Wilchwitz

BMW used to allow a "grace" period for extending the warranty after the original period expired. You should check with BMW USA directly to make sure you don't qualify. The dealer makes a lot of money on the extended warranty sale so make sure you are getting the straight story. The price quoted is about right but it all depends on what it covers. Read the warranty details carefully.

The BMW warranty is worth the money. It insures genuine BMW parts and BMW trained mechanics. I have had several minor and one major repair covered by the BMW extedned warranty and it has paid for itself many times over. Believe me, you don't want to own one of these cars without a warranty if a major component needs replacing.

If the BMW is not available, try AAA. I don't know who they use but they have a pretty good reputation.

fusionaccord

when I use the price quote on this website, it quotes me a DURALUBE quote, 60months/100K for $1500....its not american mercury platinum...do I need to call them? I have 48,400 miles on my 07 and want to get the warranty. THANKS!!

325/528

I called. They don't sell Mercury any more. They do have 2 other companies in addition to duralube though.

z06bigbird

Read the contract for the (bumper to bumper) plan and ask yourself a few questions:

1. Does this plan pay for the full labor rate of the BMW dealership?
2. For coverage to take effect, does the part actually have to break?
3. If a part is noisey, loose, or obviously worn, will the plan cover it?
4. Will the plan use new BMW parts?
5. Can the plan use uses parts from an auto junk yard?
6. Plan says "abuse and continued operation of worn parts." What does that mean?
7. Can the plan refuse to pay me because they feel I continued driving the car?
8. If my engine starts burning oil, will plan cover that?
9. If the IDrive needs work, how many $$ will the plan pay for IDrive repairs?
10. How many $$ will the plan pay for radio/cd repairs?
11. Is there a maximum amount of $$ that the plan will pay during the 6 years of the plan?
12. If the plan pays for $5,000 worth of repairs in first 2 years, how much will the plan pay during year 6 of plan's coverage if my car is 10 years old? (This can be calculated.)
13. When my car eventually becomes 9 or 10 years old, will the plan still cover major expenses?
14. When my car is 10 years old, and repairs during the first few years of the plan exceeded $4000 or $5,000, will the plan still pay--especially if my car is worth anywhere from $4,000 to $6,000?
15. How does the plan decide what my car is worth? Does the plan look at the retail asking price?
16. Does the plan look at the wholesale pricing of my car?
17. Or does the plan look for auction prices of my car--as a maximum limit of what the plan will pay?
18. Does the plan have any maximum that it pays for nuts, bolts, EPA charges, etc?
19. BMW has an elaborate electrical system. Is there a maximum that the plan will pay for electrical/vacuum work? e.g., fusible link, short somewhere in system, vacuum hoses, wiring of IDrive or Navigation system?
20. If I have convertible, what is covered?
21. Plan talks about auto manufacturers' recommended tolerances. It also says plan will not pay for repairs as a result of vehicle being outside of these tolerances. Will plan provide you with a list of tolerances?
22. If you break down at night in a dangerous part of town, what does the plan require that you do? If you fear for your life, what does the plan have in writing in regard to protecting your car and YOUR life?
23. Admittedly, this plan should not be responsible if you get shot, attacked, etc at night when your car breaks down, but what does the plan want you to do about your car so that it gets towed and repairs ASAP.
24. Can you leave to a safer area, and then call the plan for help?
25. You get stuck in a bad area? You call police. Police advise you to leave the area and the car. Does plan agree with this, or does plan want you to stay with car and "protect car?"
26. If the timing belt/chain fails, does plan pay for this?
27. If the shop says they need to tear down the transmission or engine so they can assess cost of repair, does plan pay for this?
28. If neither the plan nor you pay for the tear down, who pays to put the car back together?
29. If the plan decides that this repair (after teardown of drive train) was really pre-existing, how does the plan advise you to appeal this?
30. How is the plan so sure that problem was pre-existing? They have never even seen or driven the car?
31. You change your oil yourself every xx number of miles; you have done it that way since you were 16. Will the plan accept your re-assurance that you always change your oil regularly?
32. What is a licensed facility (for auto maint)?
33. I live in the country. A neigbor of mine is an experienced BMW mechanic (retired). He changes my oil, and I pay him a few dollars. Will his word cover me?
34. My garage is a small garage. Will the plan accept their handwritten receipts. The garage has no use for a computer since there is no internet in this area of the country. No cell phone service either.
35. I have paid $3,000 for plan. Car is now 9 years old. I am still in warranty, but engine and/or transmission is acting funny. Car just does not have the pull that it used to have. How much will plan pay to diagnose the problem? Do I have to pay anything to investigate this problem? Cars like yours are now listed in Sunday paper with an asking price of $8,000. Plan previously paid $6,000 in repairs early on. How much will plan pay to diagnose and repair my current problem?

Ask these questions to your insurance agent.

sdg1871

BMWs are a fortune to repair. Just one major repair could pay for the warranty's costs. Generally, extended warranties have a huge margin for the dealer and they are marked up in a big way. I would shop around the warranty to different dealers' finance departments and play one off again the other. In fact, I would tell the dealers that you are doing that. I would just call a bunch of different dealers' finance managers and tell them that you're shopping for a warranty with the lowest price. I used this method to get a warranty's price on a prior car down by about 40% from the original quote from the first dealer.

I generally prefer doing all of my car negotiations over the phone and internet rather than in person at the dealer.