[RyanS]

Has anyone added the BMW Maintenance Program Upgrade ($2,295) to their order? Seems like good insurance if you plan to keep the car for 6-7 years. It extends the standard maintenance program to 6 years or 100,000 miles. I'd like to hear what everyone thinks about it.

[Dulles530]

Generally, if you're dealing with a good/reputable brand like BMW (or Sony in electronics) then extended warranties are considered by many to be a waste as the products will outlast the warranty period.

It ultimately boils down to if you want to spend the extra money. I had a 2003 BMW E39 530 for 7 years and in that time it needed some bulbs, AC controller and new brakes on all four wheels.. to the tune of about $1800. Also remember that Inspection II comes at the 60K mile mark - and at my local dealer that was $1400. So i'd say you're more likely to get something back out of your $2295 extended warranty investment in years 5-6 when brakes and other stuff comes due.

Also if you sell the car prematurely, having the additional warranty could be a sweetener - but don't buy it specifically for that reason.

[RyanS]

Originally Posted by Dulles530

Generally, if you're dealing with a good/reputable brand like BMW (or Sony in electronics) then extended warranties are considered by many to be a waste as the products will outlast the warranty period.

It ultimately boils down to if you want to spend the extra money. I had a 2003 BMW E39 530 for 7 years and in that time it needed some bulbs, AC controller and new brakes on all four wheels.. to the tune of about $1800. Also remember that Inspection II comes at the 60K mile mark - and at my local dealer that was $1400. So i'd say you're more likely to get something back out of your $2295 extended warranty investment in years 5-6 when brakes and other stuff comes due.

Also if you sell the car prematurely, having the additional warranty could be a sweetener - but don't buy it specifically for that reason.

Thanks for the post. I'll agree that BMW is a reputable brand, but they are no Lexus when it comes to maintenance issues. The wife's 2004 325i had to get some A/C parts replaced under warranty (2 day job). The 60,000 mile service was expensive. Also, some suspension components and a oil sending unit gasket (oil leak) were deemed faulty after the warranty was up. All that was well over $1,000 so the extended plan seems like good insurance. I just didn't know if anyone had some info that would sway me away from it, like something they found in the fine print or surprises when taking it in for service.

[mercury]

There's two different programs, the extended warranty and the extended maintenance. The latter makes sense if you're going to do a lot of miles because you'll hit more of the scheduled maintenance visits after the 4/50k runs out and as long as you hit at least two scheduled maintenance visits then the cost will more than offset what you would pay out of pocket. If you're not going to do a lot of miles, then just getting the extended warranty makes more sense to protect you against any major issues.

[DuneMan]

is this through your dealer or through BMW?

the difference is that if through your dealer then you should know that it's done through an insurance company contracted by your dealer. this means that every issue you riase will be reviewd by the insurance comany to see if it covers it or not. so, just like health insurance - it can be a hassle.

if through BMW, then it would be just like warrenty - no issues at all.

be sure to know before you sign on.

[SpawneyGet]

Originally Posted by Dulles530

Generally, if you're dealing with a good/reputable brand like BMW (or Sony in electronics) then extended warranties are considered by many to be a waste as the products will outlast the warranty period.

BMW is not a reputable brand when it comes to reliability. They are known to have had variable electrical/electronic issues. I have had issues with Keys, iDrive, battery, electric windows,...Worst of all, it was often just a few weeks after the end of 3 year warranty period. Each time it cost me a lot of money and I couldn't help being very upset because I feel the 3 year warranty is far too short and that a car should last longer that 3 years (like a Lexus).

But that's just your own experience and one cannot generalise based purely on personal experience, I hear some say. Well, just visit the JD Power.com.

I love BMWs for the way they drive, not the way they last.

As for Sony in electronics, well, I have not seen any reliability statistics but they are losing it, surviving off the back of golden old day's glory, I feel. I remember reading somewhere about what their CEO was quoted to have said, "Samsung are so far ahead of us, we can barely see the back of them."

[LuvMyE92]

This thread gets an A+ for confusion. Is it an extended warranty, as you (the OP) justify in your second post, or an extended maintenance plan, as you state in your first post?

[RyanS]

Originally Posted by LuvMyE92

This thread gets an A+ for confusion. Is it an extended warranty, as you (the OP) justify in your second post, or an extended maintenance plan, as you state in your first post?

Extended maintenance plan. From BMW's site:

This upgrade option, when purchased, extends your standard BMW Maintenance Program period by an additional 2 years/50,000 miles, providing a total maintenance program period of 6 years or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first. This upgrade option also extends the standard BMW Roadside Assistance Program benefit period by an additional 2 years/unlimited mileage for a total of 6 years/unlimited mileage.

[Jack the Cat]

From my point of view, the extended maintenance makes sense. Regularly scheduled maintenance during the extra 2 years runs roughly $3,500 today. So paying $2,300 today makes sense. This can also be discounted by the dealer.

[j3o3t3]

Ive got 42K miles on my '11 550i. just had rear brake rotors / pads replaced ( rotors warped) as a part of regular oil change service. The rear brakes would have cost $1245, but fully covered as part of 50K free service. The service alone would cost approx $475 ( oil/filter, vehicle check, intake silencer)

got me thinking , should I consider buying the 50K extended maintenance quoted at $2300???

I know I will need front brakes - $1282, spark plugs - $600, and who knows what else that would be repaired . Figure at least 3 regular service visits @ $300-$475. This gets real close to $2300.

Anyone bought this and found value?

[gtron]

the last two bmw's i owned i had the extended maintenance/warranty or whatever you feel like calling it.

i did not regret it at all as both of them used more than what it cost within the first few months.

i think most newer bmw's know when the warranty is up and they can quickly go down hill. they're not the old never die military style built vehicles they once were. i equate this to technology though. the more we demand of them the more they have to get it all to play well together. more stuff, more problems.

i look at it like this, if you need it you will be 100% happy but if you don't needed it you didn't really lose that much for peace of mind.

i rarely keep a car for more than 3 years now though because of the service drama.

btw, i think a headlight for an f10 is close to $1600 from the dealer.

[tougedrifted]

I worked for BMW from 2010-2013....

Lets put it this way, I would never drive a BMW out of warranty!

[Grover432]

Originally Posted by tougedrifted

I worked for BMW from 2010-2013....

Lets put it this way, I would never drive a BMW out of warranty!

Ouch!!!

But .. Keep in mind you saw the cars that had problems, or did you see each and every car that was sold. I know BMWs require more repairs than a Lexus does, but are they really that bad after warranty??

[bobblehead]

Hard to say. If it's electronic, then it may be troublesome & costly. If it's mechanical aspect, the parts may be your poison.

Originally Posted by Grover432

Ouch!!!

But .. Keep in mind you saw the cars that had problems, or did you see each and every car that was sold. I know BMWs require more repairs than a Lexus does, but are they really that bad after warranty??

[BMWrules7]

Originally Posted by tougedrifted

I worked for BMW from 2010-2013....

Lets put it this way, I would never drive a BMW out of warranty!

Excellent advice. You could be hit with a tranny or engine fault costing $8k at a moments notice.

There is no memory in probability. The probability of suffering an engine fault two weeks after suffering an engine fault is the same.

Whatever chance you have of suffering engine failure on any given day remains the same---no matter how well the car has run in the past or no matter how recently you just had it repaired.