NHTSA Complaint #10723930 — 2014 BMW 650I

BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW ON 6/10/14 IN ILLINOIS. AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE THE DEALER TRIED TO SELL ME 10K WORTH OF ADDITIONAL WARRANTIES. I ASKED WHICH ONE(S) I REALLY NEEDED AND THEY SAID YOU NEED THE TIRE WARRANTY. THE CAR HAS 12K MILES ON IT. HAVE HAD THREE SEPARATE INCIDENTS OF BROKEN TIRES. TWO IN SUMMER OF 2014 AND ONE IN APRIL OF 2015. ALL THREE TOOK PLACE ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS CAUSED BY IMPACTING HOLES IN THE PAVEMENT. I HAVE CONTACTED BMW NATIONAL AND THEY CLAIM IT IS DUE TO BAD GOODYEAR TIRES. ODDLY ENOUGH THEY INSIST ON REPLACING THEM WITH THE SAME TIRE. THEY ARE CHARGING ABOUT $450/TIRE AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT A TIRE OF THAT QUALITY CAN BE THAT DEFECTIVE. BETWEEN THE DEALER TELLING ME THAT YOU REALLY NEED THE TIRE WARRANTY, ANOTHER DEALER AND TOW TRUCK DRIVER TELLING ME THAT THESE CARS ARE BEING BROUGHT IN CONSTANTLY FOR BLOWN TIRES I DON'T THINK IT IS THE TIRES. I THINK IT IS DEFECTIVE DESIGN ON THE PART OF BMW. THE 19" WHEELS ARE SO BIG THAT THEY REQUIRE A 40 SERIES TIRE WHICH MEAN THERE IS JUST TOO LITTLE SIDEWALL TO TAKE EVERYDAY INTERSTATE STRESS. KEEP IN MIND ALL HAPPENED DURING FAIR WEATHER DRIVING, NOT WINTER. BMW THOUGHT IT WOULD BE REALLY COOL TO PUT OEM 19" WHEELS ON THE CAR WITHOUT CONSIDERING WHETHER THESE WHEELS, REQUIRING EXTREMELY LOW PROFILE 40 SERIES TIRES, ON A HIGH PERFORMANCE CAR CAN HANDLE COMMON INTERSTATE ROAD ISSUES WITHOUT CAUSING PLY SEPARATIONS OR COMPLETELY BLOWING OUT. THESE BLOWOUTS ARE REALLY DANGEROUS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I BELIEVE BMW SHOULD RECALL THESE VEHICLES AND REPLACE THE TIRES AND WHEELS WITH ONES THAT CAN HANDLE COMMON INTERSTATE ROAD CONDITIONS. CURRENTLY THEY TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT IS OBVIOUSLY THEIR DESIGN PROBLEM. BY BLAMING THE TIRE MANUFACTURER THEY GET COMPLETELY OFF THE HOOK AND THE NHTSA (SAFERCAR) NEEDS TO DO AN INVESTIGATION AND REQUIRE A RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM.