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BMW 3-Series Run Flat Tires

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Comments

  • rmalcomrmalcom Member Posts: 4
    My dealer told me to follow the sticker that says 29 and 36
  • topbiztopbiz Member Posts: 16
    I have contacted BMW of North America many times regarding the run-flat problems. They insist they have NEVER heard of anyone else having problems besides me. I have now called over 8 times, emailed , faxed and mailed them letters. Their number is 1-800-831-1117, ask for Customer Relations. If you would like to fax a letter , their number is (201) 307-3736.
    Just as an aside, a big selling point to the BMW was the "free" service. I am being told that my car due to the fact it was not driven hard does not qualify for a free oil change until 23,000 miles!!!!!!!!
  • imran62781imran62781 Member Posts: 26
    Can we come up with something as a group to show that we are all concerned about these tires. This way they can't claim that you are the only one? Even if we can come up with a standard letter stating that we belong to this forum and that we have had many posts about this perhaps we will get somewhere? I dont know, this is my first bmw, many of you have been with them for a long time and perhaps doing something like this will have no impact whatsoever.
  • rflrfl Member Posts: 100
    Apparently BMW is now shipping xi's with Continental ContiProContact SSR run-flat tires replacing the horrendous, dreaded Bridgestone 42's. I drove a 2006 330xi at the dealers yesterday with the Continental tires and the difference is like NIGHT AND DAY ! BMW dealer (with the cooperation of BMW NA has AGREED TO REPLACE MY BRIDGESTONE'S with the Continentals at no charge as a goodwill gesture.Apparently they have heard the message. Keep trying THROUGH YOUR DEALER). It may take a while but with the dealer's cooperation, BMW usually comes through if the problem is legit. And this one was!
  • owner6owner6 Member Posts: 89
    My door has 2 stickers. A yellow one that reads speeds below 100 Miles per hour 29 PSI front and 36 rear. There is a larger white sticker that reads for over 100 Miles per hour and has a higher pressure, 33 PSI front 41 rear. The car rides smother with the lower pressure setting.
    Owner6
  • mpt1mpt1 Member Posts: 12
    That info is huge! How did you find out that the xi's are now shipping with the Continentals? Do you know if the same is true for the i's? I'm on the verge of putting Michellin's Pilot Exaltos non-run flats on my '06 330xi to replace the EL42s. Maybe I should wait and see if I can get my dealer to change them for the Continentals. I think I'll need more ammunition to do this, so again, any info you have on where you found this out would be helpful. Thanks.
  • topbiztopbiz Member Posts: 16
    HI,
    Who is your dealer? Mine says they can't do anything(and I purchased 2 BMW's there in the past few months, a 3 and a 5)
  • rflrfl Member Posts: 100
    I actually walked around the dealer's inventory lot and looked at EVERY NEW 330 and 330XI he had in stock (about 30 of them) and also looked at 6 that were JUST coming off of a truck. ALL OF THEM HAD THE CONTINENTALS. My dealer's service manager said it was a surprise to him...nobody notified them of the change. It kind of just "happened".They actually gave me the keys to one that just came off of the truck (without prep or anything) to test drive the tires. BTW... the service manager actually took a ride in my car with the Bridgestone's and agreed with me. He is driving a 330i with Bridgestone's and he said he'd like to change his own tires to the Continentals. I cannot attest to the FACT that ALL of the 2006 series will now come with the Continentals...but it sure seems that way. FYI...Tirerack now lists the Continentals as "BMW Run Flats" and shows them as OEM tires. Lastly...if you had to buy the Continentals...they're $135 a piece at Tirerack. That's correct...$135 each.A far cry from the $240 the dealers want to replace the crappy Bridgestone's. Bye Bye Bridgestone...hello Continental!
  • rflrfl Member Posts: 100
    I have purchased 4 BMW's. My dealer is West German BMW in Ft. Washington, PA. They have always done right by me. They did tell me that the swap for the Continentals was a GOOD WILL GESTURE and that it came about after a discussion with the local BMW rep. BMW NA in Northern New Jersey actually called me yesterday to ask if the problem was resolved and was I satisfied. I do not know (or care) who is paying for the tires...but if you look at my last post...Tirerack has these Contintals listed as BMW RUN FLATS and they are $135 each...so even if you had to pay for them...they won't break the bank.
  • rflrfl Member Posts: 100
    P.S. If your dealer can't(won't) do anything...FIND A NEW DEALER. 2 cars in the past few months...they ought to be ashamed of themselves
  • sgraysgray Member Posts: 3
    Last summer I ordered my 2006 BMW 330xi, expecting a slight upgrade over my last two 325xi's. (I have bought at least 12 BMWs over the years). I particularly enjoyed my '02 + '04 325xi's.

    I took delivery in October. At no time did the dealer disclose that the run flat tires would make for a noticeably rougher ride or that they would start off as somewhat noisy and with 5,000 miles wear become unbearably noisy (somewhat like the sound of tires on my 1 ton truck). Nor was I told that my first blowout would require me to rent a car since no one including the dealer had a run flat in stock. Most importantly no one mentioned that the tires would need to be replaced every 5,000 to 6,000 miles ($1,000 each set) or approximately 6 times as often as my previous BMWs. I thought I was buying another excellent "touring car". If I had wanted a race car, I would have bought an M-series.

    I have read many of the earlier positive reviews. My research seems to narrow the problem to just the "06 330xi (all wheel drive) equipped with Bridgestone tires. So consider yourself fortunate, if you are not having the same problem.

    The most amazing part of the story is the way both the dealer and BMW have handled the matter. In 28 years of brand loyalty, I never would have expected the company's official stance that "no problem exists" and/or I should have expected a greatly reduced tire life with such a high performance tire. Research has shown that these tires are not high performance and that tire life should not vary from non-run flats getting 30,000 to 40,000 miles.

    My attorney has advised me that BMW may eventually be looking at a federal case which also may contain a degree of fraud.

    I will never purchase another BMW, not because of the run flat tire situation, but because of the deceptive and defensive approach that BMW n.a. customer service personnel have taken.
    Steve Gray Portsmouth, NH
  • topbiztopbiz Member Posts: 16
    That is great- Unfortunately, the past 3 days I have called BMW NA and they STILL deny any problems with The Bridgestone Turanza's, and they insist it is my problem alone!
    Tom
  • topbiztopbiz Member Posts: 16
    Re: Can we do something about this? [rfl] by topbiz Jun 09, 2006 (2:37 pm)
    Replying to: rfl (Jun 09, 2006 11:13 am)

    I am right now on the phone with (name withheld per board etiquette), Customer Relations of BMW NA-they claim the tires are NOT their problem, they do not warrantee the Bridgestone tires and accept no responsibility for any problems with them. He is sending me an email stating such, and I will be happy to post it. I He has been on the phone with my dealer, Prstige BMW of NJ, who also accepts no responsibility for any problems.

    STAY AWAY FROM BMW!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Re: Can we do something about this? [topbiz]BMW's Stance by topbiz Jun 09, 2006 (2:43 pm)
    Replying to: topbiz (Jun 09, 2006 2:37 pm)
    Thank you for contacting BMW of North America, LLC regarding the tires on your 2006 325i. I am sorry to hear of the experience you had with the tires on your vehicle.

    The amount of safe driving your tires may be expected to provide is determined by a number of factors, such as tire inflation, wheel alignment, driving style, road conditions, and suspension settings. We do not have the ability to advise you in a technical matter via e-mail.

    I apologize for the inconvenience this problem caused you; however, BMW does not manufacturer or warrant tires. I suggest contacting Bridgestone for additional information or warranty coverage. Bridgestone tire company can be reached at 800-367-3872.

    If you have any further questions, please respond to this e-mail or contact the Customer Relations and Services Department at 1-800-831-1117, Monday through Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M., Eastern Standard Time. Again, thank you for contacting BMW.

    Sincerely,

    (name withheld per board rules)
    Customer Relations and Services
    Representative
  • topbiztopbiz Member Posts: 16
    I called consumer affairs at Bridgestone and told them of my problems with the Bridgestone Turanza tires. They informed me that per their agreement with BMW, that BMW requested (or should I say refused to pay for)a ZERO mile warrantee. Bridgestone then put me in touch with their local corporate store in Newburgh , NY- result? They informed that they do not touch Run Flat tires!
  • cogescoges Member Posts: 5
    I have replaced my run flats with normal tyres. The improvement in handling and ride is significant, and to repair a puncture will cost about $20.00, not $500.00 the cost of a new tyre. The only problem is that I need a spare, which (because I need the boot space for other things) I have mounted on a roof rack. Needless to say, this is the only BMW I will ever buy.
  • rhmassrhmass Member Posts: 263
    In reading many posters with real world experience/problem upon their failure of run flats, I wonder why BMW has changed their past approach toward problem solving for their consumers.
    I have an 06 330i. I have no tire noise issue but have experience handling problems on uneven surface and in wet pavement. However the issue I have most concern about is that these run flat tires don't seem to live up to the claimed security and safety they are supposedly to provide us. It seem the replacement availability is sparce at best and very experience too boot. If one experiences failure in a remost area, say during a ski trip in the mountains, one may not be able to find a shop/dealer within the distance the tire can safely be driven.
    The most disappointing matter is BMW responses to owners that called their customer service. The expeience with most seems to be one of "not our responsibility" and ignore the stated problem. This is a far cry from my past experience with BMW. For my first BMW owned, a 86 325e, BMW initiated, totally on their own, the free service to remove carbon built up in the pistons due to the "bad" gas in America then. Then for my 94 325i, BMW voluntarily replaced the Michelin tires as OE tires somehow generated "electric shocks". They replaced two of the tires for remedy free. Then my son who owned and still owns a 98 318ti received a letter a couple years ago from BMW stating some experienced "premature" failure of the cat converter in his model, so they voluntarily extended the warranty for the part to 10 years! Guess what brand of his replacement car will be? I have been tremendously impressed by BMW's practice of taking responsibility and stand behind their products. Not only I have been a very loyal customer since 86, but also used my experience to tell my cynical friends that there is integrity in some business' practice. This most recent RFT situation appears to indicate changes in BMW's business practice and I do think this will lead to significant customer disatifaction with averse impact on customer loyalty in the long run. A sad observation on a company's change from an outstanding to a "me, too" co now.
  • lipplipp Member Posts: 58
    WOW, did you hit the nail on the head. I have been back and forth with BMW NA regarding my RFT problems, and as I stated to them, and on this message board, "the problem is no longer with the tires but it's now with BMW NA and their lack of concern for their customer." You only know how good a company is when you have a problem with their product or services. BMW dealerships are more concerned that we are sold on giving them a "5" on their follow up service survey, then they are on satisfying us as consumers. This attitude begins at BMW NA. I have never dealt with a less consumer oriented company in my life. My '06 325I is my first BMW. I moved from a Benz. I regret that move every time I start my car. I regret that move, not because of a tire problem, but because of the way the problem is being handled by BMW NA. It's very disappointing.
  • lipplipp Member Posts: 58
    I spoke to BMW NA regarding this change from Bridgestone to Continental and they told me they buy tires in batches from various manufacturers. It's all a matter of availability. Bridgestone could be filling the pipeline for replacement tires that will be needed in the near future. Continental has batches of RFT's available as OEM stock. For what it's worth.
  • mpt1mpt1 Member Posts: 12
    I called BMW NA as well and they told me exactly the same thing. He said that I should speak directly with my dealer if I want to change to the Conti's, but neither BMW nor the dealer "has any responsibility to do so". It would be at the dealer's discretion as a goodwill gesture.

    For reference, I also own a 2004 Toyota Sienna. When I bought the car, I didn't even know they came with run flats and didn't know anything about them (but the ride was also unusually rough/noisy). When I prematurely had to replace them, I was told I could use normal tires so I did. If you go on to the Toyota Sienna message boards you will see years of issues with the OE RFTs. Well, finally this week I got a letter from Toyota agreeing to pay for any tire replacements due to RFT problems. Specifically, the letter says, "... Although the tires are normally covered by the tire manufacturer's warranty, we at Toyota care about your overall Sienna experience and want to reassure you that we stand behind our products. To this end, we have made arrangements for a special supplement to your vehicle's warranty coverage". Maybe if we all keep complaining, we'll here something similar from BMW. But unfortunately the experience is already tarnished.
  • mpt1mpt1 Member Posts: 12
    I'm in the process of doing the same thing. Which RFT tires did you have and what normal tires did you replace them with. Also, no need for spare - check out the ContiComfortKit from TireRack:
    http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/conticomfortkit/index.jsp
  • topbiztopbiz Member Posts: 16
    Thank you for the insight into BMW's past business practices. It is really sad how far they have fallen in terms of integrity. It just irks me that evey time I call I am told they have never heard of any problems with the tires. I am told service related issues are not transmitted to customer relations!
    Anyone interested in a 2006 325i or 2006 525xi w/obvious low miles? I will never deal with this Mickey Mouse comnpany again.
  • lipplipp Member Posts: 58
    We are all preaching to the choir. SUGGESTION. Write, emial and fax, BMW NA everyday until we are treated properly and until they address this problem. We need to blitz them with communications, voicing our dissatisfaction in a diplomatic and professional manner. Cut and paste from this forum to emphasis your point. Don't insult - be diplomatic. There are enough of us to make an impact on them. Not one letter or one fax or one email, but 'one a day' from each of us until they resolve this issue. Don't cave in, don't buy new tires, fight as a consumer. We have the time to communicate to each other so let's take it a step further and communicate MORE with BMW NA. New nickname for my 325I - "Rolling Thunder"
  • topbiztopbiz Member Posts: 16
    Good point-
    If you have any further questions, please respond to this e-mail or contact the Customer Relations and Services Department at 1-800-831-1117, Monday through Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M., Eastern Standard Time. CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com
  • imran62781imran62781 Member Posts: 26
    I actually wrote out a letter today. Is the email you give the email for BMW NA or is that a separate email. I just want to make sure we all end up sending our complaints to the same group rather than different ones.....
  • topbiztopbiz Member Posts: 16
    Hi,
    That was the email sent from BMW NA Customer Relations.
    Tom
  • owner6owner6 Member Posts: 89
    I checked my dealer today and all the 325 and 330 have Bridgestones even a truck off loading 325's assembled in South Africa. No Continentals yet.
    Owner6
  • topbiztopbiz Member Posts: 16
    Unfortunately, the need to drive our new 3 series overcame our will to not drive the car- I spent $400 and put 4 new tires non runflat Continentals on it Saturday. It runs like a dream.
    I will continue to fight these bums and will never buy BMW again.
  • waiwai Member Posts: 325
    I wonder this Conti non runflat will still give you good steering response / dry & wet traction in hard cornering in addition to comfort ride. The run flat combination will give you good handling/steering response and traction though bumpy ride.
  • topbiztopbiz Member Posts: 16
    I am hoping. The run flats had our car veering all over the road and the tires feathered, so I cannot attest to their handling/steering response.
  • rhmassrhmass Member Posts: 263
    I received the current Roundel magazine (BMW CCA member magazine) yesterday with an article on RFT. The tester of this '06 330xi equipped with Bridgestone RFT liked the tire performance a lot and even thought it was the "best" handling 3 series he had ever driven! Additionally he referred to a survey of BMW owners for their opinion of the RFT. A mere 7% of those responded disliked these tires with an overwhelming majority expressed very positive opinion on these tires. There were citings in the article from people who really thought these tires provided them with safety AND increased performance to boot!
    If the article truly reflects the majority opinion of BMW owners, these tires will stay as original equipment for years to come. I am just curious about the discrepancy between the sentiments in the article and those expressed in this message board. The timing of this article is also interesting. Get hold a copy from your friends who are CCA members to read this interesting article.
  • lipplipp Member Posts: 58
    I felt very positive about my RFT's when my car was new. My opinion changed dramatically after driving the car 18,000 miles in 11 months. Problems seem to occur after some tire wear. I would be curious as to the amount of mileage the respondents to the survey had on their vehicles.
  • rmalcomrmalcom Member Posts: 4
    EXACTLY!!!!
  • waiwai Member Posts: 325
    Seems this runflat can only last for 18,000 miles same as most high performance non runflat summer tire. BTW, what is the treadwear rating for this runflats?
  • rflrfl Member Posts: 100
    Seems that I am among the 7% ! Amazing what you can do with statistics! I, for one, agree with the message boards... that many complaints can't be an anomoly. The Bridgestone Turanza RFT's are positively the worst tires I have ever driven on (2006 330xi). Also seems that BMW has heard the message because as far as I can see they are now shipping the xi's with Continental RFT tires(despite the "positive" article) . FYI...BMW NA and my dealer REPLACED MY Bridgestone's with Continentals AT NO CHARGE. The difference in ride is HUGE! It has restored my faith in BMW as a company. They did it without much of a hassle and in fact very pleasantly (after they drove my car, read the chat postings and agreed that there was a problem). For all of the nay-sayers that have noted that both their dealers and BMW NA have dodged the problem, ASK again. I think the word may be out! Big caveat is to START WITH THE DEALER. He has more interest in keeping you happy than the manufacturer does and he has a better pipeline to the RIGHT PEOPLE at BMW NA than the Customer Relations folks who seem to provide only lip service. Also... you get more with honey than you do with vinegar!
  • topbiztopbiz Member Posts: 16
    That is fantastic- Unfortunately my dealer Prestige BMW of New Jersey would not do anything like that. The new Continentals came out of my pocket. They offered to plug my tires that were flat!!
  • rflrfl Member Posts: 100
    My dealer- West German BMW will be more than happy to sell you your next BMW and service it properly.They're in Ft. Washington, PA (suburban Philadelphia) and would love your business. (it's not that far away) - Suggest you take a copy of this posting as well as my last one to the service manager at Prestige and let them know that they don't have the only show in town! If enough people let them know that OTHER DEALERS have better business sense than they do, perhaps they'll get the message.
  • justfacts2justfacts2 Member Posts: 5
    After I had to replace one of my RFTs (Bridgeport Turanza on my '06 325i) I needled the dealer about what one can do here. The tires have only 6700mi on them, and picking up a nail and spending $230 seems a bad strategy. Worse, there is a shortage of RFTs and the car was stranded for 5 days waiting for the replacement tire.

    The service manager asserted that

    (1) RFTs may not be repaired by law

    (2) Using non RFTs on my 325i would void the vehicle warranty.

    What is the deal?
  • drivethegreendrivethegreen Member Posts: 11
    I have a 2006 330xi with 4K miles on it. The tires are Bridgestone 225/45 R17 91H Turanza EL42 run flats. The car has tremendous potential but as others have described, the potential is just that...potential. The car magnifies every seam and bump in the road with an uncomfortable jolt. It exhibits excessive road noise at 60MPH and above. The ride is so rough that after driving from Chicago to Davenport and back in a single day (330) miles my back ached and my neck was stiff. I have to drive from Chicago to Pittsburgh and back in the near future and I will not take the BMW.

    I will drive my wife's 2005 Accura TL. Interesting to note that it sports Bridgestone 235/45 R17 93W Turanza EL42 non run flat tires. The tires are very similar to the ones on the BMW but have a higher speed rating and slightly different sidewall width. The car rides as smooth as silk, handles nicely and is whisper quiet on the highway.

    As Clint Eastwood would say, "I know what your thinking..." They are two different cars with distinct design features but I submit they are similar enough to compare the tires and, in fact I have!!

    Love the forum and I appreciate all the input from the experts.
  • rflrfl Member Posts: 100
    Get the Bridgestone's off the car...any way u can. If you have to pay for replacements, see Tirerack. The Continental ContiContact SSR Run Flats (NOW SHOWN AS BMW RUN FLATS and now oem's on the 330xi make a WORLD OF DIFFERENCE. They're $135 a piece if you get stuck paying for them but as I have reiterated in several postings, my dealer AND BMW NA replaced my Bridgestones with Conti's at no charge. No differnce in handling...just a really comfortable ride.
  • rflrfl Member Posts: 100
    Touche ! "RFT's may not be repaired by law"... TOTAL BS. My dealer was extoling the praises of RFT's and told me he had a leak plugged for $4 off of the Turnpike when he had a flat. As long as it's not a blow out it is probably repairable (if it can be plugged). Want some more BS... replacing the tires on a BMW with ANY TIRES YOU WISH will NOT, repeat, NOT void any warranty. How could it? Some of these service managers are just flat out liars. So what else is new?
  • justfacts2justfacts2 Member Posts: 5
    How does the '06 3-series cars sense low pressure in the tires? The salesman thinks it is a sensor inside the rim, the service manager that it is from measuring differential wheel speed.

    Related question: will the low-pressure sensor work with non-RFTs?

    Thanks...
  • topbiztopbiz Member Posts: 16
    Yes, the low pressure sensor will still work with non-RFT's. I have the same system on my new Grand Cherokee. Regarding repairing flats, my service manager in NJ said he is AUTHORIZED to plug the runflats and fix them
  • rflrfl Member Posts: 100
    have no idea how it works... but I have been assured that it WILL WORK on non-RFT's by my dealer when I was considering that as an option.
  • justfacts2justfacts2 Member Posts: 5
    Thanks.

    So the measuring with the ABS system would mean that you are not gunking up anything if you try to fix a small puncture by injecting the latex stuff mentioned in post #228. That is a key issue when replacing with non RFTs in my mind.
  • rflrfl Member Posts: 100
    why not replace your Bridgestone RFT's with the Continental RFT's that I've mentioned in several previous postings. THERE IS A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE, believe me. Go to your dealer and test drive a 3 series with the Continentals and you'll see what I mean. And...best of all..if YOU have to pay for them, they are only $135 a piece at Tirerack.
  • desi1desi1 Member Posts: 40
    I am getting my 2006 330i (white, terra, cold, & sports pkgs) delivered the week of July 10th. Should I ask the deler now to have the standard bridgestones changed to conti?

    Thank you.
  • rflrfl Member Posts: 100
    I would.... in fact I am so emphatic that the Conti's are light-years better than the Bridgestone's that I would REJECT THE CAR IF IT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH THE CONTINENTALS. It's a whole lot easier BEFORE you part with your money!
  • justfacts2justfacts2 Member Posts: 5
    I would go to Contis, but they don't seem to come in my size: my 325i came with Bridgestone 205/55R16 91H RFTs and the list of BMW-approved tires the dealer printed for me does not include any RFTs from Conti. They show a Conti Pro Contact SSR BW, but it doesn't say it's a RFT
  • rflrfl Member Posts: 100
    Conti ProContact SSR tires are RUN FLAT and come in your size. Go to tireack.com and follow the prompts or try this link:
    http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Compare1.jsp?width=205%2F&ratio=55&diameter=16&sor- tCode=44950&minSpeedRating=H&ratio=55&width=205%2F&diameter=16&minLoad=S&vehicle- Search=true&startIndex=0&search=true&pagelen=20&pagenum=1&pagemark=1&manufacture- r=Continental&speed_rating=HR&speed_rating=VR&speed_rating=ZR&speed_rating=WR&sp- eed_rating=YR&RunFlat=RunFlatOnly&x=75&y=7
  • justfacts2justfacts2 Member Posts: 5
    Many thanks! Appreciate it...
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