NHTSA Complaint #10258615 — 2006 BMW 325I

I BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR SCHEDULED INSPECTION APPOINTMENT. WHILE AT THE DEALER I WAS TOLD THE TIRES ON MY BMW 325I NEEDED ROTATING. I AGREED AND I WAS CHARGED $165 FOR THE SERVICE. WHILE DRIVING HOME, I NOTICED A LOUD HUMMING COMING FROM THE TIRES. IT WAS LOUD ENOUGH THAT I MADE A SECOND APPOINTMENT TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE SPECIALIST, ELY, AT HASSEL BMW OF FREEPORT N.Y., THAT EVERYTHING WAS OKAY. I ASKED HER WHAT WAS THE SOURCE OF THE NOISE AND SHE STATED THE TIRES WERE "FEATHERING." I INFORMED HER THAT I WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THE NOISE WAS SO LOUD THAT I COULD NOT HAVE A NORMAL CONVERSATION INSIDE THE CAR. SHE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NORMAL WEAR AND IF I WISHED TO HAVE THE TIRES ROTATED TO THE ORIGINAL POSITION. I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR BRAND AND MODEL OF TIRE, WHAT CONCERNS ME IS THE FACT THAT HASSEL BMW OF FREEPORT NY DID NOT BOTHER TO INFORM ME OF THE PROBLEM. THEY KNEW, I FOUND OUT, AND THEY STILL PUT THIS BRAND OF TIRES ON THEIR VEHICLES. I SPOKE WITH THE MANAGER OF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT,JOHN, AND INFORMED HIM OF MY FINDINGS. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS AN SI BULLETINS, WHICH I HAD ALREADY OBTAINED FROM A TIRE SPECIALIST, ABOUT THE IRREGULAR TIRE WEAR OF THIS TYPE OF TIRE. JOHN INFORMED ME THAT I HAD NO RECOURSE WITH HASSEL BMW BECAUSE MY CAR HAD MORE THAN 20000 MILES ON IT. I TOLD JOHN THAT I PURCHASED THE CAR WITH 14775 MILES AND THE CAR HAD FOUR NEW TIRES INSTALLED, AND SINCE THE CAR HAS 28375 MILES ON IT, THE TIRES HAVE ABOUT 15000 MILES. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AND HASSEL BMW SEEMS TO THINK THAT BY QUOTING THE CAR MILEAGE INSTEAD OF THE TIRE MILEAGE THEY DO NOT HAVE TO HONOR THE SI RECOMMENDATIONS. ACCORDING TO THE SI B 36 06 06 I SHOULD BE, AT A MINIMUM, ABLE TO PURCHASE TIRES AT 50% OF THE VALUE. JOHN TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD TAKE THIS UP WITH BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, SINCE THEY ARE THE ONES THAT BUILD THE CAR OR THE TIRE MANUFACTURER. HIS DEMEANOR WAS VERY UNPROFESSIONAL. *TR