BMW M3 SEDAN 2008 E90 Service and warranty information

Battery Care
If your car is driven only for short distances of
less than 10 miles over a prolonged period of
time, without an occasional drive at highway
speeds, the engines charging system will not
maintain the battery. Insufficient use of the vehi-
cle could result in short term starting problems
and in the long term could damage the battery.
In case the car is not operated for several weeks
it is advisable to:
 consider using a proper trickle charger, fol-
lowing the charger manufacturer’s instruc-
tions, to maintain the battery’s state of
charge; or
 consult your BMW center regarding battery
removal. Once removed, the battery must be
charged and stored in a cool, dry place where
it can be protected from freezing. If the bat-
tery will be stored for over 3 months, it must
be recharged every 3 months, or else it will
become damaged and useless.
Please consult with your BMW center for further
guidance and information.
Corrosion Protection
Extensive corrosion protection measures imple-
mented by BMW now make it possible to offer a
twelve-year unlimited mileage anti-corrosion
warranty against rust perforation on your vehicle
provided that the vehicle is maintained in accor-
dance with the provisions of the New Vehicle
Limited Warranty as outlined in the Warranty
Section of this Booklet (page 32).
The major degree of corrosion protection is due
to the electrophoretic dip painting process
which cathodically deposits paint particles on all
body parts, attracting paint particles into the
minutest cavities or seams. Body parts are
designed to provide optimum corrosion
protection. During manufacture, exterior body parts receive
an additional corrosion protection coat. Hood,
trunk, doors and other body parts are coated
with PVC and sealed from the outside.
All floor panels receive a resilient coating of PVC
for maximum protection against damage due to
stones, etc.
Corrosion protection materials tested over many
years are applied to the surfaces of cavities and
to the entire underside of the vehicle during and
after assembly.
Requirements for maintaining the 12-year unlim-
ited mileage anti-corrosion warranty are outlined
in the Warranty Section of this Booklet
(page 34).
Restoring corrosion protection
Please take care that anti-corrosion material is
replaced when your car is repaired after body or
chassis damage.
BMW NA will not accept any liability for any
parts and accessories not approved by
BMW.
Underbody maintenance
The underbody has to be cleaned at least once
a year, in spring, with plain water in order to
remove mud, chemical sediments and other
deposits. If those materials are not removed,
corrosion (rust) will occur on metal components.
Your BMW center will do this anti-corrosion ser-
vice for you.
Do not apply additional undercoating or
rust-proofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or
heat shields. During driving, the substance used
for undercoating could overheat and cause a
fire.
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Customer Assistance Information
Your satisfaction with our product and the ser-
vices provided by authorized BMW centers is of
great importance to us. We take pride in our
product, as does the BMW center who services
it. If you should ever have a question regarding
your BMW centers service or your BMW’s per-
formance, we recommend that you contact your
authorized BMW center. Should you travel to an
unfamiliar area, the BMW center directory pro-
vided at the time of delivery will help you locate
the nearest authorized BMW center. The centers
listed are equipped to help you with matters
related to your BMW vehicle.
When contacting an authorized BMW center, we
suggest that depending upon the nature of your
contact, you discuss it with either the Sales,
Service, or Parts Manager.
As all matters are resolved at the BMW center
level, it is important that they be given the
opportunity to provide a solution. Should you
feel that you were not provided with the proper
response, we urge you to contact the General
Manager or BMW Center Operator.
Despite the best intentions of all parties, a mis-
understanding may occur between you and your
BMW center. Should this occur and you require
further assistance, please contact the BMW NA
Customer Relations Department at
1 800 831-1117 or through our website @
www.bmwusa.com. When contacting us, we ask
that you provide the following information:
 Your name, address and telephone number
 Vehicle Identification Number (last seven
digits)
 Vehicles delivery date
 Vehicle mileage
 Selling BMW center’s name
 Servicing BMW center’s name
 Description of the problem
A BMW NA Customer Relations Representative
will carefully review all the facts involved and let
you know what further action will be taken in
conjunction with your BMW center. Please
remember: the first step in resolving a complaint
is to contact the authorized BMW center that performed the work on your vehicle. They have
the necessary equipment and the personnel to
achieve this goal.
We are confident that every effort will be made
to ensure your satisfaction.
Customer Assistance - Notification
During a specific period (for example, the earlier
of 12 months or 12,000 miles, though this
period varies by state), some states require us
or our authorized BMW center, to repair in a rea-
sonable number of attempts, any defect or con-
dition which substantially impairs the use, value,
or safety of a new vehicle sold, leased or regis-
tered in that state.
A “reasonable number of attempts” is generally
defined as (i) four or more attempts to repair the
same defect (the number of attempts vary by
state) or (ii) the vehicle is out of service by rea-
son of one or more repair(s) for more than a
cumulative total of 30 days (this period varies by
state), except for delays created by conditions
beyond our control.
If we are unable to correct a defect or condition
covered by these statutes in a reasonable num-
ber of attempts, we may be obligated either to
replace the vehicle or reimburse the owner/les-
see in an amount equal to the purchase price or
lease payments paid by the owner/lessee, less
the amount directly attributable to use of the
vehicle by the owner/lessee.
You should send written notification directly
to BMW of North America, LLC of the exist-
ence of an alleged defect. Send written com-
munication to the Customer Relations and
Services Department address listed below.
BMW of North America, LLC
Customer Relations and Services Department
P.O. Box 1227
Westwood, New Jersey 07675-1227
Telephone: 1 800 831-1117
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BBB Auto Line
If your concern is still not resolved to your satis-
faction, BMW NA offers additional assistance
through BBB AUTO LINE in ARKANSAS, CALI-
FORNIA, GEORGIA, IDAHO, IOWA, KENTUCKY,
MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MINNESOTA,
PENNSYLVANIA, OHIO, and VIRGINIA. BBB
AUTO LINE is a dispute resolution program
administered by the Council of Better Business
Bureaus. BBB AUTO LINE resolves disputes
through mediation or arbitration. Mediation is an
informal proceeding whereby a neutral third
party (mediator) helps the parties to find an
acceptable resolution. Arbitration is also an
informal proceeding in which an impartial third
party renders a decision after a hearing at which
both parties have an opportunity to be heard.
You can select mediation or arbitration or both.
The program is free of charge to you, the con-
sumer but there are some minimum require-
ments for participation in the program. Please
contact BBB AUTO LINE at the address or
phone number listed below for more details:
BBB AUTO LINE
4200 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 800
Arlington, VA 22203
1 800 955-5100
If you wish to use the program and you qualify
for participation, you will be required to provide
the following information:
 Your name and address
 The vehicle identification number (VIN)
 The make, model and year of your vehicle
 A description of the problem with your vehicle
BBB AUTO LINE will also ask you for other
information that may help resolve your concerns,
such as the purchase price of your vehicle, any
mileage at the time of purchase, the current
mileage, and copies of repair orders.
BBB AUTO LINE will notify you when your claim
has been filed. If you decide to arbitrate you may
attend the hearing in person or by telephone.
You may bring witnesses and give supporting
evidence. You may also submit your claim in
writing and ask for a decision on the documents
you submit, without attending a hearing. BBB
AUTO LINE will usually render a decision within 40 days from the time you file your complaint.
The decision is binding on BMW NA if you
decide to accept it. BMW NA must comply with
the decision within the time frame specified by
the arbitrator.
Important:
You must use BBB AUTO LINE
before asserting in court any rights or remedies
created by the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act,
(The Act) 15 U.S.C. Sec. 2301, et seq. You may
also be required to use BBB AUTO LINE before
seeking remedies under your state’s Lemon
Law. If you choose to seek redress by pursuing
rights and remedies not created by Title 1 of
Magnuson Moss Warranty Act, prior resort to
the BBB AUTO LINE is not required by any pro-
vision of the Act.
California Residents
1. BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC
(BMW NA) participates in BBBAUTO LINE,
a mediation/arbitration program administered
by the Council of Better Business Bureaus
[4200 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia
22203] through local Better Business
Bureaus. The Arbitration Certification Pro-
gram of the California Department of Con-
sumer Affairs has certified BBBAUTO LINE
and BMW.
2. If you have a problem arising under a BMW NA written warranty, we encourage
you to bring it to our attention. If we are
unable to resolve it, you may file a claim with
BBB AUTO LINE. Claims must be filed with
BBB AUTO LINE within six (6) months after
the expiration of the warranty.
3. To file a claim with BBBAUTO LINE, call
1 800 955-5100. There is no charge for the
call.
4. In order to file a claim with BBBAUTO
LINE, you will have to provide your name
and address, the brand name and vehicle
identification number (VIN) of your vehicle,
and a statement of the nature of your prob-
lem or complaint. You will also be asked to
provide: the approximate date of your acqui-
sition of the vehicle, the vehicles current
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mileage, the approximate date and mileage
at the time any problem(s) were first brought
to the attention of BMW NA or one of our
dealers, and a statement of the relief you are
seeking.
5. BBB AUTO LINE staff may try to help
resolve your dispute through mediation. If
mediation is not successful, or if you do not
wish to participate in mediation, claims
within the programs jurisdiction may be pre-
sented to an arbitrator at an informal hear-
ing. The arbitrators decision should
ordinarily be issued within 40 days from the
time your complaint is filed; there may be a
delay of 7 days if you did not first contact
BMW NA about your problem, or a delay of
up to 30 days if the arbitrator requests an
inspection/report by an impartial technical
expert or further investigation and report by
BBB AUTO LINE.
6. You are required to use BBBAUTO LINE
before asserting in court any rights or reme-
dies conferred by California Civil Code Sec-
tion 1793.22. You are not required to use
BBB AUTO LINE before pursuing rights and
remedies under any other state or federal
law. You are also required to use BBBAUTO
LINE before exercising rights or seeking
remedies created by Title I of the Magnu-
son-Moss Warranty Act, 15 U.S.C. sec.
2301 et seq. If you choose to seek redress
by pursuing rights and remedies not created
by California Civil Code Section 1793.22 or
Title I of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act,
resort to BBBAUTO LINE is not required by
those statutes.
7. California Civil Code Section 1793.2(d) requires that, if BMW NA or its representa-
tive is unable to repair a new motor vehicle
to conform to the vehicles applicable
express warranty after a reasonable number
of attempts, BMW NA may be required to
replace or repurchase the vehicle. California
Civil Code Section 1793.22(b) creates a pre-
sumption that BMW NA has had a reason-
able number of attempts to conform the vehicle to its applicable express warranties
if, within 18 months from delivery to the
buyer or 18,000 miles on the vehicles odom-
eter, whichever occurs first,
one or more of
the following occurs:
• The same nonconformity [a failure to con-
form to the written warranty that substan-
tially impairs the use, value or safety of the
vehicle] results in a condition that is likely
to cause death or serious bodily injury if the
vehicle is driven AND the nonconformity
has been subject to repair two or more
times by BMW NA or its agents AND the
buyer or lessee has directly notified
BMW NA of the need for the repair of the
nonconformity; OR
• The same nonconformity has been subject
to repair 4 or more times by BMW NA or its
agents AND the buyer has notified
BMW NA of the need for the repair of the
nonconformity; OR
• The vehicle is out of service by reason of
repair of nonconformities by BMW NA or its
agents for a cumulative total of more than
30 calendar days after delivery of the vehi-
cle to the buyer.
NOTICE TO BMW NA AS REQUIRED ABOVE
SHALL BE SENT TO THE FOLLOWING
ADDRESS: BMW of North America, LLC
Customer Relations and Services Department P.O. Box 1227
Westwood, New Jersey 07675-1227 1 800 831-1117
8. The following remedies may be sought inBBB AUTO LINE: repairs, reimbursement for
money paid to repair a vehicle or other
expenses incurred as a result of a vehicle
nonconformity, repurchase or replacement
of your vehicle and compensation for dam-
ages and remedies available under
BMW NA’s written warranty or applicable
law.
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