I purchased a 2013 328xi for my wife in June 2016. It came with 18†alloy wheels and brand-new Pirelli run-flat tires. After a few months, the rear passenger tire kept losing air. I took it in for inspection 8/23/17 and was told it was due to a cracked wheel. My wife never hit anything with that wheel that would cause such severe damage. The service rep said that she probably "hit a pothole" and that the run-flats don't provide enough cushion to protect the wheel. In other words, it's a defect in the wheel/tire assembly (borne out by a class-action suit settled by BMW for cracked wheels on the Z4 in 2015). The solution offered by the service agent was to replace the wheel and tire for $1,035. I asked if BMW would take back the run-flats (with only 5700 miles) and replace with conventional tires so I wouldn't risk another wheel crack from a pothole. The answer was no. So I paid for a new wheel (discounted 50% by BMWNA after filing a complaint) and took the car to Discount Tire and bought 4 new Conti Extremes in trade for the run-flats at $30 each. Cost me $758. They inspected the right rear tire and saw no evidence of damage. There was also no evidence of impact to the wheel - just the hairline crack.
BMW of San Diego could have done the right thing by replacing the defective wheel at no charge (the car is still under warranty), but instead tried to fleece me for the full cost of a new wheel and a tire that wasn't damaged.
In fairness, the service manager, William Asaro, made a good-faith effort to make this right. But the dealership and BMW didn't care.
BTW, the car actually handles much better with the Continental Extreme Contacts, and the ride is much more comfortable. We just have to pray that she won't get a flat, because there ain't no spare.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I purchased a 2013 328xi for my wife in June 2016. It came with 18†alloy wheels and brand-new Pirelli run-flat tires. After a few months, the rear passenger tire kept losing air. I took it in for inspection 8/23/17 and was told it was due to a cracked wheel. My wife never hit anything with that wheel that would cause such severe damage. The service rep said that she probably "hit a pothole" and that the run-flats don't provide enough cushion to protect the wheel. In other words, it's a defect in the wheel/tire assembly (borne out by a class-action suit settled by BMW for cracked wheels on the Z4 in 2015). The solution offered by the service agent was to replace the wheel and tire for $1,035. I asked if BMW would take back the run-flats (with only 5700 miles) and replace with conventional tires so I wouldn't risk another wheel crack from a pothole. The answer was no. So I paid for a new wheel (discounted 50% by BMWNA after filing a complaint) and took the car to Discount Tire and bought 4 new Conti Extremes in trade for the run-flats at $30 each. Cost me $758. They inspected the right rear tire and saw no evidence of damage. There was also no evidence of impact to the wheel - just the hairline crack.
BMW of San Diego could have done the right thing by replacing the defective wheel at no charge (the car is still under warranty), but instead tried to fleece me for the full cost of a new wheel and a tire that wasn't damaged.
In fairness, the service manager, William Asaro, made a good-faith effort to make this right. But the dealership and BMW didn't care.
BTW, the car actually handles much better with the Continental Extreme Contacts, and the ride is much more comfortable. We just have to pray that she won't get a flat, because there ain't no spare.
- Darrell B., San Diego, US