Is a BMW Factory Warranty Transferable? (Coverage + More)

BMW’s factory warranty is the basic warranty coverage that comes with all cars, however, BMW takes it a step further by combining their factory warranty with comprehensive, two warranties that are often separate when it comes to different auto manufacturers.

Because of United States law, all factory warranties are bound to the vehicle’s VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) and go with it wherever it goes, which means that all factory warranties, including BMW’s factory warranty, are transferable.

Since BMW includes comprehensive with its factory warranty, that means that you get a little bit more out of the transfer than you would if you went with another manufacturer.

With comprehensive and powertrain warranties combined, a second owner gets the best of both worlds.

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What Does the BMW Factory Warranty Include?

Instead of separating their powertrain warranty and comprehensive coverage, BMW simply packages the two together under one umbrella that they term, Comprehensive Coverage.

The comprehensive coverage warranty covers several aspects of the vehicle, including all of what the powertrain warranties normally pertain to.

You don’t really have to list anything that is specific, as the comprehensive coverage virtually covers everything in the vehicle because it is a bumper-to-bumper warranty. Also, the warranty lasts for 4 years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first.

The powertrain portion of BMW’s comprehensive coverage is exactly what you would expect it to be. It covers the engine, transmission, and all of the drivetrain components in the vehicle.

This is all factory coverage by the way, with none of the components of the bumper-to-bumper or powertrain warranties separately purchased.

Additional Features Covered Under BMW’s Comprehensive Coverage

Once you gloss over all of the contents of the comprehensive coverage portion of the warranty, you might notice some additional features in the fine print.

BMW’s comprehensive coverage goes beyond just the bumper-to-bumper and the powertrain.

You also get corrosion warranty coverage that lasts for 12-years and an unlimited number of miles. Anytime you come across a spot of rust during those 12 years, BMW will repair the spot free of charge.

You also get unique coverage that you don’t often see with other manufacturers. For the first three years or 36,000 miles, your BMW warranty will cover all of your regular service visits to the BMW dealership that you purchased the vehicle from or the dealership where the vehicle was originally sold.

There is also the addition of alignment adjustments that BMW will conduct on your vehicle for the first year after it’s driven off the lot for the first time.

Drawbacks to the BMW Warranty

There are some elements of the powertrain warranty that aren’t covered by BMW’s standard warranty. Not to mention the fact that the warranty’s timeframe is a little less than standard. Standard manufacturer factory warranties are 5 years, generally speaking. Kia and Hyundai offer 10-years but they are not the industry norm.

The limitations on the powertrain warranty components pertain to certain components that are directly associated with the engine.

You would have to check over your warranty information to see exactly which components are not covered under certain vehicles.

Since BMW offers a combination of bumper-to-bumper and powertrain, along with a few additional perks, they make up for it by shortening the timeframe on the entire thing and limiting the powertrain coverage to very specific parts.

How to Transfer a BMW Factory Warranty

When it comes to the factory warranty, there is literally nothing that you have to do to facilitate a transfer. Since the US has laws on the transferability of factory warranty coverages, it is automatically tied to the VIN of the vehicle.

The most that the second owner has to do is contact the dealership after the purchase has been made. The crew that works at that particular dealership will be able to let you know the exact amount of time left on your warranty, all of the individual aspects of your warranty coverage, and what you need to do to keep it.

When we say “keep it,” we mean that there are certain things that you could unknowingly do to void the warranty altogether. Last but not least, standard oil changes are not covered under the more unique aspects of the BMW warranty.

While it states that there is coverage for maintenance costs, for a short time frame, oil changes are a little too “standard maintenance” to be included on the list.

Is There a Transfer Fee?

Occasionally, you may run into talk concerning a transfer fee when transferring the warranty from one owner to another owner. However, this only applies to CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) BMW vehicles.

There may or may not be a transfer fee applicable to extended warranties, however, none of that has much to do with the factory warranty until much later down the road, after it expires.

In terms of the factory warranty, there should never be a fee for the warranty transfer, which is not only automatic but also covered by federal law. So, if anyone asks you for a fee to cover the transfer of a factory warranty, you know you are being cheated.

Final Thoughts

Since the factor warranty that BMW offers is automatically transferred to a second owner, there is not much to worry about in that regard.

However, BMW’s factory warranty coverage is not as long-term as other manufacturers, so if you purchase a used BMW that is more than four years old, the odds are against a factory warranty coming with it.

References

https://www.thedrive.com/car-warranty/29552/bmw-warranty