[HerkHealer]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

Wow, dealers don't usually do this in house or invest in the equipment, but, that said, maybe I am out of touch and there is a lot of money in it because of how soft BMW big wheels are.

I have had a dealer tell me though that I have to buy new wheels and they can't be straightened for the reason I mentioned. BS, I know.

The bend was found and video'd at Tulley Manchester, which also said they can straighten it no problem. But since I'm much closer to Nashua I asked Tulley Nashua. Same thing, no problem, can easily fix that for me.

I was also pleasantly surprised at the Dealer cost to repair the wheel. IIRC it was $125.

[LogicalApex]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

Great input, yes, read the fine print and go with a reputable company. I have found though, that if you buy through the dealer on delivery, there are rarely any issues with regard to interpretation and coverage. Mine was sold to me at delivery, it is from Allstate and I got the "plus" plan, which is for accidental cosmetic damage. I already used it once for some minor rash I didn't notice on delivery. I am VERY careful, but even a dip in a pothole entering a strip mall can scratch a rim.

Yeah the terms are key. I haven't used mine yet, will be using it soon, so I can't yet vouch for the company. But the terms are a lot more amicable. It is with Fidelity Warranty Services in case anyone will chime in to tell me they were a bad choice!

The dealer said they didn't sell BMW's policy and they pushed a third party policy which had a claim limit on things such as cosmetic damage (5x), a dollar value limit, and a limit on the tires you could use (same as came with the car). It was also not cheap. So I passed on it. Since the dealer I purchased from was 100 miles away and I have 4 dealers within 10 miles of my house I was sure I wouldn't go back to them for a W&T claim.

The policy I have now though has much better verbiage on dealing with bent wheels. Most policies I've seen will only cover your bent wheel if it fails to hold air. I had that issue with my Mercedes OEM W&T plan. I had to pay out of pocket for straightening as the wheels held air, but vibrated all over the highway. The new policy covers wheel straightening as well as tire damage up to and including wheel replacement.

"Wheel replacement applies only when or if the wheel cannot be balanced, will not hold air, or the damage has affected the structural integrity of the wheel."

Also, spoke with the owner of a very reputable wheel shop in Philly when I was contemplating going with his wheel repair over using the dealer to see how that would work. He explained when I inquired... You can't re-finish a bent wheel so when cosmetic damage is fixed the wheel has to be straightened at the same time. That's good to know as if you have a W&T plan cosmetic damage may be covered, but the bends may not be. FWIW.

[YETIinFL]

Show of hands:
How many have purchased the Tire & Wheel Protection?
How many have used it to repair a blown tire or bent wheel?
How many do not have the protection and have paid out of pocket due to a blown tire or wheel damage?
How many have never needed to pay for a blown tire or bent wheel?

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by LogicalApex

Yeah the terms are key. I haven't used mine yet, will be using it soon, so I can't yet vouch for the company. But the terms are a lot more amicable. It is with Fidelity Warranty Services in case anyone will chime in to tell me they were a bad choice!

The dealer said they didn't sell BMW's policy and they pushed a third party policy which had a claim limit on things such as cosmetic damage (5x), a dollar value limit, and a limit on the tires you could use (same as came with the car). It was also not cheap. So I passed on it. Since the dealer I purchased from was 100 miles away and I have 4 dealers within 10 miles of my house I was sure I wouldn't go back to them for a W&T claim.

The policy I have now though has much better verbiage on dealing with bent wheels. Most policies I've seen will only cover your bent wheel if it fails to hold air. I had that issue with my Mercedes OEM W&T plan. I had to pay out of pocket for straightening as the wheels held air, but vibrated all over the highway. The new policy covers wheel straightening as well as tire damage up to and including wheel replacement.

"Wheel replacement applies only when or if the wheel cannot be balanced, will not hold air, or the damage has affected the structural integrity of the wheel."

Also, spoke with the owner of a very reputable wheel shop in Philly when I was contemplating going with his wheel repair over using the dealer to see how that would work. He explained when I inquired... You can't re-finish a bent wheel so when cosmetic damage is fixed the wheel has to be straightened at the same time. That's good to know as if you have a W&T plan cosmetic damage may be covered, but the bends may not be. FWIW.

Here is my language if you want a reference. Full disclosure, I did not read it closely before purchasing, I trusted my dealers explanation which was it covers everything and anything. I can go to any BMW dealer and it will come up with my VIN.

Sorry to hijack with such a long post, thought this might be helpful to others. Cost me $1,900 for 36 months.

[LogicalApex]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

Here is my language if you want a reference. Full disclosure, I did not read it closely before purchasing, I trusted my dealers explanation which was it covers everything and anything. I can go to any BMW dealer and it will come up with my VIN.

Sorry to hijack with such a long post, thought this might be helpful to others. Cost me $1,900 for 36 months.

That's a pretty solid policy in my quick skim!

As you also have trip interruption coverage which can cover a night to rest up on a road trip. And the same coverage for bent wheels and etc. Pretty solid!

Thanks for sharing!

[SctsOut06]

Originally Posted by LogicalApex

Which dealer are you taking it to? I have earned a bent wheel (or at least I suspect so) from the potholes and I'm taking it into BMW of the Main Line to inquire about them straightening them out. I believe they contract it out to a reputable wheel shop in Philly.

Sorry you had to deal with this though. It is why I was so certain to only do 18" wheels on my 530e. The others look really nice, but PA roads are like a third world country. Would not be fun getting new tires and wheels every couple of weeks...

You aren't lying about the roads. BMW of Ft. Washington is where I bought the car and have it currently.

[SctsOut06]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

Here is my language if you want a reference. Full disclosure, I did not read it closely before purchasing, I trusted my dealers explanation which was it covers everything and anything. I can go to any BMW dealer and it will come up with my VIN.

Sorry to hijack with such a long post, thought this might be helpful to others. Cost me $1,900 for 36 months.

Definitely not a hijack - and great info. I have never bought wheel and tire insurance but this experience is making me rethink that.

I feel like the "we can't straighten the wheel" is a BS excuse from the dealer and likely related to complaints after about vibrations etc. I get it, and at this point I'd rather have the wheels right…so fingers crossed between insurance and filing a claim with the regional rail line I won't be out of pocket any dollars.

Worst case scenario I use this as an excuse to buy something aftermarket

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by SctsOut06

Definitely not a hijack - and great info. I have never bought wheel and tire insurance but this experience is making me rethink that.

I feel like the "we can't straighten the wheel" is a BS excuse from the dealer and likely related to complaints after about vibrations etc. I get it, and at this point I'd rather have the wheels right…so fingers crossed between insurance and filing a claim with the regional rail line I won't be out of pocket any dollars.

Worst case scenario I use this as an excuse to buy something aftermarket

They can definitely be straightened, it BS.

I bought the wheel and tire insurance for the first time on my F10. I literally went through 9 tires in 2.5 years. That was my first and last BMW with run flats. We had a few awful winters up here in Boston when I had it and there were craters everywhere. Those tires ran so hard on smooth roads and any decent size pothole hit would light up the dash with a flat. I had a few double bonuses like you did today. I never had to pay for new tires on that car as they were alway new! Run flats suck, they just don't compress and absorb so the steel sidewall just bubble or pops off the rim on impact.

I'm thinking I may lose out on this $1900 policy as I don't drive the car in the winter and I'm super careful. Even in the spring, summer and early fall, I don't drive it every day. I'm sure I'll use it a few times, but pro won't exceed $1900. That's ok, I like the thought of going straight to the dealer for star marked Michelin's. I also think summer softies are more resilient to hard hits.

[thecooltype]

Originally Posted by AP

Ignoring the 2 punctures, looks like your pressures are rather low as well

🤣😂🤣😂 this guy

[admranger]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

I'm thinking I may lose out on this $1900 policy as I don't drive the car in the winter and I'm super careful. Even in the spring, summer and early fall, I don't drive it every day. I'm sure I'll use it a few times, but pro won't exceed $1900. That's ok, I like the thought of going straight to the dealer for star marked Michelin's. I also think summer softies are more resilient to hard hits.

Drive to Vegas, swap wheels with me, feel better about buying wheel and tire insurance.

I found a very small bend in one of my front wheels when I was cleaning it prior to putting ceramic coating on it. Now that I've seen it, I can't unsee it and I have noticed a very small vibration at 65-70mph. Probably wouldn't have noticed it as I'd have just blamed the road at random spots.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by admranger

Drive to Vegas, swap wheels with me, feel better about buying wheel and tire insurance.

I found a very small bend in one of my front wheels when I was cleaning it prior to putting ceramic coating on it. Now that I've seen it, I can't unsee it and I have noticed a very small vibration at 65-70mph. Probably wouldn't have noticed it as I'd have just blamed the road at random spots.

Nothing worse than knowing something isn't perfect, that would drive me nuts and even if there wasn't a vibration, I would think there was until I got it fixed lol.

Maybe they can balance it out if it's slight.

[eliphil]

Things brings back shit memories for me. I am six years in with my RS 7- 21 wheels w low profile tires 8 flats in 6 years and 1 double. My T&W with audi was an excellent plan that paid after one incident. They always sent my wheels out to be straightened. I will be looking into TW w BMW as soon as my car gets out of the stop sale at the port grrrrrrr...,.

[eliphil]

I forgot to mention one other thing, RS7's have not spare tire so i u get a flat its Triple A and if u get stuck on a highway in NJ they must tow you to the nearest exit first. That is why I am going to give the run flats my new M550 is coming with a try for some level of protection. I hope they are acceptable not looking to deal w summer/winter tires again.

[LogicalApex]

Originally Posted by SctsOut06

Definitely not a hijack - and great info. I have never bought wheel and tire insurance but this experience is making me rethink that.

I feel like the "we can't straighten the wheel" is a BS excuse from the dealer and likely related to complaints after about vibrations etc. I get it, and at this point I'd rather have the wheels right…so fingers crossed between insurance and filing a claim with the regional rail line I won't be out of pocket any dollars.

Worst case scenario I use this as an excuse to buy something aftermarket

I like BMW of Fort Washington (formerly West German BMW) and had good experiences at their service department. Though I have not used them for much more than routine maintenance (I'm new to BMW).

I have also used BMW of the Main Line and they aren't bad either... They would straighten the wheel I'm sure as when I went to a local very highly regarded wheel shop I saw a LOT of cars there that were clearly from BMW of the Main Line. I am going to drop my car off to them and confirm they will do it later this month. I decided to go through BMW of the Main Line instead of the shop directly just so I could get a loaner car honestly.

FWIW the shop I'm referring to is this one:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/alloy-wheel...a-philadelphia

It was $150 to straighten or to remove curb rash.

[LogicalApex]

Originally Posted by eliphil

I forgot to mention one other thing, RS7's have not spare tire so i u get a flat its Triple A and if u get stuck on a highway in NJ they must tow you to the nearest exit first. That is why I am going to give the run flats my new M550 is coming with a try for some level of protection. I hope they are acceptable not looking to deal w summer/winter tires again.

I would inquire about a reputable third party policy too. Similar to what Joe posted from Allstate. I got one from Fidelity and I'm sure they'll honor it, but his trip interruption protection is quite nice. Mine lacks that, but covers stuff like PDR and damage to my leather seats so I guess it has its other angles...

But the sample policy from BMW for their Wheel & Tire is honestly pretty mediocre. Obviously, there is an ease of use aspect to it since you can drop it off at a dealer and not have to care at all about how easy it will be to use. I just didn't like its limitations. So I think the dealer I purchased from was honest in saying they didn't sell it due to it being a poor offering.

It has a $50 deductible.
It has no coverage for cosmetic damage.
It has no coverage if you use aftermarket wheels or non-BMW star tires.
They had a limitation in there that they'll only reimburse you for the "average regional retail market rate" which made me a bit nervous that you could end up still paying out of pocket if you're at a dealer with ridiculous lists prices.

That all said. You can only buy the BMW policy when you buy the vehicle not a moment after. So you also can't shop around for it.

https://www.bimmerfest.com/attachmen...an-pdf.330236/

I purchased my aftermarket policy recently and I'm not sure yet if I'll go top side on it. I paid just under $3K for 5Y coverage after having my car for about 2.5 years. As the roads have just gotten worse... And in my last car with 17" wheels I went through over 10 tires and repaired bent wheels at least 4 times. But at least the PDR aspect will have me less stressed out about minor dings.

Not pressuring you to buy anything though. Just sharing my thoughts on a lot of this stuff.

[guyincogntioo]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

Wow, dealers don't usually do this in house or invest in the equipment, but, that said, maybe I am out of touch and there is a lot of money in it because of how soft BMW big wheels are.

Can't speak for the other Boston dealers, but I know South Shore BMW uses Alloy Wheel Repair Specialists out of Randolph. And I suppose you could call it on site as they do the work in a truck in the parking lot.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by guyincogntioo

Can't speak for the other Boston dealers, but I know South Shore BMW uses Alloy Wheel Repair Specialists out of Randolph. And I suppose you could call it on site as they do the work in a truck in the parking lot.

Same experience here with BMW of Norwood and Shrewsbury. Norwood is my go to. I seem to follow my SA around. I think she has worked at every BMW dealer in the Boston area. It's really all about the SA at the end of the day. She's good, she takes care of me and she's easy on the eyes as a bonus😉

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by eliphil

Things brings back shit memories for me. I am six years in with my RS 7- 21 wheels w low profile tires 8 flats in 6 years and 1 double. My T&W with audi was an excellent plan that paid after one incident. They always sent my wheels out to be straightened. I will be looking into TW w BMW as soon as my car gets out of the stop sale at the port grrrrrrr...,.

Mike, I guess you could look at the bright side, it's a crappy time of year to take delivery on a brand new car? The M550 will be so much more enjoyable on soft warm pavement with those NJ potholes patched.

Definitely get W&T insurance for those run flats, especially if you are driving it in the NJ winters. You hit the nail on the head, the best thing about run flats is the ability to drive on them and not have to changes flats or call for a tow, maybe the only good thing. I remember vividly, see pot hole, not enough time to react, hit pot hole, drive straight to dealer, grab loaner and pick it up the next day. That's what W&T gets you.

[BMW012]

as far as i know - you cant straighten a wheel back to 100%. what they do is straighten it back to spec to basically pass balancing. If you are OCD and the straightened wheel is in the front of your car, you will always imagine/feel a little vibration/wobble etc. I think most places just heat up the rim and hammer it back out lol.

[OmahaDB]

Originally Posted by BMW012

as far as i know - you cant straighten a wheel back to 100%. what they do is straighten it back to spec to basically pass balancing. If you are OCD and the straightened wheel is in the front of your car, you will always imagine/feel a little vibration/wobble etc. I think most places just heat up the rim and hammer it back out lol.

I think that depends on who does the work. I had one of my Mercedes rims straightened and refinished at a local shop that does fantastic work. When I got it back it was perfect -- no trace of the bend, and the finish was flawless, like a brand new wheel. Wheel work is all this place does; they'll even fix cracked wheels.

[SctsOut06]

Thanks for all the input everyone.

At this point waiting to see what insurance says. Worst case, I have them give me an alignment and remount the tires and then I'll take the wheels elsewhere and have them straightened.

[Sxs1687]

Would anyone with this wheel and tire insurance mind sharing how much it is? Also, can you get it after owning the car for a while? I assume they'd do a wheel/tire inspection first, if you can buy it later.