BMW Extended Warranty

Because BMWs are considered luxury vehicles, they can be expensive to maintain. This makes a BMW extended warranty an attractive option, as it gives drivers peace of mind that their budgets will be protected in the event of a major breakdown. But does BMW provide the best protection for its vehicles?

In this review, we’ll take a closer look at BMW’s extended warranty costs and coverage, as well as the manufacturer’s factory warranty and average maintenance costs. We’ll also see how BMW stacks up against one of the best extended car warranty companies in the industry.

You can purchase BMW extended warranty coverage when you buy a new BMW. There are three levels of BMW warranty protection, and coverage terms are available for up to 7 years/100,000 miles.

BMW Extended Warranty Plans

BMW’s Ultimate Protection Program offers three extended vehicle service contracts, Powertrain Plus, Gold, and Platinum. In addition to the extended warranties, BMW offers protection plans and pre-paid maintenance plans known as Ultimate Protection and Ultimate Care. When shopping for a BMW extended warranty, you have the ability to mix and match the company’s protection and maintenance plans with an extended warranty. Let’s take a look at each extended warranty and the additional BMW coverage below. 

BMW Extended Warranty Platinum

BMW’s Platinum plan is commonly known as a bumper-to-bumper warranty. It covers most major mechanical and electrical vehicle parts, except for a short list of exclusions. The platinum plan covers major component parts such as the  engine, transmission, fuel system, cooling system, electrical system, air conditioning, braking system, and steering. This plan is an exclusionary plan. That means the vehicle service contract lists what is not covered due to the comprehensive coverage. The platinum plan combines the coverage of the Gold and Powertrain Plus plan and includes coverage for the interior and exterior of your BMW.

BMW Gold Extended Warranty

The Gold plan provides complete coverage for the engine, transmission, drive assembly, transfer case, cooling system, fuel system, induction system, steering, braking system, heating, and air conditioning components. This plan does not include the navigation or entertainment system as the Platinum plan does. 

BMW Powertrain Plus

The Powertrain Plus plan includes varying levels of coverage for your vehicle’s powertrain, including the engine, transmission, drive assembly, electrical system, cooling system, fuel system, induction system, and all-wheel transfer case.

BMW Extended Service Contract Benefits

BMW extended warranties come with benefits drivers often don’t think about. Below are some of the benefits of purchasing a BMW Extended Warranty:

• 24/7 roadside assistance
• 100% original BMW replacement parts
• Repairs are done by certified BMW technicians

What Is Not Covered By A BMW Extended Warranty?

All plans come with a number of exclusions that are common for most extended car warranties. Some excluded items are:

• Upholstery
• Wiper blades
• Glass
• Bumpers
• Exterior trim
• Tires
• Wheels
• Brake pads and shoes

BMW Ultimate Protection

BMW also offers drivers the option to add several additional warranties to their vehicles.

• Tire And Wheel Protection: If a tire is damaged by a qualified road hazard, BMW will replace the tire and or wheel for up to seven years.
• Windshield Protection: If rocks or other road hazards damage your windshield, BMW will repair chips. This plan does include windshield replacement.
• Dent Protection: This paint-less dent repair warranty protects your BMW’s factory paint finish. This plan covers the permanent removal of door dings and minor dents smaller than four inches in diameter and located within an accessible area on the vehicle’s body panel.
• Key Protection: If your keys are lost, damaged, or locked inside your vehicle, this plan will cover the cost of a replacement key up to $800 per occurrence. You can also have your vehicle towed to the BMW Center of your choice for up to $100 per occurrence.

BMW Ultimate Care

BMW Ultimate Care is a pre-paid maintenance plan available for all model years 2017 and newer sold or leased by BMW. This plan covers routine scheduled maintenance for 3 years/36,000 miles and covers the following services. 

• Engine oil and filter change
• Brake fluid replacement
• Cabin micro filter change
• Engine air filter replacement
• Spark plug replacement
• Remote control and key battery replacement
• Vehicle Inspections
• Fuel filter replacement

For model years 2015 and 2016 that were leased or purchased on or after 1 July 2014, are covered for 4 years/50,000 miles.

BMW extended warranty costs are not available on the manufacturer’s website, but we found several customer reviews in which BMW owners disclosed the price of their warranties. Many BMW owners paid between $2,500 to $3,500 for three years of coverage. This is a high price for an extended warranty plan compared to competitors, but it is not surprising considering the high maintenance cost of BMW vehicles

Your BMW extended warranty cost will vary depending on your vehicle model and the particular dealership you visit, and final prices may be negotiable.

When deciding if an extended warranty is right for your vehicle, you should compare expected repair costs against the price of your extended warranty. It would be best to consider the factory coverage of new vehicles. If you plan to part with your car before factory coverage expires, it is not usually worth purchasing an extended warranty.

BMW Reliability

Like all luxury vehicles, BMWs can be expensive to maintain. The average annual repair cost across all BMW models is $968, according to RepairPal. This is much higher than the industry average of $652, which isn’t surprising given that BMW is a luxury vehicle.

Here are a few popular BMW models and their reliability ratings:

BMW Factory Warranty

Before purchasing a BMW extended warranty, it is good to know if your vehicle is still covered by the factory warranty. Below is a list of BMW’s factory warranties and their term lengths. If your vehicle is still under warranty, you might not need to purchase an extended warranty.

• BMW New Vehicle Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles 
• BMW Corrosion Warranty: 12 years/unlimited miles
• BMW Emissions Warranty: 8 years/80,000 miles
• No Cost Schedule Maintenance: 3 years/36,000 miles

For more details regarding what is and is not covered by a factory warranty, you should read our complete car warranty guide.

BMW CPO Warranty

Certified pre-owned (CPO) BMWs come with an additional 1-year/unlimited-mile warranty that takes effect after the expiration of the vehicle’s 4-year/50,000-mile limited warranty.

BMW factory warranty coverage is long compared to other manufacturers, but because repair costs can be so high, a BMW extended warranty may be a good idea to protect your wallet against potentially expensive breakdowns later in your vehicle’s life.

Best Extended Warranty For BMW

If your car is not eligible for a BMW extended warranty, or if you are looking for cheaper, more flexible coverage, it may be a good idea to look into third-party alternatives. A third-party extended vehicle service contract may be less expensive, offer more coverage options, and can be purchased anytime. Third-party providers also offer protection for vehicles with 100,000 miles or more.

See a comparison of BMW and one of our top recommended providers, Endurance, below.

Endurance: Best Aftermarket Warranty For BMW

Our top recommendation for a BMW extended warranty is Endurance. The company’s Supreme plan with the Highline add-on is a specialized warranty designed for a variety of luxury models. It’s an exclusionary warranty, so it covers all mechanical breakdowns unless it’s explicitly excluded in the contract. The Endurance Highline Supreme plan is available for the following luxury BMW models:

• M2
• M3
• M4
• M340
• 8 series (except I8 and M8)
• X3 M
• X4
• X5 M

Other BMW models (such as the I8 and M8) are eligible for Endurance’s standard plans. The Highline add-on is for performance models only.

BMW vehicles can be expensive to maintain, meaning an extended warranty is more likely to return value. However, BMW extended warranty contracts are also expensive and must be purchased when you buy your new BMW.

BMW Extended Auto Warranty: FAQ

Below are frequently asked questions about BMW’s extended warranties.

How We Rate Warranty Providers

Our review process aims to deliver consistent and unbiased assessments of extended auto warranty providers. While there are multiple qualities that make a warranty company successful, our review team focuses on those we believe are the most important for consumers:

• Reputation: It’s important that an extended car warranty company is able to meet its claims obligations. Companies with a strong rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) score well in this category. Established providers with a long history of reliable service also receive positive marks.
• Coverage: Our team of experts looks at the number of extended warranty plans available, as well as term limits, exclusions, and added benefits like roadside assistance. Ratings also take into account the availability of maintenance coverage.
• Cost: Cost can be difficult to compare between providers because so many factors impact vehicle service contract pricing. To determine our cost score, we perform a secret shopper analysis for a variety of vehicles and plans and consider available deductibles.
• Transparency: Our team evaluates the availability and transparency of each company’s contracts, as well as whether each provider offers a money-back guarantee.
• Customer Experience: We listen to real customer sales calls and comb through reviews on sites like the BBB to learn about customer experiences. Warranty companies with a low volume of complaints score well in this area. We also consider the availability of mobile apps and chat features.