NHTSA Complaint #10343409 — 2007 BMW 550I

I HAVE JUST SUFFERED MY SEVENTH CRACKED WHEEL IN 13K MILES / 18 MONTHS! ACCORDING TO WHEEL WIZARD IN ATLANTA, THEY SEE AN INORDINATE NUMBER OF BMW 550I, M5S, 650I, M6, 750I CARS. THEY SUBCONTRACT FOR ALL THE MAJORS - PORSCHE, JAGUAR, BMW, FERRARI ETC. WHEEL WIZARD BELIEVES THAT THE BMWS (PARTICULARLY WITH RUN FLATS), CHOSE AN ALLOY FOR THE WHEEL THAT IS DEFECTIVELY SOFT OR AND PRONE TO CRACKING GIVEN THE WEIGHT, POWER AND SUSPENSIONS ON THESE CARS. I AGREE!! 7 TIMES IN 18 MONTHS. I WORK OUT OF MY HOUSE AND DO NOT DRIVE MY CAR HARD. OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS I'VE BEEN DRIVING, I'VE OWNED MERCEDES (CLK430), JAGUAR (XK8), TOYOTA, 3 FORD SUVS, AN INFINITI AND HAVE NEVER HAD A SINGLE CRACKED WHEEL OR RIM IN 30 YEARS! (IF IT WERE MY DRIVING - THERE WOULD BE AT LEAST ONE OTHER INSTANCE IN 30 YEARS). BUT NOT ONCE. NOW, SINCE NOVEMBER 2009, I'VE HAD 7 CRACKED OR BENT RIMS! THIS IS BEYOND STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF JUST BAD LUCK. I HAVE HAD OTHER BMW DRIVERS TELL ME SIMILAR STORIES. A VERY GOOD FRIEND HAD A 650I THEN AN M6 - HE HAD BENT OR CRACKED RIM PROBLEMS ON HIS BMWS. A FRIEND HAS A 550I - HE HAS HAD BENT OR CRACKED RIMS IN THE FIRST 12 MONTHS. WHEEL WIZARD, WHEN I WAS IN LAST TIME, SAID THEY HAD SEEN 5 TO 7 5, 6 AND 7 SERIES IN THE PREVIOUS 5 DAYS. AND THEY SAID THAT BMW HAS AN UNUSUAL HIGH FREQUENCY OF BENT AND CRACKED RIMS ON THE 5, 6 AND 7 SERIES POST 2005 MODELS. TODAY, THE MANAGER SAID HE THOUGHT BMWS, PARTICULARLY THOSE WITH RUN FLAT TIRES, EXPERIENCE A MUCH GREATER THAN NORMAL BENT AND CRACKED RIM PROBLEM (SOMETHING THAT MAKES HIS BUSINESS MONEY - REPEAT PROBLEMS). I AM HOPING THE NTSB WILL OPEN UP AN OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION. BMW NATIONAL TRIED TO TELL ME THEY HAVE GOOD ENGINEERS. I RESPONDED, THAT'S WHAT TOYOTA SAID TOO WHEN THEY DENIED SAFETY PROBLEMS EVEN THOUGH WE NOW KNOW THEY WERE LYING. THAT'S WHAT FORD SAID WHEN PEOPLE WERE HAVING HIGH NUMBER OF ROLL OVER CRASHES IN THEIR SUVS. YOU CAN'T TRUST THESE CAR COMPANIES. PLEASE INVESTIGATE! *TR