A BMW requires a special breed of owner. You must be ready to put some money into the car over its lifetime. Thankfully, the BMW warranty covers mechanical defects for 4 years/50,000 miles. But after that, repairs and maintenance can cost an average of $968 per year, according to RepairPal.
Aside from featuring mechanical breakdown coverage, new BMW vehicles also come with free maintenance for 3 years/36,000 miles. BMW’s factory warranty is fairly standard compared with warranties from other automakers, but you can find longer coverage from competitors such as Genesis and Lexus.
In this article, we go over the BMW warranty in detail and compare it with other luxury brands’ offerings. We also outline your options for extended car warranties in case you want longer coverage than BMW’s factory warranty.
What does the BMW factory warranty include?
The BMW factory warranty is comprehensive and on par with what other luxury brands offer. It covers defects in materials and workmanship on almost any component except for some exclusions. The New Vehicle Limited Warranty includes both bumper-to-bumper and powertrain warranty coverage, though some manufacturers offer longer coverage on the powertrain.
Below are the main coverages all new BMWs receive:
| Warranty | Coverage |
|---|---|
| New vehicle limited warranty | 4 years/50,000 miles |
| Rust perforation | 12 years/unlimited miles |
| Federal emissions: all parts | 2 years/24,000 miles |
| Federal emissions: specific control devices | 8 years/80,000 miles |
| California emissions: all parts | 3 years/50,000 miles |
| California emissions: specific control devices | 7 years/70,000 miles |
| California emissions control in TZEV vehicles | 15 years/150,000 miles |
| California TZEV hybrid battery | 10 years/100,000 miles |
| Hybrid battery | 8 years/100,000 miles |
| Roadside assistance | 4 years/unlimited miles |
| Trip interruption | 4 years/unlimited miles |
| Free maintenance | 3 years/36,000 miles |
BMW’s roadside assistance and trip interruption benefits last for unlimited miles during the first four years of ownership. This is a nice perk since many manufacturers limit the mileage to match the warranty.
BMW also provides free maintenance for 3 years/36,000 miles. The program is called BMW Ultimate Care, and it covers oil changes, tire rotations, spark plugs and brake fluid replacement when recommended by the car’s maintenance schedule.
What’s not included
Like all manufacturers, BMW won’t cover damage from lack of maintenance, accidents, aftermarket modifications, environmental events or misuse. So be sure to use your vehicle according to manufacturer recommendations to keep the warranty valid. The warranty also doesn’t cover wear items, such as brake pads, wiper blades and filters.
BMW’s warranty doesn’t guarantee that a loaner or rental car will be paid for while your car is in the shop for a warranty repair — this is up to the dealership. You’re more likely to receive a loaner car if you go to the dealer where you originally purchased the vehicle. If you know you’ll need a major repair under warranty, scheduling the BMW service ahead of time can also help you get a loaner.
How it compares to third-party warranties
Third-party warranty companies usually offer rental car coverage on all plans. The coverage applies after a certain number of service hours that can vary by the warranty.
How it compares to other manufacturers
BMW’s warranty is comparable to other European brands, such as Mercedes, Porsche and Audi, which all have the same term lengths. That said, Lexus has the same bumper-to-bumper length of 4 years/50,000 miles but offers 6 years/70,000 miles of powertrain coverage. Also, Genesis vehicles come with 5 years/60,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper coverage and 10 years/100,000 miles of powertrain coverage.
What does the BMW hybrid warranty cover?
The BMW lineup includes plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, such as the 330e and XM along with battery electric vehicles, such as the iX and i7. BMW covers high-voltage batteries for 8 years/100,000 miles on these vehicles. Other components including the hybrid drive unit are covered under the 4-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.
Some BMW models are also designated as transitional zero-emission vehicles (TZEV). These include certain 2024 models: 330e, 750e, X5 xDrive50e and XM.
Basically, TZEV models are held to a higher standard for emissions to comply with California laws. BMW provides extra warranty coverage that applies to vehicles registered in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island or Vermont.
BMW warrants the emissions control system for 15 years/150,000 miles. If your car fails a smog check or has a defective emissions control component, BMW will cover it during this time. BMW also covers the high-voltage battery for 10 years/150,000 miles for TZEV vehicles in the states above.
What does the BMW CPO warranty cover?
BMW Certified provides extra warranty coverage for certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles. These models receive 1 year/unlimited miles of exclusionary coverage after the factory warranty of 4 years/50,000 miles. If you buy a CPO BMW while it is still under the factory warranty, you get the rest of the factory coverage plus an extra 1 year/unlimited miles of CPO coverage. If you buy the CPO vehicle after its factory warranty has expired, you get 1 year/unlimited miles of coverage.
BMW’s CPO warranty is a bumper-to-bumper plan, but it isn’t quite the same as the factory warranty. The CPO warranty excludes a few more items, including suspension components, such as control arms, stabilizer bar links and struts.
This is a slight downside, as most manufacturers offer the same coverage type for new and CPO vehicles, but it would really only affect you if you push your BMW’s suspension to the max during that year of coverage.
Why would you need extended coverage for a BMW?
BMWs are a thrill to drive, but they have high ownership costs. Fortunately, BMW covers repairs for four years and maintenance for three, but you’ll need to plan for covering costs after those coverages run out.
BMW reliability
Looking at industry ratings, BMW owners tend to encounter more repairs and higher costs than the average car owner. BMW owners pay an average of $968 per year for repairs and maintenance, according to RepairPal. This is 48% more than the industry average of $652. RepairPal also noted that BMW drivers visit repair shops about twice as often as the average car owner.
Considering all that, BMW seems to be reliable during the first years of ownership. The brand ranked No. 9 out of 29 car brands in the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study. This study polled drivers on the number of repairs within the first three years of ownership. BMW scored the same as the average of 190 repairs per 100 vehicles.
Of course, a warranty provides better value when the car has more than a few years under its belt. An extended plan can be worth it if you plan to own the BMW for many years.
Where should you get an extended warranty?
You can buy an extended warranty from BMW or third-party providers. If you shop from dealerships, we recommend comparing quotes from a couple of different BMW dealers in your area since you might find different prices. Similarly, comparing multiple third-party quotes is a good way to find an affordable price. We cover both options below.
BMW extended warranty coverage
BMW extended warranties are vehicle service contracts that the company offers through its Ultimate Protection Program. BMW offers two plans: Platinum and Powertrain. Interestingly, BMW used to offer three coverage levels, including a Gold plan that was between these two options. Now, drivers just have these two choices.
The Platinum plan is comparable to BMW’s factory warranty as it covers any component except for a list of exclusions. The Powertrain plan covers important systems such as the engine, transmission and drivetrain.
Whether you get a Platinum or Powertrain plan, coverage can last up to 7 years/100,000 miles. Compared to the factory warranty, that’s an extra 3 years/50,000 miles of coverage. It might not be enough if you want to own your BMW for many years.
Third-party BMW extended warranties
You can also purchase BMW coverage from third-party companies such as Endurance. One advantage is third-party vehicle service contracts can cover 200,000 miles or more. This means there’s a better chance the plan will cover expensive repairs as the vehicle ages past 100,000 miles.
BMW’s extended warranty is only available from dealerships, and it requires you to go to dealers for repairs. On the other hand, you can shop for third-party coverage online and go to any licensed repair facility for coverage. Also, BMW’s extended warranty is only available to purchase while your car is under factory coverage, but you can buy from a third party at any point — even after your factory warranty expires.
Whether you shop with BMW or one of the best car warranty companies, read the vehicle service contract thoroughly so that you understand what is and isn’t covered.
What’s next?
BMW’s factory warranty covers up to 4 years/50,000 miles, and its extended plan covers up to 7 years/100,000 miles. After that point, BMW repair costs can start to add up. We recommend comparing multiple extended warranty companies to find the best plan for the price, if you want to extend your coverage.
Our rating methodology for auto warranty companies
At Homefront, we analyze, rate and rank top vehicle service contract providers to help you discover the right one for your needs. The best automotive service contract companies offer transparency, affordability and expansive coverage options, among other qualities.
We rate companies using our objective scoring methodology. We assess brands on factors that are important to consumers like you — including cost, coverage, market standing, trustworthiness and customer experience. After scoring companies on a 100-point scale, we simplify final scores into the 5-star ratings you see in our content.
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