NHTSA Complaint #10161373 — 2006 BMW 325I

PURCHASED NEW 330I FROM DEALER IN 9-05. ON 4-06 AT 12,500 MILES CALLED DEALER TO REQUEST SERVICE SINCE VEHICLE HAD BEEN MAKING A "ROARING & WA-WA" SOUND WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. THIS HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME TIME & SINCE DRIVER WAS WAITING FOR COMPUTER TO INDICATE SERVICE NEEDED KEPT ON DRIVING. DEALER AGREED TO SEE CAR AND UPON INSPECTION CALLED DRIVER & INFORMED THAT TIRES WERE WORN ERRATICALLY & NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (EST AT $1500). SINCE DRIVER QUESTIONED NEED FOR NEW TIRES AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE, DEALER FINALLY SUGGESTED TO CALL CORPORATE BMW. CORPORATE BMW STATED THERE WAS A PROCESS DRIVER WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH IN ORDER TO CONFIRM TIRE DEFECT SINCE TIRES WERE NOT PART OF WARRANTY DRIVER WOULD HAVE TO PROCESS CLAIM THROUGH TIRE MANUFACTURER WITH ASSISTANCE FROM CORPORATE BMW. DRIVER HAD TO THEN GO TO TIRE MANUFACTURER TO HAVE THE TIRES INSPECTED & REQUEST A REPORT BE GENERATED FROM INSPECTION. TIRE MANUFACTURER STATED TIRE WEAR WAS DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE (SINCE TIRES WERE NEVER ROTATED) & NOT TIRE DEFECTS. DEALER STATED TIRES DO NOT HAVE TO BE ROTATED BUT TIRE MANUFACTURER STATED THEY SHOULD. DEALER FINALLY AGREED TO REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES FOR FREE. DURING CALL WITH DEALER TO SCHEDULE TIRE REPLACEMENT, DEALER INFORMED DRIVER THAT BMW WOULD REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES DUE TO BMW'S ASSUMPTION OF A BAD BATCH OF TIRES BUT THAT NEW TIRES WOULD HAVE TO BE RUN FLATS. ALL TIRES WERE REPLACED 4-24-06. DEALER STATED THAT ALTHOUGH BMW DOES NOT RECOMMEND TIRE ROTATION THAT DRIVER NEEDED TO DO SO TO EXTEND LIFE OF NEW TIRES. AT 3,500 MILES DRIVER HAD TIRES ROTATED & WAS INFORMED THAT TIRES WERE ALREADY "CUPPING". CALLED DEALER & INFORMED OF CUPPING TIRES & REQUESTED SERVICE. DRIVER SEEMS TO BELIEVE ISSUE IS EITHER WITH RUN FLAT TIRES OR WITH VEHICLE SUSPENSION. WILL SEE WHAT DEALER SAYS. FOR ANYONE WITH THIS PROBLEM PLEASE FILE A COMPLAINT SO CORPORATE BMW WILL HAVE TO CORRECT. *JB