Rendering Credit: Carscoops
BMW has filed a set of patent drawings featuring custom screw heads modeled after its own logo, with each one shaped to resemble the BMW emblem split into four quadrants. Two of the sections are recessed, while the remaining ones are either flat or raised, forming a shape that would likely require a made to fit tool. The patent makes BMW's intentions explicit: preventing the screw from being loosened or tightened using common counter drive structures by unauthorized persons.
While Mercedes announces plans to make repairs easier by switching from glue to screws, BMW heads in precisely the opposite direction. The patent specifies these screws for structural and semi structural applications including seat mountings and areas where the interior meets the body. Something as simple as removing a seat could suddenly require a BMW specific tool unavailable at any hardware store.
The internet responded with mockery and predictions of immediate workarounds. Reddit users joked that knockoffs would surface on AliExpress and Temu before BMW's screws ever hit an actual car. One user quipped they might as well wait to buy the proper one from Temu in 10, 9, 8, 7 seconds. BMW forum members predicted the needed tool will soon be available at AliExpress in their OE BMW parts and tools section.
The skepticism isn't unfounded. History shows that proprietary fastener designs rarely maintain exclusivity long. Security Torx bolts, once dealer only, now come in standard toolkits. Apple's pentalobe screws appeared on aftermarket sites within weeks. The specialized tools BMW hopes to restrict will likely follow the same pattern, manufactured overseas and sold for a fraction of dealer pricing before these screws reach production vehicles.
Users noted the design resembles old clutch head screws that have been around so long they've been forgotten, suggesting two seconds with a cutoff wheel would make a functional temporary substitute. Others proposed even simpler solutions. One suggested using Magna Steel to make an impression of the screw head and gluing it to a cheap screwdriver. When enthusiasts start problem solving before the problem exists, the battle is already lost.
The patent itself, submitted on June 7, 2024, and made public on December 11, 2025, may never reach production. Automakers file countless patents that never leave sketchbooks. But the attempt reveals BMW's direction of travel. While right to repair movements gain momentum globally and competitors embrace accessibility, BMW patents tools specifically designed to lock owners out of their own vehicles.
Aftermarket suppliers would probably crank out compatible bits almost immediately, rendering the entire exercise pointless except as a temporary inconvenience. The only guaranteed outcome is customer frustration and dealer dependence until Chinese manufacturers flood the market with $5 driver sets that make BMW's proprietary strategy irrelevant.
The patent exists. The backlash exists. And somewhere in Shenzhen, a factory is probably already designing the knockoff tooling, waiting for the first production BMW with roundel screws to appear. The race between manufacturer control and aftermarket innovation continues. History suggests betting against the aftermarket is unwise.