Carmax Maxcare

[Turbmando]

Looking at a 2011 m3 with 40,000 miles on it. I can purchase the maxcare warranty for $3,000 for 100,000 miles/5 years worth of coverage.

With everyone's experience, do you think the warranty will pay for itself in warranty repairs? In my research I found the potential for a/c evaporator issues (estimated $3500) and throttle actuator issues ($800 just for the part).

[DSilk]

Originally Posted by Turbmando

Looking at a 2011 m3 with 40,000 miles on it. I can purchase the maxcare warranty for $3,000 for 100,000 miles/5 years worth of coverage.

With everyone's experience, do you think the warranty will pay for itself in warranty repairs? In my research I found the potential for a/c evaporator issues (estimated $3500) and throttle actuator issues ($800 just for the part).

When you think about the cost of repairs that you might have (throttle actuators, rod bearings, etc.) the question is what the price of peace of mind is worth to you. I have yet to have any expensive repairs that need to be done, and I bought the same extended warranty when the factory warranty expired. I have only used it once, for a minor repair, but knowing that if the rod bearings or throttle actuators go bad I won't need to fork out large sums of money made it worthwhile for me.

[4130]

The way I look at it, throttle actuators seem to be the common big ticket failure. AC evap is expensive but not as common, and rod bearing swap is up to you. I'd rather put money into a rainy day repair fund than spend that much on a warranty that may expire right before any of those happen on the car. However, it depends on your needs and what makes you comfortable.

[Turbmando]

That is what I have been thinking as well. Looking at the cars service history it was in for all of its scheduled maintenance, but that stopped around d 26,000 miles in 2014. I am missing 14,000 miles worth of info, which isn't terrible at all, but I have no idea if anything had to be replaced during this time. Thanks for your input.

[Turbmando]

Originally Posted by 4130

The way I look at it, throttle actuators seem to be the common big ticket failure. AC evap is expensive but not as common, and rod bearing swap is up to you. I'd rather put money into a rainy day repair fund than spend that much on a warranty that may expire right before any of those happen on the car. However, it depends on your needs and what makes you comfortable.

That is a very good point of view as well. I looked at the throttle actuator DIY and it's something I could do if they ever need replaced.

[Iyzmi]

Originally Posted by Turbmando

That is what I have been thinking as well. Looking at the cars service history it was in for all of its scheduled maintenance, but that stopped around d 26,000 miles in 2014. I am missing 14,000 miles worth of info, which isn't terrible at all, but I have no idea if anything had to be replaced during this time. Thanks for your input.

$3k is not a bad price for the warranty. With 40k miles on the car, you can expect the throttle actuators to go within the next ~20k miles. If you will be taking the car to a dealer for repairs, that service alone will be over $2,000. Basically if anything else comes up after that, you will get your moneys worth out of the warranty. I'd say it's a pretty safe bet that a used M3 will run up at least $3k in repairs over the course of 5yrs/100k mi. Maybe less if you wrench on it yourself, but the throttle actuators alone are over $1,500 in parts. Is the extra ~$1k "gamble" worth the peace of mind? I'd say so, but that's up to you. When I bought my car, like you, I had all of the dealer service records as well as a very detailed Carfax report. Without getting into detail, my warranty has paid off big time in the first year alone. Personally, I wouldn't own a euro car without a warranty unless I purchased it with the intent of heavily modding it.

[Turbmando]

Originally Posted by Iyzmi

$3k is not a bad price for the warranty. With 40k miles on the car, you can expect the throttle actuators to go within the next ~20k miles. If you will be taking the car to a dealer for repairs, that service alone will be over $2,000. Basically if anything else comes up after that, you will get your moneys worth out of the warranty. I'd say it's a pretty safe bet that a used M3 will run up at least $3k in repairs over the course of 5yrs/100k mi. Maybe less if you wrench on it yourself, but the throttle actuators alone are over $1,500 in parts. Is the extra ~$1k "gamble" worth the peace of mind? I'd say so, but that's up to you. When I bought my car, like you, I had all of the dealer service records as well as a very detailed Carfax report. Without getting into detail, my warranty has paid off big time in the first year alone. Personally, I wouldn't own a euro car without a warranty unless I purchased it with the intent of heavily modding it.

I think you sold me. Thanks for everyone's opinions. For an extra 1K I can bump the mileage up to 125k...hmmmm. I calculated my mileage per year on my current car/driving habits and I'm predicting 110,000 miles in 5 years. I'll figure this one out my own, thanks guys!

[MrSlacker]

If you are planning to keep it for a while, get it for sure.

[m3ninja]

I always get the warranty for peace of mind, don't think of it as $3k, think of it as $60 a month. That's cheaper then monthly cell phone service =)

Don't buy from carmax, they average $3k more vs preowned BMW dealerships. And you can't negotiate the price with carmax since it's a fixed price.

[briancl]

GET THE WARRANTY!

I went with the carmax warranty and my car has already replaced over $6k in repairs in 2 years.

1) Evaporator, which is a common issue is a $3k+ repair.

2) Amp and some speakers went out. Also, a $3k+ repair.

This is not even considering engine components. The warranty is pro rated, so you can return it at any time. Also, you can transfer the warranty to the next owner when you sell the car.

I went with the 6yr/100k warranty with $50 deductible. Bring it into any BMW Dealership and they will take good care of you. Maxcare is one of the better warranties they deal with from what I've heard from service advisors. It is the main incentive to buy from carmax as their cars are priced a bit higher.

I will never buy a german car without an extended warranty. DO IT!

[Turbmando]

That's great feedback. I will be getting the warranty.

[vincE92M3]

Get the warranty for peace of mind. Owning a modern M car outside of warranty is risky and expensive.

My warranty paid for itself already with both TAs going out, plus leaking transmission selector seal.

Even if you set aside that rainy day fund, wouldn't you rather have someone else deal with it once the time comes? Rather than you trying to diagnose and fix the issues yourself.

[Apex Everything]

Originally Posted by Turbmando

Looking at a 2011 m3 with 40,000 miles on it. I can purchase the maxcare warranty for $3,000 for 100,000 miles/5 years worth of coverage.

With everyone's experience, do you think the warranty will pay for itself in warranty repairs? In my research I found the potential for a/c evaporator issues (estimated $3500) and throttle actuator issues ($800 just for the part).

Check this out:
http://www.rightfootdown.com/thought...ved-my-wallet/

[BzsBimmer]

I too bought my M3 at Carmax along with the MaxCare warranty.
I've had my DCT seepage repaired and saved me over $2k

I've had a couple of other minor issues come up but I've repaired them myself because the part alone was less than $50 (deductible) so I did it myself and saved the difference.

[nickl630]

Another Maxcare owner here. It's paid out roughly 6k in repairs so far.

3k for an evaporator
2k for CIC failure/amp
1k for a seal on the trans

Search jalopnik.com if you are on the fence... a few writers there say its the best warranty you can get on a high end car.

[Frozen]

Yes get it. The Carmax Warranty is one of the best.

[Turbmando]

Getting maxcare and picking up car this evening!

[Iyzmi]

Nice to see the usual group of warranty haters didn't make their way into this thread and talk you out of it. Good decision and congrats on the new ride, OP!

[nickl630]

Originally Posted by Turbmando

Getting maxcare and picking up car this evening!

Awesome! Post pics when you do!

[QuadCam]

I have purchased the maxcare on 4 different bmws I bought from carmax. It's a great warranty. It's more than paid for itself on a 550i MSport I had and also paid for itself on a 335i MSport. I haven't used it on my M3 or my X5 yet.

[ajee622]

Wow good info. Wish I would've known about this before. Good luck with the car.

[mpritz]

I bought my last two Bimmers from Carmax ('04 330i Coupe and '09 335i Coupe), and I purchased a Maxcare warranty on both occasions. I was skeptical at first when I purchased the first car, but after a handful of repairs, I was convinced that it made sense. With my current car, I cannot recall the hard numbers off the top of my head, but I'm fairly certain the warranty has paid for itself. My car has needed perhaps two or three minor repairs, but two much more expensive repairs for which the warranty covered a big chunk of the cost.

Some of the answer to your question depends on where you plan to have your car serviced, BMW dealer or not. The dealer is, without a doubt, very expensive. However, there is a BMW dealership very close to my home, so it makes sense for me. I also appreciate the piece of mind that I get knowing that the dealer is probably the best equipped to work on my car, or at least that is my justification. There are certainly other places that work on BMWs, but you have to do your due diligence.

At any rate, I hope this is helpful. As for me, I'm looking to sell my 335i coupe and get an e90 M3 sedan, so I'm looking for aftermarket warranties if I can't find what I'm looking for at Carmax.