new bmw question

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does bmw have any plan on new cars where you do not have to pay for maintenance? not an extended warranty but any other plan?
anyone have such a plan if it exists?
 
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
All the new BMWs come with free scheduled maintenance throughout the warranty period. All you pay for is gas and tires.


This is splitting hairs, but you are definitely paying for all those services. You're paying for it up front instead of every time you have it done.

Most dealerships are able to bundle some sort of prepaid/'free' service visits for scheduled maintenance for X miles or until the warranty is up.

IMO, you should be concern about the unscheduled maintenance visits, not simple things like oil & filter changes.
 
from what I read the conflict comes where BMW suggest and provide a rather skimpy free maintenance schedule whereas many independent experts prefer a more conservative schedule, especially if you plan to keep your car a long time. Of course, the unscheduled service is the real killer price wise.

n.b. I don't currently have a running BMW but we have had BMW's in family for 52? years and I have been a BMWCCA member 40+ years.
 
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
All the new BMWs come with free scheduled maintenance throughout the warranty period. All you pay for is gas and tires.


There are a few other "wear items" they won't cover but that's pretty much the gist of it.

In my opinion it's not really "no cost"...they just factor it into the price of the car.
 
Originally Posted By: bmwjohn
from what I read the conflict comes where BMW suggest and provide a rather skimpy free maintenance schedule whereas many independent experts prefer a more conservative schedule, especially if you plan to keep your car a long time. Of course, the unscheduled service is the real killer price wise.

n.b. I don't currently have a running BMW but we have had BMW's in family for 52? years and I have been a BMWCCA member 40+ years.


so if you had the free schedulled maint plus an extended warranty would you be free of dealer repair costs?

hard to say about experts , vw used to say change the rabbit fuel filter every 15000 miles, toyota says never, so somebody has to be wrong.
 
Originally Posted By: edwardh1
so if you had the free schedulled maint plus an extended warranty would you be free of dealer repair costs?

It all depends on how long you're planning to keep the vehicle. If you're going to keep it much past the extended warranty (total of 6 years from the original in-service date), then the lack of more rigorous maintenance may eventually catch up to you.

These free-maintenance programs have been designed with lease customers in mind or customers who get a new car every 3-4 years. Such customers don't have to worry about any additional costs apart from the actual monthly lease payment. These customers don't care how rigorous the maintenance schedule is. It's the second or third owner that'll eventually pay the price....
 
Well said, Pete. At the very least, you know that any used BMW that's 3 or 4 years old will have had some maintenance done on it (short of the owner being downright lazy).
 
BMW covers everything but tires, and I don't think clutch's either but check into that. I know Porsche doesn't warranty clutch's.
 
Originally Posted By: dparm
Well said, Pete. At the very least, you know that any used BMW that's 3 or 4 years old will have had some maintenance done on it (short of the owner being downright lazy).

Yup. And who knows, maybe getting your oil changed every 15K miles is often enough. We tend to stay on the side of caution here on BITOG so we shudder when hearing about such extended OCIs, but such OCIs are common in Europe and I don't hear of engines prematurely dying over there.
 
Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
BMW covers everything but tires,

What's included is engine oil services, inspection services, wipers, brake discs and pads, engine drive belts, and brake fluid. That's about it. The maintenance schedule does not call for replacing anything else during the first 4 years/50K miles.

So, during the 4 years, that amounts to about 3 oil changes, 2 brake fluid changes, 3-4 new sets of wiper blades, and possibly a new set of pads and rotors, depending on how you drive. Engine air filter and cabin filters are probably included, too.


Quote:

and I don't think clutch's either but check into that. I know Porsche doesn't warranty clutch's.


I guess it depends on whether the clutch was defective or someone just wore it out by abusing it or not knowing how to drive. I'm not sure how BMW would be able to make that determination either...
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
BMW covers everything but tires,

What's included is engine oil services, inspection services, wipers, brake discs and pads, engine drive belts, and brake fluid. That's about it. The maintenance schedule does not call for replacing anything else during the first 4 years/50K miles.

So, during the 4 years, that amounts to about 3 oil changes, 2 brake fluid changes, 3-4 new sets of wiper blades, and possibly a new set of pads and rotors, depending on how you drive. Engine air filter and cabin filters are probably included, too.


Quote:

and I don't think clutch's either but check into that. I know Porsche doesn't warranty clutch's.


I guess it depends on whether the clutch was defective or someone just wore it out by abusing it or not knowing how to drive. I'm not sure how BMW would be able to make that determination either...



That's what a Porsche dealer told me when I was looking at a CPO 911. I asked about the warranty on the clutch, he said your on your own. Porsche doesn't warranty them because you can destroy a clutch on a track day.

My understanding is that goes for new cars as well unless its something obviously defective.

Ask first, if this is Porsche's policy I wouldn't be surprised if BMW had a similar one.
 
Something interesting about BMW's program, they can legitimately deny a warranty claim if an independent worked on the car for regular services. They completely bypass the M/M Act buy requiring a specific fluid or part by providing both the parts and labor at no charge, yes i know you pay but on paper it is free.
 
I'm not in the market for a new BMW, but if I were, driving 100 miles round trip for these services would be a greater pain in the neck than doing them myself.
 
Our dealer comes and drops off a loaner for all service. We don't have to do anything other than have the car available for them.
 
Originally Posted By: dparm
The braking stuff on M cars alone is a TON of cash. Last time I looked, M5 rotors were over $300. Each.


Wow you are right, just checked on M5 / M6 rotors and factory ones MSRP for $395.77 each.
 
My fear of BMW is fear of the dealers, as I have read that the dealers/service reps believe that the customers demand and want to pay pay pay to keep the BMWS in pristine condition, at "spare no expense", hence you get really big repair bills from the dealer. Perhaps more than say Toyota owners who want
- the car to run
- and want an economical repair or choice of repairs?
The one new demo BMW I drove was great but the dealers scare me, so I have Japanese cars that dont break much.
 
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