I am thinking of buying a BMW. I am concerned about the maintenance costs.?

Question

This Q is for those that already own one. How expensive are the regular maintenance fees? What about the parts? Are they much more expensive than other cars? Do you recommend my buying? Thanks!

Answer 1

I am the original/current owner of a 2006 325i with 42,000 miles and I'm amazed with cost of maintenance of this car. It has been troublefree and very reliable since the day I got it.

I used to have a 2002 Camry LE prior to the BMW and I'd say the BMW has been the most reliable one from my experience.

First and foremost, maintenance is free for the first 4 years/50,000 miles. That covers your oil changes, brake pads, brake rotors, wiper blades, including the 30,000 mile service.

Also, aside from free maintenance, I also do extra oil changes on my own that don't cost me that much, even though they are not needed. About $45 tops for doing it myself. For example, I can get the oil from Walmart for $31 for Mobile One full synthetic oil.

Regarding oil filters, the dealer charges an average of $15 for one oil filter for this car. I can get one thats made by a top quality manufacturer for $6.50 at my local auto store or at egermanparts.com. My girlfriend's Honda 2005 Accord's oil filter cost $5. Not very much of a difference.

Another example, batteries can be purchased at a local Pepboys or an Autozone store for like $95. Another great battery for these cars are the ones made by Interstate, which goes for $120. You can't go wrong with either of these, as the BMW dealer will charge you $250 for a battery.

The key thing is to shop around and utilize the resources you have. If the car is out of warranty, start building a relationship with some of the independent shop/mechanics that specializes working on BMW's in your area. Find one that has a passion in working on BMW's and this will save you A LOT of money compared with going to the dealer.

You may even consider joining or become a BMWCCA member (www.bmwcca.org) a car club offically endorsed by BMW. They have an extensive list of resources and owners who take pride in their cars. They can even share the latest info about your car along with a network of shops in your area that specialize in working on BMW's.

I don't understand what others are saying about the high costs of parts. Oil filters, batteries, and other maintenance items as mentioned are almost comparable to my girlfriend's 2005 Honda Accord and also the Camry I used to own.

With all respect, it bothers me when people say that maintenance costs are high on these cars without providing you specific examples. Either they haven't own one or either they have one and the owners only takes them to the dealer and does not shop around or utilize resources.

There are some maintenance parts that will cost a little more, but not that much from my experience, just as long as you purchase a low-end 3 series (ie 325i, 328i).

As long as you take care of your car and keep up with your maintenance, it will be very reliable and will lower your maintenance costs in the long run.

Go buy one, you won't regret it.

Answer 2

Bmw 1 Series Service Cost

Answer 3

BMW's are the most expensive car there is to maintain. I use to have one and it was a nice car and great to drive. I was able to write the maintenance costs off as I used it as a company car. Even so I never got it through a dealer service for less than $800. Once I retired I decided the maintenance costs were just too much and got rid of it. All the parts are shipped from Germany (even the batteries) as there are no U.S. companies making parts for them. I had a neutral start switch go bad and it cost $300. The same part for an American car is in the $30-$40 range. The rest of the parts are similar. Windshield wiper refills which are about $5 at the parts store for U.S. cars are only available from BMW and run $35-$30. Oil filters are the same way. Triple the price. They are nice cars but VERY expensive to maintain.

Answer 4

Apparently things have changed a great deal since I got my first Ford Escort with $5 idiot keys the size of a medium dog biscuit that were impossible to lose or fit in a hide-a-key box they were so BIG.
My step son lost a key to his 1992 525i and it was $38 for one key. They are laser cut....NOT at the dealer! You have to have proof of ownership of the car and the VIN# and they send away for the key which arrives in a couple or three days. Not too convenient when living over an hour from the nearest dealership. This was one experience.

I also work on my own vehicles for regular maintenance. Oil changes, air and fuel filters, the usual. Nothing too exotic. It was like pulling teeth to find parts. They are not carried by the usual parts stores, or they are special order, so walking in and picking up oil and a filter to do an oil change on a Saturday afternoon was out of the question. It required much more planning ahead, driving around, and hassle, or internet ordering with shipping costs. Yeesh. My Honda and Mercury hold 3.5-4.5 Qts of oil. The step son's 525 was 7 Qts. per oil change! Yeesh again.

After watching the movie The Italian Job, I changed my favorite car from Porsche 911 Carrera to a Mini Cooper, but with seemingly comparable maintenance and logistics issues, I think I'm switching back to the Porsche, even with an 11 Qt. oil cooled engine on the Porsche, the Mini seems like it would be almost the same hassle.

I've read many reviews about what rock-solid performers BMW's are, and if you live in a metro area with a dealer nearby, you may have great fun having one. The price difference in Porsche and Mini may have me changing my mind again in the future.

Answer 5

All new BMWs will come with a 4 year 50,000 mile warranty that covers everything from wiper blades to scheduled services.

Regular parts for oil change is close to regular cars. Synthetic oil is $6 a quart from any autoparts store, filters are about $6 each. BMW's own synthetic oil is actually cheaper. Especially if you have a BMWCCA membership.

And if you follow BMWs service indicator, you wouldn't need another oil change for another 15k miles. That's 5 times longer than any other car using regular oil. Even if you change your oil at half that interval, that's still 7.5k miles.

But you wouldn't even need to worry about this until your car is 4 years old or if your car reached 50k miles.

As with any car, try not to buy the "first batch" of any new model unless you want to be bothered with possible "early adopter" problems. Let at least a model year to pass, and let the small problems to work themselves out.

The same goes to buying used. If you buy a used car, buy at least the 2nd model year cars. And buy it through BMWs CPO program if you want the extra piece of mind. You can also add extra coverage to that if you so please.

BMW cars are luxury level cars, so their servicing costs and dealer rates should be compared to other luxury car dealers such as Mercs and Lexus.

Yes, I would recommend buying a BMW, but only on a "second batch" car. So for instance, steer clear of the new 1-series that everyone is talking about now until a year after they're introduced.

Answer 6

If you can afford to buy a BMW then you can afford to maintain it. I know that BMW's maintenance cost are higher than the average joe car but its worth it.
My dad has a 1998 BMW M3 coupe and he has had no problems with it.

Answer 7

we just bought a 328XI in june of this year, bmw gives you 4 years, 50,000 miles. this includes wiper blades, oil changes, brakes, even the clutch if you get a standard transmission, everything except tires is covered. and you can buy extended coverage to 6 years, 100,000 miles, we did for about $2,000. we figured a couple of brake jobs and a clutch would cost us more than that, so we went for it. my advice, get the standard transmission, it's a blast! two words of warning, if you get a bmw, you won't buy another american car ever again! it is the ultimate driving machine! and watch the speedometer, cause you won't think you are going as fast as you are, it's that smooth. good luck, enjoy it when you get it.

Answer 8

If BMWs have a reputation for being reliable over the long term, it would be news to me.

As far as cost, just know that the cash register buttons at a BMW dealership only ring in multiples of $500. Windshield wipers--$500. PCV vavle--$500.

Get the picture?

Rick

I'm a retired ASE Master/L-1 Technician. I still keep current with the latest automotive technology. Visit my blog for cool articles and TSB's: http://free-auto-repair-advice.blogspot.com

Answer 9

BMWs are known for their reliability. Maintance fees are reasonable in ratio to the expense of the actual vehicle. Meaning that if you bought a cheap car then the maintance fees would be pretty cheap and vice versa. Go for the Bimmer.

Answer 10

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If you can afford the insurance, the odd £1000 bill will be a cinch. By the way, you're describing two totally different cars.