Would a non-manufacturer tow bar invalidate my warranty?
I want to fit a tow bar to my 2016 BMW X3. I can get one fitted by an independent garage for about £650 or from BMW for close to £3000. There seems to be no difference between them other than the fact that it sounds like my BMW warranty might become invalidated unless I choose to use them. Is there any other solution other than to shell out an extra £2350? I’d rather buy a 20-year-old Shogun for the same price than a tow bar from BMW!
Asked on 3 November 2020 by Tony cummings
Answered by
Dan Powell
The key thing to remember when buying a tow bar for your car is it needs to be ‘type approved’. This means it must meet the relevant regulations and be designed for your car. Type-approved tow bars have a label with an approval number and details of the vehicles it’s approved for.
Without seeing the two bar from the independent garage I cannot say if it's designed for your car or not. But it's important to check this before proceeding as a non-approved tow bar may damage the vehicle. Likewise, the BMW dealer may install additional gearbox fluid cooling that will benefit your car when towing heavy loads, while the independent garage may not.
Without seeing the two bar from the independent garage I cannot say if it's designed for your car or not. But it's important to check this before proceeding as a non-approved tow bar may damage the vehicle. Likewise, the BMW dealer may install additional gearbox fluid cooling that will benefit your car when towing heavy loads, while the independent garage may not.
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