Service history query

[Artsy]

Hi PH,

Was hoping you can help.

Seen a BMW X5 advertised by Sytner Select which is in the specs and price I'm interested in.

I asked for the service history on this and have been told that the services on the iDrive are as follows (Car is on a 16 plate and is 40d model).

Jan 2018 - 18449 miles
Jan 2019 - 25792 miles
Jan 2020 - 31363 miles
Dec 2022 - 47669 miles
Jan 2025 - 67669 miles

MOT is clean other than an advisory in 2024 for front shocks having a misting of oil (this does not re-appear later on)

The MOT history also suggests that from 2020-2021, the car only did 1200 miles and again from 2022-2025 it did 24000 miles. I would expect that in 24k miles a service should have been carried out but I'm also aware of BMWs adjusting the service internal on the computer depending on driving types etc

While I like the car, I'm not too happy about the missing services (unless they can provide proof of these being done elsewhere).

Does this raise any other red flags that I'm maybe not considering?

[mmm-five]

I'd be wary of any history gap of more than 2 years, as I think the brake fluid is on a 2 year cycle anyway...so if there's no history of that then something's been missed.

It sounds like it's too old to be retailed under the AUC scheme, but other dealers used to put cars that couldn't pass the AUC requirements into their 'select' or 'dealer approved' schemes instead...and charge the same price as AUC cars.

From my F31 320d and 335d, the oil services seems to want to be done about every 18k...but the iDrive should show a complete list of when every type of service/maintenance it has calculated to be due (oil, filters, brake pads, brake disks, etc.)

I do my oil & filter services every 10k or once-a-year though, as I don't trust BMWs condition-based service algorithms, and I tend to get it done at the same time as something else so I don't have to book it in multiple times for lots of little things and pay for the same 'standard scope' and 'free' inspection service each time.

Although now it's at an age that it doesn't go to the main dealer anyway.

This is more or less the schedule I follow...

Edited by mmm-five on Friday 21st August 13:48

[edthefed]

Artsy said:

Hi PH,

Was hoping you can help.

Seen a BMW X5 advertised by Sytner Select which is in the specs and price I'm interested in.

I asked for the service history on this and have been told that the services on the iDrive are as follows (Car is on a 16 plate and is 40d model).

Jan 2018 - 18449 miles
Jan 2019 - 25792 miles
Jan 2020 - 31363 miles
Dec 2022 - 47669 miles
Jan 2025 - 67669 miles

MOT is clean other than an advisory in 2024 for front shocks having a misting of oil (this does not re-appear later on)

The MOT history also suggests that from 2020-2021, the car only did 1200 miles and again from 2022-2025 it did 24000 miles. I would expect that in 24k miles a service should have been carried out but I'm also aware of BMWs adjusting the service internal on the computer depending on driving types etc

While I like the car, I'm not too happy about the missing services (unless they can provide proof of these being done elsewhere).

Does this raise any other red flags that I'm maybe not considering?

2020 - 2021 a lot of cars did very few miles owing to Covid lockdowns.

BMW use "Condition based servicing" the intervals are usually set at intervals of18000 miles or two years which ever comes first.

I would have expected a service by December 2024 or 65669 miles whichever came first. However i believe BMW also allow a leeway of 3 months / 3000 miles

Two things to be aware of - its done exactly 20000 miles between services ?

The wisdom of running an engine 18000 miles / 2 years between services. Many BMW owners (myself included) change the oil at 9000 miles / annually.

They service entries in the I drive might be colour coded

Green - serviced on time
Yellow - serviced slightly late but within the leeway period
Red - overdue

[ingenieur]

If you're buying an older car like this you should expect a few problems. You can't screen them out by reading all the data. At some point you'll have to take the plunge on something. I tend to go for nice cars based on how they look, what the bodywork looks like, specification and just fix any problems they have once I've got it home. Just going on the data you could still buy what on paper appears to be the perfect car and find out later on that it has several major faults. A lot of the time people sell cars because there is a build up of faults they don't want to deal with.

[SteBrown91]

Artsy said:

Jan 2018 - 18449 miles
Jan 2019 - 25792 miles
Jan 2020 - 31363 miles
Dec 2022 - 47669 miles
Jan 2025 - 67669 miles

The '19 service will likely be brake fluid change.

I expect the car has been oil serviced 18>20>22>25 so the 4th service was a year late. Its possible that 25 is a fluid change and its had a service done outside of the BMW system, as most independents don't sign up to update the history online.

[Artsy]

Agreed on that last point and the car looks good.

However I've found a car that's a year older with a main BMW dealer who can also warranty the car fully which gives me some more comfort.

Will have a think and see how it goes.

Thankfully no urgency on this!

[ARH]

Be realistic, its a 10 year old car, chances of it having a perfect service history is very unlikely. It it has been properly serviced in the last 3 years then chances are it will be as OK as you can expect a 10 year old car to be. I would be far more concerned about who serviced it and whether it had a proper service or just an oil change.

[66HFM]

SteBrown91 said:

Artsy said:

Jan 2018 - 18449 miles
Jan 2019 - 25792 miles
Jan 2020 - 31363 miles
Dec 2022 - 47669 miles
Jan 2025 - 67669 miles

The '19 service will likely be brake fluid change.

I expect the car has been oil serviced 18>20>22>25 so the 4th service was a year late. Its possible that 25 is a fluid change and its had a service done outside of the BMW system, as most independents don't sign up to update the history online.

So it was serviced in December 2022 and then January 25, so only 1 month beyond 2 years...
The 2020-2022 years included the Covid period.

Its a 10 year old car, although a complicated expensive 4x4, I'd want them to do a full service as part of the deal as its September next week and that's 20 months from its last service.