BMW Factory Warranty: Coverage and Review

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Crash Course:

• The BMW factory warranty lasts for four years or 50,000 miles from the purchase date of your new car.
• While the coverage terms aren’t bad, the BMW new vehicle limited warranty is just average among luxury automakers.
• A BMW extended warranty could protect your car from expensive repairs for years past the expiration of its BMW factory warranty.

Maintenance costs and repair services for BMW vehicles have a reputation for being expensive. Thankfully, the first four years or 50,000 miles of those needs are covered under the BMW factory warranty that comes with each new vehicle.

In the following article, our team of warranty experts will dive into details about the BMW manufacturer’s warranty. You’ll learn about its length of coverage, discover specifics about what’s protected, and find out about benefits that come with it. Since our team has researched the best extended car warranty companies, we’ll also offer suggestions to keep your BMW safe for years to come.

What Is the BMW Factory Warranty?

The BMW factory warranty offers protection against most car repair costs caused by defective parts or workmanship flaws. You won’t have to pay for initial coverage on your BMW, though the factory plan ends after only four years or 50,000 miles.

New vehicle limited warranties from BMW are made up of two parts: a bumper-to-bumper and a powertrain warranty. Bumper-to-bumper coverage offers protection for nearly all BMW parts, while the powertrain component takes care of important and pricey parts such as the engine, transmission, and drive axle.

BMW Factory Warranty Overview

In the table below, you’ll find a summary of BMW manufacturer warranty coverage. Note that  these term lengths apply whether you own a BMW X5, a BMW 3 Series, or another model.

BMW Factory Warranty: Our Review

The BMW new vehicle warranty has middle-of-the-road term lengths among luxury manufacturers. The company’s four years of comprehensive coverage is on the generous side, while the four years of powertrain coverage is short compared to the best new car warranties. However, the BMW Ultimate Care Scheduled Maintenance Program covers several rounds of costly maintenance services, making it a valuable addition to the BMW factory warranty.

BMW Factory Warranty: Pros and Cons

Compared to other automakers, BMW’s factory coverage has a few significant advantages. However, it also includes some major shortcomings.

BMW Factory Warranty Coverage

With its factory warranty, BMW offers a flat 4-year/50,000-mile term for both powertrain and bumper-to-bumper coverage. This is a departure from most automakers, which tend to offer longer terms for their powertrain warranties than for bumper-to-bumper ones.

Under the manufacturer warranty, all auto repairs must take place at licensed BMW dealerships. Car repair work will be performed by certified BMW technicians using original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts.

Expand the sections below to learn more about each type of BMW warranty coverage.

Bumper-to-Bumper BMW Factory Warranty

Powertrain BMW Factory Warranty

BMW Factory Warranty: Additional Coverage

BMW Factory Warranty: Included Benefits

BMW Factory Warranty: Exclusions

BMW Factory Warranty: Deductible

As with most car manufacturers, there’s no deductible for repairs performed under the BMW factory warranty. That means that you’ll face no out-of-pocket expenses for warranty work.

BMW CPO Warranty

When you buy a BMW certified pre-owned model, the automaker adds one year of coverage to the factory warranty with unlimited mileage. This coverage begins once the BMW factory warranty ends, meaning CPO vehicles get five years total of warranty protection.

BMW CPO Warranty Coverage

The components covered under the BMW certified pre-owned warranty are identical to those protected through the new vehicle factory warranty. That means an additional year of bumper-to-bumper coverage that includes all powertrain components. Similarly, the CPO warranty for BMW models also has the same exclusions as factory coverage.

In addition, CPO coverage extends the BMW roadside assistance package that’s included in the factory warranty by two years. As a result, BMW CPO vehicles get a total of six years and unlimited miles of emergency roadside assistance.

The certified pre-owned BMW warranty is transferable if you decide to sell your vehicle before coverage expires. However, you’ll need to pay a $200 transfer fee to do so.

BMW Extended Warranty Coverage

You can purchase additional coverage if you want to continue protection for your new or used BMW after the factory warranty expires. This can help to maintain peace of mind by knowing that you won’t have to shell out large amounts of money for unexpected car repair costs.

Depending on the BMW extended warranty plan you buy, coverage may look nearly identical to your new car factory warranty. Unlike initial factory coverage, however, you have many BMW extended warranty options in terms of where to buy it and how much coverage to purchase.

BMW Factory Extended Warranty

Like many auto manufacturers, BMW offers its own extended warranty options. As with the BMW factory warranty, repair work will be performed by certified technicians using OEM parts. The automaker offers three levels of coverage – see below for details:

Third-Party BMW Extended Warranty

You can also get BMW extended coverage from an independent warranty provider. Coverage agreements from third-party providers are officially known as vehicle protection plans or vehicle service contracts. While these plans don’t guarantee that work is performed by BMW-certified technicians using OEM parts, they have advantages over the automaker’s warranty plans:

• Purchase flexibility: If you want a BMW extended warranty from the automaker itself, you must get it from a BMW dealer before the BMW factory warranty expires. Third-party providers allow you to purchase used car warranties at almost any time.
• Plan options: Most third-party warranty companies offer more plans than the three provided by BMW. This lets you tailor coverage to your actual needs and budget.
• Repair network: Both the BMW factory warranty and the company’s extended coverage options limit you to the 350 or so BMW dealerships spread across the U.S. You can use coverage from independent providers at nearly any repair facility certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE^®). This gives you much greater flexibility and could help you get repairs done sooner if needed.
• Comparison shopping: Most independent extended warranty providers offer free quotes online or over the phone. This allows customers to compare coverage plans and costs to find their best options overall.

BMW Factory Warranty: Conclusion

The BMW manufacturer’s warranty offers average coverage terms for the automotive industry. Included benefits like roadside assistance and complimentary maintenance add significant value to the company’s factory coverage. In addition, the BMW CPO warranty adds a year of repair coverage and two years of roadside assistance to the factory plan.

With that said, the BMW factory warranty is shorter than plans from Genesis, Acura, Lexus, Cadillac, Infiniti, Lincoln, and Jaguar. The BMW new car warranty is one of the least impressive options among luxury automakers, along with offerings from Audi, Volvo, and Mercedes-Benz.

Those who’d like to extend their BMW warranty may want to consider coverage plans from reputable car warranty companies. Our expert review team recommends that BMW owners read about extended coverage choices from Endurance, CarShield, and CARCHEX.

BMW Factory Warranty: FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions about the BMW factory warranty: