BMW Car Warranty
There is a number that decides most of this, and it is not three years. It is 100,000 miles.
BMW's own extended cover comes in three levels, and the two main options stop being available once your car passes 100,000 miles. What remains after that covers engine, transmission and drivetrain only, with claims capped at £5,000. Our claims data shows that is not where BMW faults actually happen.
This page sets out what our Reliability Index says goes wrong on 18 BMW models, what BMW's own plans do and do not cover, and where a MotorEasy BMW warranty fits.
See how BMW scores in the MotorEasy Reliability Index before you decide.
Why do I need a BMW car warranty?
Suspension is the answer, and it is a bigger answer than most people expect.
Across the 18 BMW models in our index, suspension is the single most claimed-for component on nine of them: the 2 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, i3, X1, X5, X6, X7 and Z Series. On the Z Series it reaches 58.33% of all claims, on the X7 39.13% and on the X5 38.13%.
What makes it a BMW problem is what happens to the cost as the car gets bigger. Suspension repairs average £246.79 on an X1 and £265.61 on an X2. On the 7 Series that figure is £1,033.95 and on the X7 £1,151.29, more than four times higher, on the fault type most likely to occur in the first place.
The gearbox is the opposite shape and it is unforgiving. The X2 is the one to watch: gearbox repairs there average £4,132.09 and account for 17.50% of all claims, the highest gearbox cost and the highest gearbox frequency in the BMW data. The X5 averages £4,035.75 and the X1 £3,334.36 at 10.74% of claims, which is a lot of money on a car people buy as the sensible option.
Engines add a third layer on specific models. The X4 records £3,749.43 across 31.71% of claims, both frequent and expensive. The X5 averages £2,891.75 and the i8 £5,382.91.
Electrical faults are constant. Most BMWs sit between 16% and 25% of claims, rising to 30.43% on the X7, 31.31% on the i3 and 61.90% on the 8 Series.
The range splits sharply. The Z Series scores 8.8, the i3 6.9, and the 2 Series and X3 both 6.8. At the other end the i8 scores 1.4, the X5 1.6, the X7 1.9, and the 7 Series and X6 both 2.4.
Put the fault data next to BMW's own cover levels and the mismatch is obvious. The most frequent BMW failure is suspension. DriveLine, the only plan available above 100,000 miles, does not cover it.
How do you get a BMW car warranty?
Enter your registration and mileage for a quote in under a minute, or call 0800 131 0001 free.
Which models we cover. The 1 and 2 Series, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 Series, Z4, the X1, X2, X3, X5, X6, X7 and XM, and the electric i4, i5, i7, iX, iX1, iX2 and iX3. Also models BMW no longer sells new here, including the X4 and 8 Series, which puts those owners outside manufacturer cover sooner than they expect.
Eligibility. Under 13 years old and under 130,000 miles.
When BMW owners hit the limits, and in what order. Most BMWs come off a three-year PCP well under 60,000 miles, so age ends manufacturer cover first. Mileage becomes the constraint later, usually in years five to eight, which is exactly when the expensive suspension and gearbox failures in our data start arriving. That is the point at which BMW's better tiers close and ours do not.
Which plan suits a BMW. Plan A is our most extensive, with B and C covering narrower component lists. Because BMW claims concentrate in suspension and gearboxes, a broader plan generally suits a BMW better. That is a judgement from our claims data rather than a rule, so check the component schedule for your model.
Lite plans cost less and are built around breakdown and recovery scenarios. Worth thinking carefully about on a BMW: suspension leads the claim table on nine of eighteen models and worn suspension rarely strands you.
BMW reliability: a MotorEasy study
BMW extended warranty cost and terms
MotorEasy compared with BMW Insured Warranty
| MotorEasy | BMW Insured Warranty | |
| Cover levels | Plan A, B or C, plus Lite versions | Comprehensive, Named component or DriveLine |
| Mileage eligibility | Mileage eligibility | Comprehensive and Named component not available above 100,000 miles at policy start. DriveLine available regardless of mileage. |
| Claim limit | Per plan terms | Comprehensive and Named Component: the purchase price you paid including VAT. DriveLine: £5,000 |
| Suspension | Covered on full plans | Comprehensive and Named Component per schedule. Not covered by DriveLine. |
| Wear and tear | Not covered | Comprehensive includes wear and tear on covered components for the first 100,000 miles from registration. |
| Where repairs happen | Over 10,000 garges or nominate your own | BMW authorised workshops |
| Excess | £0, £25 or £50 contribution | £0 excess not available if your BMW, Approved Used or Insured Warranty cover has lapsed |
| Terms | 12, 24 or 36 months, or rolling monthly | Annually or ongoing monthly |
Two things in that table decide most BMW warranty questions.
The 100,000-mile cliff. Comprehensive and Named Component both stop being purchasable once the car passes 100,000 miles. DriveLine remains, covering engine, transmission and drive-train with a £5,000 claim limit. Read that against our index: suspension is BMW's most frequent claim on nine of eighteen models and electrical faults run at a fifth of all claims. A drivetrain-only policy leaves most of a high-mileage BMW's actual risk uncovered.
The lapse penalty. BMW's £0 excess is not offered to customers whose previous cover has lapsed. Letting a warranty run out does not just leave a gap, it changes the terms available when you come back. Worth knowing before your cover expires.
One more detail in BMW's terms: if a repair costs more than the purchase price you paid for the car, you meet the difference.
BMW quotes Insured Warranty individually rather than publishing rates, so the only honest comparison is two live quotes for the same registration.
Get your BMW Warranty Quote
Enter your registration for a BMW extended warranty quote in under a minute, with cover available up to 130,000 miles.
Get a quote online or call 0800 131 0001 free.
Frequently Asked Questions
BMW Insured Warranty is quoted against your car's age, mileage, model and chosen level, and what you get depends heavily on which level you qualify for. Comprehensive covers the majority of components including wear and tear for the first 100,000 miles from registration. DriveLine covers engine, transmission and drive-train only, capped at £5,000. MotorEasy quotes instantly from your registration. Run both and compare cover, not just premium.
They narrow considerably. Comprehensive and Named Component cannot be purchased once the car has covered more than 100,000 miles at the policy start date, leaving DriveLine as the only BMW option. We cover BMWs up to 130,000 miles on our full plans, so there is a 30,000-mile range where our cover is broader than anything BMW will sell you.
Comprehensive is the top level, covering the majority of components, including wear and tear on covered parts for the first 100,000 miles, with a claim limit equal to the purchase price you paid including VAT. Named Component covers a defined list of mechanical and electrical parts with the same claim limit. DriveLine is the basic tier, covering engine, transmission and drive-train, capped at £5,000. Both of the first two require the car to be under 100,000 miles when the policy starts.
Yes, beyond the obvious gap. BMW does not offer its £0 excess option to customers whose new BMW, Approved Used or Insured Warranty cover has lapsed. Our £0, £25 and £50 contribution options are available regardless of whether your previous cover ran out, so a gap in cover does not change your terms with us.
On our full plans, yes, subject to the component schedule. This matters more on a BMW than on most cars, because suspension is the most claimed-for component on nine of the eighteen BMW models in our index. What no provider covers is wear. A shock absorber worn out over 90,000 miles is a maintenance item. A sudden failure is a claim. Note that DriveLine, BMW's only option above 100,000 miles, does not cover suspension at all.
Three years from first registration with no mileage limit on a new BMW sold in the UK, including BMW Roadside Assistance, and it transfers to a new owner while valid. A BMW Approved Used car comes with 12 months. After that you are into extended cover, from BMW or from a provider like us. Our terms run 12, 24 or 36 months, or rolling monthly.
Count three years from the date of first registration, which you can look up free on the DVLA vehicle enquiry service if you do not have the V5C. Mileage does not affect it, because the standard BMW warranty has no mileage cap. If you bought through Approved Used, count 12 months from the sale date instead.
BMW covers the high-voltage battery separately and for longer than the three-year vehicle warranty, with terms varying by model and battery generation. Your BMW retailer can confirm which applies using your VIN. An extended warranty sits alongside that rather than replacing it, protecting the drive units, control electronics and everything else. See our electric and hybrid warranty page.
Log in to your MotorEasy account, go to 'My Purchased Products' and click 'Report a fault', as soon as something feels wrong. We book the diagnosis and cover the fee where the fault is covered, our claims team checks it against your plan and authorises the work, then we pay the garage directly. Have your registration, plan number and last two service invoices ready, and do not authorise repairs before we approve them.
Usually because the failed component is not listed on your plan, or because service history requirements were not met. Keeping your BMW serviced to schedule and keeping the invoices is the single most effective thing you can do to protect a future claim, since we ask for the last two when you report a fault.
Yes, on any BMW under 13 years old and under 130,000 miles. If you bought from a BMW main dealer it likely came with at least 12 months of Approved Used cover plus any balance of the original warranty. Check the model's reliability score above before you commit, because the spread between the best and worst BMWs in our data is wide.
Routine servicing and maintenance, wear items, accidental damage and crash repairs, unauthorised modifications, and faults from missed services or ignored warning lights. Full detail on our exclusions page. Worth noting BMW's own terms also exclude oil leak rectification.
