BMW maintenance: cost, plans and service schedule

Are BMWs expensive to maintain?

BMWs are among the most expensive vehicles to maintain and repair. Not only are their parts expensive, but BMWs often have quirks that require you to visit a qualified BMW technician for repairs.

Whether you’re in need of maintenance work (tire rotations, engine oil and oil filter changes, replacement of worn-out parts) or repairs of unexpected part failures, BMWs tend to have particularly high service and maintenance costs.

How BMW compares to other automakers

Compared with many other luxury models, BMWs cost more to maintain, but the difference isn’t drastic.

RepairPal data shows that BMWs average 0.9 yearly visits to a repair shop, which is more than twice as often as the industry average (0.4 visits per year). However, it’s still a bit more affordable than Audi’s $1,349 per-year average.

Author’s note

It’s worth mentioning that the above figures aren’t entirely reflective of what you can expect to spend keeping a BMW running, though. Upkeep costs can vary significantly from model to model, so it’s worth looking up your model on a site like RepairPal to see a more specific estimate.

» RELATED: 10 most expensive car repairs

BMW maintenance and repair costs by model

These figures combine repair costs and maintenance costs, which makes things simple but not as helpful if you’re trying to actually set a budget. While maintenance costs and regularly scheduled expenses tend to be lower, repair costs are higher — and more sporadic expenses are harder to plan for. We’ll go into more detail on each so you have a better idea of what to expect.

BMW maintenance cost and schedule

You can generally count on the timing of vehicle maintenance to be the same between makes and models. Still, we suggest following the routine maintenance schedule inside your owner’s manual.

Essential BMW car tips

Newer BMW models are equipped with a maintenance reminder system, so you don’t necessarily have to know your maintenance schedule if you own a newer vehicle. Your BMW’s display will show your progress toward the following maintenance tasks:

• Engine oil change (by date/miles)
• Front and rear brake pad replacement (by miles)
• Vehicle inspection (by date/miles)
• Brake fluid change (by date)
• 1,200-mile running service for M vehicles (by date/miles)

If you want to do your own maintenance, be aware that the following service tasks may be combined with the “Engine Oil” notice:

• Engine air filter replacement
• Cabin microfilter replacement
• Spark plug replacement
• Final drive oil change (M vehicles)

Pro tip

If your BMW is under three years old, you may not need to budget for maintenance. All BMW vehicles made since 2017 come with BMW Ultimate Care, which covers maintenance performed by authorized BMW service centers for the first three years or 36,000 miles of the vehicle’s life, whichever comes first.

» RELATED: BMW certified pre-owned warranties

BMW repair costs

Repair costs are harder to estimate than maintenance costs because you don’t know when, how or how often your BMW will break down. However, you can look at other BMW owners’ experiences to get a rough idea of what to expect.

Example: 2021 BMW X5 maintenance costs

Do BMWs come with a warranty?

New BMW vehicles come with a four-year/50,000-mile manufacturer’s warranty that can help you avoid repair bills. If you want to save money on maintenance and repair costs, consider a prepaid maintenance plan or extended warranty, both of which are available from BMW.

BMW’s prepaid maintenance plans can help you save up to 30% on scheduled maintenance for up to four years, and they can even help protect you against rising labor costs and inflation since your price is locked in when you buy the plan.

Is an extended warranty worth it on a BMW?

BMW’s extended warranties, called BMW Extended Service Contracts, can keep you from paying for covered repairs, but they’re relatively expensive, so you might be better off with an extended warranty from a third-party warranty company. As many customers will attest, extended car warranty companies might just save you a good amount.

“When I needed service for my transmission, I just brought my car into the dealership and let them know what extended warranty I had,” Connie, a reviewer from Louisiana, told us. “They dealt with the people and got everything going. It’s very important to have coverage. That saved me $6,000.”

When considering options, make sure you get multiple quotes and research the pros and cons of extended warranties so you can make an educated purchase.

Bottom line

The important takeaways here are that BMWs aren’t the most reliable vehicles, and when they do break down, they can cost a lot of money to fix. That means you should probably have several thousand dollars set aside if you want to be financially prepared for when your BMW needs repairs. However, there are other options.