my dealer opened a case with BMW asking if there was some way to order the Euro windshield. To my surprise, the response came back YES.

Procedure for ordering a Euro windshield for a US car. The dealer should use a non-US BMW parts ordering form. On the form the dealer should state that the US part number has been superseded by the Euro part number and should include both numbers. BMW is aware of the underlying availability problem and will approve the order.

Part numbers (for green with green shade band):

US: 51-31-1-466-362

Euro: 51-31-1-848-431

I should add that I have not tried placing an order under this apparent new policy, but the response from BMW seems authoritative so presumably it will work.

List price of the Euro windshield as of January 2020 is $302.93.

I opened a help case with BMW This part is open for normal ordering at any BMW dealer 51 31 1 848 431

on Feb 14th I placed an order with BMW herb cambers in Boston, got a reply for John Egan

From: John Egan <JEgan@herbchambers.com>
Sent: Friday, February 14, 2020 10:35 AM
To: FANUELE@COMCAST.NET
Subject: FW: Sent from Snipping Tool

I cannot get part ending in 431 that was not for the US market and the 362 we can no longer get

I have asked BMW if they have another part that we could use it will take few days to get answer because the help case is getting sent over to Germany

Thanks

John

I then placed an order thru Blunttec..it took 3 week to get confirmation..the disappointing part is I would have to pay for additional shipping from Minnesota to Boston..this has been a PIA...

[Kapt]

I installed the new windshield recently and it fits very well. Other e28 windshields I’ve installed previously, especially after market ones don’t fit well in the top corners of the A-pillar. The glass doesn’t push the gasket high enough in that area and sometimes you can see the curvature of the body towards the pinchweld. This new glass has no such problem and appears to be a very tight fit. I’m not a pro, and I didn’t glue it in since I like the flexibility of being able to remove it. I ordered another one for my other e28 as a spare.

I waited to order the spare because I was concerned about the fit after I ordered a new OEM metal lower lock strip and the curvature was wrong. Same goes for the rear lower lock strip. This was a few years ago so Ii don’t know if they remedied this problem.

[HayekFan]

..this has been a PIA...

See chuuey's posts. Herb Chambers BMW should be able to handle your order now.

[HayekFan]

I waited to order the spare because I was concerned about the fit after I ordered a new OEM metal lower lock strip and the curvature was wrong. Same goes for the rear lower lock strip. This was a few years ago so I don’t know if they remedied this problem.

This is a big problem. For my recent install I ordered a new rear metal trim strip and couldn't make it work. Not only is the curvature wrong but it's slightly too wide which makes the upper lip of the gasket want to bulge rather than lie flush. I ended up reusing the original. My dealer opened a case with BMW about it but I don't see much coming of it.

Besides the curvature and width issues, the new metal trim has the aesthetic problem of weak contouring. Like the profile folds aren't as sharp. It clearly was made on different tooling from the original and doesn't look as good IMO. I didn't even bother to try my newish front strip (ordered three years ago) because I thought the original looked better.

Moral of the story is it's probably a good idea to save the original trim strips if at all possible.

[Kapt]

I waited to order the spare because I was concerned about the fit after I ordered a new OEM metal lower lock strip and the curvature was wrong. Same goes for the rear lower lock strip. This was a few years ago so I don’t know if they remedied this problem.

This is a big problem. For my recent install I ordered a new rear metal trim strip and couldn't make it work. Not only is the curvature wrong but it's slightly too wide which makes the upper lip of the gasket want to bulge rather than lie flush. I ended up reusing the original. My dealer opened a case with BMW about it but I don't see much coming of it.

Besides the curvature and width issues, the new metal trim has the aesthetic problem of weak contouring. Like the profile folds aren't as sharp. It clearly was made on different tooling from the original and doesn't look as good IMO. I didn't even bother to try my newish front strip (ordered three years ago) because I thought the original looked better.

Moral of the story is it's probably a good idea to save the original trim strips if at all possible.

A few years ago I went to the BMW museum in Munich and saw an e28 M5 in their “M” section and took notice of the ill fitting front lock strip. It looked like it was about to pop out at the corners. I don’t recall paying attention to the rear one though. Yeah, it’s best to reuse/refinish the original.

[vinceg101]

on Feb 14th I placed an order with BMW herb cambers in Boston, got a reply for John Egan

From: John Egan <JEgan@herbchambers.com>
Sent: Friday, February 14, 2020 10:35 AM
To: FANUELE@COMCAST.NET
Subject: FW: Sent from Snipping Tool

I cannot get part ending in 431 that was not for the US market and the 362 we can no longer get

I have asked BMW if they have another part that we could use it will take few days to get answer because the help case is getting sent over to Germany

Thanks

John

I then placed an order thru Blunttec..it took 3 week to get confirmation..the disappointing part is I would have to pay for additional shipping from Minnesota to Boston..this has been a PIA...

My only suggestion is to try again either with the same dealer or try another dealer. You tried this almost a month ago and since then it looks like the order blocking has been lifted; just call or go in and inquire about the 431 part, it should go through without issue now.

[athayer187]

I ordered 51-31-1-848-431 from BMW of North Haven CT on Friday (online nonetheless, just to see what would happen) for $272.64. Got a confirmation today that it was shipping from Germany and would be there for pickup in 7-10 business days.

[vinceg101]

I got a voicemail first thing this morning letting me know my windshields where ready to be picked up.
Order placed: Saturday 2/29
Delivery to dealer: Wednesday 3/11
9 business days. Not bad.

Here they are chillin' on the futon in The Hangar waiting for storing:


Of note for those waiting for theirs, they arrive at the dealer in a very large box; one barely fit into the CR-V (Actually it didn't since it would have had to sit over the driver's headrest to allow the rear door to close). But they are packed with large foam corers and lots of cardboard, you can transport these out of the box as long as you provide a nice soft, contoured bed (pillows and packing blankets) for it/them to rest on. Protect the edges and corners, loosely place something to hold them in place but not too much to prohibit them from vibrating and having room to move a bit, and it will be fine. Also don't drive Mario Andretti on race day and stay off unimproved roads.


You could in theory transport these vertically also if you have the ability. Use the foam corners and strap it in somehow and that can work (it's how Glaziers transport glass).

[travisj]

Glad that all worked out for you Vince!

Anyone have insight on availability of bronze glass?
I would love to have a spare for my M535i

[stuartinmn]

Of note for those waiting for theirs, they arrive at the dealer in a very large box; one barely fit into the CR-V (Actually it didn't since it would have had to sit over the driver's headrest to allow the rear door to close). But they are packed with large foam corers and lots of cardboard, you can transport these out of the box as long as you provide a nice soft, contoured bed (pillows and packing blankets) for it/them to rest on.

The last time I bought an e28 windshield I brought it home in my 325iX I had to fold the front passenger seat down, but it fit inside the vehicle.

[vinceg101]

Glad that all worked out for you Vince!

Anyone have insight on availability of bronze glass?
I would love to have a spare for my M535i

The North American dealers can't even look up the part number for the bronze glass so they have no idea if it's available or not.
Check with Schmiedmann but you're going to be out of luck since I think if the part is not NLA, you're not going to be able to have it shipped here. Schmeidmann stopped shipping windshields, in fact almost everyone has due to the fragility of them.

[Blue Shadow]

Ordered, details when I know more.

[Blue Shadow]

23 Remaining per my contact at BMW dealer. Just looked it up. Now or never I think.

[three5ives]

Ordered yesterday - no issues.

[athayer187]

I ordered 51-31-1-848-431 from BMW of North Haven CT on Friday (online nonetheless, just to see what would happen) for $272.64. Got a confirmation today that it was shipping from Germany and would be there for pickup in 7-10 business days.

Ordered 3/6, picked up today (3/24). Not bad at all. Parts guy said someone else had one on order with no ETA due to logistics issues in recent weeks.

[Preacher's 5]

Thanks guys for the information. I checked around, and there are a few dealerships that have access to the windshields. But they will only do local pickups. Hear in Atlanta area we can get them through atlantabmwparts.com (Global Imports), for $250. That is a great price. Takes about 10 days to come in. Looking forward to getting mine replaced. Tired of the big crack in the middle of mine.

[TCBimmer]

Today I ordered a replacement windshield through my local dealership. There weren't any issues with ordering and was billed $302.59 with a 2 week ETA.

Just an FYI for anyone on the fence... as of 3/26 there were only 18 (now 17) windshields still available.