BMWs are by far the most expensive car manufacturer to repair, claims Your Mechanic. The competition is not even close. With an average maintenance cost of $17,800 over ten years, BMW comes in #1. Mercedes-Benz came in second with an average maintenance cost of $12,900 during a 10-year period. In contrast, the typical Toyota only cost $5,500 to maintain during a 10-year period because they are recognized for requiring less maintenance.
According to Your Mechanic, such high maintenance costs are usual in German premium vehicles. Audi comes in sixth with an average $12,400 maintenance expense over a 10-year period. This is primarily a result of the pricey, high-end parts that these luxury vehicles require. Naturally, it will cost a lot of money to fix those pieces when they break or need maintenance.
However, while being premium vehicles, they also have ongoing problems. For instance, according to Your Mechanic, a BMW is four times more likely to not start than a typical automobile. It was ranked seventh overall as a result. Additionally, the window regulator on the BMW required replacement 18 times more frequently than the window regulator on the ordinary car.
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FAQ: BMW Repair Prices
Yes, BMW servicing is more expensive than many other manufacturers, whether they are premium or not, once the warranty expires. Over a ten-year period, a BMW may cost $12,000 more to maintain than a Toyota and $5,000 more than a Mercedes-Benz.
Because it’s a German car with specialized parts and technology, maintaining a BMW is pricey. It’s not merely a car to get people from point A to point B; it was designed for driving aficionados. A $400 battery replacement, for instance, might be necessary because the mechanic must register the battery with the engine control module. If not, the battery risk of an early demise since the vehicle won’t “know” how to charge it.
Additionally, the Digital Motor Electronics (DME) system in cars connects countless sensors and controls. A BMW may require a sophisticated method for a simple repair on another vehicle, which increases labor expenses.
Yes, a 3-Series BMW requires pricey maintenance once the manufacturer or certified pre-owned warranty has expired. A used BMW 3-Series typically costs $1,000 to $1,700 per year in maintenance and repairs.
A BMW 328i oil change can cost between $149 and $174, according to RepairPal. Nevertheless, depending on your area and BMW model, you can pay more than that.
affordable insurance
The annual cost of BMW maintenance is between $950 and $1,000, which is significantly higher than the national average. While your real expenses will vary depending on the type you drive and how you operate it, RepairPal gives BMW a reliability rating of 2.5 out of 5.
BMW is a well-known brand that creates high-end sedans, coupes, and convertibles. The two states with the most BMWs in the nation are California and Florida. So how much does it cost to keep a premium car running? Find out by reading on.
Let’s investigate everything from the most expensive BMW to the different services needed: Do BMWs cost a lot to maintain?
Do BMWs cost a lot to lease?
It’s a frequent misperception that premium vehicles are expensive to lease. when in reality, this is frequently untrue.
How much the car will depreciate in value over the course of the lease term is one of the variables that affect how much it will cost. A automobile that depreciates significantly will cost extra. BMWs have high residual values, making them more valuable over time than vehicles from many other manufacturers. This implies that they might cost less to rent than consumers believe.
Depreciation does play a significant role in lease prices, albeit there are other factors as well (learn more about them here). BMWs cost less to lease because they lose less value over time. Because they are actually extremely affordable, brands like BMW, Mercedes, and Audi are all very popular for leasing.
BMWs are generally not as expensive to lease as you think they are, though there are other factors that can affect lease price.
Really, it depends. Because BMW is a luxury brand, buying one of their vehicles will cost more than buying one from a less expensive manufacturer. But you most likely already anticipated that. Although the costs of maintenance are lower than for more expensive models, the average cost of repairs is rather high. However, you may reduce the cost by performing as much maintenance at home as you can to cut down on trips to the garage. The type of insurance you choose depends on the model. Even the identical models of BMW might have significantly different insurance costs. Therefore, before you make a choice, it’s crucial that you consider how much it will cost to insurance your BMW. A BMW probably isn’t as pricey as you might assume if you were to lease one. Their low rates of depreciation make them desirable leasing vehicles because they significantly lower the monthly payments. Again, it depends on the model you choose, but we’re confident that the lease will be less expensive than you anticipate.
I hope this helped you get a sense of how pricey or economical owning a BMW is.
Which BMW model do you own?
The true surprise lies here. The cost of maintenance will be pretty minimal if you own an ancient BMW that was popular back in the day, like an E30 3 Series, for instance. It’s not a sophisticated automobile, so there aren’t many electronics or speciality parts, and since it was a widely sold model, replacement parts are easy to get and labor costs aren’t too high.
However, if you have a brand-new BMW 7 Series, it will cost much more because its parts are more expensive and high-tech. It is also much more complex, which means there are more potential problems and you must rely on more expensive specialists to work on it.
Therefore, when commentators and YouTubers make generalizations about how expensive it is to sustain any business, they are merely selling you clickbait.
Of course, certain BMWs cost a lot to maintain because they are difficult to repair and unreliable, like the E65 BMW 7 Series, which is a complete nightmare. However, some vehicles, like an E46 BMW 3 Series or an E39 BMW 5 Series, are manageably simple and affordable to maintain when done correctly.
Superior Parts
It’s usually a good idea to only use genuine OEM components produced by BMW when a repair is necessary. Although there are aftermarket possibilities at the neighborhood auto parts shop, the majority are of lower quality. This implies that you’re much more likely to experience early failure.
Replacement parts for BMW cost more, as one might anticipate. The majority of these parts are produced by prestigious companies like Bosch and Bilstein. You are purchasing premium workmanship. Maintaining high-performance vehicles is considerably more expensive. The BMW M5 is a nice illustration. This powerful sports car has improved brakes, performance tires, and a unique sport suspension.
How Much Does a BMW Cost to Maintain?
This German automaker has grown to become one of the most well-known automobile brands globally since 1916. Due to their extensive appeal, BMW’s range of high-end luxury vehicles is appreciated by everyone from regular drivers to celebrities and even the most well-known spy in the world. In fact, just between January 1 and October 1, 2021, the U.S. experienced 243,613 BMW sales!
BMW offers up to 16 different vehicle designs in total, ranging from the sporty BMW M series to the compact X1 series. BMWs will cost more to maintain and repair than other makes and models because they are luxury cars. BMW owners should budget upwards of $1,000 to $1,700 annually for maintenance and repairs.
The Real Price Of A BMW 3 Series
One-step plug and play is not typically associated with vehicle ownership. Owning a car or any other type of vehicle requires consideration of a variety of issues. We’ll be examining the ownership expenses of BMW’s best-selling model, the 3-series, in more detail in this discussion.
BMWs from the past have a reputation for being unreliable, and to some extent, this is still true. There are differing opinions among BMW enthusiasts about both the adored M3 and the notoriously unreliable E60 M5. However, things have improved as BMW is currently ranked as the 9th most trustworthy brand by Whatcar.
Moving on to the vehicle in issue, the latest iteration of the BMW 3-series has been praised for its dependability and appears to be superior to its fellow German rivals, the Audi A4 and the Mercedes-Benz C-class.
Over the course of five years, the real cost of owning a BMW 3-series is $58,870. Numerous factors, including depreciation, insurance, fuel, and maintenance costs, are taken into account; their breakdown and associated costs are provided below.
Are BMW Automobiles Reliable?
Unfortunately, even among luxury cars, BMWs are among the least dependable cars on the market. BMW had a reliability rating from RepairPal of 2.5 out of 5.0, which is decent on its own. BMW, however, placed 30 out of 32 brands across more than 300 models when compared to other manufacturers; only Porsche and Land Rover performed lower.
The reliability of a vehicle is determined by a number of variables, including maintenance costs, the frequency of unplanned repairs, and the complexity of the repairs, according to RepairPal’s grading system.
- Owners of BMW vehicles typically spend $968 year on repairs, which is more than the $652 national average.
- Owners of BMW vehicles will visit the shop for unscheduled repairs on average 0.9 times each year. This is more than twice as often as the brand’s annual average of 0.4 times.
- 15% of BMW repairs are deemed serious in terms of repair severity. Additionally, it is a little higher than the 12% average for all brands as a whole.
BMW vehicles need specific parts and trained workers, so it’s not unexpected that repairs are more expensive. However, it is evident that BMW deserves its reputation for being unreliable given the high frequency of unscheduled maintenance and severity levels.
You can always be sure that you got the greatest value possible since CoPilot scans your neighborhood and notifies you if there is a better deal on a comparable vehicle nearby. The best approach to purchase a car is through the CoPilot app.
Does owning a BMW come at a high cost?
One of the most popular BMW vehicles is the 3 Series. We made the decision to contrast its upkeep and repair expenses with those of the Audi A4, Nissan 370Z, and Lexus IS models from a few other manufacturers. We’ll examine the five-year costs of owning 2019 and 2015 model years, like we did before.
The differences between the BMW 330i and the Audi A4 for 2019 models are minimal. Although repairs are substantially less expensive, Lexus IS 300 maintenance expenses are comparable to similar vehicles. However, the Nissan 370Z prevails since it requires the least amount of upkeep and repairs.
Let’s examine the 2015 Lexus IS 250, 2015 Nissan 370Z, 2015 BMW 328i, and 2015 Audi A4 now:
You’ll observe that among these vehicles, BMW has the highest ownership costs. In fact, YourMechanic discovered that over the course of ten years, BMW owners spend $17,800 on maintenance and repairs. That is more than any other brand, including Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac, and Audi, that was surveyed. Porsche, on the other hand, was left out of the poll and receives a worse dependability rating from RepairPal: BMW receives a score of 2.5 out of 5, while Porsche receives a score of 2.0 out of 5.
The Nissan and Lexus models will also prove to be significantly less expensive to maintain over time. Nissan is not a premium brand, despite the fact that the 370Z is undoubtedly a luxury sports car. Furthermore, since it’s a Japanese car, repairs are less expensive.
Lexus is a comparable tale. Since Lexus is Toyota’s luxury subsidiary, many of their vehicles’ components and engines are interchangeable. The LX, ES, and GX have the same engines as other Toyota models, whereas the Lexus IS 300 and 250 have unique engines that require premium fuel. The benefit of being one of the most dependable brands extends to Lexus automobiles.
It is helpful to compare BMW maintenance prices to those of other brands. On the other hand, we’re confident that many owners would concur that driving a BMW has a certain exciting quality. It’s in a class all its own. Perhaps after getting behind the wheel, you’ve determined that the cost of maintaining your BMW 328i is worthwhile. Just don’t utilize a mortgage loan to pay for them.
Last but not least, the annual repair cost rankings for all of these brands are as follows (through RepairPal):
- Mazda: $500
- Lexus: $551
- BMW: $968
- Audi: $987