The key needs to be programmed to the car. You could try and find one on ebay, etc and then go to the dealer and get it coded to your car.
Of course I was speaking in relative terms 
I never called dealerships for a quote but most likely it would cost more than $250 to replace it.
Is a turn-in inspection free at a BMW dealer? We have been eyeballing taking over a short-term BMW or Mini Cooper lease – I’d like to verify everything is square before assuming.
yes but they recommend a pre inspection with Autovin
The shortest-term BMW lease transfer is 6 months. I’m pretty sure BMWFS won’t give you a free inspection that far out.
Also pre inspection is for visible stuff . Scratches , dents , chips , missing keys Etc . It’s not like they put the car on the lift or run diagnostics . I can send you the bmw checklist and you can do it yourself .
The turbo cord that the BMW dealer adds to the vehicle for $500 isn’t the base cord, right? I wonder if I can ask to get it removed from my quote. I already have a level 2 charger at home, so no need to pay extra.
Sorry, but only asking since the cord was mentioned in here. 
Came with my car - I’m pretty they add it at the port and put it on the Monroney, so it is officially part of the MSRP (and therefore residualized).
2 Likes
I asked to drop it and I was told not possible. Residualized and must be returned at the end of the lease.
Yes, we’re been looking at things with 6 to 12 months left.
Anyone knows if windows is tinted in 15%. Are you required to remove it?
Found one on used i3 remote key ebay. Bmw dealer says they charge whopping 180 just to program the key.
BMWFS charged $150/each for the front tires on our i3, which is actually cheaper than what it would have cost to replace them on our own.
The pre-inspection was done by a BMW dealer, as was the final inspection. AutoVIN was not involved.
How many miles did you have on that i3? I was pleasantly surprised that I wasn’t charged for tires after hearing some stories about owners running them bald at as low as 5,000 miles.
Rear tires went bald at ~19,000, so I replaced them then. Returned the car with 23,000 miles.
1 Like
My i3 has cracked windshield and they said the new one should have a BMW logo on it, if I repair before return. preinspection estimate was $600 and it is not much higher than 3rd party repair cost using OEM windshield.
The funny thing is the dealership quoted $2400 for the repair 
I’m getting ready to lease another i3, and finding it difficult to decide between two years on a BEV or three years on a REx. I’m slightly concerned that if I do three years the tax credit will already have started being phased out for BMW, though if I’m lucky maybe I’ll catch the final six months of the $7,500 credit. I absolutely love the i3 so I’d like to not have to go through the shopping process again for a few years since car shopping always takes me a few months.
Theoretically I could do 30 months either way for added flexibility and hopefully extend it at the end since the best deals come at the end of the year.
Yeah, the only PIA stuff I’ve ever been able to get taken off and adjust MSRP/Residual have been wheel packages. This too is rare though.
This is what I am doing . Need about 1k/month but doing 833/mo lease . I will either return 6 months early and use up miles (thus avoid $500 registration) or extend another 6 months. I have a second car to manage the miles though .
Just a note: BMWFS only lets you extend 2-3 months without a factory order or deposit, which complicates it a bit since I find the programs get better in the fall.