My lease is throwing up a dire-sounding warning about being a little overdue for an oil change…even though the car only has 8600 miles on it and it won’t be a year into my lease until November. And it’s a 330i, not an M and hasn’t been driven like an M. I figured there was some setting I could go into to switch the warning to 10,000 miles but that doesn’t seem to be the case. This is my first BMW lease - do I actually need to go run and get the oil changed now (and therefore get like 5 oil changes over my 3 years instead of 3)? Or is this just the classic shiesty “set everything way too early to make dealers more money” ploy?
Your oil is older than your lease. 
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Many makes / models have the first oil change set at 5000 or 7500 miles or 6 months. I am not positive on BMW but I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the case. I’d just set an appointment and go in…it may very well be August before you get there.
So there are 1400 or so phantom miles on that oil that doesn’t show up on the odometer? Or the BMW sensors are literally testing the quality of the oil to know it’s now bad?
Service is due based on miles added or time elapsed. They don’t put fresh oil in a new car before you drive it home.
My current vehicle had been on the lot for ~10 months before I leased it in 2019.
Within a couple of months service was due. I don’t recall the exact mileage, but probably around 1,500.
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First oil change is 12 months or about 15,000 miles- usually in the 10,000 to 15,000 area depending on driving conditions and oil sensor.
This is most probably a time notice. BMW oil changes are free and most dealerships offer loaners- if scheduled ahead of time. So I’d recommend you schedule it, get a new toy to play with for a couple of hours, and then go back to a car with new oil at $0 cost to you.
I actually enjoy hooning (er, carefully driving) the loaners and look forward to maintenance. There is never a sales pitch (even this past year- unless you walk over to look at the new cars- then you get the pitch).
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Yes. Part of the deal.
Was your car put into service before being leased to you? Demo/loaner/exec car etc?
Ok so 4th and 5th oil changes are still free if they fall within my 36 month lease term? In that case great, nothing to worry about.