535D durability

[pgilc1]

Welshbeef said:

Gibo993 said:

Waranty is nearer £70 a month on a 535d, well thats what I was told by BMW last month.

Hopefully I was wrong as I will be renewing mine monthly from Feb

Well given it is £70pcm = £840p.a. you need to consider the probablilty of failure and then you could pay this £70pcm into a savings internet account so IF there are any failures then just take it out of this fund hopeing that it is enough to cover the failure.

Even minor problems cost significantly. I had two parking sensors replaced under (extended) warranty and the discounted cost to BMW was £220. The service manager said a retail customer might pay closer to £300. Theres almost half the cost of warranty already...

Its also had a full ECU refresh (all 22 of them) at no cost to me and i know of one other thing coming up that will require a return to the dealers.

All within 3 months of owning a 2005 car.

Contrast that with a Fiat punto - no parking sensors to worry about, rarely needs an ecu refresh due to relative mechanical simplicity, and parts will be dirt cheap anyway.

I will be reviewing what i do close to the warranty expiring in june next year, and will definitely either change the car OR pay for the extended warranty...

[Welshbeef]

Well that work is pricy.

Fiats do come with parking sensors if you opt for them which would then be covered.

ECU re installs... I take it you mean this is purely for the idrive interface?

Still you must get my point longer std warranties are going to happen sooner or later, look at the states they have 10 year warranties... Kia offer them 10 years yet we only get 7 years... both are the same milage.

Makes you think buying a Kia out there (their 2nd highest family sized car seller....) makes a hell of a lot of sense a decade of only normal service costs & of course brakes 7 tyres everything else is fully covered.

[Welshbeef]

pgilc1 said:

Welshbeef said:

Gibo993 said:

Waranty is nearer £70 a month on a 535d, well thats what I was told by BMW last month.

Hopefully I was wrong as I will be renewing mine monthly from Feb

Well given it is £70pcm = £840p.a. you need to consider the probablilty of failure and then you could pay this £70pcm into a savings internet account so IF there are any failures then just take it out of this fund hopeing that it is enough to cover the failure.

Even minor problems cost significantly. I had two parking sensors replaced under (extended) warranty and the discounted cost to BMW was £220. The service manager said a retail customer might pay closer to £300. Theres almost half the cost of warranty already...

Its also had a full ECU refresh (all 22 of them) at no cost to me and i know of one other thing coming up that will require a return to the dealers.

All within 3 months of owning a 2005 car.

Contrast that with a Fiat punto - no parking sensors to worry about, rarely needs an ecu refresh due to relative mechanical simplicity, and parts will be dirt cheap anyway.

I will be reviewing what i do close to the warranty expiring in june next year, and will definitely either change the car OR pay for the extended warranty...

My other post aside - paying for 1 years warranty vs the additional depreciation of a brand new car really makes sense, dump all that saved depreciation into your mortgage/kids college fund.

[pgilc1]

Welshbeef said:

Well that work is pricy.

Fiats do come with parking sensors if you opt for them which would then be covered.

ECU re installs... I take it you mean this is purely for the idrive interface?

Still you must get my point longer std warranties are going to happen sooner or later, look at the states they have 10 year warranties... Kia offer them 10 years yet we only get 7 years... both are the same milage.

Makes you think buying a Kia out there (their 2nd highest family sized car seller....) makes a hell of a lot of sense a decade of only normal service costs & of course brakes 7 tyres everything else is fully covered.

Yes, though i think the three year warranty suits BMW. Lots of buyers change at that point, if they moved to four or five years people might hold on to their cars longer.

[Deva Link]

pgilc1 said:

Yes, though i think the three year warranty suits BMW. Lots of buyers change at that point, if they moved to four or five years people might hold on to their cars longer.

Longer warranty would hold up the residuals and make it cheaper for people to change.

I don't think the manufacturers (any of them) make that connection as all they're really focused on is shifting new metal.

[Welshbeef]

Deva Link said:

pgilc1 said:

Yes, though i think the three year warranty suits BMW. Lots of buyers change at that point, if they moved to four or five years people might hold on to their cars longer.

Longer warranty would hold up the residuals and make it cheaper for people to change.

I don't think the manufacturers (any of them) make that connection as all they're really focused on is shifting new metal.

Thing is Kia started it with 7 year 100k warranty, then Hyundai 45 year unlimited milage warranty now Fiat 5 year unlimited milage warranty.
Thats a total piece of mind motoring imagine the only costs you will face in either 5 or 7 years is the basic service costs and any consumables.

Ive seen some Brand New Fiat Grande Punto's 5 door up for £6k.... at car supermarkets... 5 years worry free motoring makes a fantastic buy for say the Wife & Im sure on the 5th year & 1 day its still worth something and will not die then.

Back to BMW sooner or later they will have to increase the warranty as more & more other makers - perceived lesser makes Kia, Fiat, Hyundai really push up their warranty. More & more companies I have worked for have 4 years or 120k miles for the company cars for every make so mayne as car makers biggest new buyers are fleets they may have to up their warranty.

[Andy M]

Welshbeef - are you sure the 'prestige' sector of cars is right for you? It sounds like if you bought such a car you'd not enjoy it through the constant thought of how much it would cost to run.

While I agree with you that warranties should be extended as standard etc etc, I can just see you being tormented by the associated costs of such cars.

[Welshbeef]

Andy M said:

Welshbeef - are you sure the 'prestige' sector of cars is right for you? It sounds like if you bought such a car you'd not enjoy it through the constant thought of how much it would cost to run.

While I agree with you that warranties should be extended as standard etc etc, I can just see you being tormented by the associated costs of such cars.

lol. Well Ive had VW Golf before not prestige but ahead of the general field.

[Deva Link]

Welshbeef said:

Thing is Kia started it with 7 year 100k warranty, then Hyundai 45 year unlimited milage warranty now Fiat 5 year unlimited milage warranty.

I've never looked at those warranties, but I've seen comments that the coverage on the Hyundai and Kia ones drops off as time goes on - it's only "total peace of mind" for the first 3 yrs.

[Welshbeef]

Deva Link said:

Welshbeef said:

Thing is Kia started it with 7 year 100k warranty, then Hyundai 45 year unlimited milage warranty now Fiat 5 year unlimited milage warranty.

I've never looked at those warranties, but I've seen comments that the coverage on the Hyundai and Kia ones drops off as time goes on - it's only "total peace of mind" for the first 3 yrs.

No that is incorrect it is a full bumper to bumper warranty, clearly like any other warranty it must be serviced in line with the markers service schedule.


When Kia first launched the 7 year it wasnt the full warranty it was whole cover for 3 or 5 years then full cover up to 7 years on engine & drivetrain.

Now & about a month or so after launch it changed to bumper to bumper warranty.

Ive seen plenty on Autotrader the 1.4 S (Golf sized steering wheel radio controls) ipod, air con only lacking alloy wheels for £7 to 8k... with up to 10k miles. Thats a stunning deal.

Id say the people who buy these cars buy them to keep long term and want hassle free motoring which is great.

[eliot]

pgilc1 said:

Even minor problems cost significantly. I had two parking sensors replaced under (extended) warranty and the discounted cost to BMW was £220. The service manager said a retail customer might pay closer to £300. Theres almost half the cost of warranty already...

The sensors are £50 + £50 for painting and by the looks of if £20 for fitting - which isn't a bad price I guess.
But then again you are assuming that two sensors had failed and needed replacing. (just put your ear next to them, if you cant hear a clicking sound, its dead). Sometimes the connector just need reseating, BMW tech discovers this and then sells your sensors on ebay.
So it makes the warranty look good value because you 'saved' £220 - but then again, it may of been a £50 job - you nor bmw warranty will ever know.

[Deva Link]

Welshbeef said:

Id say the people who buy these cars buy them to keep long term and want hassle free motoring which is great.

I'd say the people that buys these cars aren't likely to be BMW fanatics so it's a bit pointless promoting Kia and Hyundai here!

[Welshbeef]

Deva Link said:

Welshbeef said:

Id say the people who buy these cars buy them to keep long term and want hassle free motoring which is great.

I'd say the people that buys these cars aren't likely to be BMW fanatics so it's a bit pointless promoting Kia and Hyundai here!

Fully agree - BUT BMW drivers will want more warranty as the average creeps up.

[juliann]

OP - Only major warranty item was new inlet manifold at just under 100k - apparently the baffles break down .

Welshbeef - I was quoted £14k by dealer based on May 2009 (4 yrs old) and 170k miles. I paid £40k new with a ticket price of £44k. I'm reckoning it is currently worth £9k - me thinks dealer is being wildly optimistic !

I have no warranty now. The BMW quote was c. £1000 and was useless given my mileage and what little it covered. Aftermarket warranties were equally useless for the mileage I do. I'm 130k now and add to that at a rate of at least 1000 miles/wk as it's 376 miles one way to work (!!). None of the warranties were any good after 150k

Pointless swapping into a new car really as the E61 still feels like new and mileage makes it a no brainer just to keep running it until I drive it into the scrapyard

Pic is my 'new' racer - will be out at Silverstone GP at the Britcar meet.

Edited by juliann on Friday 5th September 08:50

[drivin_me_nuts]

A difficult thing these warranties - the fear of a big failure is the factor driving us to buy them. The warranty I got with mine paid for 13k's worth of repairs, for others, replacement M5 engines at mega miles (125k+) and have to be seen in that respect as a bit of a 'bargain'. The difficulty is knowing when to stop paying - 4 years 5 years when the car becomes in many respects a throw away object. It's hard to know really.

Is it still true that you cannot renew the warranty beyond 100k or is it up to 100k, so that if it excedes 100k during the year of cover it is in effect unwarrantied? Can someone please clarify.

[Welshbeef]

juliann said:

OP - Only major warranty item was new inlet manifold at just under 100k - apparently the baffles break down .

Welshbeef - I was quoted £14k by dealer based on May 2009 (4 yrs old) and 170k miles. I paid £40k new with a ticket price of £44k. I'm reckoning it is currently worth £9k - me thinks dealer is being wildly optimistic !

I have no warranty now. The BMW quote was c. £1000 and was useless given my mileage and what little it covered. Aftermarket warranties were equally useless for the mileage I do. I'm 130k now and add to that at a rate of at least 1000 miles/wk as it's 376 miles one way to work (!!). None of the warranties were any good after 150k

Pic is my 'new' racer - will be out at Silverstone GP at the Britcar meet.

Edited by juliann on Friday 5th September 06:36

I'd happily take it off your hands for that sort of money!

[juliann]

ha ha, but what would I buy ? I've every intention of driving it into the scrapyard at some point in the future. I've done the depreciation / frequently swapping into new cars game and it really doesn't matter much to me any more......spending the money on the M5 instead :-)

[Welshbeef]

juliann said:

ha ha, but what would I buy ? I've every intention of driving it into the scrapyard at some point in the future. I've done the depreciation / frequently swapping into new cars game and it really doesn't matter much to me any more......spending the money on the M5 instead :-)

Well if you change your mind let me know.
535d Sport Touring has to be the ultimate family car, fast spacious, lots of toys, safe & good looks.

I wonder how much a new x35d engine would be incl fitting? Someone could buy a 200k example with a shot engine put in a new engine then run it into the ground.