[Bill1976]

I’m currently looking to buy a car, which has no service history for the 1st 5 years, then mainly bmw every year since, the cars a 2009, and has only done 65k, is it possible to check if bmw have any information on the car with just the reg number? Or do I need the vin number, and if so is there any way of getting it without contacting the garage selling the car?


Cheers

[e90yyc]

None I’m aware of. BMW dealerships do have a database that should have service history assuming it was serviced within their network, but this isn’t something they’ll just turn over to you. Maybe they do it differently in the UK, but I’m speaking from experience here in Canada.

You could probably get a vague idea by looking at a Carfax report.

Most people in this forum are from NA so my answer to your question about whether you need the VIN would be absolutely yes, but if in the UK this registration number you refer to is unique to the car, then maybe that’s all you’d need. No clue here.

All that said, I really wouldn’t worry too much. If there HAD to be missing service history for a car, what you describe is kinda the ideal scenario: Under-warranty period unaccounted for, but full history for off-warranty years. It’s safe to assume that for at least the first four years the car would have been brought to the dealer, and given the super low mileage, it’s likely not much was done to it.

[Hoody007]

Originally Posted by Bill1976

I’m currently looking to buy a car, which has no service history for the 1st 5 years, then mainly bmw every year since, the cars a 2009, and has only done 65k, is it possible to check if bmw have any information on the car with just the reg number? Or do I need the vin number, and if so is there any way of getting it without contacting the garage selling the car?


Cheers

You can visit your local BMW Center and have them pull the service history from when it was in warranty.

[e90yyc]

Originally Posted by Hoody007

You can visit your local BMW Center and have them pull the service history from when it was in warranty.

They’ll just hand that over?

No doubt. At the dealership I used to work at, they didn’t usually disclose service history. At least nothing with any meaningful detail. Then again I didn’t work in Service, so maybe the SAs I dealt with were just dickheads. Lol.

[Mosaud1998]

What's the vin? I might be able to pull it up from the Carfax

[Bmw1939]

Originally Posted by Bill1976

I’m currently looking to buy a car, which has no service history for the 1st 5 years, then mainly bmw every year since, the cars a 2009, and has only done 65k, is it possible to check if bmw have any information on the car with just the reg number? Or do I need the vin number, and if so is there any way of getting it without contacting the garage selling the car?


Cheers

Get the vin. It is on the windshield. You can get any car vin you want in person. Then get the carfax. Call the dealers and garages where the carfax shows a service history. The 1st 5 years will be listed. Tell them you just purchased the car and would like an overview. If you are lucky you will get a lot of info.

[Bill1976]

Thanks for all the replies guys, I wasn’t aware this was mainly a NA forum, the advert for the car had been removed this morning, so I called them, it’s sold, so that’s solved that problem! ( as it turns out I’ve decided to scrap the 320d idea and go for a 330d now ) coming from a 535d, won’t quite feel like I’m having a leg amputated.

e90yyc - good point about the first 5 years should mainly by covered with warranty work anyway, by carfax I presume that’s similar to what we call hip check, look into the history of the car for any finance on it, insurance write off etc?

I have previously been able to get info off a main dealer, but I had the vin, and it was a vw, thanks again for the info, very helpful forum! ��