Need Roadside Assistance For Your BMW?
No spare in the trunk, a battery that is not under the hood, and run-flats that hide a puncture until the sidewall is finished. A BMW on the shoulder is rarely the simple call it looks like.
24/7/365 dispatch · Insurance-verified rescuers · Flatbed capable
BMW roadside help, dispatched nationwide
Road Rescue Network dispatches 24/7 roadside help for the BMW range. Two things account for most of what we are sent to: run-flat tires that let a driver keep going until the tire is beyond saving, and a low-voltage system that puts the battery somewhere other than where a rescuer instinctively looks. Both are handled quickly by someone who knew before they arrived.
Who builds a BMW, and why it changes the rescue
BMW puts the battery in the boot or under the rear seat on much of its range rather than under the bonnet, and provides a remote jump terminal in the engine bay instead. A rescuer who does not know that wastes ten minutes looking, and one who clamps the wrong thing can do real damage to the body electronics.
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, trading as BMW Group, is a German multinational conglomerate manufacturer of luxury vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Germany. The moniker "BMW" first came into use when the German firm Rapp Motorenwerke changed its name to Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH in 1917. Thereafter, in 1922, the name and assets of BMW GmbH were transferred to the aircraft manufacturer Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG, thereby giving rise to the company known today as BMW AG.BMW on Wikipedia
What a rescuer has to know before they roll on a BMW
These are the things that go wrong when a BMW gets whichever truck was closest instead of the right one.
Run-flats mean no spare, and no warning you would notice
Most BMWs ship on run-flat tires with no spare, no jack and often no sealant kit, on the logic that you can drive on a deflated tire for a limited distance at a limited speed. In practice drivers cover far more than that because the car does not feel wrong, and the tire arrives destroyed rather than punctured. A correct-size run-flat has to be brought to the vehicle, and those sizes are not carried on a general truck.
The battery is in the trunk and you jump it under the hood
On much of the range the 12V battery sits in the boot or under the rear seat, with dedicated positive and negative jump points in the engine bay for exactly this reason. Clamping wherever a cable reaches is how electronics get hurt. A rescuer who knows this is finished in minutes.
The electronic parking brake holds a dead car still
When a BMW loses power the parking brake stays applied and the shifter will not release, so the car will not roll onto a bed. That means skates or the model's transport procedure. It is a common reason a first truck gives up and a second gets called.
xDrive belongs on a flatbed
All-wheel-drive models should travel with all four wheels off the ground. Rear-drive cars are more forgiving, but a bed is the answer that is correct for every BMW on the road.
There is no dipstick to check
Oil level is read from the dashboard, so a driver with a warning has no way to check by hand at the roadside. If a BMW is warning about oil pressure, the right move is to stop and have it moved, not to press on to the next exit.
The BMW calls we take
Flat and destroyed run-flats
Correct-size run-flat replacements brought to the vehicle, with the size and wheel-lock key confirmed before dispatch.
Jumpstart and battery
Jump at the correct under-hood terminals, and replacement of a battery mounted in the trunk or under the rear seat.
Towing
Flatbed for xDrive and i models, with skates where the electronic parking brake will not release.
Lockout and fuel delivery
Opened without damaging trim, and fuel brought to the vehicle.
Winch-out and recovery
Taken from rated points, never from suspension components.
How a BMW has to be moved
Worth reading to whoever shows up, whether or not we sent them.
All-wheel-drive and electric BMWs belong on a flatbed with all four wheels off the ground, and a flatbed is the safe default for the rear-drive cars too. If the car is dead, the electronic parking brake will hold the wheels and the shifter will not release, so expect skates rather than rolling it on. Secure at the designated points.
BMW models we cover
Owners out of factory coverage, lease drivers who cannot afford a wheel scraped during a rescue, and anyone who has already discovered there is no spare. Every rescuer carries current general liability insurance and works to standardised response and pricing practices.
BMW roadside assistance in major US metros
Tap a metro for local rescuers, response times and recent calls. New cities are added continuously.
Statewide coverage
Browse every metro we cover in these states.
Where a BMW gets looked at
A tow ends somewhere. These are the businesses listed in our directory in the largest metros, with a direct-dial number on every one.
Repair shops
1,044 citiesIndependent garages in the directory, listed by city. Where the vehicle goes once it is off the truck.
Tire shops
639 citiesFor the flat that cannot be plugged, and for the makes that carry no spare at all.
Parts counters
2,936 citiesBatteries, bulbs, belts and fluids, close to where the vehicle stopped.
Body and collision
1,799 citiesAfter a recovery, for the panel damage the tow was not the worst of.
BMW roadside questions
There is no spare in my BMW. What happens with a flat?
That is normal. Most run on run-flats and carry no spare, no jack and often no sealant. Run-flats let you keep driving, which is why they usually arrive destroyed rather than merely flat. Read the full size off the sidewall when you call, tell us whether you have the wheel-lock key, and a matching tire is brought to you.
Where do you jump a BMW? I cannot find the battery.
It is generally in the trunk or under the rear seat, and there are dedicated jump terminals under the hood made for this. Nothing should be clamped to random metal. It is a quick job for someone who already knows where to look.
The car is dead and will not roll onto the truck.
That is the electronic parking brake staying applied with no power, plus a shifter that will not release. It is normal and it means the rescuer uses skates or the model's transport procedure. Mention that the car is completely dead when you call so the right equipment comes.
BMW and its model names are trademarks of their owner. Road Rescue Network is an independent nationwide dispatch network and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an authorised agent of BMW. We name the make because it is what our rescuers service.
BMW down right now?
One number reaches a live dispatcher. Tell them the model and what it is doing, and the truck that leaves is the one that can actually take your car.