gamoon

I found a 2008 550I locally that I am looking at purchasing this week. I have driven the car 3 times and it performs wonderfully. My worry is the car only shows one service record. I find that really strange for a 2 owner car with a local bmw dealership. How will that affect my warranty with BMW if I have no proof that the car has been service? Also is there any way to find out what options came on the vehicle to ensure someone did not add items after they purchased the car?

pukka

How many miles on the car?

Most maintenance work is condition based - so if the miles are low it may not have needed much service (although I'd think there would be at least a few oil and brake fluid changes)

You can ask the dealer to run the VIN to see what options were factory installed.

zamestytel

I'm a proud owner of 530i for a couple of years. And i have never used dealers help (three knocks on the wood ) just because i love working on my car. That is why i spend so much time on this forum reading, and sharing the info.

AchtungE60

It's not too odd. I have an 04 530i and I knew the original owner. He is a BMW tech here at a very reputable dealership and the only dealership close by. when i found out he's trading in the car I went to the auction to bid on it and pretty much knew the car and what it was worth. So i picked it up. I've done all the maintenance work to it myself so you'll find very little service records for both himself and myself....EVEN when it was under warranty. Of course I keep a detailed record of EVERYTHING that was done or symptoms I noticed and dates/times because that's the best way to find issues. bottom line is that just because there is no service record doesn't mean anything about the car. But for good measure if it's at a BMW dealership, tell them you want radiator, break and oil all exchanged prior to picking it up and you want it documented. Also if it's still warrantied then make sure you look at the pads and tires etc. Squeeze them for what you can because they'll squeeze you given the chance. GL

Ti Rod

Not sure if this is feasible, but if you can get the key fob to the dealer, they should be able to pull up any/all service records. Having hard copy records is nice, but the dealer always keeps an electronic version as well. Once the dealer forgot to fill out one of my service pages, but of course, I went back and had them fill it out and stamp it. Point is, even though the hard copy isn't readily available, that doesn't mean the dealer won't have record of service. Just a thought.

jaycal3

I think this is exactly what the OP is stating... the fob is only showing one service record... Like everyone else has stated, many of us are on this forum because we do a lot of the work ourselves. All the maintenance and "little stuff" I do myself rather than paying the dealer. Replaced the coolant expansion tank last night as a matter of fact and I am sure I saved a few hundred dollars if not more. Have a thorough inspection done and if its under warranty buy with confidence.

The VIN run at the dealer should show standard options... there was a thread on here a few weeks back with a member running VIN #s for people - look back a couple pages.

vkhong

Get competent friend or technician:

• Perform the BMW CPO Checklist
• Review the BMW Vehicle / DCS Report for the vehicle: check options, modifications, BMW Center service history, outstanding technical campaigns
• Review vehicle CBS service information
• Inspect body and paint condition
• Review reports from Carfax and AutoCheck
• Get quote for any service to bring the vehicle to your satisfaction (wheel rash, body dings, service due indicators); warning: service due indicators can be easily reset without performing the work
• Use the information to make an informed decision about the vehicle; negotiate accordingly or walk away

gamoon

Well I pulled the trigger on 13 Oct and could not be happier with my purchase. Also found out the local BMW dealership had a full service record for the car.

jaycal3

Awesome. Congrats and good luck!