BMWs don’t have the best reputation for being inexpensive vehicles. They cost a lot upfront, and owners frequently report that the cost of ownership is unusually high, even when compared with other German luxury cars. Here, you will learn why BMWs are so expensive to maintain.
BMWs are so expensive to maintain because replacement parts and labor costs are usually higher than on other vehicles. In addition, BMWs are constructed as luxury German cars and therefore have significantly more bells and whistles that can fail.
But there are a lot of other factors to consider in BMWs cost of maintenance, and if you are in the market for a used BMW, not all of them are extremely expensive to maintain.
What makes BMW maintenance expensive
If you have read some of my articles on BMW E36 and BMW E46 maintenance, you probably know that I am a 3 Series enthusiast and have owned a number of older model 3 Series BMWs. I have a lot of experience in maintaining BMWs, and I can safely say that BMWs single greatest maintenance issue today is that they are over-engineered and too complex.
What does “over-engineered” mean? Truthfully, it’s a catch-all term to refer to a number of things that a vehicle manufacturer might do to make a vehicle more difficult to maintain in its later life. With BMW, the company increasingly relies on heavier usage of electronic sensors, more complex onboard computing, and proprietary parts that require BMW scan tools.
An example would be when my mother’s Z4 battery failed and we went to the local auto store to buy a new one. Normally, replacing a battery takes no more than ten minutes and it’s so simple that O’Reillys will change it for you in their parking lot.
Unfortunately, that was not the case for my mother’s Z4. All late-model BMWs require battery replacements to be registered to the onboard ECU. Unfortunately, the only people who can do this is the BMW dealership. Because of the registration requirement, we had to have the Z4 towed to the dealership just to have a battery installed.
If you just replaced your battery and your BMW now is not starting, check out this article here!
This is just one example of the many complexities that BMW has added to its designs over the years, and it drives up maintenance costs.
BMW over-engineering has the effect of pushing DIYers and independent mechanics out. Every Series of BMW over the past fifteen years has become substantially more difficult for the DIYer to work on.
Some of the complexities that have pushed DIYers out of this space include Idrive, no dipstick, and advanced electronic gadgets that require extremely expensive diagnostic equipment, specialty tools, and a knowledge of computer diagnostics.
These complexities have also pushed independent mechanics out because there is now a variety of BMW proprietary scan equipment that independent shops are unable to obtain. Independent shops then have no choice but to send these vehicles to BMW dealerships who just happen to also have higher labor and parts rates.
How expensive are BMWs to maintain?
Not all BMWs are made the same, and not all of them cost the same to maintain. There are a number of different Series that BMW makes today. Although the 3 Series has traditionally been the most popular, there are a variety of other models with different maintenance issues.
How do the different models compare to one another in terms of maintenance? Luckily we made a table listing the 2019 BMW models, and how much they will cost to maintain over the next five years.
| BMW Model (2019) | 5 Year Maintenance Cost |
| 2 Series (230i) | $6,518 |
| 3 Series (330i) | $7,486 |
| 4 Series (430i) | $6,559 |
| 5 Series (540i) | $7,196 |
| 6 Series (650i) | $10,592 |
| 7 Series (740i) | $7,437 |
I want to mention that obviously these maintenance costs are only estimates, and can’t be 100% accurate. This data was taken from Edmunds.com’s cost of ownership information.
One interesting discrepancy is that Edmunds estimated that the 2019 3 Series would be more expensive to maintain than the 5 Series. The 3 Series has traditionally been a cheaper model than the 5 Series and it is highly unlikely that it will be more expensive to maintain. Especially after we consider that the 5 Series typically is equipped with more electronic gadgets than the 3 Series.
The 6 and 7 Series are BMW’s premium luxury models so it’s no surprise that they are more expensive to maintain than some of the less expensive BMWs. But it is highly likely that as these cars age over the next few years, the maintenance costs on the 5, 6, and 7 Series will be considerably higher than on the 2, 3, and 4 Series.
The least expensive Series in the above chart is the 2 Series BMW, coming out at approximately $6,518 over a five year period. How does 2 Series maintenance compare to other brands in its class?
| Vehicle (2019) | 5 Year Maintenance Cost |
| BMW 2 Series (230i) | $6,518 |
| Audi A3 (2.0) | $7,048 |
| Mercedes CLA (2.0) | $7,091 |
| Lexus IS 300 | $7,393 |
This information was also taken from Edmunds.com. As you can see, the 2 Series competes pretty well in maintenance estimates with other vehicles in its class. However, it is important to note that none of these other vehicles are perfect comparisons to the BMW 2 Series. The Mercedes CLA and the Audi A3 are really more closely competitive with the 3 Series because they are both larger vehicles than the 2 Series.
So how does the 2 Series BMW compare to non-luxury vehicles?
| Vehicle (2019) | 5 Year Maintenance Cost |
| BMW 2 Series (230i) | $6,518 |
| Toyota Camry (2.5) | $3,756 |
| Honda Civic (2.0) | $3,585 |
| Nissan Altima (2.5) | $4,733 |
As you can see, the cheapest model BMW is predicted to cost significantly more in maintenance than a variety of non-luxury vehicles. This is unsurprising, BMWs have a reputation for having high maintenance costs, whereas Toyota and Honda are known for having very low maintenance costs.
If these vehicles were apples to apples no one would buy another 2 Series BMW. Based on this data, these non-luxury vehicles are far less expensive to maintain than the BMW. But plenty of people still buy BMWs because their performance and comfort are far superior to any of the other vehicles just listed.
Are all BMWs expensive to maintain?
It’s true that there is some variation between different models within the same year, but even the lowest maintenance 2019 model BMW is far more expensive than a Toyota Camry. So what if you aren’t interested in a brand new BMW?
BMW has made a variety of different vehicles over the past twenty years, and I have owned several different Series’. In my opinion, older model BMWs are far less expensive to maintain than the latest BMWs. This is because in years past, BMW used far better quality parts, fewer electronics, and the vehicles were far more DIY friendly.
Although vehicles like the 3 Series E36 and E46 are getting old (the E46 was last produced in 2006), there are still examples to be found in excellent condition. These vehicles are extremely DIY friendly, the parts are less expensive, and most independent mechanics can work on these BMWs, therefore you will save on labor costs.
The BMW E90 was last produced in 2011 and it has held up relatively well in terms of maintenance costs. Although there are a few significant issues with certain years, for the most part, the E90 is an excellent choice as a lower maintenance performance vehicle.
Conclusion
It’s true that BMWs are more expensive to maintain than most other vehicles, and the biggest reason for that is because BMW tends to over-engineer their vehicles. My best recommendation to avoid paying these high maintenance costs is to buy a used older model BMW or lease a new vehicle. If you are interested in learning more about older BMWs or leasing you can check out this article.