M3 Roadside Assistance: 4 yrs or Lifetime?

I was building an M3 on the BMWUSA configurator, and saw that the roadside assistance is 4 yrs, or 6 yrs if you extend the service accordingly.

Was this always the case or has it changed from previous years?

I recall that my e46 M3 had lifetime roadside assistance. I will look up my 2011 brochure for info as well but I need to dig it up.

Does anyone here know if the policy has changed for e9x's or has it always been 4 yrs?

Nevermind, I found the answer to my question.

Per page 59 of my 2011 M3 brochure, the tire assistance is lifetime but the other roadside services (lock-out, etc.) are 4 yrs.

so if you ever get a flat tire the towing is free for life?

infamxkris wrote

so if you ever get a flat tire the towing is free for life?

Correct. For that reason, the next M3 will probably have run flats!

infamxkris wrote

so if you ever get a flat tire the towing is free for life?

Wait - what?

I thought I'd RTFM as well as possible and caught all the key points, but you're saying that even after BMW Assist and BMW Maintenance is up (and presumably not extended) that I still get the car towed for free, for life? Is that to the nearest dealer, or the nearest tire shop?

Georgeair wrote

Wait - what?

I thought I'd RTFM as well as possible and caught all the key points, but you're saying that even after BMW Assist and BMW Maintenance is up (and presumably not extended) that I still get the car towed for free, for life? Is that to the nearest dealer, or the nearest tire shop?

Yeah seems too good to be true... I figured it all ended unless I started paying for Assist

I would suspect that they require you to have the car towed to a dealer for repairs. Then they would easily make up for the tow charge.

M cars historically have had free towing for the life of the car since they don't come with run flats. However it is only to the closest dealership, not the location of your choice.

They will usually work with you on location if it's reasonable. But you're then somewhat forced to buy tires from the dealer which is more expensive and troublesome if you're not running an OEM tire.

GregW / Oregon wrote

Correct. For that reason, the next M3 will probably have run flats!

I sure hope not. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks that run flats would impede in any M cars performance. They have applied run flats on every range but the M cars and I think there is a reason for that. But then again, BMW M decided to drop their long praised dogma of NA for FI ,so I wouldn't be surprised if they decide to do so in the future in order to cut costs.

I hope they keep Run Flats off the M-line!

ADV.1 Matt wrote

I hope they keep Run Flats off the M-line!

My 2011 E92 M3 came with Michelin PS2 run flats. Car doesn't have a spare.

I don't see how this would impede performance. You're just paying more for your tires for the convenience of not having to have your car towed or being stuck in the middle of nowhere at 3 in the morning!

BarcaM3 wrote

My 2011 E92 M3 came with Michelin PS2 run flats. Car doesn't have a spare.

Really? How can you tell?

LOL.. yeah they tow you back to a BMW dealer so they can make an a$$load of money fixing your car.

GregW / Oregon wrote

Correct. For that reason, the next M3 will probably have run flats!

I have been told that is so (by the dealer last week). 2012 M3 will have RFT ~ shame shame shame BMW what a bad move ... BMW should expect (if they do that) to loose a lot of M3 drivers for future customers.

For right now I am so glad I got my 2011 e92 with forged OEM wheels and Performance tires and of course the compressor and tire kit in the back that I never had to use on my former e46.

BarcaM3 wrote

My 2011 E92 M3 came with Michelin PS2 run flats. Car doesn't have a spare.

I don't see how this would impede performance. You're just paying more for your tires for the convenience of not having to have your car towed or being stuck in the middle of nowhere at 3 in the morning!

are you sure? does it actually say RFT on your tire? did you check?

What date was your car build? Mine was 03/2010 build date and it has Michelin Pilot Sport tires. 245/35/ZR19 FRONT & 265/35/ZR19 BACK. Perhaps a later build date actually already has the RFT. Perhaps you are right.

Did you ever had a look under your trunk floor cover? There is a BMW compressor and tire kit. Same as it was on the predecessor edition the e46 BMW never had a spare tire always had the compressor and tire kit. I don't know about prior to the e46.

I suggest you have a close look and if you have RFT I wish you all the best I hope it works out for you (The tire if it is a RFT must actually be engraved and someplace on the sidewall show RFT). I suggest you keep the tire information in your glove box you never know when you need to find a replacement tire. It might be raining cats and dogs and be dark when it happens.

Good Luck

PS. oh yes keep a flashlight in your glove box

Poppin Fresh wrote

I sure hope not. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks that run flats would impede in any M cars performance. They have applied run flats on every range but the M cars and I think there is a reason for that. But then again, BMW M decided to drop their long praised dogma of NA for FI ,so I wouldn't be surprised if they decide to do so in the future in order to cut costs.

I think you hit the issue on the head when you wrote "I wouldn't be surprised if they decide to do so in the future in order to cut costs"

I read someplace that the new head of the M Devision is a Marketing fellow, if that is the case you can be sure he will push for the RFT. It would be a shame in the long run in my opinion.

When I heard the dealer telling me that the M3 will get RFT in future, I went shopping for the one I just picked up yesterday. You can be sure that the first thing I made sure of is read the sidewall description of the car I purchased from the showroom floor to make sure it had conventional tires.

I feel very strongly about the RFT, I hate them period (I had them on my Z4 then that's another story).

sig5x wrote

I was building an M3 on the BMWUSA configurator, and saw that the roadside assistance is 4 yrs, or 6 yrs if you extend the service accordingly.

Was this always the case or has it changed from previous years?

I recall that my e46 M3 had lifetime roadside assistance. I will look up my 2011 brochure for info as well but I need to dig it up.

Does anyone here know if the policy has changed for e9x's or has it always been 4 yrs?

only for tires

BarcaM3 wrote

My 2011 E92 M3 came with Michelin PS2 run flats. Car doesn't have a spare.

I don't see how this would impede performance. You're just paying more for your tires for the convenience of not having to have your car towed or being stuck in the middle of nowhere at 3 in the morning!

they are absolutely not runflat. The car has never come with a spare

I understood it from reading my materials that it's free for life if it's tire related.

+1000

ADV.1 Matt wrote

I hope they keep Run Flats off the M-line!

i didn't know about this service!