NHTSA Complaint #10148113 — 2004 BMW X3

DRIVING @ 60-65 MPH ON HWY, FLAT WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. ON INSPECTION OF WHEEL THERE WAS SMALL PUNCTURE IN TIRE AND A LARGE, SILVER DOLLAR SIZE "BLOW OUT" OF WHEEL MID PORTION OF WHEEL REMOTE SITE FROM TIRE PUNCTURE. TIRE WAS ONLY 3 WEEKS OLD. DENY DRIVING OVER ANY LARGE OBJECT TO CAUSE THIS TYPE OF WHEEL FAILURE. BROUGHT TIRE/WHEEL TO NTB (WHERE I BOUGHT TIRE). THEY BELIEVE THERE WAS A WHEEL FAILURE BASED UPON INSPECTION. SEVERAL PERSONS AT NTB LOOKED AT WHEEL THAT HAD SEEN FAILURES BEFORE AND ARE CONVINCED THAT THE WHEEL FAILED BASED UPON TRAJECTORY OF SMALL PUNCTURE AND THE SIZE AND LOCATION OF WHEEL BLOWOUT. REGARDLESS, TIRE IS COVERED BY ROAD HAZARD AND IS BEING REPLACED. WHEEL WAS BROUGHT TO BMW WHO DISASSEMBLED TIRE FROM WHEEL. THEY STATE THAT ONLY THING THAT COULD OF CASED THAT AMOUNT OF DAMAGE IS RUNNING OVER LARGE OBJECT SUCH AS REBAR. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY FALSE. IF RAN OVER ANY OBJECT ON HIGHWAY IT MUST HAVE BEEN SMALL SINCE THERE WAS NO SENSATION FELT, NO NOISE HEARD. ONLY INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A FLAT WAS THAT THE TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON. BMW HAS OFFERED TO INSPECT WHEEL HOWEVER I BELIEVE THAT WHEEL IS DEFECTIVE AND AM CONCERNED THAT THERE MAY BE OTHERS WITH SAME DEFECT AND MAY NOT GET HONEST EVALUATION. PLEASE ADVISE WHAT TO DO WITH WHEEL. *NM