BMW M6 - watch the warranty costs
Is BMW losing faith in the build quality of its cars? It would seem so, judging by the company's recent actions.
BMW M car owners are up in arms following an apparent change in warranty policy by the Munich firm. The upshot is that, according to one BMW forum, in 2006 the cost of an M car warranty leapt by 46 per cent to over £1,000 while cover was limited to the first 60,000 miles only. It's now more than double the price it was in 2004, claimed one forum contributor.
BMW's warranty price is compared to that of Porsche, which charges £725 for any car under nine years old, and for the first 125,000 miles. The contributor has compared the whole life cost and come up with a cost of £9,186 for a BMW over the first nine years, but only £5,075 for a Porsche, assuming one claim and 10,000 miles per year.
Not only is this a reduction in value, it doesn't bode well for residuals, especially those of slightly older cars. BMW is not short of profits so are its M cars really so much more costly to fix over time -- or is this just a way of soaking more cash from enthusiasts for the company's flagship products?