2007 BMW 328XI Tires Problems

RUNFLAT TIRES ON BMW 328XI ARE NOT SUITED TO AMERICAN ROADS. HIT A POTHOLE ON THE HIGHWAY WITH THE RUNFLAT TIRES. WHEEL WAS DAMAGED AND TIRE WAS DAMAGED AS WELL. RUNFLAT TIRES SEEM LESS RESILIENT THAN STANDARD TIRES, AND RESULT IN GREATER LIKELIHOOD OF WHEEL DAMAGE. TIRE DID NOT GO FLAT, BUT WHEEL AND TIRE NEED REPLACEMENT. *TR

MY CAR FAILED A VEHICLE INSPECTION TODAY FOR "SAFETY REASONS" BECAUSE I'M TOLD THE 2 FRONT TIRES ARE WORN OUT. I HAVE A 2007 BMW 328XI THAT CAME WITH BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL 42 RUN FLAT TIRES. AFTER 8114 MILES IN RESPONSE TO MY COMPLAINS WITH THE HANDLING, AND NOISE, THE TIRES WERE FOUND TO BE SCALLOPED AND ALL 4 WERE REPLACED (WITH SAME MAKE AND MODEL) FREE OF CHARGE IN 2007. AT 22K MILES (14K ON NEW TIRES) THE NOISE BECAME UNBEARABLE AND AT 28,555 (20K ON TIRES) I TOOK THE CAR BACK IN AND WAS TOLD TO REPLACE THE TIRES FOR CLOSE TO $1000 (SINCE THE DEALER SAID THEY COULD ONLY REPLACE TIRES ONCE) WITH ADVISE TO SHOP FOR A BETTER PRICE. GIVEN THAT MY STATE INSPECTION GUIDELINES CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE, AND I'M ASKED TO CHANGE TIRES TWICE UNDER 29K MILES, I WOULD HAVE HOPED BMW OR...

I DISCOVERED FEW WEEKS AGO THAT THE CAR I LEASE SINCE 2008 DOES NOT HAVE A SPARE TIRE. WHEN I INQUIRE THE REASON WHY, THE MANUFACTURER EXPLAINED THAT THE CAR USES ESPECIAL TIRES CALLED RUN FLAT WHICH IN THE EVENT OF A TIRE PROBLEM WOULD ALLOW ME TO GO TO THE NEXT TIRE SHOP. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS ARGUMENT. FIRST, THE RATIONALE FOR ELIMINATING A SPARE TIRE IS FLAWED AND UNSAFE: A SPARE PROVIDES DRIVERS WITH AN EXTRA WHEEL ' INCLUDING BOTH TIRE AND RIM, IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENS WITH EITHER COMPONENT. ELIMINATING THE SPARE BECAUSE A CAR HAS RFTS (RUN FLAT TIRES) FAILS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THE WHEELS OF THE CAR CAN ALSO SUFFER DAMAGE TO THE POINT OF IMMOBILIZING THE VEHICLE. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT SAFETY HAZARD THAT WOULD BE EASILY SOLVED WITH A SPARE TIRE. SECOND, AFTER RESEARCHING ABOUT RFTS I...

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 328XI. THE VEHICLE HAS BRIDGESTONE TIRES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE AT 18,000 MILES. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE BEGAN SWERVING TO THE LEFT AND THE TIRES FELT HARD. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE AND ALL FOUR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TIRES ARE CALLED "FLAT" TIRES AND NO SPARE TIRE WAS AVAILABLE. IF THE "FLAT" TIRES EVER GO FLAT, SHE CAN STILL DRIVE ON THEM FOR AT LEAST 125 MORE MILES. THE DEALER WILL REPLACE TWO OF HER TIRES FOR FREE, BUT THE OTHER TWO MUST BE PURCHASED AT THE COST OF $625. THE TIRE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,025.