To extend the Warranty or to NOT extend the Warranty??

[Artz 330]

Well here is the situation . Currently I am waiting on my dealer to schedule me in to put my new trans in for me . But other than that they will check the car out . I hear the S54 is pretty reliable either way. Plus it really should be at this point and time of its life cycle .

I have 49,300 Miles on my car now . I will be buying this car out completely and plan on keeping it for a long time.

I am getting a 135i in the spring so I shouldnt be over 65K miles after that point.

I am planning on modding the hell out of the M now . F/I when it hits the market, full suspension, rims, might redo the interior with Alcantra racing seats stuff like that.

Is it worth it for me to spend the $3,000 on the extended warranty now. Or do you think the car will be reliable for a while and since I am going to mod it, just scrap the warranty.

What do you guys think?


Thanks!

[inTgr8r]

Wondering the same thing....
I really don't know about the long term reliability of the S54 though.

Most of the "keeper" S54 cars you see are pretty much garage queens. (at least the ones I know of)
What will the S54 be like after 100K ????

[BlackSapphireZ]

well i have 70k and have yet to use my extended warranty

[mister_roger]

As far as engine is concerned, I'd suggest reading up on some e46 M3 boards to see what common problems may lie up ahead, as well as maintainence tips. The engines are basically identical. Not sure about the transmission though. As far as chassis and other electrical items are concerned, I don't think you should have too much to worry about since BMW has had 4 years to work the bugs out.

If you're going to be modding the hell out of it anyway, you should consider the possibility that some of the mods may void parts of the warranty. IMO, take a chance without the warranty, and save the money.

[pbdm4k]

Also keep in mind, that if you plan on modding the Z beyond recognition, it'll be hard getting warranty to cover anything... say you turbo it for a nice 500hp and you blow the head gasket... good luck getting them to pay for the repairs.

The annoying times will be when you have a turbo on the car and your windshield wiper motor goes, and they tell you because your car is modified, they can't cover you.

If you plan on doing a lot of modifications, extended warranty may not be a great idea.

[flypenfly]

If you plan to mod it, forget about the warranty.

[Dammmittt]

Dunno man...i think you could look at it a couple of different ways...you've had issues in the past...so you may continue to have them in the future. But on the other hand, half the car is new now...so unless you think 3000 dollars is worth a free oil change every 15000 miles...

[Artz 330]

i decided to scrap the extended warranty idea. Plus its 3K for the Extended and 2.5K for the extended maintenance. Hell with that.

[SoCalSizzle]

Originally Posted by Dammmittt

Dunno man...i think you could look at it a couple of different ways...you've had issues in the past...so you may continue to have them in the future. But on the other hand, half the car is new now...so unless you think 3000 dollars is worth a free oil change every 15000 miles...

Dude, its more than just a free oil change. How 'bout the brake jobs and fixing every little squeak and rattle that drive you crazy. Not to mention God forbid something major happens.

I got the bumper-to-bumper full maintenance warranty for $2500 (same as when she was new). Tell them they sell it for that in SoCal and with a smile . I'm happy I extended; I have the comfort of knowing if anything goes wrong, I'm covered. (That is unless I have to replace the bumper again but that's a personal problem ).

[Yal]

Originally Posted by SoCalSizzle

(That is unless I have to replace the bumper again ).

And again, and again, and again.

[FloridaBoy]

$3,0000 seems high to me, we went through our credit union and got three car warranties from Intercontinental, they were only about $1,000 and they took care of us when the big repair bills hit too.
Here is the company:
http://www.iwsgroup.com/

[SoCalSizzle]

Originally Posted by Yal

And again, and again, and again.

[Romer]

Originally Posted by FloridaBoy

$3,0000 seems high to me, we went through our credit union and got three car warranties from Intercontinental, they were only about $1,000 and they took care of us when the big repair bills hit too.
Here is the company:
http://www.iwsgroup.com/

Whats covered for $1000?

[FloridaBoy]

Originally Posted by Romer

Whats covered for $1000?

I think pretty much any mechanical failure for 3 years or 100,000 miles.
We bought one for three of our other vehicles, (not the BMW—it's still under orig. warranty for two more years) and on our Dodge van we must have had about 6—7,000.00 in dealer repairs which Intercontinental covered without flinching. Keep in mind, this warranty is for mechanical failures—it does not cover maintenance or wear items like brakes, or cosmetic problems—but it keeps the big bills at bay. The nice thing about it is you can go to the dealer for repairs, or you can choose any other certified mechanic you want, they don't care as long as the repair shop calls before doing the work—you're golden. It's certainly worth joining the credit union in my opinion!

[pbdm4k]

I'd understand getting an aftermarket warranty if he were going to keep the car stock, but he has plans to heavily mod the car.

Warranties and modified cars don't generally go hand in hand.

[FloridaBoy]

Yeah, well I guess it depends—cosmetic mods like rims and interior stuff shouldn't void the warranty on OEM mechanical parts like the AC compressor, automatic top, transmission, etc. Any one of those could probably put you over a grand on repairs, and that's only one repair.

[rosierobins2003]

Originally Posted by SoCalSizzle

Dude, its more than just a free oil change. How 'bout the brake jobs and fixing every little squeak and rattle that drive you crazy. Not to mention God forbid something major happens.

I got the bumper-to-bumper full maintenance warranty for $2500 (same as when she was new). Tell them they sell it for that in SoCal and with a smile . I'm happy I extended; I have the comfort of knowing if anything goes wrong, I'm covered. (That is unless I have to replace the bumper again but that's a personal problem ).

AND, last post shows she does in fact need to replace the bumper again. It was definitely the right choice for Socal.

I got my warranty when I bought the car. They scared the heck out of me with the cost of servicing it making it seem like a no brainer. I am very happy I bought it as things seem to need tweaking from time to time. I have 49K miles and just last week thought the motor in the top went out, turns out the pins in the top needed to be greased. Its just easier for me to KNOW that things are covered.

But since you are modifying it and probably defeating the warranty, it may not be as simple for you.

Rosie

[ZEEFOUR]

Originally Posted by SoCalSizzle

Dude, its more than just a free oil change. How 'bout the brake jobs

I think folks are confusing the free schedule maintenance warranty and the manufactuers warranty that covers things that break.

I was quoted $2100 for a 2 year 100K service warranty. Didn't think it was cost effective for me since I'm not racking up the miles that fast requiing frequent service. I just payed for my first service which cost $274. If your putting a lot of miles on your car say 50K miles in 2 years you may come out ahead since your probably have 3 services and brakes done. Not sure how much the extended manufacturers warranty is i still have a few years left on mine

[pbdm4k]

Service warranty isn't a big thing if you can do your own fluid changes. The vast majority of money you pay for a service is for labour. The fluids aren't that expensive provided you don't buy them from the dealer.

But I think the main concern is the bumper to bumper warranty and not the service warranty.

[inTgr8r]

Originally Posted by pbdm4k

Service warranty isn't a big thing if you can do your own fluid changes. The vast majority of money you pay for a service is for labour. The fluids aren't that expensive provided you don't buy them from the dealer.

But I think the main concern is the bumper to bumper warranty and not the service warranty.

Service warranty??
I'd sooner pay for what I need as I need it,
rather than prepay for what I MIGHT need....

This whole extended warranty discussion begs the question...
Are BMWs really that bad to own outside of the warranty period? ( I know the general reputation...)

If they're so bad;
- why are residuals traditional one of the best in the industry (across brand, not Z4 specific)
- and considering extended warranties are a HUGE profit center...

IDK.. doesn't seem to add up to me.