Is maintenance at BMW dealer required to keep CPO valid?

[searay268]

We just purchased our first BMW, a 2017 X5. At the moment, it still has the factory warranty until August 30, 2020 and then the CPO warranty will go until August 30, 2021.

It is already past the 3 year maintenance window.

Is it required to have BMW do maintenance such as oil changes to maintain the factory and CPO warranties?

Thanks

[MauiM3Mania]

What did the dealer tell you?

[MarcoZandrini]

No. Just maintain the car according to BMW’s requirements using products that meet BMW’s specifications. As an example, the engine oil needs to meet BMW’s BMW LL01 specs.. There are many oils you can buy that meet the spec. The label on the bottle will read “BMW LL01.” Also, buy oil filters made by Mann. That company supplies oil filters to BMW. You can buy them on Amazon! Keep your receipts.

[searay268]

The person finalizing the paperwork indicated it has to be maintained by BMW but this is at the same time he is trying to sell us a pre-paid maintenance package.

I could easily be wrong, but I thought it was illegal for a car manufacturer to force you to do maintenance with them for a warranty. Now, I recognize the CPO is a little different since it is being tacked onto the normal manufacturer warranty so that's why I'm asking.

I've always done the simple maintenance such as oil changes myself on all of my vehicles.

[jclausen]

those finance folks are slippery snakes, tell them to pound sand and when you do your work just keep accurate record and the worse thing about cpo is it has to go back to the dealer to use it you can't go to independent shop

[MarcoZandrini]

Google “Moss-Magneson Act.” Basically it says if you maintain the car in accordance with factory requirements and you have an issue that’s covered by the warranty, the company must honor the warranty. Keep a log (Excel works fine), parts receipts (for stuff you do and shop receipts for all else.

[searay268]

Thank you all. As a CYA, I decided to contact BMW directly and here's their response. Basically it says it DOES NOT void the warranty but they give the encouragement to go to the dealer.

Thank you for writing to BMW of North America, LLC regarding servicing your 2017 BMW X5 xDrive35i. We're always happy to hear from our customers!

BMW warranty and maintenance plans are only valid at authorized BMW centers. Our dealers undergo specialized training and are equipped with special tools specifically needed to care for your BMW. We also recommend that you continue to service your vehicle at an authorized BMW center after the warranty period ends.

If you choose not to have maintenance services completed by an authorized BMW center, this will not automatically void your vehicle's Certified Pre-Owned Warranty. However, you should be aware that damage, including consequential, which results from negligence, misuse/improper operation of the vehicle, improper repair, lack of or improper maintenance, or the use of improper fuel as described in the Owner’s Manual or contaminated fuel is not covered by your vehicle's warranty.

Our Customer Relations and Services team is here for you. You can reach us at 1-800-831-1117 Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET.

I hope you find this information helpful. Thanks for choosing BMW!

Kind regards,