BMW Maintenance: Three Choices, Based on Expense and Authenticity of Parts and Service

When you own a BMW, you own a luxury car built by the Germans and imported to the States. Foreign luxury cars are in a class by themselves, especially when it comes to maintenance and repairs. There are three main choices provided to you as a BMW owner for BMW maintenance. Here they are, according to expense and authority on parts and service.

Ship Your Vehicle Back to Germany

For the most authentic maintenance service on your vehicle, you can have it shipped back to the master manufacturing plant in Germany. This is also your most expensive option because you will have to pay import and export fees, freight shipping across the ocean both directions, and the costs for maintenance as charged by the company. However, you will also receive nothing but authentic, guaranteed, and fully warrantied parts and service, which means if something goes wrong within the next few months, BMW will take care of it.

Have Your Vehicle Serviced at a Certifed BMW Mechanic in the States

The second option is to have your BMW certifed by a BMW-certified mechanic here in the U.S. What you get for your money here are certified and authentic BMW parts and service and some of the same things provided by the main plant in Germany, but without the distance, time, and travel expense. This is drastically cheaper because you do not have to concern yourself with any of the shipping fees or import and export fees. You also do not have to wait several months for your car to be serviced and then returned to you. Be sure to ask the mechanic for his BMW-certification papers, which should be on display on a wall in their shop. 

Have Your Vehicle Serviced by Any Mechanic Who Knows Their Way around Foreign Cars

Lastly, your cheapest option for BMW maintenance is to have your vehicle serviced by a mechanic who knows their way around foreign cars. While this is not a BMW-certified option, it does get your vehicle the regular maintenance service it needs at a fraction of the cost of either of the above services. (What you do not want is to have your vehicle serviced by someone who knows nothing about foreign cars. Then you might find yourself in a shop for repairs, rather than just maintenance.) If you are concerned, ask to see the mechanic's credentials and experience with working on foreign cars, but generally if they specialize in and advertise their specialty in foreign cars, you can relax.

For more information, consult professionals like Checkered Flag Imports Inc.