Q&A

RepairPal offers estimates on newer BMWs for any owner who is outside of their warranty because of really high mileage. Also, some of the information is there to be ahead of those cars coming off of warranty. The prices should be correct!

You're right to mention that BMW is the only brand of car that offers a new car warranty for maintenance--including all oil changes, filter changes, and even brakes.

This is a touchy subject, but I will address it, hopefully with out stepping on any toes. I have, as a technician, worked on a lot of BMWs that had the free 50k maintenance. I found some really bad situations where a lot of corners were cut by the BMW dealerships that eventually caused the BMW engine to wear out prematurely. I have seen Air Filters with more than 50k on them that left piles of dust on the floor when I inpsected them. I have attended factory BMW classes where a factory BMW instructor said NOT to use BMW oil because it is a blend of oils and not a true Synthetic. The oil change calculator tends to get the oil overly dirty, which reduces engine life. Only the brake pads and not the rotors tend to be changed and not the rotors which isn't the complete way to service Beemer brakes. If you want you Beemer to really last, and it is not a leased vehicle, then doing more traditional maintenance is the way to go. I have personally worked on lease returned BMW cars that had the free 50k program and were certified by BMW as a good used cars that had some real problems. I hope that this splash of cold water did not offend you.

Oil change schedules and adhering strictly to factory outlined maintenance schedules is a touchy subject. It is interesting to read various car club and enthusiast websites. Responses vary from people who think they are being ripped off if a shop suggests more frequent maintenance, to people that have anecdotal stories, or have had their oil independently analyzed and found the oil had broken down even though they had followed religiously the factory maintenance schedule. I have many customers that do more frequently than suggested maintenance, two have over 460,000 miles on their cars.