BMW warranty - how to check you'll be covered?

[x12yhp]

Hi guys,

First steps taken with a BMW and thinking of taking out the mondial warranty. After speaking with them, they seem unconcerned about the state and service of the vehicle until it would come to claims time. I find this a bit odd because, were they then to immediately say that Im not covered because something wasn't ticked in the service book, I'd be demanding to know why they didn't think to tell me that thing required a tick! They tell me it needs a full history, carried out according to BMW guidelines. However, they won't tell me anymore than this. So can anyone give me any assistance as to what should be in the service book for an 07 535D? I don't even know how many services it should have had, which should have had oil, brakes etc etc...

Many thanks

[gizlaroc]

Post up all the service data and we can tell you if it is correct or not.

[x12yhp]

Thanks. Looks like my local BMW have an in-house warranty which does mostly the same thing. They would actually do an inspection to make sure all is OK, which would leave me feeling a lot better than the mondial guys who seem uninterested in the car, only in the money.

[gizlaroc]

Don't bother with the in house warranty not worth it.

If you want to go third party use Warranty Direct, they cover wear and tear.

But seriously, what they are asking for is understandable, it needs to have been maintained properly.
So post up the history and I will look at it for you.

[Welshbeef]

Did you buy it AUC BMW scheme or another source?

If everything is as it should be (check with BMW) I'd be wanting to put a BMW warranty on it - that's if you want a warranty.

[x12yhp]

The car was bought from a 'misc' dealer who offered an RAC warranty, which strikes me as totally useless. The fact that my local BMW is offering a warranty of their own made me think that it surely must be good. After all, if it isn't up to scratch, they are going to end up with peed off customers (and we are talking customers who buy cars, not just warranty buyers!).

Anyhow, the car...

Pre-delivery - 23/05/14

Service 1 - 18/04/09, Mileage 13743
Engine Oil
Micro Filter
Brake Fluid
(Listers, Kings Lynn)

Service 2 - 18/04/11, Mileage 18499
Engine Oil
Micro Filter
Brake Fluid
(Listers, Kings Lynn)

Service 3 - 10/05/13, Mileage 35095
Engine Oil
Vehicle Check
(Bishops Cross Car Care)

Service 4 - 02/09/14, Mileage 52931
Engine Oil
Front Brakes
Rear Brakes
Vehicle Check
Brake Fluid
Air Cleaner Element
2 new rear tyres

So, how does that look?

Thanks

Adam

[gizlaroc]

Well, depends if you have receipts for the 'genuine parts' on the non BMW services?

If you haven't then I wouldn't bother with the official BMW warranty, you will need to show it was done to spec. which will be impossible.


Mate had a Listers warranty on his 535d funnily enough, that was their in house, just about everything was refused, so be very careful.
Another friend had one on his 120d with them, timing chain snapped and they refused to cover it saying he had not been properly maintained, full BMW history on that car.

As I said, be very careful.

I would go with the top level Warranty Direct one, it covers wear and tear. Get a quote and then wait a week or two, they will come down by around 30-40%.

[smashy]

,,,as Gizlaroc says go online get a quote from them and warranty wise ,go through the questions but DO NOT hit the Buy button ,you will get a phonecall in a day or so with a " lucky you we have a special deal this week"

I hate the way the world works these days ,re haggling but its the way it is, oh and if your happy try and get an extra month free,

[x12yhp]

Unfortunately, I do not have any receipts. You know as well as I do that the average car driver doesn't keep that sort of thing!

I feel that the guys doing the official BMW warranty are really pushing the boat out with their willingness to take my money when you guys feel it is so likely that they would then not honour it. Could they not have taken the 2 minutes to ask the details in the book and then advised against?! Sounds like they'd have barely a leg to stand on if someone pushed them to court for mis-selling.

I'll look up the warranty noted. Is there no way of finding out just how good the warranty offered by my dealer is? I have to say that I would quickly take them to court if they took money for a pre-inspection, allowed it onto the scheme and then came out with some BS to get them out of it. Surely the whole point of that inspection is to make sure that everything is in order??

[Smuler]

x12yhp said:

Unfortunately, I do not have any receipts. You know as well as I do that the average car driver doesn't keep that sort of thing!

I feel that the guys doing the official BMW warranty are really pushing the boat out with their willingness to take my money when you guys feel it is so likely that they would then not honour it. Could they not have taken the 2 minutes to ask the details in the book and then advised against?! Sounds like they'd have barely a leg to stand on if someone pushed them to court for mis-selling.

I'll look up the warranty noted. Is there no way of finding out just how good the warranty offered by my dealer is? I have to say that I would quickly take them to court if they took money for a pre-inspection, allowed it onto the scheme and then came out with some BS to get them out of it. Surely the whole point of that inspection is to make sure that everything is in order??

OP, I just went through a quote from BMW for the Mondial warranty, referred to as a lapsed warranty as the car I'm considering is 5 year old and been out of warranty since the 3 yr manufacturer's warranty expired. The only question they asked was if it had been serviced in accordance with the manufacturer's guidelines, which it has; it has no other work done on it besides a part replaced by BMW under the 3 year warranty and one recall (q/e). I have records of it's 2 services. They were done by a non BMW but respected garage which VAT registered garage. The receipts don't mention BMW parts, but I know warranty claims on cars from this garage have been honoured by BMW. I don't feel concerned and if I buy the car would take out the BMW warranty which impresses in it's clarity of terms and conditions.

[x12yhp]

Thanks Smuler. I went through and got the same info but they totally refused to clarify the meaning of a 'full history'. I have ready many stories about how good the mondial warranty is but, as confirmed by the other posters, they could easily enough just exclude me if they decided to - I feel very uncomfortable with this, especially when it is costing £700 a year. For something so expensive, you would think that they might provide a bit more information about eligibility!

[bennyboydurham]

To be honest you'd be better off sticking the £700 a year in a war chest for repairs if you need it. When my E65 ran out of warranty I plumped for the monthly payment BMW insured warranty but on a 7 it's something daft like £1600 a year. After a few months of seeing my bank account bum raped I cancelled it, found a really good BMW indy and let him look after my car. Six years on I'm £9000 better off as all my car has ever needed is pads, discs, oil, a couple of new PDC sensors (1/4 of the price at an indy than BMW) and a new starter motor - £250 fitted.

Seriously, you can run these cars for little money if you can find someone who knows their way around them.

[Smuler]

x12yhp said:

Thanks Smuler. I went through and got the same info but they totally refused to clarify the meaning of a 'full history'. I have ready many stories about how good the mondial warranty is but, as confirmed by the other posters, they could easily enough just exclude me if they decided to - I feel very uncomfortable with this, especially when it is costing £700 a year. For something so expensive, you would think that they might provide a bit more information about eligibility!

In the policy document I downloaded, in the section on keeping the warranty valid, the key is how the customer maintains the car once the warranty is taken out. Should I take the warranty and not use a BMW dealer for any servicing, then I would certainly get receipts and part numbers as a level of proof. However, I have not heard of any warranty being rejected without good reason on a technicality because a part used in a service, prior to the warranty, could not be proved to be a genuine BMW part.

To be fair to BMW, if the car (prior to warranty) had major work done on it and this work impacted on a later warranty claim, then if this work was questionable and not confirmed to use genuine BMW parts then I think they would be in their right not to honour the claim. However, this is exception and the reason to look at the history of the car you are buying before considering a warranty.

Have you given the VIN to BMW customer services and checked when the car has been in a BMW dealer? I did this, and that's when I learnt about it's one and only fault, which I have confirmed was replaced as a genuine BMW part replaced by a main dealer.

[Matt_N]

Just buy the warranty through BMW if you want to.

People have offered their advice not to, but it seems like you are waiting for someone to reassure you and tell you to get it through BMW.

[Ellieb10]

My '04 E61 is on the Mondial warranty. Slightly different story, its always had one, its always been serviced at BMW. BMW even changed the tires before I purchased it. Thus, I've never had a problem with warranty claims via BMW dealers.

Just my personal view but if Mondial cant "pre clear" your vehicle's service history before you buy the warranty or you don't have receipts for BMW genuine parts, then you don't have any assurance that they will accept a future claim.

[gizlaroc]

Smuler said:

In the policy document I downloaded, in the section on keeping the warranty valid, the key is how the customer maintains the car once the warranty is taken out.

Good point, this changed fairly recently.

Originally you could not take it out if you had lapsed from BMWs warranty.
Then they added that you could take it out, with a premium, but insisted on main dealer servicing only.
Then they changed it to you could service anywhere as long as it used approved parts and was to BMWs spec.

So probably less of an issue now.

I would just get the Mondial warranty or stick the money away.

[sjj84]

I've never had the service book checked when the cars been in for warranty work. My previous m3 had it's inspection 2 service carried out by an independant garage before I bought it, so the service wouldn't of shown up on BMWs computer, still never had an issue with warranty work, nor had to show proof of what parts had been used etc.

More of an issue is that the BMW service advisors don't actually seem to know what is and what isn't covered. It all depends on who you deal with as to how easy the process is.