If you have a brand new car then warranty should cover it for up to 3 years but we are talking about 2-4 year old cars. If you have time check some BMW forums and you will be surprised to know the issues with German cars;) but they drive better then any car.
I will give you an example, while 2007 Lexus LS owners are complaining about wind noise in the cabin and uncomfortable seat, The 7 series owners are worried about coolant leaks and jerk in the transmission. Which owners have bigger issues?
The example above is reported by several 2007 model owners. Now remember both of the above cars are out of the warranty.