[EnlightenedOne]

About to pickup a 2018 330i xDrive with 23k miles on it. It has about 1 year of the factory warranty remaining. I'm debating if it's worth paying $2849 for the CarMax warranty that would cover it for 5 years or until it gets to 75k miles. I'm not too familiar with the F30 so I'm hoping to get some advice about whether it's worth paying for the warranty on this model. Thanks!

[auburnf30x]

I just bought mine in January from CarMax. 2017 330i xDrive with pretty similar miles.

Honestly, I would say no. They offered me the same and I declined. Reason being that while they probably would stand by it, I wouldn't necessarily trust them to know how to competently fix BMW issues. It's also likely (but can't confirm) that they don't have the necessary shop equipment to perform certain tasks, or TSBs to access when a common issue occurs.

This is even the case (though less so) with more mainstream brands. The phrase 'jack of all trades, master at none' comes to mind.

If you do your own work, there's not much of a need for an extended warranty, they aren't that bad to work on. But, if not, you CAN buy an extended warranty through BMW, even if you don't buy from their dealer. That would be a more worthwhile investment. I was recently quoted for the exact same coverage for the same price you posted from BMW for their extended warranty. I didn't do it since I do my own work, but something to think about.

[EnlightenedOne]

Originally Posted by auburnf30x

I just bought mine in January from CarMax. 2017 330i xDrive with pretty similar miles.

Honestly, I would say no. They offered me the same and I declined. Reason being that while they probably would stand by it, I wouldn't necessarily trust them to know how to competently fix BMW issues. It's also likely (but can't confirm) that they don't have the necessary shop equipment to perform certain tasks, or TSBs to access when a common issue occurs.

This is even the case (though less so) with more mainstream brands. The phrase 'jack of all trades, master at none' comes to mind.

If you do your own work, there's not much of a need for an extended warranty, they aren't that bad to work on. But, if not, you CAN buy an extended warranty through BMW, even if you don't buy from their dealer. That would be a more worthwhile investment. I was recently quoted for the exact same coverage for the same price you posted from BMW for their extended warranty. I didn't do it since I do my own work, but something to think about.

So, the CarMax warranty can be used at the BMW dealer directly, which is what I would do. I definitely wouldn’t take the car to CarMax for repairs.

Do you know where to find the actual BMW warranty options? I’m not familiar with adding the BMW warranty to a used car that wasn’t purchased at the BMW dealer and figured their warranties would be much more expensive. Ideally I’d be able to add it when the factory warranty expires rather than paying CarMax for a year of overlap since the car still has a year of BMW coverage left right now.

[auburnf30x]

Originally Posted by EnlightenedOne

So, the CarMax warranty can be used at the BMW dealer directly, which is what I would do. I definitely wouldn’t take the car to CarMax for repairs.

Do you know where to find the actual BMW warranty options? I’m not familiar with adding the BMW warranty to a used car that wasn’t purchased at the BMW dealer and figured their warranties would be much more expensive. Ideally I’d be able to add it when the factory warranty expires rather than paying CarMax for a year of overlap since the car still has a year of BMW coverage left right now.

Interesting...either mine was different or someone missed a key point of the CarMax warranty coverage while they were trying to pitch it to me.

I got my quote from my local BMW dealer (which you can do), but there's also a member on here who can quote you on one also. Check this thread out:

https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...ended+warranty

[EnlightenedOne]

Cool, thanks for the link. Yeah the CarMax warranty gives you a $50 discount on the deductible if you take it to them, so if you get the $50 deductible plan then it ends up being no cost if you take it to them, but it’s definitely worth $50 to just take it to the BMW dealer directly.

[joesid]

Doug Demuro made out well with his CarMax Land Rover

[jd_perspective]

Originally Posted by joesid

Doug Demuro made out well with his CarMax Land Rover

I logged in just to laugh at this... oh man I loved all his updates. Sad though on how much/often he had to use it.

[undertaker]

Yes worth the insurance. No BMW is worth driving without a warranty period!
And a Car max warranty is legit at any BMW quality independent shop.

[EnlightenedOne]

Originally Posted by undertaker

Yes worth the insurance. No BMW is worth driving without a warranty period!
And a Car max warranty is legit at any BMW quality independent shop.

Anybody know if there are issues with the “diagnostic fee” when you take the car to a dealer with the CarMax warranty? That’s my only concern. Don’t want to end up having to pay the deductible plus $200 or more for the diagnostic fee every time I take the car in if CarMax doesn’t consider that fee part of the warranty.

[Billfitz]

At least 85% of third party warranty buyers never file a claim. No one sells warranty coverage thinking that they'll lose money on it.
Diagnostic fees are happy horseshit. Time was you had a problem, you took it to a shop and said 'fix it', and they did. Figuring out what was wrong was included in the price. If anything the ability to diagnose problems with a two minute diagnostic should make the repair costs lower, but leave it to stealerships to use it as a cash cow.

[tex2670]

Originally Posted by EnlightenedOne

About to pickup a 2018 330i xDrive with 23k miles on it. It has about 1 year of the factory warranty remaining. I'm debating if it's worth paying $2849 for the CarMax warranty that would cover it for 5 years or until it gets to 75k miles. I'm not too familiar with the F30 so I'm hoping to get some advice about whether it's worth paying for the warranty on this model. Thanks!

As yourself when was the last time you had $2,849 in repairs on any vehicle that would have been covered by a warranty if you had one. If you've had bad experiences, and you're gun shy, then go for it. If not, keep your $$$ and save it just in case you have an issue.

I don't think I've had any repairs - in total - for that amount, that would have been covered by warranty in the past 20 years, all on cars that I've had from 65K to 90K miles. My F30 is now 2 years out of warranty; I had one issue with the vapor barrier in the passenger door which I'm willing to bet would have been excluded from an extended warranty anyway. YMMV.

[auburnf30x]

Originally Posted by undertaker

Yes worth the insurance. No BMW is worth driving without a warranty period!
And a Car max warranty is legit at any BMW quality independent shop.

Not true at all...

If you DIY and follow a comprehensive maintenance schedule, these cars are as solid as any. The same can be said of following the same schedule, and having a competent mechanic do the work instead. The extended warranty is a waste of money.

If, however, you follow the BMW dealership's once in a while or never schedule, then you're likely to need that warranty at some point.

Regardless of any of the above, I do realize that the extra coverage provides peace of mind for many. That feeling is worthwhile for many buyers.

Regarding the 'diagnostic fees'...it is unfortunately a necessary evil in today's world. It is not uncommon for modestly skilled mechanics to take a car to a shop to find out what is wrong with it, so that they then know what to fix. Without the fee, they are basically doing charity work. I don't know if BMW dealers are the same, but in my experience the diagnostic fee is usually waived if you then pay them to fix the problem.

But, the one and only time mine has been to the dealer, they charged me $190 to change the cabin air filter, so...

[EnlightenedOne]

My concern is mainly from the unknown factor. I may maintain the car perfectly from now on, but maybe the previous owner never did anything for the first 20 or 30k miles and my perfect maintenance won’t reverse damage that’s already done.

[auburnf30x]

Originally Posted by EnlightenedOne

My concern is mainly from the unknown factor. I may maintain the car perfectly from now on, but maybe the previous owner never did anything for the first 20 or 30k miles and my perfect maintenance won’t reverse damage that’s already done.

Understandable, buying a car is a big process and knowing something is backing you up is worth it for a lot of buyers.

But, the first 20-30k miles don't involve a lot of maintenance, just a couple of oil changes and an engine air filter change here and there. Maybe a brake fluid flush. And with all model year 2017 BMWs bought or leased coming with complementary maintenance for the first 3/36k for the first owner there isn't much reason to suspect that the owner wouldn't take them up on it.

Just some food for thought, either way none of this matters as much as what works best for your needs.

[Kolianovskyi]

Originally Posted by EnlightenedOne

My concern is mainly from the unknown factor. I may maintain the car perfectly from now on, but maybe the previous owner never did anything for the first 20 or 30k miles and my perfect maintenance won’t reverse damage that’s already done.

Take it to a shop you trust and ask to perform pre-purchasing inspection. Not a regular one, but very detailed, ask them to drive a car for 5-10 mi, listen to transmission and engine. They will check all oil and other liquid leakages. So, nothing can come right in the moment, I mean nothing terrible. Of course, it is possible, but you have to be very, very, unlucky. And good, solid PPI will give you a reasonable understanding about probability of a major failure.

ANYWAY, a discussed car is pretty fresh, less 30 mi, all potential problems or something that already started would be easily identified.

I would not take it. You can think about this warranty in 2-3 years and after 70-80k mi, if any.

[tex2670]

Originally Posted by EnlightenedOne

My concern is mainly from the unknown factor. I may maintain the car perfectly from now on, but maybe the previous owner never did anything for the first 20 or 30k miles and my perfect maintenance won’t reverse damage that’s already done.

Well then definitely read the CarMax warranty documents, and make sure you understand what's excluded. Like, if infotainment systems are excluded, there's a component that is more likely to go bad that you'll still have to pay out of pocket for. Same for any items that are normal wear and tear items. Or, are there exclusions for problems that are caused by failure to do proper maintenance (if they can determine that was the cause)?

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by EnlightenedOne

My concern is mainly from the unknown factor. I may maintain the car perfectly from now on, but maybe the previous owner never did anything for the first 20 or 30k miles and my perfect maintenance won’t reverse damage that’s already done.

Originally Posted by auburnf30x

Understandable, buying a car is a big process and knowing something is backing you up is worth it for a lot of buyers.

But, the first 20-30k miles don't involve a lot of maintenance, just a couple of oil changes and an engine air filter change here and there. Maybe a brake fluid flush. And with all model year 2017 BMWs bought or leased coming with complementary maintenance for the first 3/36k for the first owner there isn't much reason to suspect that the owner wouldn't take them up on it.

Just some food for thought, either way none of this matters as much as what works best for your needs.

+1 - it’s pretty hard to screw up a car in the first 22k miles. From the AutoCheck it looks like the car has about nine months of new car warranty left. If you call a BMW dealer or BMWNA customer service with the VIN they should be able to tell you the exact in-service date.

[F30_Paul_]

No its not. Fix and maintain your car as you drive it. F30's are solid.

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by auburnf30x

It is not uncommon for modestly skilled mechanics to take a car to a shop to find out what is wrong with it, so that they then know what to fix. ..

That might have been the case at one time, but no longer. You'd be hard pressed to find an Indy that doesn't have diagnostic and repair tools. Those who specialize in German cars have BMW gear. Even the home mechanic can do his own diagnosis and code clearing. One app I have is the bimmer-tool Lite, which is surprisingly good, especially considering that it's free.

[exE36M3]

So... I HAVE a 2015 435i AND I bought CarMax warranty. Was about $2900 for 4 years or 75k miles.

In the 3 years I have had it, the following has happened to my car from 50k miles to 65k miles:

1. Enhanced cruise control failed - Carmax refused to cover it citing my car was lowered. It was.
I just live with it for now as I never use Cruise Control. Cost is $800 to re-align it per dealer.

2. GPS navigation failed - Carmax warranty covered the head unit (new/refurbished), cost was $2800 unit and 4 hours of labor (Like $800).

3. Radiator (top hose) broke off - I was fiddling with it, but this is CRAZY common. I fixed it for $35 BUT if this popped off during a road trip, that's loss of coolant and a tow. The warranty from CarMax would have covered it.

4. Emission item went dead - BMW covered this but informed me of the tune in the car and flagged it.
So engine and tranny and driveline warranty is gonna be a fight in the future.

WHAT I LEARNED
In working with the CarMax adjuster, IF there is ANYTHING not stock, they won't cover it. Period. BMW is happy to work with CarMax. So take it there and let them fix. I don't know if any independent shop can work with CarMax - haven't tried yet, BUT they should as long as the shop/tech is ASE certified.

So my 2-cents... IF you don't plan on ANY modifying work, get the extended warranty - from whoever. BUT IF YOU DO, plan on VERY limited coverage and some refusals from the extended warranty company.

[F30lolz]

Originally Posted by EnlightenedOne

About to pickup a 2018 330i xDrive with 23k miles on it. It has about 1 year of the factory warranty remaining. I'm debating if it's worth paying $2849 for the CarMax warranty that would cover it for 5 years or until it gets to 75k miles. I'm not too familiar with the F30 so I'm hoping to get some advice about whether it's worth paying for the warranty on this model. Thanks!

How many miles do you average per year? IMHO I would skip the warranty given that the car is barely broke in, however, you can probably purchase a better warranty through a dealer for peace of mind if you plan on driving a lot/keeping the car long term. For me personally, I have two vehicles purchased through Carmax and bought the warranty on both cars, however, only used it once combined.

Before the new car warranty expires, have a local dealer look over the vehicle. Some dealers I’ve dealt offer free diagnostic checks so maybe one of your local ones might do the same.

[EnlightenedOne]

Originally Posted by F30lolz

How many miles do you average per year? IMHO I would skip the warranty given that the car is barely broke in, however, you can probably purchase a better warranty through a dealer for peace of mind if you plan on driving a lot/keeping the car long term. For me personally, I have two vehicles purchased through Carmax and bought the warranty on both cars, however, only used it once combined.

Before the new car warranty expires, have a local dealer look over the vehicle. Some dealers I’ve dealt offer free diagnostic checks so maybe one of your local ones might do the same.

Yeah… I think if I want the warranty then Carmax is for sure the best one to get. I checked on the BMW extended warranty and it is more expensive, $3700 to cover the car until 2/2025 or 75k miles versus $2850 to cover the car until 5/2026 or 75k miles for CarMax.