[Mike F.]

Hi all -

Hope I'm not asking dumb questions but here goes:

I'm looking at a 2020 M240i with ~4500 miles on it. It's at a non-BMW dealership that is far enough away that I'll have to fly out if I want to pick it up. I've bought cars in this manner from individuals before but never a dealer and dealers make me uncomfortable. The car looks great in the pictures and the Carfax is clean. From everything I know, these cars tend to be good out of the box, but is there anything I need to watch out for that could be seriously wrong? Like maybe the PO did something stupid that wasn't enough to wreck the engine but enough for him to want to dump the car? (Seems like a stretch but some of you know a lot more about these than I do.) Also, with this many miles, would a PPI make sense? Any other potential gotchas?

Thanks very much in advance.

[Edit: Sheesh, I couldn't even get the subject header right....]

[mattc1176]

First red flag would be them trying to sell you a m249i! LOL I'm sure others will chime in with a few things to look for but overall these cars have been super reliable. I had a 2015 m235 and now have a 2018 m240 w/ 25k miles and the only issue I've ever had in 7 years was some condensation in the headlights that they covered under warranty.

[Steakpizza]

Originally Posted by Mike F.

Hi all -

Hope I'm not asking dumb questions but here goes:

I'm looking at a 2020 M240i with ~4500 miles on it. It's at a non-BMW dealership that is far enough away that I'll have to fly out if I want to pick it up. I've bought cars in this manner from individuals before but never a dealer and dealers make me uncomfortable. The car looks great in the pictures and the Carfax is clean. From everything I know, these cars tend to be good out of the box, but is there anything I need to watch out for that could be seriously wrong? Like maybe the PO did something stupid that wasn't enough to wreck the engine but enough for him to want to dump the car? (Seems like a stretch but some of you know a lot more about these than I do.) Also, with this many miles, would a PPI make sense? Any other potential gotchas?

Thanks very much in advance.

[Edit: Sheesh, I couldn't even get the subject header right....]

Since you're flying out I'd be sure to cover all my bases. Bring an OBD scanner and check for any codes. A lot of stuff can be cleared but some stuff are "permanent" codes and will pop up after driving usually 50miles or so. One thing you could probably haggle with them on is inspection. Idk where you're grabbing it from, but check the inspection requirements and date and see if they can have it inspected before you fly out. B58 is a really solid engine so I wouldn't imagine any real issues to be honest.

[bcwalks2]

Keep in mind you still would have the factory warranty. While that would not cover everything, much of the items would be covered.

Goodluck!

[Mike F.]

Thanks, everyone. I'm looking into an inspection but haven't found a shop yet. Hadn't thought of bringing a code reader - that might be worthwhile.

Having a year plus balance on the factory warranty is comforting.

Any other comments will be gratefully appreciated.

[Nickies]

Originally Posted by Mike F.

Thanks, everyone. I'm looking into an inspection but haven't found a shop yet. Hadn't thought of bringing a code reader - that might be worthwhile.

Having a year plus balance on the factory warranty is comforting.

Any other comments will be gratefully appreciated.

I don't understand why you worry for a 4.5K. Other posters are just alarmist junkies to try finding something bad. Have a dealer to run the VIN and buy it in peace of mind. You are still on factory maintenance and warranty.

[MarcoZandrini]

Go www.bimrs.org and find a reputable indie shop that specializes in bimmers near the car. Have the car undergo a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) performed by the shop. It'll cost you between $150 and $250. It's money well spent. If the seller refuses to have the car undergo the PPI, run from the car!

[Mike F.]

Originally Posted by Nickies

I don't understand why you worry for a 4.5K. Other posters are just alarmist junkies to try finding something bad. Have a dealer to run the VIN and buy it in peace of mind. You are still on factory maintenance and warranty.

Thanks. As I read it, the factory warranty is transferable but the maintenance (Ultimate Care) is not. Am I incorrect on that?

Mike

[Mike F.]

Originally Posted by MarcoZandrini

Go www.bimrs.org and find a reputable indie shop that specializes in bimmers near the car. Have the car undergo a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) performed by the shop. It'll cost you between $150 and $250. It's money well spent. If the seller refuses to have the car undergo the PPI, run from the car!

I have a recommendation for a shop about three miles from the dealer. I'm checking today to see if they're willing to run it over there. Seems like a lot to do for a car with such low mileage but....

Thanks!

[Beaugeste]

so I bought a 2017 M240 earlier this year. the two 'lemons' I got caught holding the bill for was:
a) check the conditions of the tires, I had to replace the tires within months of buying the car. I'm guessing the previous owner spent his 'low miles' on the track.
b) the previous owner changed his own oil, and bough a cheap oil filter that disintegrated. it cost me another $2k to have the dealership fish out the rest of the filter.
I had a thermostat crack on me, but that was under warranty.

[Nickies]

Originally Posted by Beaugeste

so I bought a 2017 M240 earlier this year. the two 'lemons' I got caught holding the bill for was:
a) check the conditions of the tires, I had to replace the tires within months of buying the car. I'm guessing the previous owner spent his 'low miles' on the track.
b) the previous owner changed his own oil, and bough a cheap oil filter that disintegrated. it cost me another $2k to have the dealership fish out the rest of the filter.
I had a thermostat crack on me, but that was under warranty.

It seems you bought a pretty neglected car and you don't say how many miles you have on. Good luck.

[Nickies]

Originally Posted by Mike F.

Thanks. As I read it, the factory warranty is transferable but the maintenance (Ultimate Care) is not. Am I incorrect on that?

Mike

You will get full factory warranty. The balance of maintenance, you should check with a dealer. You have absolutely nothing to worry. You will get the full story on the car through the VIN and where it has been sold first as well as the service record.

The only thing you have to check is cosmetic issues like dents on fenders and doors.

[Ajowhan]

Originally Posted by Mike F.

Thanks. As I read it, the factory warranty is transferable but the maintenance (Ultimate Care) is not. Am I incorrect on that?

Mike

You are semi correct. The factory warranty is transferable but the maintenance package is "transferable" for a fee.

They will basically try to sell you maintenance plan up to when the factory warranty expire.

[RGM330i]

I am always a bit curious as to why such a recent M240i has been traded and why it is at a non-BMW dealer. Not a red flag but nice to understand the history if at all possible. E.g., I bought a CPO 2018 M240i in April with 17,200 miles on it. It was from a BMW dealer and the reason was the folks traded it in on an M440i. Carfax was clean, all service performed at dealerships and it was bought and maintained in Florida (my home state, also). I bought 2 Porsche Caymans similarly from Porsche dealers, knowing full history of ownership and trade.

[VAcurler]

I'd have someone on here that is local check it out. I'd also make 100% sure that it was yours before you bought a plane ticket. It's a 2020 with 4500 miles so get the carfax and unless it shows something major don't worry about it.

[Mike F.]

Thanks for the help, everyone. The Carfax was clean, so I went ahead picked the car up this past Saturday. Had a lot of fun driving it back up here, even on I-5 (which is in the running for "Most Boring Road Ever"). The car is a completely different beast than my old E90, and I have a hard time believing I'll ever regret this purchase. I gotta watch out, though. There were several occasions in which I found myself doing over 100 mph without noticing it.

As an aside, the dealership that sold me the car has a 35 acre lot for their new Toyotas. It was at least 80% empty and most of what was out there was trade-ins. The showroom had nothing but used cars in it. Some very high end ones - a Bentley, an Audi R8, several big Mercedes, but no Toyotas. This isn't because they're selling huge numbers of cars, of course, it's because they can't get new ones. Crazy times.

[RGM330i]

Congrats. Keep us posted on how you like yours. So far my first several months of ownership have not disappointed at all. Only changes have been M Performance Exhaust, Racing Dynamics Strut Bar, stainless pedal covers.

[Mike F.]

Thanks! Haven't had a chance to do anything but commute in it so far, but even that is putting a smile on my face.