Hi! Looking at a 2012 328 Coupe SULEV registered in California. If I buy it, is the BMW extended, 12 year warranty on SULEV parts, honored at dealers in Minnesota? Any recommendations to buy the car or look for another non SULEV car? thanks
I believe any warranty extension from BMW should apply nationwide; you can verify that for yourself with a call to BMW's US customer service. Charlson mentioned previously he thought newer SULEV's are pretty good; as a tech, he would have experience from what he's seen. It's probably a given that additional stuff & complexity implies the potential for increased maintenance/cost, but if how things are panning out in the field aren't showing to be exceptionally problematic... good. You'll still be facing any usual maintenance issues; @ 61k, the electric coolant pump, for instance, probably wouldn't be a bad idea to replace, many have reported them failing in that mileage range or not much after - they definitely are not as long-lived as previous conventional water pumps. Along with whatever other maintenance issues would be due or recommended at this point. If that's what you want & you're going in with eyes open with realistic expectations and ideas of what you'll be facing expense-wise, then why not get what you want. Alternatively, finding a standard, non-SULEV E90 x-drive shouldn't be a problem, seems like that was a popular choice when new & there are many on the market.
Hi! Thanks for your detailed reply. The (2nd) owner has provided me the Car Fax report, CPO inspection, original sticker, etc. and answered my many questions. (I don't know him personally, but he's in one of the car clubs I belong to.) I didn't ask him about the electric coolant pump, though. I had heard that if the fuel pump needs to be replaced, it costs a lot more $ as the gas tank is involved (SULEV models). And no, the car has the original fuel pump. I currently have a 2001 330i which I bought from my mechanic (wife's car) in 2008 with 70k miles on it. It now has 144k and I have done all maintenance/repair by him, when he suggested I needed it NOW vs. 3 months from now. A very trusting independent mechanic/shop. A great car. This car has an M Performance package, 3.0L L6 F1 DOHC 24V, which appealed to me as the last time I had a true, fun sports car was my Camaro, before marriage and kids. As now a 'sr' citizen, I want to have a fun 'look at me' car and not a boring car. It's time for me! Can't buy a new car, so hopefully, this is the one. If you have any other thoughts about the car, let me know. Again, thanks a lot of your input.
The sulev's are really not any more problematic than a non sulev vehicle. Yes it is true that some parts are more pricy. Things like the fuel pump, radiator are examples of this. Sadly in Minnesota the sulev emissions warranty does not extend. But I wouldn't let that stop you from wanting a sulev.
Thank you for your reply. It has been an interesting experience googling SULEV and calling service managers in California and Minnesota. The warranty manager at a dealership in CA, said, 'no, extended warranty not covered in Minnesota. Then called dealership in Minnesota and the service manager, said ' yes, it's covered' ,'we see more SULEV cars now', 'my wife has an SULEV'. I quoted the page in the service manual, noting the states covered, and again, he insisted it's covered in Minnesota. Well, I have his name, so we'll see what happens. I have a friend in CA looking at the car in the next couple days, so i'll know soon. Thanks, again!
Interesting that the warranty would only apply in certain states, I would have thought otherwise. I suppose BMW makes that call if that's the case; I wouldn't expect there to be specific state laws/regulations that exclude/void parts of a national auto manufacturer's warranty, but maybe that's so.
