BMW Maintenance Program

[philkoan]

I have just bought out my lease-end 2007 535i with CPO but no extended maintenance contract, which costs too much for additional 2 years. My question is: If the brake pads are worn out during 4 years, BMW will replace them free of charge, but if they are worn out say a month after four years, then I'll have to pay approximately $800 to replace them. Since I only drive 8,000 miles a year, (I have 26,500 miles now,) it's unlikely that I will need new pads in a year when the maintenance program expires. Should I drive and brake more often so BMW will replace the pads before 9/2010?

[witeshark]

I really wouldn't recommend that; it'd waste gas and be hard on the car in general.

[drz]

Originally Posted by philkoan

Should I drive and brake more often so BMW will replace the pads before 9/2010?

No. Just replace your brakes once they need to be replaced. By the way, the charge for a BMW brake job also includes the drake disks.

Plus, right be before your warranty expires, you may be able to get them replaced under warranty if you ask nicely (even if they say right now that they wouldn't do it, they may fold a year from now).

[philkoan]

This is a nice forum. Thank you Witeshark and Drz.

[drz]

Also remember that doing more driving and braking not only uses the pads, but also your brake fluid, brake lines, calipers, guide bolts, master and slave cylinder, etc., etc. Putting extra wear and tear on your entire brake system only to get the benefit of a pad change under warranty is not worth it in my opinion.