If you want all the style and performance of a new BMW without that new-car price tag, you might be considering a used BMW. But buying a used car can be risky—especially if you don’t know much about the vehicle’s maintenance history. BMW’s CPO program offers peace of mind for buyers, plus competitive warranty coverage.

Here to review the BMW CPO warranty is

Jerry

, the trusted

car insurance

comparison tool and the super app drivers need. We’ll go over all the details of the CPO warranty and look at average BMW reliability and repair costs to help you decide whether this warranty is worth it. Finally, as an added bonus, we’ll show you how to save on

BMW insurance costs

BMW certified pre-owned (CPO) warranty coverage

The BMW certified pre-owned (CPO) warranty is a protection plan for used BMW vehicles that builds on BMW’s 50,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty with up to six years and unlimited miles of coverage.

Let’s break it down a little further. When you purchase a CPO vehicle from your BMW dealership, you’ll get any remaining warranty benefits from its original new vehicle warranty. The standard BMW new vehicle warranty/SAV limited warranty is for four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. All certified BMW pre-owned vehicles are under six years old and have less than 60,000 miles on the odometer—so in most cases, you’ll have an appreciable amount of coverage remaining.

After the original warranty runs out, the CPO warranty kicks in—with no mileage limit. The standard BMW CPO warranty adds one additional year of coverage with unlimited miles, but you can pay for an extra year if you like, adding up to six years of coverage from the vehicle’s original in-service date.

Under the BMW CPO warranty, BMW-trained technicians repair defects in parts or workmanship. While the original warranty coverage lasts, you’ll get those services free of charge. But when the CPO warranty period begins, you’ll have to pay a $50 deductible for any services.

But this isn’t exactly an extended warranty—for one thing, the coverage you’ll get under the CPO warranty is less comprehensive. Here’s what you can expect coverage for and what you’ll need to handle on your own.

What’s covered

The BMW CPO warranty provides basic coverage for defects in either labor or manufacture—but not for every part of the car. The CPO warranty covers:

Engine

Transmission

Electrical systems

Brakes

Fuel system

Steering

Driveshaft and final drive assembly

Certain interior and exterior features

Air conditioning and heating

Some suspension parts

While the original new vehicle warranty lasts, you’ll have even more coverage!

What isn’t covered

A BMW CPO warranty doesn’t cover everything. The following components and services aren’t covered under this protection plan:

Tires and wheel alignment

Exhaust system

Interior elements such as light bulbs and carpeting

Most suspension parts (including ball joints, bushings, struts, and shock absorbers)

And, like any warranty, the CPO warranty won’t cover maintenance or any repairs required by wear and tear, misuse, or neglect. For example, rust and corrosion on the vehicle’s exterior aren’t covered under the CPO warranty.

Additional benefits

Low-cost repairs for manufacturer defects are just part of what you’ll get with the BMW CPO warranty. You’ll also get perks like:

BMW Roadside Assistance: Includes towing to a BMW service center, lock-out services, battery jump starts, fuel delivery, and tire changes

Complimentary BMW loaners: If your certified pre-owned vehicle is at a BMW service center, you’ll get a comparable BMW for alternative transportation.

Trip interruption benefits: If your car breaks down, you’ll have access to up to $1,000 to cover hotel stays, meals, and other unexpected expenses.

Is a BMW CPO warranty transferable?

One more great thing about a BMW CPO warranty: it’s fully transferable. If you choose to sell your pre-owned BMW to a new owner, you’ll be able to transfer any remaining warranty coverage to that buyer for a $200 fee. That coverage will increase your car’s resale value.

MORE:

Used car warranties, explained

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BMW CPO program certification process

If you’re worried about BMW reliability, the BMW pre-owned certification process can give you peace of mind. To qualify as a CPO BMW, every vehicle must pass a rigorous 200-point inspection covering everything from brake pads and spark plugs to the appearance of the paint.

If the inspection discovers any unauthorized modifications, ill-fitting parts, or aftermarket repairs, technicians will make a replacement with authentic BMW parts. They’ll pull the vehicle history report, check the maintenance history, and subject the vehicle to a road test. If any vehicle fails to pass this exhaustive inspection, BMW will sell it as a regular used BMW instead of a certified pre-owned vehicle.

In other words, the CPO inspection process is your guarantee that you’re not buying a lemon. On top of this, the CPO warranty ensures that you’ll have warranty coverage for any problems that arise in the first year or two after the new car warranty expires.

MORE:

Are BMWs good cars?

Are BMWs reliable?

How important is a BMW CPO warranty? That depends in part on your car’s overall reliability! The more likely it is to have mechanical issues, the more important it is to have good warranty coverage.

BMWs get famously mixed reviews when it comes to reliability. RepairPal gives the brand a fairly dismal 2.5/5.0 reliability rating, ranking it 30th out of 32 brands for reliability. BMW fared slightly better in J.D. Power’s 2022 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, coming in 15th place for reliability—behind luxury brands like

and

, but ahead of

and

Part of the reason for BMW’s patchy performance in reliability tests is that not all BMWs are equally reliable—so let’s take a closer look at reliability scores for two of the most popular models, the 3 Series sedan and the X3 SUV.

BMW 3 Series reliability scores

Consumer Reports puts the ever-popular 3 Series at #4 in its ranking of compact luxury cars—the same spot it gets in J.D. Power’s compact premium car ranking.

Consumer Reports: 3 out of 5 predicted reliability (2022)

RepairPal: 3.0 out of 5.0 reliability rating (328i)

J.D. Power: 81/100 quality and reliability score

BMW X3 reliability scores

The X3 is one of the most reliable BMWs, ranking #2 in J.D. Power’s list of compact premium SUVs and #5 in Consumer Reports’ compact luxury SUV ranking.

Consumer Reports: 3 out of 5 predicted reliability (2022)

RepairPal: 2.5 out of 5.0 reliability rating

J.D. Power: 85/100 quality and reliability score

MORE:

The most common BMW problems

Average BMW repair costs

Just how much could a BMW CPO warranty save you?

RepairPal puts the average annual repair cost for BMW owners at $968, which is considerably higher than the average for most cars. While your CPO warranty won’t cover every repair, it could help you avoid some particularly expensive services.

For instance, transmission problems are fairly common for BMWs. If your BMW has a transmission problem that’s covered by the CPO warranty—that is, one not caused by neglect, wear and tear, or an accident—you could avoid a transmission service bill of $2,000 or more.

The BMW CPO warranty also covers your air conditioning and heating system. A BMW A/C condenser replacement could cost between $400 and $600, while a heater control valve replacement typically costs between $180 and $250.

What about your brakes? A manufacturer defect like a faulty brake vacuum pump could cost as much as $600 to replace without CPO warranty coverage.

MORE: Are BMWs expensive to maintain?

Our take: is a BMW CPO warranty worth it?

The short answer: a BMW CPO is worth it if you want to mitigate the risks of buying a used luxury vehicle.

The joys of BMW ownership—speed, style, unfettered driving delight—are balanced out with one of the tough realities of owning a luxury car: they’re not the most reliable, and repairs are expensive. Buying a certified pre-owned BMW takes away some of the risk factors while keeping costs lower than for a new vehicle, and the automatic CPO warranty coverage is a valuable layer of protection.

Is paying for that extra year of coverage worth it? Not necessarily. Check your model’s reliability ranking, look for any open recalls, and weigh the cost of a possible repair bill against the price of the bonus year.

How to save on BMW insurance costs

The most important supplement to a BMW CPO warranty is a good insurance policy—but BMW

car insurance

premiums can be notoriously high, with average annual rates approaching $3,000.

That’s where

Jerry

can help. Download the app, enter your information, and Jerry’s

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