BMW M3 Maintenance Cost [Routine & Major Repairs]

There is much that affects car ownership costs. There is no better response than going behind the wheel of a BMW M3. When purchasing a car, most people simply have to find the MPG or fuel conservation, fuel expenses, registration fees, and insurance premiums as part of their average yearly car. However, many people forget to calculate maintenance costs. But how does one know how to attain maintenance costs?
Overall, the BMW M3 has an annual car maintenance cost of $1,161. The BMW M3 has an average of $1,161, and the average vehicle costs about $9,000 annually, so the M3 is considerably more affordable to manage.
Below is a table of the average cost depending on the repair:
REPAIR PRICE
Blower Motor Replacement | $512 - $597 |
---|---|
Powertrain Control Module Replacement | $2,411 - $2,475 |
Spark Plug Wire Replacement | $219 - $250 |
Timing Chain Tensioner Replacement | $925 - $1,105 |
Windshield Washer Pump Replacement | $147 - $215 |
Air Conditioning Expansion Valve Replacement | $289 - $434 |
Battery Test | $44 - $56 |
Coolant Leak Diagnosis | $55 - $69 |
Headlight Bulb Replacement | $158 - $232 |
Axle Shaft Seal Replacement | $351 - $437 |

How Frequently Does a BMW M3 Require Maintenance?
To analyze the regularity of better maintenance, consider how many times the vehicle needed significant unscheduled maintenance for three years.
This “significant” maintenance part is invaluable for system damage that requires restoration. The most commonly reported BMW M3 problem is that the multiple power steering hoses may fail.
You can tell how long a vehicle can go without maintenance services by its frequency score. A frequency score tells us how many times during three years a specific vehicle requires significant maintenance.
The score is presented over three years; for example, if a car has a maintenance frequency score of 3, then this car requires primary services every year. A BMW M3 has a frequency score of 2.43.
The closer the frequency score is to 0, the more extended it can go without these essential services. Specifically for the BMW M3, this vehicle has a severity score of 21%% compared to an average of 12% for all vehicle models.
A severity score is an indicator of whether or not you might want to purchase an extended warranty.

Factors Affecting Maintenance Cost
Several factors affect the exact cost of maintaining your BMW M3. Generally, these can be divided into a few main categories:
- The region and driving conditions in which the car will be used.
- Good: warm temperate climate, driving on highways, roads without salt, slippery and flat roads
- Bad: extreme heat or cold, intermittent traffic, short trips, salty roads, hills with potholes
- Preventive maintenance that the car receives
- The exact levels of equipment, configuration, transmission, as well as options, and packages in the vehicle
The Preventive and Routine Maintenance
Routine maintenance costs and requirements depend on your vehicle’s make and model. These regular maintenance costs will likely help you avoid the higher costs of unscheduled maintenance.
Most of the time – you can explore your vehicle maintenance schedule located in the car owner’s manual in the glove compartment to determine which maintenance services your car requires and how often these services need to be done.
Fundamental maintenance factors include:
- Oil Change: It is standard to change a vehicle’s engine oil every three months or between every 5,000 to 7,500 miles
- Tire rotation: Because a car’s front two tires bear most of the vehicle’s weight, a tire rotation is needed to spread this stress evenly on all tires. It is recommended to rotate your vehicle’s tires with every oil change.
- Multi-point inspection: It is recommended that you check the following every time you change your oil
- AAA Auto Insurance offers free multi-point inspections
- Fluid levels
- Hoses
- Air pressure
- Tread depth
- Battery
- Belts
- Air filters
Additionally, For these basic maintenance requirements, vehicles often require the replacement of portable auto parts, which ultimately affect ride quality.
If your car is aging in model years or is a used car, replacement costs may increase. For example, your BMW M3 may also need to be replaced. Your average annual operating expenses also increase as you age.
Your BMW M3 might also require replacements. Your average yearly cost of owning will also rise in effect to age. Also, more expensive cars are made of pricier parts, which can be more costly to replace.
Replacement and car repair costs include but are not limited to:
- Tires: Checks all tires once a month for cracks or tears. You can also use the penny test to check the tread depth of your tires.
- Wiper blades: The rubber in the edges is upgradeable over time. It is recommended to be changed every 6 to 12 months for optimal use.
- Engine filters: Stops dirt and debris from clouding your engine. It should be replaced every 20,000 to 60,000 miles.
- Brake pads: Recommended to be changed every 30,000 to 50,000 miles.
- Car batteries need replacing sometimes.
- Engine transmission: Check whether your vehicle has an automatic transmission, manual transmission, or CVT (continuously variable transmission).
BMW M3 Maintenance Care Plans
BMW M3 Ultimate Care Cover Detail
BMW Ultimate Care covers the following service items by the BMW maintenance plan in the BMW Warranty and Service Information Booklet:
- Engine Oil
- Engine Filter
- Fluid
- Cabin microfilter
- Engine air filter (s)
- Spark plugs
- Radio remote control / essential battery
- Vehicle check (fuel filter) diesel engines only)
Chargeable BMW M3 maintenance plan – BMW Ultimate Care +
BMW offers a paid maintenance package called BMW Ultimate Care + as an alternative to the free maintenance contract. Covers factory recommended service for eligible vehicles for the first three years or 36,000 miles, whichever occurs first.
What is the difference between supplemental and paid maintenance programs? BMW Ultimate Care + includes everything in the free BMW Ultimate Care, including brakes, windshield wipers, and clutch.
BMW M3 Ultimate Care + Cover Detail
BMW Ultimate Care + covers the following maintenance items according to the BMW Warranty and Service Information Booklet. It includes everything included in the BMW Ultimate Care plus brakes, windshield wipers, and clutch.
Here is the complete list of items under the “+” cap:
- Engine Oil
- Engine Filter
- Brake Fluid
- Cabin Microfilter
- Engine Air Filter
- Spark Plugs
- Remote / Key Battery
- Vehicle Overhaul
- Fuel filter (diesel engines only)
- Brakes
- Windshield wiper
- Clutch
BMW M3 Extended Maintenance Program – BMW Ultimate Care + 1,2,3,4
BMW calls its new extended maintenance program BMW Ultimate Care + 1, 2,3,4. Note that BMW Ultimate Care + must be purchased first to purchase BMW Ultimate Care + 1, 2, 3, or 4. BMW uses +1, +2, +3, and +4 to indicate the number of years that BMW Ultimate Care + has extended maintenance coverage.
For example, “+1” means “plus one more year” in addition to the original 3-year BMW Ultimate Care + maintenance program and so on. The BMW Ultimate Care + 1,2,3,4 program includes eligible BMW Extended Maintenance for up to 4 more years or 89,000 miles after the original 3-year or 36,000-mile maintenance. This is up to a total of 7 years or 125,000 miles of maintenance protection through BMW Ultimate Care +.
Is Your BMW M3 Due for Scheduled Maintenance?
Under the “Service Required” screen, look for the following symbols to see if your BMW should be serviced:
- A green “OK” symbol next to each maintenance category means that no maintenance is required.
- A yellow triangle symbol indicates that the service appointment or a check is approaching, and the owner must contact a BMW Center to schedule an appointment.
- A red triangle symbol indicates that the service appointment has already expired.
In the right half of the “Service required” screen, a screen also shows parts of the vehicle with different highlight colors that indicate if service is required.
- The green mark means that maintenance is not required
- The red mark means that maintenance is required
The month and year of expiration of the required maintenance and the mileage mark are also displayed on the screen. You must have your vehicles checked on or before the expiration date or mileage, whichever comes first.
Related Guides
Authorization for BMW M3 maintenance program
The price, details, and authorization for the BMW M2 maintenance program depend on the respective BMW vehicle.
BMW Ultimate Care and BMW Ultimate Care + coverage only apply to US-spec BMWs imported and distributed by BMW of North America, LLC and sold or rented through authorized BMW centers or its program.
European Delivery Service or the BMW Military Sales Program. Vehicles purchased or rented from BMW centers in another country do not qualify for BMW Ultimate Care or BMW Ultimate Care +.
Check with your local Authorized BMW Center about authorization for your BMW maintenance programs.
For more information, contact your local BMW dealer. To learn more about maintenance costs for other cars, click here.