Suggestion, No matter what new car you purchase (hopefully it will be a new BMW, 2007 they are great driving machines) , I suggest you purchase a used Toyota Corolla to drive during your work day. than drive the new car all other times. As far as the tires go, the new conties are fine. Dont give up your dream because of the tire posts, Life is too short. a little excitement goes a long way. Owner6
I guess I didn't mention I drive a Toyota Avalon (98 with 146k miles), thats my work car. I bought that used 7 years ago this November. What I did find out from one salesman today (I haven't confirmed with other BMW Dealer's) is California is no longer offering a warranty on the RFT's, so if you drive off the lot and get a flat or if the tire wears funny and you get that cupping which causes an unsmoothe ride, too bad it is estimated at $400 to replace at the dealershop. The salesman tried to say it was against the law to sell insurance. I suggested it was being stopped because the insurance company wasn't making a profit do to the high claims on the RFT. A Sales Manager in Las Vegas said they were getting a hi-volume of claims regarding the run flat tires and they were being told that they would most likely not be offering the insurance. He said it was because of flats from road hazards not the cupping problem.
I'm getting little scared of all the problems about the Bridgestone RFT's. As I was driving the car back from Steven Creek (San Jose) back to San Francisco, my mother stated that the tire noise was somewhat louder than my Infinit QX4.
Are they that bad during wet (rain) weather? I would hate to hit the hills of San Fran with an inferior tires that have no attraction, especially during a light rain.
And, what kind of action can I take to replace the tires? Such as assitance from the dealer.
Don't even go near the BMW. It's the most over-rated car out there. I bought a 2006 325I with Bridgestone tires and they are a nightmare, but the bigger nightmare is BMWNA. They are the least customer oriented company in the car industry. They could care less about your problems and the dealers are no better. Keep going back to previous postings on this website and educate yourself fully before spending your hard earned money on a BMW. Look at the Lexus ES350 and the Infinity 2007 G or the 2007 M, before you jump to BMW. My 2006 BMW is the last BMW I will buy. Right now the Lexus is tops on my list for next purchase which is right around the corner. Remember, "BMW is the least customer oriented company in the auto industry".
I have disagree with the last two posts. While I have grown uphappy with my Bridgestones and think they are a mistake I still love my 2006 330i. I have 14000 miles on it and really like it. Great car for sure. It is my 3rd BMW and is far superior to the last two except for the tires. No flats or any problems with the tires except for the road noise. My dealer here in Ft worth is fantastic and has been top rated for years. Never any dealings with the BMW National. I also highly recommend the Performance center delivery option. Good way to get acquainted with the car. Lots of fun on the test pad. Then take a drive just north of there along the Smoky Mountain High NP line drive. My performance vehicle saved my fanny tonight. I came around a bend in the road prepared for a tight merge with another freeway and there sits a numbskull at a complete stop just prior to the merge. A panic push on the brakes and a quick choice to swerve hard to the right to avoid the idiot successfully. Straight was a sure rear end collision. Left was into a guard rail and then still hit the stopped SUV. Not a scratch. This was on damp pavement in rain. The Bridgestones did well the car handled the swerve just fine thank you. Good reflexes on my part and good handling saved the day.
If you want, I'll sell you my 2006 GS300. It's been back to the dealer around 10 times to fix problems, and Lexus has ignored all my complaints. The dealer has been responsive, but for every problem they fix two more crop up.
Can I ask which dealer and what kind of problems you have been facing with your GS300? I have a GS also in Dallas. Never heard of a Lexus (nor BMW) for one problem two popping up. I want to let my dealer know what kind of problem you're facing so that I can document and relate the issue with them if the same problem occurs. So, please tell us the dealer name and the warranty code/problem code number that Lexus fills out on your invoice sheet.
>Can I ask which dealer and what kind of problems you have been facing
Dealer is Lexus of Manchester, in NH, but like I said: I've been pretty happy with the dealer. It's not their fault that Lexus built an unsatisfactory car.
The problems I have been having are: dozens of rattles, creaks, pops, clicks, and squeaks; noises from the air conditioner; premature tire wear; and engine "chugging".
>Never heard of a Lexus (nor BMW) for one problem two popping up.
Can you provide the warranty/problem code number that Lexus provides for your rattles; creaks; pops; click; squeaks; and noises from the air conditioner? I want to look it up and see how many incidence of such report at my dealership (Park Place Lexus). By the way, the Lexus dealer replaced (at 14,000 miles) all four tires on my old RX300 when one of the tire had a thread problem, the car kept pulling more to the right. I had to bring it to dealers attention 3 times, and they initially diagnosed it as torque steer but on the third try Lexus decided to replace all the tires.
I am currently trying to decide between an 07 328xit and an Audi A4 Avant. I would have never thought that the type of tires that come with a car would really be a sticking point for decision making but I am really stuck on the fact that the BMW comes with RFTs and no spare. Can anyone offer their experiences and or opinions concerning a car with RFT's vs a car with regular tires and a full size spare. I would feel safer on a long trip through sparsely populated areas knowing that I have a spare tire. Seems like regular tires are cheaper, repairable, and having the spare can keep you from being stranded on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere if you have a severe tire failure. Thoughts?
I was making the same decision and what swayed me from the Audi to the BMW was the fact that Audi didn't have euro delivery.
That said, after having our wagon for several months now I would definitely go for the Audi. The tires are really loud and I'm constantly worried about them. We had a nail in one tire, went to the dealer for a replacement and were quoted $395 for one tire. I literally went across the street and got the same tire for $215 installed. I'm embarassed for the dealership for trying to take advanatage of that situation and embarassed for BMW for making such a poor decision with these tires.
Of course, when I took my wagon back to the dealership, no one could figure out how to reset the tire monitoring system, so we had a failure light for two weeks until I eventually figured it out.
I really like the wagon, but HATE the tires and how my local dealership handled our situation. So much so that I've decided against a 550 and am getting an Infiniti M45 for our second car. It's a compromise, but at least I won't be worrying about the tires all the time.
Thanks for your insight. The BMW may be more of a drivers car, but I think if I'm going to buy an all wheel drive maching, I want to be comfortable taking it out in all conditions without worrying about being left on the side of the road without a spare tire. What is BMW thinking with these RFT's? I can get a 328 wagon for 4300 below MSRP through a military sales program, and I'm still thinking of not going for one because of those tires.
Yes, the tires are an issue. I lived through it. The worst part of the tire problem is the way BMW handles it. They are by far the least consumer oriented company in the auto industry. Their response, when a problem exists, is virtually nonexistent. They ignore their problems and their consumers. My '06 325I is the last BMW I will ever buy. You would be wise to move to another brand.
Get used to it... RFT's are the wave of the future and I would not be surprised to see them on MOST cars by the 2008-2009 model years. They are a terrific safety feature but the trade-off is a HARD, UNCOMFORTABLE ride.(and paranoia for not having a spare...which you really don't ever need again). My 2006 330xi came with Bridgestone Turanza RFTs and, if you've read some of my earlier posts, I went after BMW and the dealer for replacements. Unlike many other posters here, I found the dealer to be EXTREMLY cooperative and BMW helped out as well and REPLACED at no charge the tires with Contiinentals which make a significant difference in comfort, handling and performance. MY caveat to you is KNOW YOUR DEALER and have confidence in him. He will make the difference if you have a problem. Only through the dealer's complaining did BMW react.This car is my 4th BMW and, ONLY BECAUSE of their responsiveness, it probably won't be my last. I know I seem to be one of the few tooting this particular horn, but after a bit of persistance on my part, BMW corrected the problem. DO NOT BUY A BMW WITH BRIDGESTONES (no matter what the discount). Accept ONLY the Conti-Pro Contact RFT's and you've got the battle won.
The point is that BMW should have done something about it after hearing so many complains about the tires!!!
Why should the customer have to spend time working with the dealers and BMW to have the problems fixed in the first place? Who has time to work with the dealers? RFL case is just one case out of all of the complains on this board about RFT's.
rfl, RFT's might be the wave of the future. However, I still do not understand how not having a spare tire is a good thing. There are rare occurences where a tire can shred or have a catastrophic failure where even a RFT won't make a difference. What do you do then? Now, if there were a spare in combination with RFT', then I could understand the safety advantage because you may not have to stop the car to change the tire out for a normal flat. For a tire shred or bad flat, you probably wont have a choice anyway.
The thing that should be emphasized here is that the run flats are much safer in the event of a sudden blowout. You can keep control because of the stiffness of the sidewalls. I received a DVD from BMW recently showing just how much better the car handles in a sudden loss of pressure situation when good handling is required. I like that feeling.
Also to be noted is you have BMW Roadside Assistance available through the on car installed Satellite Communications everywhere. Free towing to the nearest dealer and even a replacement car should the car break down on a trip. Be sure to buy a tire warranty/insurance from the dealer. Free replacements for 60,000 miles I believe should one fail. It also covers the rim if one is damaged beyond use for the same mileage. A big pot hole hit at speed could easily be very expensive.
I had a pretty nasty event yesterday when I had to go off roading in my 2006 330i due to an idiot backing up on an on-ramp to a freeway. I was at fairly high speed and didn't see the idiot till to late due to approaching the ramp over a rise in the roadway so I exited into a muddy field and then I ended up going over a shallow concrete drainage ditch with 6" curbs on both sides. No damage to the Bridgestones, no flats anyway! No damage to the rims either! Severe damage to the right front wheel suspension though. Completely knocked out of fit. It will be in the shop for a couple of weeks at least. :mad:
I must say that i've driven two of the new BMW's with runflats and i didn't think the ride was as bad as what's been described. It's not a buick, but sporty cars have firm rides in general. A g35 is harsher.
I do have concerns with the possibility of getting a flat in a rural area. However, the tire shouldn't catastrophically shred. Also, a can of fix-a-flat should keep the tire working if you don't drive on it...
The runflats definitely cost more.. And while i've never had a blowout while driving, i have had to change tires on the side of the road, which was very unpleasant.
I don't know, it's a tough call. I guess i get a flat every year and a half or so. So far, it's been a few bucks/free for a patch. Hate to think of paying $200 bucks every time i get a nail in a tire.
And that's my big hang up... RFT are not quite there yet, and BMW made a huge mistake by not going with some sort of spare set-up. This would at least give piece of mind.
I've looked into getting a space saver, but honestly haven't figured out where to put it.
Hola Guys, Thanks for making me feel like I am not alone. I just got off the phone with BMWUSA and the guy was rude, and said that there was no known problem with runflat tires. What a jerk. You all were right! I am out of ideas except one. Please send me or respond to me about these continental run flats. I checked tire rack but didnt see them under BMW. I have a 2006 330i with sports package...My car sounds like an 18 wheeler, in fact when I was on the phone with the rep from BMW he said he was having a tought time hearing me...I explained to him that I was in my car and the sound drowning me out were my tires. HELP!
Yours must sound like mine and I don't even have the sport package. My dealer offered to go 50% on a new set. But I am wondering what it will sound like in another year. Will the same wear pattern occur again with the same road noise even with the Conti's?
FORGET TALKING TO BMWUSA...it's like talking to a chair!Think DEALER !!! Go in person to see the OWNER of your dealership. He is the ONLY one that can make the proper waves for you(with BMW). My dealer replaced my Bridgestone's with the Conti's at NO CHARGE WITH BMW's COOPERATION. The squeeky hinge gets the most oil !In any case, what you want are the Continental ContiProContact SSR RFT's. They make all the difference in the world. They are now being shipped as the OEM tires on all of the 3's. Tire rack had 'em for $135 a piece last time I checked. If you have to buy 'em yourself order 5 of them and that solves the spare problem if you ever puncture one. I know it's aggrivating, but if you have to you can solve the problem (with 4 tires) for $500+/-. Not a lot to make a $45,000 car back to being worth $45,000 !
BMW charged me $100 to put the Conti's on this brand new 06 (mine was shipped with Bridgestones) After all the talk about Bridgestones, I decided to make the switch. They are not wisper quiet. But I LOVE this car! I think it handles great; its fun, sporty and seems to be well built. The Conti runflats? Will let you all know if the tires hold up when I get more mileage.
If only there were a way to take that spare tire and all the gear necessary to change a tire in the car, and I'd be ordering a BMW tommorrow. Since there isn't, I'm worried that a 40K car would be a 40K roadside ornament in the event of a bad tire failure
The trick with run flats is not to drive on them if you get a flat. If you drive any distance you'll get to where you are going but the tire is shot. Carry a can of fix a flat and a mini compressor I purchased an all-in-one kit @ the Auto Zone for $25.00. Use it and have the tire patched. They can be repaired like ordinary tires according to the Tire Rack.
After reading the many complaints on rft's, I was very close of not buying a BMW. I test drover the G35x and really liked the interior and well it drives well. I'm surprised that the backseats don't fold to accomodate big items. what's up with that?? All in all, it was a good test drive. But it's not a BMW!!! I had my BMW 330xi for almost a month now and just can't get over how beautiful it is and how exceptionally well it drives. So far, I have not regreted my decision. If you do plan to buy a BMW, make sure the following 2 conditions are on the sales aggreement:
1) Insist that they install Conti's and NOT the Bridgestones. My dealer did this without any extra charge. If they do charge you, go to another BMW dealer!
2) Get the tires & rims warranty. If they say they don't have it, they are lying or not informed! Here in Montreal, it's offered as of Sep 18th. Call other dealers.
If the rft's are really bothering you, the other option is to get regular tires installed. With roadside assistance and a tire repair kit, this should give you piece of mind. Yeah I know, lots of compromise to fix the rfts problems but I really think it's worth it. The car is beautiful and yes, there is a difference driving a G35 vs a BMW.
For those of you that are LEASING a 3 series, are you required to replace the run flat tires with the same exact tire?
For example, if you wear out the tread on all the RFT's can you replace them with NON-RUN FLATS? Or will that void the terms of the lease? Once the lease ends and you have to turn the car back in will they penalize you for not having RFT's on the car?
The finance person at Steven Creek BMW (San Jose, CA) stated that you must return with RFT's, min. of 1/8 thread.
He also stated that he has never heard of anyone complain about Bridgestone RFT's (LOL) and gave me a price for the tire insurance ($760.00). You can switch the tires out to whatever you like, but when you return your vehicle it must be with RFT's.
I just started my lease couple of weeks ago and the rain season in the Bay area will start in couple of months....
Has anyone direcly compared the ContiProContact SSR run-flats to the Pirelli PZero Nero M&S all-seasons? Like many out there, I'm tired of the howling from the Bridgestone Turanza RFT's on my 325i, and am looking to replace them. I actually feel more comfortable with having run-flats (since there is no spare), but if Pirelli's perform significantly better than the Conti's, then I would probably get the Pirelli's. Thanks.
I'm leasing a 330xi and changed the tires right away to the regular Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S. My thinking is that since I know I'll go through one set of tires during the lease anyway, I may as well enjoy the car now with the Michelin's and then return the car with the dreaded Bridgestone's. This decision was made before all the discussions in the forum about the Conti's being much better. Maybe that's the best option now.
Your decision sounds good but keep a spare and jack for flats. I have 10,000 miles on my '06 330xi and only had to replace one tire due to a puncture to one EL42. I think these tires are ok for handling but are tough on the ride. Since I do not mind the bumps, I can live with them. (But I appreciate everyone's view on this board.) I will replace at 20G with either the Conti's or see what's available then (probably next Aug). I did go to Firestone to patch a flat on my wife's Yukon about 3 weeks ago and they had the EL42's on sale for $150! I paid $220 back in March.
I ran 100 miles at 65 miles an hour (EL42) because it was dark when I got the warning light and when I went to check the tire it looked fine! (Duh!) So off I went. When I replaced with a new one a few days later, I kept the old tire. These things are really built well with a huge sidewall thickness. That's why they run flat but after my "test", the tire looked really fine! I had it plugged while the new tire was ordered but I'll bet a good patch would have been just fine for speed limit driving for sure. In the future, tire worry should be a whole lot less as the technology improves. Yes, I'm sure they will get the blend of ride and performance in rft format soon. (Hopefully, they eliminate the "F" altogether.) I guess we are hearing that now from the Conti pioneers on this board.
I don't think you can get the Continental tires in the 18" size. I picked up my car this weekend, with 18" Bridgestone tires, and checked with the service dept. No dice.
What's the going wisdom on getting the tire insurance. It is pricey. What are folks actually paying and do you guys think it is worth it? I generally consider extended warranties to be a waste of money but reading this forum makes me wonder.
I thought my Bridgestone RFT on my 325i becoming bald at 9,000 miles, at least that is when they were noticed to be bald, was wrong but 6,000 miles. Wow! The dealer replaced the two bald tires in the rear and two chopped up tires in the front, which is apparently much more common than the balding. Of course, this was done for my wife when I was out of town at a cost to us. Now that I am back in town, I have visited the dealer who promises to speak with the company about getting some assistance in the cost of new tires. By the way, they put the same tire brand back on the car, so I am also asking for a different brand, Conti.
I have the same issue, crappy run flat Bridgestones. I took my 2006 325i into the dealership and the first time, they could not duplicate the problem. The second time, the Assistant Service Mgr told me before he even took a ride with me, "ma'am, it's your tires." He told me that it's a BMW problem and that he is supposed to talk with someone there the next day and he would let me know what he finds out. After a week, I called him and he said that at this time, BMW will not help me. I told him that there are people all over the internet (you guys) who are getting new tires from their dealership at no cost. He said that it's a region issue, that there isn't a big problem in Texas. He told me that I should call the customer service people (800-831-1117) and put in my complaint. He said this starts a record of it, and they have to resolve the issue with me one way or another. He said the only thing the dealership could do for me at this point is get me a good deal on tires. Which is not what I want.
The dealership has been very understanding and just as frustrated as I am with it. He said they are getting one of these cars in every day. If we all log it in to customer service, there's a record and BMW will HAVE to address it.
I did call the customer service people and, get this, they told me to take my car to a Bridgestone outlet and have them check them out (not sure what this will do for me). My guess is they will tell me to go to my dealership.
One more thing, I mentioned the Continental run flats to him, he said that he wouldn't recommend that tire. They are having even worse issues with that one. He recommended either Michelin or Dunlop run flats.
I love my car, it was my absolute dream car, but I'm embarrassed for anyone to ride with me!
I see these posts about "pressing their dealerships to get new tires," but I'm not getting anywhere with that.
Firestone dealers carry Bridgestone so try them. The Micheline's were tried by a poster here and most said the Conti's were good.
My ride is louder than normal but it does not bother me because the performance of the car far outweighs this issue. I have 10K miles so far and the EL42's still look good but they really are stiff on the bumps.
Try Tirerack.com to see reviews of the Conti's and Michi's. Good luck. I'm changing over to the best available chice RFT next year so I'm committed.
Anybody know if/when Michelin will have RFT's available in the U.S. for BMW? Anybody have direct experience with these tires? Looks like they're used in the Corvette, and I think they're used more commonly in Europe. If the Michelins are available relatively soon, I think I'll wait before changing my Bridgestones.
Here is the link for a Michelin ZP(zero pressure =rft). The reviews are positive for the most part, so it looks like this is another choice for the 3 series.
Looks like there are only two sizes available for the Pilot Sport ZP's at Tirerack. Neither would fit my 16-inch wheels. Michelin's U.S. website is of little help. There is an information page on ZP technology which says, "This unique system is designed to fit on cars like Mercedes, BMW, and Honda Accord," but they don't actually any ZP tires in the catalog itself.
Welcome to the club. The noise will get louder the bumps will be more pronounced and BMW will turn a deaf ear to your problem. Get ready for more frustration but don't give up the fight. Your dealer has no clue. Michelin's are about to be made available but they are unproven. I am unaware of Dunlop coming out with a RFT. Would be good if they did. Keep pushing your way up the ladder with BMW customer service until you get results. I pushed and I was satisfied with my compromise but I will never buy another BMW because they are the least customer oriented company in the auto industry. Good Luck.
I leased a 06 330xi nine months ago for my wife(safe car).The car has 7000 miles, two tires have to be replaced due to bubbles on the sidewalls.The cost to me! is $600. Wecan live with the noise & the shocks you feel from the road, but we can't live withthe fact for the next 3 years how many tires will I have to replace.Dealer said can,t help (open road BMW) can any one.
I have seen a few posts regarding the correct psi for the Bridgestone RFT's and the importance of strictly following the manual's instructions. Before I switch to the Conti's, I thought I'd try adjusting the pressure to determine if it helps at all. I checked my pressure and it appears that my front tires are at 21 psi, cold. My ride couldn't be harder and I get the "bottom out" affect often. It seems like reverse logic, but does anyone think that by increasing pressure to the 30psi front/35psi read, the ride may soften? [it is a 330xi w/sport package]. Thanks!!
New to this site,NOT to Run flat tires. In 2001 I bought a new Lexus SC 430. Lexus to their credit specifically did not warranty the run flats against irregular tread wear past 5000 miles and stated wear would not exceed 10,000 miles. They cupped. became undriveable and were gone for Michelin Pilots at 11,000. No spare. No problem. In june 2005 I took delivery of a new BMW 750 I. Full spare and wheel. Never suspected but Bridgestone ( BMW) did it to me again. By 10,000 miles the cabin of that 750 sounded like a pick- up truck. More Michelins at 13,000. BMW suckerd me. Had I known it was using run flat tires on their flagship model I never would have written the check.
Correct PSI front = 32, Rear = 36. I have same car with SP (SP does not alter suspension as in the regular i). I was surprised at the hig pressure but have 10K on the tires and wear is very even. Hard ride and noisier but I understand this and have no peoblem. Try this and then see if you detect any change. (the tire pressure rating is in your driver side panel, check it out).
Does anyone know how many miles you'll get out of the Contis? I have a BMW 330i without the sport package and those horrible Bridgestone tires. I've gotten 27k miles out of these, but they have been loud, feathering and cupping since about 10k. The Contis sound like they are a lot better, but does anyone know how long they'll last? I don't drive the car hard - city driving most of the time. I would really appreciate some of your thoughts because I ordered some Bridgestone replacements, but it sounds like I'm going to be asking for a refund. Thanks!
Just took my car '06 325i in for it's 2nd maintenance service (I have almost 29,000 miles on my car). The service advisor is stating that I need to replace all 4 tires. My front passenger tire is bald on the outer tread. All the other tires look okay; but, the service advisor said that I have irregular tread pattern and need to replace all 4. He mentioned that I have gotten pretty good mileage on my tires since he is seeing them coming in for replacement at 15,000 miles. He said the cost is $193/tire. My husband says only the front passenger tire needs to be replaced since it's the only one bald.
I'm looking at replacing them as well, at 27k miles. The guys at Discount Tire said the same thing - that's a long life for those RFTs. I think I'm paying about $180 per tire. Do you have the Bridgestones? If you'll read some of the other posts, the Continental ContiPro Contacts seem like the way to go for replacements.
Comments
No matter what new car you purchase (hopefully it will be a new BMW, 2007 they are great driving machines) , I suggest you purchase a used Toyota Corolla to drive during your work day. than drive the new car all other times. As far as the tires go, the new conties are fine. Dont give up your dream because of the tire posts, Life is too short. a little excitement goes a long way.
Owner6
Are they that bad during wet (rain) weather? I would hate to hit the hills of San Fran with an inferior tires that have no attraction, especially during a light rain.
And, what kind of action can I take to replace the tires? Such as assitance from the dealer.
Thanks.
Wrote, called and faxed NUMEROUS letters to BMW of North America. I have posted the same here before.
They LIE and NOn-ATTENTIVE to customer complaints. Good-Bye BMw!
If you want, I'll sell you my 2006 GS300. It's been back to the dealer around 10 times to fix problems, and Lexus has ignored all my complaints. The dealer has been responsive, but for every problem they fix two more crop up.
Thanks.
Dealer is Lexus of Manchester, in NH, but like I said: I've been pretty happy with the dealer. It's not their fault that Lexus built an unsatisfactory car.
The problems I have been having are: dozens of rattles, creaks, pops, clicks, and squeaks; noises from the air conditioner; premature tire wear; and engine "chugging".
>Never heard of a Lexus (nor BMW) for one problem two popping up.
I'm not really sure what you're saying there.
Can anyone offer their experiences and or opinions concerning a car with RFT's vs a car with regular tires and a full size spare. I would feel safer on a long trip through sparsely populated areas knowing that I have a spare tire.
Seems like regular tires are cheaper, repairable, and having the spare can keep you from being stranded on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere if you have a severe tire failure. Thoughts?
That said, after having our wagon for several months now I would definitely go for the Audi. The tires are really loud and I'm constantly worried about them. We had a nail in one tire, went to the dealer for a replacement and were quoted $395 for one tire. I literally went across the street and got the same tire for $215 installed. I'm embarassed for the dealership for trying to take advanatage of that situation and embarassed for BMW for making such a poor decision with these tires.
Of course, when I took my wagon back to the dealership, no one could figure out how to reset the tire monitoring system, so we had a failure light for two weeks until I eventually figured it out.
I really like the wagon, but HATE the tires and how my local dealership handled our situation. So much so that I've decided against a 550 and am getting an Infiniti M45 for our second car. It's a compromise, but at least I won't be worrying about the tires all the time.
Good luck with your decision.
I can get a 328 wagon for 4300 below MSRP through a military sales program, and I'm still thinking of not going for one because of those tires.
Why should the customer have to spend time working with the dealers and BMW to have the problems fixed in the first place? Who has time to work with the dealers? RFL case is just one case out of all of the complains on this board about RFT's.
RFT's might be the wave of the future. However, I still do not understand how not having a spare tire is a good thing. There are rare occurences where a tire can shred or have a catastrophic failure where even a RFT won't make a difference. What do you do then? Now, if there were a spare in combination with RFT', then I could understand the safety advantage because you may not have to stop the car to change the tire out for a normal flat. For a tire shred or bad flat, you probably wont have a choice anyway.
Also to be noted is you have BMW Roadside Assistance available through the on car installed Satellite Communications everywhere. Free towing to the nearest dealer and even a replacement car should the car break down on a trip. Be sure to buy a tire warranty/insurance from the dealer. Free replacements for 60,000 miles I believe should one fail. It also covers the rim if one is damaged beyond use for the same mileage. A big pot hole hit at speed could easily be very expensive.
I had a pretty nasty event yesterday when I had to go off roading in my 2006 330i due to an idiot backing up on an on-ramp to a freeway. I was at fairly high speed and didn't see the idiot till to late due to approaching the ramp over a rise in the roadway so I exited into a muddy field and then I ended up going over a shallow concrete drainage ditch with 6" curbs on both sides. No damage to the Bridgestones, no flats anyway! No damage to the rims either! Severe damage to the right front wheel suspension though. Completely knocked out of fit. It will be in the shop for a couple of weeks at least. :mad:
I do have concerns with the possibility of getting a flat in a rural area. However, the tire shouldn't catastrophically shred. Also, a can of fix-a-flat should keep the tire working if you don't drive on it...
The runflats definitely cost more.. And while i've never had a blowout while driving, i have had to change tires on the side of the road, which was very unpleasant.
I don't know, it's a tough call. I guess i get a flat every year and a half or so. So far, it's been a few bucks/free for a patch. Hate to think of paying $200 bucks every time i get a nail in a tire.
I've looked into getting a space saver, but honestly haven't figured out where to put it.
Thanks for making me feel like I am not alone. I just got off the phone with BMWUSA and the guy was rude, and said that there was no known problem with runflat tires. What a jerk. You all were right! I am out of ideas except one. Please send me or respond to me about these continental run flats. I checked tire rack but didnt see them under BMW. I have a 2006 330i with sports package...My car sounds like an 18 wheeler, in fact when I was on the phone with the rep from BMW he said he was having a tought time hearing me...I explained to him that I was in my car and the sound drowning me out were my tires. HELP!
BMW charged me $100 to put the Conti's on this brand new 06 (mine was shipped with Bridgestones) After all the talk about Bridgestones, I decided to make the switch. They are not wisper quiet. But I LOVE this car! I think it handles great; its fun, sporty and seems to be well built. The Conti runflats? Will let you all know if the tires hold up when I get more mileage.
1) Insist that they install Conti's and NOT the Bridgestones. My dealer did this without any extra charge. If they do charge you, go to another BMW dealer!
2) Get the tires & rims warranty. If they say they don't have it, they are lying or not informed! Here in Montreal, it's offered as of Sep 18th. Call other dealers.
If the rft's are really bothering you, the other option is to get regular tires installed. With roadside assistance and a tire repair kit, this should give you piece of mind. Yeah I know, lots of compromise to fix the rfts problems but I really think it's worth it. The car is beautiful and yes, there is a difference driving a G35 vs a BMW.
For example, if you wear out the tread on all the RFT's can you replace them with NON-RUN FLATS? Or will that void the terms of the lease? Once the lease ends and you have to turn the car back in will they penalize you for not having RFT's on the car?
(RFT = Run Flat Tire)
He also stated that he has never heard of anyone complain about Bridgestone RFT's (LOL) and gave me a price for the
tire insurance ($760.00). You can switch the tires out to whatever you like, but when you return your vehicle it must
be with RFT's.
I just started my lease couple of weeks ago and the rain season in the Bay area will start in couple of months....
What's the going wisdom on getting the tire insurance. It is pricey. What are folks actually paying and do you guys think it is worth it? I generally consider extended warranties to be a waste of money but reading this forum makes me wonder.
The dealership has been very understanding and just as frustrated as I am with it. He said they are getting one of these cars in every day. If we all log it in to customer service, there's a record and BMW will HAVE to address it.
I did call the customer service people and, get this, they told me to take my car to a Bridgestone outlet and have them check them out (not sure what this will do for me). My guess is they will tell me to go to my dealership.
One more thing, I mentioned the Continental run flats to him, he said that he wouldn't recommend that tire. They are having even worse issues with that one. He recommended either Michelin or Dunlop run flats.
I love my car, it was my absolute dream car, but I'm embarrassed for anyone to ride with me!
I see these posts about "pressing their dealerships to get new tires," but I'm not getting anywhere with that.
Frustrated in Texas
My ride is louder than normal but it does not bother me because the performance of the car far outweighs this issue. I have 10K miles so far and the EL42's still look good but they really are stiff on the bumps.
Try Tirerack.com to see reviews of the Conti's and Michi's. Good luck. I'm changing over to the best available chice RFT next year so I'm committed.
Good luck txgal.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Pilot+Sport+- A%2FS+ZP&partnum=445YR7SPORTASZP&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&place=8
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