First, remember the car must meet certain requirements to be certified and there may be a cost to you, over and above the certification charge, to make any necessary repairs, etc.

Secondly, it's my understanding the actual cost to a BMW dealership for the certified warranty is either $800 or $1,000 (I forgot which). The dealership profits on the sale to you of this warranty by anything over and above their cost from BMW. Many dealerships are strict about what they charge for this warranty but others might be willing to negotiate with you.

If you have a few BMW dealerships nearby I would suggest you visit them in person and talk to the service manager about it explaining to him that you understand the warranty can be had for a reasonable figure of around $"X". This time of year is usually very slow for all car service departments as people have Christmas and other things on their mind.

I hope this helps you and maybe even saves you a little money too!

Bob ///M3

Hi ,

Im looking at purchasing an m3 soon and was curious if it was possible for me to buy a used m3 from a private individual and then have my local dealer inspect and certify the vehicle. I know that the dealer will ceritfy its vehicle's for $1800, but will they do the same if I just recently bought one from a private sale?

If not what are some alternatives. Because I feel that the 100k warranty is critical yet at the same time the prices at the dealers seem extremely inflated(i.e at Concord BMW in california they stickered a 97/ w 31,000 miles for 40,500. But at the same time i feel that the BMW certification is very important. Any info would be appreciated.

Thank You.