BMW increases wait times for optional extras thanks to chip crisis

Potential BMW buyers are being told to wait until the second half of the year for certain accessories, with stock levels affected by the semiconductor shortage.

The ongoing chip crisis hit BMW last year when the manufacturer moved to delete certain opens from its global offerings, with equipment such as infotainment touchscreens, reversing assistance and Harman Kardon sound systems being affected the most.

According to one BMW dealer, models such as the X3 have been hit hard – with some of its optional extras either suspended indefinitely or pushed back to beyond the end of the financial year.

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BMW's head-up display is one of the items facing the longest delay, with the manufacturer's website removing the ability to order the option on top of any grade of X3 or X4, while its dealers say the tech will be unavailable until further notice.

The head-up display system became a standard feature for late-2021 and 2022 models after the X3 and X4 went through a mid-life update last year, although given it doesn't show up as series equipment on the configurator, it's understood to have been dropped from the list of factory features.

Wireless charging is expected to rejoin the local list of options when production resumes in May, as is the optional Harman Kardon sound system (available only in the Executive Package), with Volkswagen's product lines also affected by shortages from the American supplier, causing price reductions for some of its 'R' models.

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Overseas model shown

BMW Australia told Wheels it is currently working with dealers to provide alternative solutions for customers who are impacted by supply constraints.

"The bottleneck in the supply of semiconductor components has impacted availability of individual vehicle equipment options for certain models," said a BMW spokesperson.

"We are working closely with our dealer partners to provide alternative solutions for our customers to minimise waiting times. This process is supported by the high degree of customisation of our vehicles."

Across the BMW model range, 'M' variants are unaffected.