Servicing your BMW regularly, especially while it’s still brand new, is crucial because it will set the tone for how reliable it will be in the future. But because BMWs are a little more sensitive to low-quality maintenance, you might be tempted to get one of BMW’s service plans.
However, those aren’t cheap and since you can do it on your own with a BMW service on eManualOnline, making a decision is challenging. Still, learning more about what the BMW service plans include and their payment option will help you make that decision easier.
BMW Service Plan and Payment Options
BMW offers different monthly payment plans for each model spanning 36 months. The monthly plans are an option to make the regular service intervals easier on your wallet. However, these service plans are not always worth your money. Here is what the monthly payments look like in this case.
BMW Service Plan Monthly Payments:
- 1-Series/2-Series/X1/X2 – $25
- 3-Series/4-Series/5-Series/X3/X4 – $30
- 6-Series/7-Series/8-Series/X5/X6/X7 – $35
- All M Models – $55
Now, as an example, we can use the mid-tier models. So, for a 3-Series, we have a monthly payment of $30, and over 36 months, the minimum service plan period is $1,260. And now, here is what the BMW service plan includes at pre-set intervals.
BMW Service Plans Include:
- Oil change
- Oil filter replacement
- Fluid top-ups (coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid, etc.)
- Brake fluid change
- Air filter
- Fuel filter (diesel engines only)
- Cabin filter
- Spark plugs
Is the BMW Service Plan Worth It?
Now, after checking the BMW maintenance schedule, here is what you get for the $1,260 you will end up paying:
- Three oil and oil filter changes
- One fuel filter replacement (diesel only)
- One brake fluid change
Looking at this list, it doesn’t seem like you are getting much for your money. And in reality, you’re not. It’s hard to say how much all this work would cost at a dealer, but judging by forums, the three oil changes and a brake fluid change are roughly $950. The three $150 inspections you get with every service interval and the diesel fuel filter all come to approximately $1,500.
Hence, if you plan on servicing your BMW exclusively at the dealer, you will save some money. However, doing all this work at a non-authorized but reputable repair shop will cost roughly $500 to $600.
That’s a fraction, but you can further cut that cost by getting a BMW service manual and doing the work yourself. This way, you’ll only pay for the parts and fluids.
BMW Maintenance Schedule
Since we will discuss some other BMW service plans, some of which last up to 200,000 miles, it’s a good idea to see the complete maintenance schedule. That way, you can see what you get with each service plan and what you will have to pay out of your pocket. You can also get a BMW repair manual software to see a more detailed list of all the serviceable items with set schedules.
Complete BMW Maintenance Schedule:
- Every 5,000 miles — Inspection and preventative maintenance
- Every 10,000 miles — Engine oil, oil filter, and coolant change and inspection
- Every 20,000 miles — Fuel filter replacement
- Every 30,000 miles — Brake fluid replacement and transmission fluid (manual cars only)
- Every 60,000 miles — Air filter, spark plug, and transmission fluid replacement on automatic vehicles. Brake pad and brake rotors replacement.
- Every 90,000 miles — Auxiliary belt replacement, plus inspecting the hoses and replacing them
Additional BMW Service Plans
The service plan we initially mentioned is the BMW Ultimate Care package. It’s the basic package covering 36,000 miles and the items we already listed. The other two service plans are the Ultimate Care Scheduled and Ultimate Care Plus. The Ultimate Care Scheduled covers the same items as the standard ultimate care but extends to 75,000 miles or five years. That means oil and brake fluid changes, plus diesel engine oil and fuel filters.
The second, Ultimate Care Plus, covers the same items as the previous two but also adds items like brake pads, wiper blades, and even the clutch on manual transmission models. The initial period of Ultimate Care Plus is 125,000 miles or seven years. Furthermore, you can extend this service plan by another four years or 89,000 miles, which takes you to 214,000 miles or 11 years.
It’s undisclosed how much these additional service plans cost, but it’s safe to say they won’t be cheap. Plus, it covers only the items you are already scheduled to replace, so it’s not like you are getting some insurance as you do with a warranty. And that’s why it’s probably a better idea to do all the maintenance at a reputed repair shop as soon as the warranty runs out. And again, getting a BMW workshop manual and doing some easier repairs or basic maintenance yourself is always an excellent method to save money.
Last Words
Ultimately, the basic BMW service plan, specifically the Ultimate Care package, includes oil changes with oil filters, brake fluid replacement, spark plugs, cabin filters, air filters, and fuel filters on diesel engines.
Meanwhile, the basic 36,000-mile service plan gets you three oil changes, one brake fluid change, and one fuel filter replacement.
On the other hand, the Ultimate Care Scheduled (75,000 miles) includes seven oil changes, three fuel filter replacements (diesel only), two brake fluid changes, and one spark plug and air filter change.
Lastly, if you opt to get the Ultimate Care Plus, the previously mentioned service plan extends to 125,000 miles. Plus, it covers the brake pads and transmission fluid. That means you will get two brake pad replacements and one transmission fluid change on top of everything else.
