Are BMW Cars Expensive to Maintain and Repair?

Are BMW Cars Expensive to Maintain and Repair?

Posted on March 16, 2020

There's no doubt that BMWs are luxury cars with an excellent reputation, and you'll pay a premium for them whether you buy new or used. But that's not the end of the story. When deciding to buy a BMW you'll also need to take into account the running costs, especially maintenance and repair. It's widely thought that BMW cars have high maintenance costs, but is this really true?

1) General Repairs

The first thing to bear in mind is that premium brands like BMW have much lower sales volumes than mass-market models. This means there are fewer replacement parts made, and they'll therefore cost more than typical generic parts for other cars.

The best way to keep costs down is to have all repairs handled by a BMW specialist rather than a general repair shop, as they'll have easier access to genuine BMW parts at more reasonable prices.

2) Servicing Costs

A typical BMW is built from over 30,00 parts, which all need to be working precisely together to achieve the great performance you expect from the brand. The best way of keeping your BMW running smoothly is to have it serviced regularly.

With a used BMW, it's recommended to have an interim service every six months or 8,000km, whichever comes first. These smaller services include basics like oil changes, tire checks, leaky hose fixes, and so on. A full service should be carried out every 12 months or 16,000km, whichever comes first. A full service includes filter replacements, fluid draining and replacement, brake checks, and steering alignment.

This may seem like a large amount of servicing expense compared to many other car brands, but it's a price worth paying to keep your BMW in the best possible condition.

3) Brakes

It's important to keep on top of brake inspections and repairs as a used BMW owner. The high performance provided by BMW's powertrains needs highly responsive braking systems for safety, and it's not an area to consider economizing on.

With regular cars it's fine to use aftermarket parts to save money. However, with a premium BMW model you should always use original OEM parts installed by a certified BMW technician. This may cost a little more, but again you can keep the cost down by using a BMW specialist rather than a general repair shop.

4) Winter Tires

Similarly, if you're in an area where winter tires are needed, don't be tempted to buy a low-cost set to save a few dollars. High performance cars need high quality tires with excellent grip to maintain safe handling. Genuine BMW-recommended tires might cost a little more than a second-hand, reconditioned set, but safety isn't an issue worth gambling on just to save a few bucks.

Whether you're buying a used BMW or a brand new one, you'll be paying more for the privilege of driving such a well designed and solidly manufactured car. You'll also need to spend a little more for maintenance if you want to keep your BMW in premium condition. However, if you use a BMW specialist for servicing and repairs, the price difference isn't as much as you might think.