Tire & wheel insurance?

[abmwdummy]

I was told that run flat tires on the X5 can not be patched and a blown out tire more easily damages the rim. So tire and wheel insurance is a must. True?

[E90Fleet]

Run Flat tires can be patched if the puncture is in the middle sections of the tread and the tire has not been driven on while very low on air.

Personally I have never seen a run flat damage a rim due to a puncture.


That said X5 tires are very expensive due to their size.

[RaceTruk]

It is said not to repair runflats but the only difference between rft and non rft is the sidewall, which no tire can be repaired if there is damage there.
Id repaired Rfts and had no problems.
The 335s seem to have a lot if bubbling and rim damage with Rfts. But it is due to having such low profile sidewalks which do not absorb impact. Have had no issues more have I thought twice when seeing bumps in the road like I used to

[MRV99]

I am going on 7 years with e70's with 20' wheels in Chicago and have never once had an issue. The sidewall profile on the x5 40 and 35 profiles is still larger than what is on my M3 running 35 profiles.

[chrisny]

Regarding the insurance, just remember it's insurance just like any other.. you'll of course wish you had it if you have issues, but remember it would take multiple issues to break even. I've gone both ways with this, had the insurance on an Audi S5 and bent 3 wheels, none of which were bad enough for the insurance to cover, but the steering wheel shook pretty bad and annoying.. I then had the insurance on a mercedes C300 with amg wheels, replaced 4 wheels over the course of the 3 year lease as well as I think 4 tires. So that was well worth it.

BUT, those plans cost me $800 and $1000 respectively. BMW's is much more expensive and even the Mercedes insurance that I was so thankful for got stricter towards the end. I had 2 more bent wheels they didn't cover right before I turned it in. Guy told me they were cracking down on it since they were getting slammed with claims in the Northeast (damn potholes!!!). Typically, if a bent wheel still holds air, it doesn't get replaced. And while the run flats are expensive, I'm not sure I would pay the premium of this coverage just for the tires.

[SharkPhi]

I must say, although I drive on a lot of unpaved/non-graded roads, the wheel/tire insurance package has paid for itself three times over on my F10. I've replaced 3 tires and two rims in two years, but again, I spend a lot of time on roads that most Bimmers have nightmares about.

[chrisny]

Originally Posted by Ouphidelt

I must say, although I drive on a lot of unpaved/non-graded roads, the wheel/tire insurance package has paid for itself three times over on my F10. I've replaced 3 tires and two rims in two years, but again, I spend a lot of time on roads that most Bimmers have nightmares about.

That's the thing, insurance is always a crap shoot. Love it when you need it, hate the bill when you don't lol. Obviously they don't sell it to lose money, so it's needed less than it's purchased... But circumstances like yours certainly make it worth the investment.

My biggest gripe is how easily they do or don't cover them. Not sure if BMW is any better at this, but IMO if the rim is bent so bad my watch jingles when I drive, they should at least cover a repair, if not bad enough to warrant replacement.

[SharkPhi]

Originally Posted by chrisny

My biggest gripe is how easily they do or don't cover them. Not sure if BMW is any better at this, but IMO if the rim is bent so bad my watch jingles when I drive, they should at least cover a repair, if not bad enough to warrant replacement.

Its been my experience, at least at the dealer here in Oklahoma, that they err on the side of replacement/covering the damage. I have never once had them question whether or not to cover something. My impending X5 will be my 5th Bimmer, four of which had the insurance, and I have had wheels/tires replaced under warranty on each of them. The coverage may be dealer/center specific, however.

[LowerEast]

Originally Posted by abmwdummy

I was told that run flat tires on the X5 can not be patched

That's BMW's company line on this, but the tire manufacturers (at least for the brands I've had and researched) state that repairs can be made, and set out guidelines and procedures for those repairs.

My guess is that a company like BMW would be hesitant to repair or even to recommend a repair, because they have no idea of whether or for how long a tire was driven with no pressure, and whether or not the sidewall has been compromised, and don't want to deal with the potential liability of a repaired tire failing.

[abmwdummy]

Thank you everyone for the quick reply! Much appreciated!