[Maynard]

I was unclear who my comment was for - I was asking the OP if HE just dropped in or called first (to get at that 'am I too needy or is it them' thing). If OP just showed up, then it is partly on him that he wasted the trip, but if they stood him up on it then it is on them (or if they wouldn't add it to an existing service call).

And on a related note: I recently got my scheduled yearly oil change, and was happy to see that they had not reset the timer from my self-paid break in change, so my paying for the early one did not extend my interval for the free service. Didn't think to try to get the oil analyzed, but very curious what that is showing for others.

[morphomeman]

It is in the interest of the manufacturer for the car to have a long life. This is especially true for leases, which are returned and resold. Only a very stupid manufacturer would 'save' money by lengthening the service intervals, knowing that this was harming the long-term health of the engine. I assume that BMW is not stupid, which leads me to conclude that the 'free' service intervals are properly spaced.
Besides, they are not free, but rather built into the purchase price. That's the LL Bean model: charge more up front and provide a better warrantee, in their case for life. And it works for LL Bean.

[2seriesaddict]

+1 on not following "scheduled" maintenance. 5,000miles mark and I'll change oil and filters. I rather pay for them than waiting for them to be free and find out more problems along the way.

[p912guy]

Originally Posted by 2seriesaddict

+1 on not following "scheduled" maintenance. 5,000miles mark and I'll change oil and filters. I rather pay for them than waiting for them to be free and find out more problems along the way.

Agree. Count me in the camp of changing the oil every 5K miles. I plan to keep this car for 100k miles +. I'll also change the "lifetime" drivetrain lubricants on a regular basis too. I did this with my MINI Cooper and at 85K miles, my valvetrain still looks shiny and new. My son followed the MINI (computer) recommended oil change intervals and by the time his engine had accumulated 50K miles his valvetrain looked all gunked up and brown. There is no doubt the synthetic lubricants work great and don't need to be changed as often, but 10K miles is too long in my estimation.

[Viffermike]

Originally Posted by morphomeman

It is in the interest of the manufacturer for the car to have a long life. This is especially true for leases, which are returned and resold. Only a very stupid manufacturer would 'save' money by lengthening the service intervals, knowing that this was harming the long-term health of the engine. I assume that BMW is not stupid, which leads me to conclude that the 'free' service intervals are properly spaced.
Besides, they are not free, but rather built into the purchase price. That's the LL Bean model: charge more up front and provide a better warrantee, in their case for life. And it works for LL Bean.

Sadly, this is not true these days. It is in the interest of the manufacturer to keep the car 'healthy' until one of two things happens:

1). You are ready to buy a new car, and you (hopefully) return to the same maker for that new car
2). You have reached the end of your lease, and the manufacturer is on the hook to re-sell the car at the highest price possible (i.e., CPO)

In both cases, the car is almost always 3-5 years old -- which is the length of almost all lease terms and encompasses the vast majority of those who finance just long enough to trade the car in for a new one and be in the black.

Because of the above -- and particularly in the case of BMWs, which are leased at a very high rate compared to other cars -- manufacturers have little incentive to make a car 'last' more than 5 years. This is compounded by the length of the warranty, the accelerated rate of new features and 'tech' in modern cars, and the relatively high cost of service after the 5-year period ends -- which (this is important) ends up being even more incentive for an owner to buy another, newer car.

This manufacturing theory is an extension of the consumer electronics industry, in which obsolescence is a major and natural factor. When user serviceability went the way of the dodo in the 1990s, it became the norm. As our cars become more "throwaway" -- much like consumer electronics -- this model has been applied in places to the auto industry. It works particularly well for luxury cars since initial margins are higher, the resale value is held more intact than many others through 5 years, and the typical consumer isn't buying to own long-term as they might with, say, a Honda or a Hyundai.

As for the OP's original statement: I love the scheduled maintenance. It's free. How can anyone complain about something that's free? (and don't make the cost-is-built-in-to-the-purchase-price argument. It's a nonsensical one. That you know that already makes it so. Bottom line is that it's free when you take advantage of it.)

[rich8566]

Originally Posted by Rayscott

The service at my dealership is outstanding. I was there on Friday for a recall and horn issue. The service rep said you are due for an oil change soon so lets do it while you are here. This is my 2nd bimmer and I received the same level of service with my 2012 X3. They are very flexible and have a great business as a result.

I has this same experience recently too regarding an oil, filter, airbox and brake fluid change. I was about 2000 miles early, but they said that their goal was to minimize the number of trips to the dealer each year.

[simsimma777]

Originally Posted by yeezy

I've seen this topic discussed months ago but just wanted to bring up how annoying BMW is with their maintenance schedule. With my car at 11k miles, I tried to use the 10,000 mile maintenance package but when i got to the dealer they said since the car itself said it wasn't due for an oil change until 2/2017 or 1,100 miles I couldn't get an oil change. Bear in mind, February is about 9 days away. Especially stupid in my opinion since this is a lease so it's not even my problem in a few years. Anyone else agree that their 'strict' schedule is a bit absurd or am I just being needy.

11K miles on my car, and so far had 2 oil changes under the maintenance plan. Called in ahead to book and appointment.

For some reason, my car asks for an oil change at approx. 5800 miles. Took the car in at about 5K both times, and had oil changed without issue.

My excuse in case they gave me a hard time was that I was going on a road trip therefore would go over the limit if I didn't change my oil beforehand.

[DanG]

My dealer has always said less than 30 days before the build date for a low mileage oil service or less than 1K before the service mileage on the idrive.

[Rayscott]

Originally Posted by ballinisahabit

11K miles on my car, and so far had 2 oil changes under the maintenance plan. Called in ahead to book and appointment.

For some reason, my car asks for an oil change at approx. 5800 miles. Took the car in at about 5K both times, and had oil changed without issue.

My excuse in case they gave me a hard time was that I was going on a road trip therefore would go over the limit if I didn't change my oil beforehand.

Same here, was in for a recall issue and they changed mine at 5K.

[Maynard]

Originally Posted by Viffermike

Sadly, this is not true these days. It is in the interest of the manufacturer to keep the car 'healthy' until one of two things happens:

1). You are ready to buy a new car, and you (hopefully) return to the same maker for that new car
2). You have reached the end of your lease, and the manufacturer is on the hook to re-sell the car at the highest price possible (i.e., CPO)
...

Another factor that has been increasingly important is the 'cost of ownership' and how that is factored into many of the global ratings or consumer-report style reviews. This is a huge incentive for manufacturers to sandbag on maintenance intervals, especially as the factors cited above take hold (i.e. as they stop caring if it goes beyond 60K). Sadly, it is an incentive whether they are paying for it, or you are - you can't compare to recc's for international cars w/o the free maintenance, or other luxo brands like Merc or Audi.

[Viffermike]

Originally Posted by Maynard

Another factor that has been increasingly important is the 'cost of ownership' and how that is factored into many of the global ratings or consumer-report style reviews. This is a huge incentive for manufacturers to sandbag on maintenance intervals, especially as the factors cited above take hold (i.e. as they stop caring if it goes beyond 60K). Sadly, it is an incentive whether they are paying for it, or you are - you can't compare to recc's for international cars w/o the free maintenance, or other luxo brands like Merc or Audi.

Really great point that I hadn't considered. Kudos!

[jgunnz]

To resurrect an old thread:

My warranty expires middle of next month on my 2014 with 23k miles. Have had 2 services in 4 years. Took my car in this morning in hopes of doing a final oil/fluids/filters change under warranty and was told nope, it's not due until a few months after my warranty expires and therefore they couldn't do anything now without charging me for it.

Planning on making some calls about this but wanted this board's opinion first.

My thinking is this. I paid a lot for this car and have cost them very little over the car's life thus far. I'm a cheap date, so to speak. Looking forward, my wife's car is coming to the end of its life, and I was thinking of getting her a bmw. But if they're going to nickel and dime a non-problem customer over an oil change, why would I want to go back to the well?

I believed what the service rep told me, that if they performed the service, the dealership would be charged by corporate headquarters. So don't think it's primarily a dealer issue, but could be wrong.

Grateful for your opinions.

[nikman011]

So strange, I am at 6600 miles, 9 months into my lease, and my oil has been changed twice, first one at roughly 950-1000 when getting tune installed, my rep said "You are almost at 1200 miles, so we change your oil", and then when I had my summer tires put on last month "You are at 6000 miles, let's change your oil while you are here"
Is this good or bad?

[CP911]

Originally Posted by nikman011

So strange, I am at 6600 miles, 9 months into my lease, and my oil has been changed twice, first one at roughly 950-1000 when getting tune installed, my rep said "You are almost at 1200 miles, so we change your oil", and then when I had my summer tires put on last month "You are at 6000 miles, let's change your oil while you are here"
Is this good or bad?

If they are covering the oil changes, then I'd say this is definitely a good thing!

[nikman011]

Originally Posted by CP911

If they are covering the oil changes, then I'd say this is definitely a good thing!

Yes, they are

[bimmerfile]

Originally Posted by jgunnz

To resurrect an old thread:

My warranty expires middle of next month on my 2014 with 23k miles. Have had 2 services in 4 years. Took my car in this morning in hopes of doing a final oil/fluids/filters change under warranty and was told nope, it's not due until a few months after my warranty expires and therefore they couldn't do anything now without charging me for it.

Planning on making some calls about this but wanted this board's opinion first.

My thinking is this. I paid a lot for this car and have cost them very little over the car's life thus far. I'm a cheap date, so to speak. Looking forward, my wife's car is coming to the end of its life, and I was thinking of getting her a bmw. But if they're going to nickel and dime a non-problem customer over an oil change, why would I want to go back to the well?

I believed what the service rep told me, that if they performed the service, the dealership would be charged by corporate headquarters. So don't think it's primarily a dealer issue, but could be wrong.

Grateful for your opinions.

Your dealer is a dick.
My Z4, 1 series ragtop, and X1 were all second cars in the family and came nowhere close to being eligible for annual service (oil, filters etc) based on the limited miles I had put on during the prior 12 month period, but my dealer accepted each at anniversary time for free service.

[jgunnz]

Originally Posted by bimmerfile

Your dealer is a dick.
My Z4, 1 series ragtop, and X1 were all second cars in the family and came nowhere close to being eligible for annual service (oil, filters etc) based on the limited miles I had put on during the prior 12 month period, but my dealer accepted each at anniversary time for free service.

That sounds reasonable to me.

Thanks much for the reply, appreciate it.

[Vitacura]

Originally Posted by jgunnz

To resurrect an old thread:

My warranty expires middle of next month on my 2014 with 23k miles. Have had 2 services in 4 years. Took my car in this morning in hopes of doing a final oil/fluids/filters change under warranty and was told nope, it's not due until a few months after my warranty expires and therefore they couldn't do anything now without charging me for it.

Planning on making some calls about this but wanted this board's opinion first.

My thinking is this. I paid a lot for this car and have cost them very little over the car's life thus far. I'm a cheap date, so to speak. Looking forward, my wife's car is coming to the end of its life, and I was thinking of getting her a bmw. But if they're going to nickel and dime a non-problem customer over an oil change, why would I want to go back to the well?

I believed what the service rep told me, that if they performed the service, the dealership would be charged by corporate headquarters. So don't think it's primarily a dealer issue, but could be wrong.

Grateful for your opinions.

That is frustrating. But why only two services in four years? I thought the CBS was also per 12 months. My M235 has 6500 miles and has been in for service four times due to the Idrive saying to take it in.

My 2015 was due for a brake fluid change in January so I took it in. I noticed that the oil change was going to be due in March, of course they refused to do it stating that they would not be refunded by BMW, so I had to take it in twice in 6 weeks for service.

[jgunnz]

Originally Posted by Vitacura

That is frustrating. But why only two services in four years? I thought the CBS was also per 12 months. My M235 has 6500 miles and has been in for service four times due to the Idrive saying to take it in.

My 2015 was due for a brake fluid change in January so I took it in. I noticed that the oil change was going to be due in March, of course they refused to do it stating that they would not be refunded by BMW, so I had to take it in twice in 6 weeks for service.

Not sure why so few, I also just took mine in as iDrive told me to. But now that I think on it, I think it was three times not two.

I hope you live and/or work close to your dealership. Twice in 6 weeks doesn't sound fun.

Thanks for the reply!

[pikcachu]

Originally Posted by Vitacura

That is frustrating. But why only two services in four years? I thought the CBS was also per 12 months. My M235 has 6500 miles and has been in for service four times due to the Idrive saying to take it in.

My 2015 was due for a brake fluid change in January so I took it in. I noticed that the oil change was going to be due in March, of course they refused to do it stating that they would not be refunded by BMW, so I had to take it in twice in 6 weeks for service.

You could just have waited till march and do brake fluid and oil.... it's not like the fluid will convert to water after it's due...

[Vitacura]

Originally Posted by pikcachu

You could just have waited till march and do brake fluid and oil.... it's not like the fluid will convert to water after it's due...

I could've, but I'm not one to perform services when the CBS says they are overdue. Nearly three years and the car only has 6500 miles, the service for this one is by time anyways. Last oil change was due when the mileage was still around 9000 until service due.

[p912guy]

I think many of the "service" decisions are dealership based. I was in for service yesterday. A little over a week ago I received both text and voice messages from my dealership's service department suggesting I schedule a service appointment since I had service coming due, and this was with the service indicator showing at least 800 or more miles before service was due. I arrived at the dealership expecting a simple Oil & Filter Service but the service writer noticed my car would also be due for a Brake Fluid Flush in another couple thousand miles so he push that service ahead and had both procedures completed on this visit so I wouldn't need to come back right away. I had a loaner scheduled, but the service department promised they'd have it done in less than an hour and a half so I decided to just wait for it. I was on my way in just over an hour.

With this most recent service visit, my BMW continues to be my absolute best car ownership experience in 40 years of vehicle ownership, including initial sales, service and of course daily driving duties. While I have always been a Porsche fan and have planned to one day add another Porsche to my garage as a daily driver, I am quickly becoming a BMW guy.

The only disappointment was they didn't have an M4 in the showroom or on the lot for me to drool over. While I love the performance, comfort and size of my M235i, I find myself wanting an M4 convertible more and more next time around, particularly the yet to be announced M4 replacement which I expect will be several hundred pounds lighter and come with a folding soft top instead of the current folding hard top. They did have a gorgeous flat silver metallic 760i in the showroom with full dark tan leather (think Rawlings baseball glove, smell included) with all the bells and whistles and a sticker price north of $170K. While it was a beautiful car it's way beyond my means and I don't see myself as ever being a luxury sedan guy.