2008 BMW 3 Series Tires & Wheels Problems

225/40R18 the stoplight right down route 7 by stop and shop there is a rectangular hole in the street. I could not avoid it when driving Friday morning 4/25/25 and the dip in the ground blew my driver side front and rear tires and scratched the rims. I had to spend my day Friday getting my tires replaced and now I have scratches on my rims which are fairly new

REAR RIMS CRACKED WITH RUN FLAT TIRES. SECOND RIM TO CRACK

THIS IS THE THIRD TIRE, ON MY CAR, FROM THIS MANUFACTURER WHERE THE SIDEWALL HAS FAILED. SIDE-WALL SEPARATION. EACH TIRE IS THE SAME MODEL. *TR

TIRE SIDEWALL SEPARATION, JUST BELOW THE TIRE BEAD. THE MAKE OF THE TIRE WAS A MICHELIN PILOT SP, PS2, ZP. *TR

I HAD TO REPLACE TWO TIRE, ONE FRONT AND ONE REAR, FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT BOTH TIRES HAD SIDEWALL SEPARATION IN THE SAME LOCATION, WHERE THE SIDEWALL ATTACHES TO THE TIRE BEAD. *TR

THERE IS A CRACK IN THE RIM WHICH IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THIS FINE CRACK CAUSES LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE IN THE TIRE. THE TIRE ITSELF IS INTACT AND UNDAMAGED AS IS THE RIM. BOTH TIRE AND RIM ARE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT AND WERE ON THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF DELIVERY IN DEC. 2008. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT OR STRUCK ANY OBJECT WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS DEFECT. SINCE THE MANUFACTURING DEFECT CAUSES LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE IN THE TIRE, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE CRACK IN RIM WAS DIAGNOSED AFTER TWO VISITS BY DISCOUNT TIRE ON CERRILLOS ROAD IN SANTA FE, NM. [XXX] AT BMW N.A. SUGGESTED I CONTACT THE DEALER TO FIND OUT WHO MANUFACTURED THE RIM AND THEN DEAL WITH THE RIM MANUFACTURER. HE SAYS THAT BMW ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR RIMS AND THAT RIMS ARE NOT COVERED BY THE VEHICLE WARRANTY. [XXX]. SAID HE COULD NOT TELL ME WHO MANUFACTURED THE RIM. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR LOW PRESSURE ON RIGHT REAR TIRE. TIRES HAD BEEN MOUNTED APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS PRIOR, WHEN MECHANIC TOOK RIM OFF TO TEST FOR LEAK DISCOVERED THREE CRACKS IN RIM ALONG OUTSIDE OF INNER RIM. HAS ORIGINAL RIMS THAT CAME WITH CAR, BMW 10 SPOKE 17" ALLOY STYLE 159. TIRES MOUNTED ARE RUN FLAT AS THEY ARE REPLACEMENTS FOR ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 335I EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN ENERGY LX4 RUN-FLAT TIRES, SIZE: P225/60R17. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRES EXHIBITED SMALL PUNCTURES AND WOULD BECOME FLAT FREQUENTLY. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE OF THE CAUSE OF THE CONSTANT TIRE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

WHEN I WENT TO A TIRE STORE TO PURCHASE WINTER TREADS I DISCOVERED THE RIM ON THE BACK LEFT WHEEL WAS CRACKED. THE MECHANICS TOLD ME IF I CONTINUED DRIVING ON IT THE CRACKED RIM, THE WHEEL COULD COME OFF. I HAVE OWNED A NUMBER OF BMW'S AND NEVER SEEN A CRACKED RIM. (EVEN WHEN I LIVED IN THE POT HOLE LITTERED NE) THREE DAYS AGO I WENT TO THE SAME TIRE STORE BECAUSE THERE APPEARED TO BE A LEAK IN THE NEW, LEFT REAR TIRE. THE RIM WAS CRACKED IN 4 PLACES. THIS IS SCARY AND IT IS ALSO EXTREMELY COSTLY AS THE RIMS ARE ABOUT $300+. TO HAVE TWO OF THESE RIM FAILURES IN A MONTH IS A BIT SHOCKING. BMW SAYS PARTS FAIL THROUGH NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR (NOT ON ANY OF MY PREVIOUS BMW'S) THE TIRE STORE SAYS THE RIMS ARE A VERY THIN ALUMINUM TO MAKE THE CAR FASTER AND THEY SEE A NUMBER OF FAILURES. NOT SAFE. *TR

SERIOUS PROBLEM, I CAN NOT DRIVE AND CAN NOT REPLACE BLOWOUT, BROKEN RUN FLAT TIRES FROM BRIDGESTONE ON MY '08 BMW 328I. IT'S THE 4TH WARRANTY COVERAGE REPLACEMENT IN 6MONTHS BUT THIS TIME IT IS OUT OF STOCK AT MY COSTCO TIRE WHERE I PURCHASED THEM AND WAS TOLD BY THE MAKER, BRIDGESTONE TIRES THAT THERE'S 18,000+ BACKORDERS ON THESE TIRES AND THEY HAVE NO IDEA ON ETA. *TR

I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE IN MARCH OF 2010. I AVERAGE LESS THAN 650 MILES PER MONTH AND DRIVE ONLY ON LOS ANGELES COUNTY STREETS. A MONTH AFTER LEASING MY VEHICLE, ALL FOUR OF THE TIRES SPLIT AND I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT IT WAS DUE TO THE PREVIOUS OWNER NOT MAINTAINING THE ALIGNMENT. I IMMEDIATELY REPLACED ALL FOUR (4) TIRES WITH BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RUN-FLAT TIRES, AS REQUIRED BY MY LEASE. SIX MONTHS LATER, IN OCTOBER OF 2010, I AGAIN HAD NUMEROUS TIRE PRESSURE ISSUES, AND RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP NOVEMBER 19. I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO ISSUE WITH THE TIRES, BUT A TIRE SENSOR ISSUE. WHEN I PICKED-UP THE VEHICLE, THE SENSOR WAS ON. I HAVE NOW BEEN INFORMED THAT THE REAR WHEEL RIMS ARE CRACKED AND THAT THE REAR TIRES MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. ACCORDING TO MY RESEARCH, MY ISSUES ARE COMMON AMONG OWNERS WITH THE BMW FACTORY RIMS IN COMBINATION WITH THE BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RUN-FLAT TIRES, AND CAUSES A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RISK. FURTHERMORE, MY FIRST SET OF TIRES WAS SO DAMAGED FROM THE INTERIOR WALLS (NOT VISIBLE UNLESS ON A LIFT) THAT THEY COULD HAVE EASILY SPLIT IN NORMAL DRIVING, PLACING ME AGAIN AT A SEVERE SAFETY RISK.

BMW 3 SERIES AND ALSO OTHER SERIES WITH RUN FLAT TIRES HAVE AN ISSUE THAT WITH AN AVERAGE BUMP LIKE A MANHOLE COVER THE WHEEL WILL CRACK. I HAVE REPLACED 3 SO FAR ON MY WIFE'S 2008 335XI AT MY COST. AFTER RESEARCH I HAVE SEEN THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE AND THAT EVERYONE HAS HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE WITH BMW DENYING IT WAS THE WHEEL. THE CAR ONLY HAS 35,000+/- MILES ON IT. WHEN BROUGHT IN DUE TO RAPID AIR LOSS BMW STATES IT WAS THE DRIVING CONDITIONS NOT THEIR WHEEL. I ACCEPTED THIS THE FIRST TIME BUT AFTER 3 WHEELS I FEEL THERE IS A MAJOR DESIGN OR MATERIAL DEFECT. IT SEEMS TO BE THE RUN FLAT STYLE TIRES. I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS THE TIRES SO I SWITCHED FROM THE FACTORY TIRES TO A DIFFERENT BRAND BASED ON THE DEALERS RECOMMENDATION AFTER THE FIRST WHEEL CRACKED AND STILL HAVE HAD THE ISSUE TWO MORE TIMES. MY WIFE HAS AN OLDER MERCEDES THAT SHE DRIVES THE SAME WAY AND IT HAS THE SAME WHEELS FROM 2003. IT MUST BE THE WHEELS SUPPLIED BY BMW. *TR

UPON MOUNTING NEW TIRES ON MY 2008 BMW 328I CONVERTIBLE (W/ SPORT PKG) AT BIG O TIRES IN DANVILLE, CA, THE TECHNICIANS INFORMED ME THAT BOTH OF MY REAR WHEELS WERE CRACKED, AND THEY COULD NOT MOUNT THE NEW TIRES ON THE VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION AT BMW OF SAN FRANCISCO, MY SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME THAT IT WAS IN THEIR OPINION THAT AN "IMPACT" FROM A POTHOLE OR OTHER IRREGULAR ROAD SURFACE CAUSED THE CRACKS IN BOTH REAR WHEELS AND THAT WARRANTY COVERAGE IS DENIED. UPON MY OWN INVESTIGATION, I FOUND SEVERAL OTHER BMW CUSTOMERS DESCRIBE A SIMILAR CONCERN ON WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM, AS WELL AS AN INVESTIGATION PERFORMED BY THE BBC IN OCTOBER OF 2009. FOR BBC'S ARTICLE, PLEASE REFER TO HTTP://WWW.BBC.CO.UK/BLOGS/WATCHDOG/2009/10/BMW_ALLOY_WHEELS.HTML . *TR

SIDEWALL SEPARATION (RIGHT FRONT) ON BRIDGESTONE SIZE 225/40R18 REO50A ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT RUN FLAT TIRE AT 20,000 MILES. THESE TIRES SEEM PRONE TO DELAMINATION. VERY POOR TREAD MILEAGE FOR HIGHWAY DRIVING. WORN OUT NOW. UTQG RATING SEEMS EXAGGERATED AS I'M NOT IN STOP-AND-GO DRIVING MODE. THESE TIRES ARE PRICED $70+ TO $90+ PER TIRE MORE THAN NON-RF TIRES AND B'STONE HAS A VIRTUAL MONOPOLY....BMW N.A. ONLY PERMITS REPLACEMENT OF THESE TIRES AND IT REALLY HITS THE POCKET BOOK. CONTACTED B'STONE CONSUMER RELATIONS AND MET A BRICK WALL AS THEY KNOW THEY HAVE YOU OVER A BARREL. WROTE THE PRES. OF BRIDGESTONE AND NOT EVEN THE COURTESY OF A RESPONSE. *TR

THE FRONT OE TIRES ON MY 2008 BMW HAVE DEVELOPED SIDEWALL BUBBLES. THE TIRES ARE BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE050A, 225/40 R18. THIS IS INHERENTLY DANGEROUS. THERE ARE ALREADY SOME BRIDGESTONES WHICH THE COMPANY HAS RECOGNIZED AS FAULTY, THE ABOVE MODELS SHOULD BE ADDED TO THEIR LIST. *TR

CONTINENTAL RUN FLAT TIRES NEW WITH NEW 328I BMW SEDAN PURCHASED IN 2008 HAD TREAD WORN DOWN AFTER 8100 MILES, AS NOTICED WHEN VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICING. TIRES WERE REPLACED BY DEALER. RESEARCH ON THE WEB SHOWED A LARGE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS REPORTING SIMILAR PROBLEMS: HTTP://WWW.BMWRUNFLATTIRE.COM; HTTP://FORUMS.AUTOMOTIVE.COM/70/6318820/BMW/BMW-RUN-FLAT-TIRES/INDEX.HTML. *TR

A LITTLE WHILE BACK AN ERROR MESSAGE CAME UP ON THE DASHBOARD OF MY CAR SAYING THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION WITH THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR. NOT LONG AFTER, I LEFT MY OFFICE ONE NIGHT; I GET IN MY CAR WITH MY COWORKER AND BEGIN DRIVING. AS I DROVE WE BOTH HEARD A SCREECHING NOISE FROM MY CAR AND THE CAR WAS STRUGGLING TO ACCELERATE, CARS BEHIND ME BEGIN TO HONK AND DRIVE AROUND ME LEAVING ME IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE A CAR MAY HIT ME OR MY CAR. I WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC WITH MY CAR ALMOST COMPLETELY DISABLED. THE NEXT DAY I HAD THE CAR PICKED UP FROM MY HOME AND DROPPED OFF BY A SERVICE CENTER. THEY CALL ME A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER SAYING THERE WAS DAMAGE DONE TO ALL THE TIRES OF THE CAR AND THE PRESSURE MONITOR FOR THE TIRES. THE TIRES FOR THIS CAR ARE SPECIAL TIRES WITH PRESSURE MONITORS TO INDICATE WHEN THEY ARE LOW ON PRESSURE OR FLAT. I'VE ONLY PUT 6500 MILES ON THE CAR AND DRIVEN IT WITH A LOT OF CARE UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. THE SERVICE CENTER IS SAYING I INFLICTED THE DAMAGE AND THEY WANT ME TO PAY FOR IT. I HAD BEGUN SPEAKING WITH FRIENDS WHO HAVE THE SAME CAR AND THEY ALL SAID THEY ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE LOOK INTO THE SITUATION AND RESPOND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS. *TR