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How did you get them to cover the cost?  I have a 300i with 15000 miles.  I have been noticing increased noise and was told that there is cupping of the tires.  What advice can you offer.  
Thanks  

There is nothing wrong with your BMW!  When will you people learn! Run Flats, any makers Run Flats, are not worth the effort to mount them on the wheel. Regular, good brand, ordinary tires are your answer. And stop chasing the BMW dealer and the tire company.Your wasting your time. They know all about the problem. Toyota is already facing a class action suit on run flat tires. BMW most likely will face the same thing. Get yourself some decent, ordinary tires and avoid all the aggravation I have been reading about on this site  

I have been having the same problem with my 2006 330xi for several months (starting at around 10,000 getting worse until 15,000 - sounded like metal on metal, dealer said it was the tires, alignment, tire pressure, yada, yada) and following this thread for about a month.  The PBS show Motorweek has been running a long term test on a 330 xi so I sent them an email describing the problem with a link to this site.  I got a note from Jon Davis at the show "We have started to notice the noise as well and have asked BMW for an explanation through our channels. JD"

I encourage you to also send a note to Motorweek and describe your problem and BMW's reaction.  Maybe some attention will incent BMW to stand behind their product: motorweek@mpt.org

Let us know if you hear back...  

I own a 2000 BMW 323Ci coupe, and absolutely love my car.  Quite simply, in terms of performance, comfort and overall fit & finish, it's been the most incredible car I've ever owned. My 3-series has served me wonderfully for the past seven years, and I had been looking forward to trading into a new '07 328 coupe this fall.  That's HAD been... past tense.

This whole runflat tire debacle has me quite dismayed.  There are too many negatives associated with runflats not to be concerned about buying a car equipped with them.  Runflats are more susceptible to sidewall damage, provide a much stiffer ride, and cost 3 to 4 times as much to replace as conventional tires.  Moreover, they are still not serviceable or replaceable at a great many (most?) tire repair shops around the country.

However, the deal-killer for me is this:  not only is the new 328i not equipped with a spare tire, the storage space beneath the trunk is deliberately configured to NOT allow the storage of even a compact spare!  So if you were to break down in the middle of nowhere, with the nearest BMW dealership more than a hundred miles away, you'd have no way to extricate yourself from the situation without calling for assistance... a potential delay of hours, even days.  And by not allowing storage of a spare tire, BMW has precluded the option of swapping the runflats for conventional tires... for whatever reason one might have.

It distresses me greatly that BMW places more value on helping the CEO of Michelin promote run-flat tires as the Next Big Thing... than preserving its customers' right to choose what rubber their cars roll on.  This is a level of arrogance I'd expect from the likes of General Motors... rather than the maker of the Ultimate Driving Machine. It is just plain wrong.

As such, I will hold onto my seven year old 3-series for as long as it is cost effective to keep. At that time, if no corrective action is taken on the runflat issue, I will purchase a lesser, but more flexible, automobile.  Can anyone here say Ford Mustang?  

I have 1 2005 330xi and yesterday I had my 4th and 5th flat tire since last
november the card is loeased and is 15 months old.  I have 85000 miles on it. What to do ???  

I also have an 06 BMW 330xi with 14,000 miles on it.  The noise is overwhelming and hoffific!!  I LOVE the car, but the noise makes the car to un-pleasurable to ride or drive!!  When we took care of our recent oil check, my husband asked about the noise only to be told "that's how those tires sound".  I am ready to involve my sister-in-law who works in the Attorney Generals' office.  I believe that buying an expensive car also means that there should be a "dealer" responsibility associated with this make of BMW and/or any car that puts run-flat tires on their vehicles.  I will let you know if the Attorney General has any suggestions.  I agree with another reader; The ultimate driving machine??  

I have a 2005 545I. It has 15K miles and I am on my third set of run flat Dunlops. The dealer so far has covered the cost but I have been told the next one is on me since they expect a car like this to need tires at the 20K mark. After buying the car I discovered a service bulliten had been issued in June of 05 regarding this problem. BMW says it is a problem with the tires not the car as I have had the alignment done twice to document it was within factory tolerances. My advice is stay away from run flats or any car that must have them.  

I own a 04 BMW 530I with sports package. Have replace the run flat's twice @ dealer expense. While I live in Ohio the dealer I purchased the BMW is located in Indiana. First set had 6K, second 8K. Problem was noise. Dealer told me yes there is a problem and they had replace tires on other custmers cars as well. Underestand run-flats offer excellent grip, but poor on tread life. 24k is what one should expect on tread-life. Will continue to replace tires @ dealers (Tire Mfg) expense until they get it right.  

I had a similar problem with my 330xi.  I called BMW customer service and was told to go to my dealer.  The dealer checked the tires (9000 miles) and replaced all tires at no cost.  I also think I heard the service manager say "Recall".  

JohnMcNH:
I have an 06 BMW 330XI with just under 9K miles and the dealer told me that I need to replace the tires. I have a strange cupping pattern and I have had terrible noise from this car from day one. I have had 6 3 series since 1992 and never have I had a problem like this that BMW would not fix. I contacted BMW customer service out of Ohio yesterday and the woman there told me that they do not cover tires at all regardless of the mileage. She also told me that they are not aware of any issues with these tires. Why are they hiding this? If you have this problem please contact BMW. I wish I had an email address there because I would post it on every website that allowed it! Anybody interested in buying an 06 BMW 330 XI with under 9K miles?

I bought a CPO 2003 330CI in November. In July I had to replace 2 front tires (Runflats) - one had a bubble and when I got to the dealer they found a crack in the other. In October I had to replace 2 rear tires - one had very little tread left and the other picked up a metal rod or nail of some sort. Now its the end of October and one of my front tires has a bubble in it. I just put tires on the front in July of 06. When I first heard about runflats I was thrilled but my charge card it about to explode thanks to tire replacement. I didn't think the runflat tires would be so fragile - 2 bubbles on 2 tires in less than a year.  

Yep,
I have a 2006 3 series with Turanza 225/45 R 17 w 15000m. Took it in for an oil change and complained about the excessive noise. They told me to replace all 4 tires. They will not cover the cost. I am getting the runaround from my local dealer, BMW national and Bridgestone as well.
If I have to spend a grand every year on tires, I plan on selling this BMW. I am very disappointed with the attitude at my dealer, and will not buy another car from them.  

I have a 2006 330i, took it in today for an oil change and told them to check it out because it was riding like a truck.  Later received a call saying that my pressure was very low and that I needed to replace all 4 tires because now they are cupping which is what the noise is all about.  I only have 12,000 miles on my car.... after reading the responses from this forum, can anyone suggest a great non-runflat tire to replace them with?

Thanks!  

I am so *&%$ mad I have a 2006 330i and its the second time in 3 months I have had to relace the tire due to a nail?!!  
I've have lived in the same area for 15 years and my driving patterns and routes have not changed.  I owned other cars for years and never had to replace a tire so much as these types. My car is still below 9000 miles! Now I have had to replace the no run flat tire...this is a joke. Now I know why they have the service free promotion..you end up paying for it in the long run with all the damm new tires you end up buying. By the way, I am looking into installing just regular no-run-flat tires from costco and I'll let you know how it goes.  

I just put down a deposit on a 2007 328xi.  The salesman couldn't stop ranting and raving about the runflats.  I am trading in an '01' 328i that was a gr8 car, with no tire (flat or otherwise) issues.  Any advice on what i should do?  

Well it's a week later and i just had a run-flat tire  repaired from a reputable tire shop.  I was able to have them replace the flat with a new run flat tire. I tried to get all 4 tires removed and replaced with regular performance tire and get rid of all 4 run flats, but i was told that it was their policy to not replace bmw's with regular tires, but they could replace it with the same exact tire and sell me a protection plan on all my tires.  Thus if i ever have another flat or nail they would replace the runflat tire for free!
So everyone, go out and try several tire dealers and see you if they are  able to install run flats and if they can provide/or sell a protection plan for all the other tires you have.  In the end i ended up paying $200 for the new runflat and it included a protection plan for all 4 tires. happy ending to the nightmare. By the way, the quote i got from my bmw dealer to repair my 1 run flat...$526!