Service Records Help

[Z3 Coupe]

Wanted to see if anyone could help me out getting a copy of my service records from BMW? I called the dealership and they were willing to verbally give me a rundown but wouldn’t provide any copies. They said it was due to previous owner info but I read they can pull a summarized version without customer info. I got tired of trying to convince them and figured I’d see if anyone on here could help me out. Thanks.


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[maw1124]

Show up in person with your title (or registration) and ID and request the VMI — vehicle master inquiry. That will cover work done under warranty. Everything else, they can redact the prior owner’s information and give it to you. Depending upon the age of the car, you might be fine with the VMI. You didn’t get any service records with the purchase? But (1) they never do anything over the phone (a verbal rundown is a lot in my experience); and (2) they usually only cooperate if they sniff a new customer. Maybe buy a few parts or accessories while you’re there. A good relationship with the parts counter and service manager is never a bad thing, even if you rarely use them.

maw

[Z3 Coupe]

Show up in person with your title (or registration) and ID and request the VMI — vehicle master inquiry. That will cover work done under warranty. Everything else, they can redact the prior owner’s information and give it to you. Depending upon the age of the car, you might be fine with the VMI. You didn’t get any service records with the purchase? But (1) they never do anything over the phone (a verbal rundown is a lot in my experience); and (2) they usually only cooperate if they sniff a new customer. Maybe buy a few parts or accessories while you’re there. A good relationship with the parts counter and service manager is never a bad thing, even if you rarely use them.

maw

Didn’t get full records, just a few recent records.
I’ll try going in person to see if they are willing print the VMI. Thanks for the advice.


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[Estoril]

I'll note that for car's this age, dealers would only have a very small fraction of service records. By far the most would (or wouldn't....) have been done by indy shops.

Thats why everyone should get paper records from sellers.

[Arith2]

Typically repair orders get purged every 5 to 7 years. Anything past that will be a simple title without notes or anything specific. Warranty work can be read in a system called AIR which has a variety of info. Service advisors should know how to pull it up.

Parts doesn't know crap about anything but parts and even that's a stretch. Don't bother the parts department with vehicle history. It just pisses everyone off.

[maw1124]

Typically repair orders get purged every 5 to 7 years…

Be careful with this because I think it’s getting shorter. My long time MB service advisor is now service manager, and lately he told me their system purges every 3 years.

Obviously don’t bother parts counter with service issues. Buy parts while they service your car and get the info you need. I consider that first dealer spend (where I get the VMI and the list of all the shit they want to charge me to do because “it’s time”) as part of the cost of buying the car. But I’m old school like that. Something about not being penny wise and pound foolish…

maw

[Z3 Coupe]

Just scheduled my airbag recall and I asked the service advisor about the VMI. He said he’s never hears of it.


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[maw1124]

When you take the car, ask them print out all dealer work ever done on the car for your records (you know, the stuff they read you over the phone). Tell us the title of that print out. It may have changed by now. The last one I got was years ago.

Was the car locally sourced and is this where the seller took the car for service? If so, perhaps they can be helpful securing records from the dealership.


maw

[Arith2]

Be careful with this because I think it’s getting shorter. My long time MB service advisor is now service manager, and lately he told me their system purges every 3 years.


maw

I just looked yesterday and ROs for my company stop in 2016. It may be an individual policy for how much server space is available. Right now we are on number 355xxx for RO numbers which seems like a relatively small amount compared to places like Orlando.