[bavarianboar]

I just hit 4 year mark on my G30, less than 30k miles.

Went into the dealership (two of them) and CBS shows a “vehicle check” message. The SA had explained to me that it’s a drivetrain inspection to see if there are any faults of problems with the car.

Apparently the car now shows some ~300 miles past due every time I turn on ignition, and surely this will keep rising as I drive more.

This seems strange and I had not heard of it before. It’s like a health check that BmW recommends to diagnose any early problems after 4 years?

The car was taken in for oil change, air filter and cabin micro filter change. Just routine annual maintenance.

Dealer wants $225-$250 for what may be just a visual inspection.

A family member’s F3x reached 4 years and less than 20k miles and has not shown this type of warning or message.

Can I skip this or should I take it to an Indy shop to just get it checked and clear the code myself.


Any insights? Thanks!

[LogicalApex]

It is spelled out in the service manual.

https://www.bmwusa.com/explore/bmw-v...nty-books.html

[Dick_Lexus]

4 years is when the warranty expires. Very convenient on BMWs part. Going to take mine to my mechanic just before 4 years and get a laundry list on problems for the dealer to fix.

[bavarianboar]

Originally Posted by LogicalApex

It is spelled out in the service manual.

https://www.bmwusa.com/explore/bmw-v...nty-books.html

Thanks for sharing. I see the list and can read it, but it doesn’t seem to be clear what’s the coarse of action. Seems like a lot of these checks are done at regular oil service maintenance anyway.

The dealer does not give me a breakdown of “inspection” tasks per say. Are they just going to drive around in my car and check some points and charge me $250? The car has no issues from what I can tell.

Hoping to get some more insights. Anyone?

[adhrp]

I can confirm that my 2021 X3 calls for it (and 2020 M550i did) at 4 years on the upcoming service schedule that shows up on my app. But since factory maintenance expired at 3 years, I have zero intentions of paying them anything to inspect it because it's just a standard scope of inspection.. Essentially an easy money grab for the dealership. I am well aware of the condition of my cars on a regular basis so.. no thank you.

[LogicalApex]

Originally Posted by Dick_Lexus

4 years is when the warranty expires. Very convenient on BMWs part. Going to take mine to my mechanic just before 4 years and get a laundry list on problems for the dealer to fix.

The timing of it is outside of the free maintenance period, but before the 4Y warranty expires. So you end up getting it before the factory warranty expires.

Originally Posted by bavarianboar

Thanks for sharing. I see the list and can read it, but it doesn’t seem to be clear what’s the coarse of action. Seems like a lot of these checks are done at regular oil service maintenance anyway.

The dealer does not give me a breakdown of “inspection” tasks per say. Are they just going to drive around in my car and check some points and charge me $250? The car has no issues from what I can tell.

Hoping to get some more insights. Anyone?

I can’t speak to its value. But I shared the manual as it lists what it covers. I agree it sounds very similar to the inspection they should already be doing anyway. It does include a road testing component and others that might be more involved, but I am not trying to sell you on it.

I’d look at what the manual says it involves and skip it if you feel the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.

I have UC+ so mine are still covered so I haven’t evaluated its “value” yet.

[ezaircon4jc]

Never got that on my F10's or my current 2019 G30.

[HerkHealer]

I never got this message and my 4 years ran out last October.
I wonder if Dealerships can manually load this during a service visit just to hoover more money from us?

[LogicalApex]

Originally Posted by HerkHealer

I never got this message and my 4 years ran out last October.
I wonder if Dealerships can manually load this during a service visit just to hoover more money from us?

It is a CBS based service so should show in iDrive and in your car. Here it is in my app.

[bavarianboar]

Originally Posted by LogicalApex

It is a CBS based service so should show in iDrive and in your car. Here it is in my app.

Thanks this is helpful.

I have 27K miles and the car is 48 months + 20 days today, from the date it was sold.

The warning popped up the day 48 months expired.

And 7 days before that I took it to a stealership to have them repair some roof rattle and reload the idrive software (coz my CarPlay crashes often).

Not ruling out they could have put some something in there or tinkered with something to trigger as soon as 48 months warranty expired. Repeat customer out of warranty is their dream.

I am surprised because it’s not many miles driver unlike your screenshot.

It’s the same message vehicle check due but mine arrived at 27000miles? Strange indeed.

Appreciate you sharing!

[Joe-BMW33]

I wouldn’t pay for this personally. Seems like a money grab or a dealer hopeful of finding other things while it.

They pretty much do this for free when you get your oil changed hoping to find shit. I’ve never had this particular “inspection “ done on any car nor has the dealer or car ever pushed it on me.

[LogicalApex]

Originally Posted by bavarianboar

Thanks this is helpful.

I have 27K miles and the car is 48 months + 20 days today, from the date it was sold.

The warning popped up the day 48 months expired.

And 7 days before that I took it to a stealership to have them repair some roof rattle and reload the idrive software (coz my CarPlay crashes often).

Not ruling out they could have put some something in there or tinkered with something to trigger as soon as 48 months warranty expired. Repeat customer out of warranty is their dream.

I am surprised because it’s not many miles driver unlike your screenshot.

It’s the same message vehicle check due but mine arrived at 27000miles? Strange indeed.

Appreciate you sharing!

I don’t remember the exact interval my car had from the factory, but I do remember it was timed to a few months before the warranty expired or a few thousand miles before it expired.

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

I wouldn’t pay for this personally. Seems like a money grab or a dealer hopeful of finding other things while it.

They pretty much do this for free when you get your oil changed hoping to find shit. I’ve never had this particular “inspection “ done on any car nor has the dealer or car ever pushed it on me.

Does this not show in your iDrive CBS list of upcoming services?

I agree it probably is a money grab, but I wasn’t aware that the dealership turned off CBS services.

[Neusser]

Originally Posted by bavarianboar

Thanks for sharing. I see the list and can read it, but it doesn’t seem to be clear what’s the coarse of action. Seems like a lot of these checks are done at regular oil service maintenance anyway.

The dealer does not give me a breakdown of “inspection” tasks per say. Are they just going to drive around in my car and check some points and charge me $250? The car has no issues from what I can tell.

Hoping to get some more insights. Anyone?

This is where critical thinking is handy.

Your car is fine and your friendly corporate entity (who would ofc neeeever try to take your money without good cause) wants a few hundred bucks to poke around with a flashlight.

I know what I'd do.

[LogicalApex]

Originally Posted by Neusser

This is where critical thinking is handy.

Your car is fine and your friendly corporate entity (who would ofc neeeever try to take your money without good cause) wants a few hundred bucks to poke around with a flashlight.

I know what I'd do.

It is a fair question to ask.

I’ve asked similar ones in the past (with no clear answer given). People always mention paying dealerships for an inspection before the warranty expires to catch things right before it becomes their dime. It was never explained how is that different than the Vehicle Check BMW already has in CBS.

BMW forums are full of people who also pay for inspections to catch the known “problems” that we haven’t yet had develop on the G30.

But it is up to whatever is in the service manual for us to individually decide if we find it to be a useful service. I wouldn’t question the OPs critical thinking skills though.

[Chappers 71]

The vehicle inspection notice you can reset yourself, I have mine set for the month of them yearly mot inspection (certificate of roadworthyness) to remind me when it’s becoming due.

[bavarianboar]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

I wouldn’t pay for this personally. Seems like a money grab or a dealer hopeful of finding other things while it.

They pretty much do this for free when you get your oil changed hoping to find shit. I’ve never had this particular “inspection “ done on any car nor has the dealer or car ever pushed it on me.

I got oil change, air filter and cabin filter all replaced earlier this week based on CBS, the 4th thing was this vehicle check that I asked the service advisor to skip for now.

So my guess is they did some level of inspection already and did not see anything alarming.

Another stealership said it was drivetrain check, which I can imagine would be some mechanical parts inspection.

Originally Posted by LogicalApex

Does this not show in your iDrive CBS list of upcoming services?

I agree it probably is a money grab, but I wasn’t aware that the dealership turned off CBS services.

It shows up on My CBS atleast and now a constant warning at engine start “Service Due” (no other detail however)

Originally Posted by Neusser

This is where critical thinking is handy.

Your car is fine and your friendly corporate entity (who would ofc neeeever try to take your money without good cause) wants a few hundred bucks to poke around with a flashlight.

I know what I'd do.

Thanks for the spicy comment.

I see where you are coming from and this is the reason for my post to ask the folks who have run into this before because I think there isn’t really anything I am missing per say. This seems more precautionary and not a drivetrain malfunction error message.

I am in R&D for automotive engineering, my critical thinking has fortunately been well tested several times in my career through 5-10 interviews at each job I have held. And trust me I am “applying” it here, not just keeping it in my pocket!

I do appreciate some level of sarcasm in your post and it’s taken in the right spirit!

[Neusser]

Originally Posted by bavarianboar

I got oil change, air filter and cabin filter all replaced earlier this week based on CBS, the 4th thing was this vehicle check that I asked the service advisor to skip for now.

So my guess is they did some level of inspection already and did not see anything alarming.

Another stealership said it was drivetrain check, which I can imagine would be some mechanical parts inspection.




It shows up on My CBS atleast and now a constant warning at engine start “Service Due” (no other detail however)



Thanks for the spicy comment.

I see where you are coming from and this is the reason for my post to ask the folks who have run into this before because I think there isn’t really anything I am missing per say. This seems more precautionary and not a drivetrain malfunction error message.

I am in R&D for automotive engineering, my critical thinking has fortunately been well tested several times in my career through 5-10 interviews at each job I have held. And trust me I am “applying” it here, not just keeping it in my pocket!

I do appreciate some level of sarcasm in your post and it’s taken in the right spirit!

[adhrp]

Originally Posted by bavarianboar

Thanks this is helpful.

I have 27K miles and the car is 48 months + 20 days today, from the date it was sold.

The warning popped up the day 48 months expired.

And 7 days before that I took it to a stealership to have them repair some roof rattle and reload the idrive software (coz my CarPlay crashes often).

Not ruling out they could have put some something in there or tinkered with something to trigger as soon as 48 months warranty expired. Repeat customer out of warranty is their dream.

I am surprised because it’s not many miles driver unlike your screenshot.

It’s the same message vehicle check due but mine arrived at 27000miles? Strange indeed.

Appreciate you sharing!

I don't remember when it popped up on the M550i, but to be fair on the X3 it has been up for a while.. Several months before the warranty is due to expire so I can get it checked out right in the month the warranty is set to expire and have things fixed under warranty. I don't think there's anything shady going on here, but it is up to the owner whether they feel like paying for it or not.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by LogicalApex

Does this not show in your iDrive CBS list of upcoming services?

I agree it probably is a money grab, but I wasn’t aware that the dealership turned off CBS services.

I’ve never gotten a vehicle inspection reminder and it’s not on the CBS list as far as I know, but I’ll check when I get it back from the dealer tomorrow.