**Consolidated RFT Failures/Issues Thread**

Originally Posted by djsilo

I have 19" with 245/45/19 Michelin pilot a/s and they're great. My speedometer is accurate - when checked against GPS cruising at 60.

This is really good to know. Presumably this means that 275/40-19 will work in the back as well. Anyone else using these sizes on a 535i sports pkg with 19 inch wheels (2011)?

If you base it off of diameter, then a diameter of 27.7" (as mine are) will fit. You should also look into the width of your wheel as wider tires require wider wheels. Here are some specs for a tire of 275/40/19;
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....=yes&tab=Specs
I don't know how the extra width will hold up in the rear, but Dinan is selling some wheels with fat rear tires - so it is likely

I already have the 275 width tires on wider rims in the back, 275/35-19, so going to 275/40-19 should change the width thing too much. I really appreciate knowing that these slightly bigger tires will work as it allows me to use the new "third gen" RTFs from Bridgestone, the Potenza RE960 AS. Tire Rack has a good sounding test report.

Does anyone know what make and model of RFTs are being delivered these days by BMW on new 535s with the Sport Package?

900 miles, got my first bubble, gotta love the ls2's

Michelin Primacy ZHPs going good so far for our family- 3800 mi on my 2012 F10 and over 24000 miles on my daughter's 2011 535i. No bubbles, nada. Feeling good about the Michelins, I even cancelled my BMW Tire Wheel Insurance.

Originally Posted by mdspadeccom

Does anyone know what make and model of RFTs are being delivered these days by BMW on new 535s with the Sport Package?

Would also like to know this.

Assuming that nothing has been changed in terms of tires, does anybody have experience with EasyCare tire and wheel protection? It is being offered by Bloomfield BMW in NJ for $1145 for 3 years. I am waiting to hear back from the company directly, but I've been told by the dealer that they do not cover bubbles if the tire still holds air.

The BMW insurance is ridiculous at $1,900 with a $50 deductible at each visit.

Thoughts?

Got my first bubble at 3000 miles on my '13 m-sport 550xi. I hit a HUGE pothole over the weekend, one of the worst I've hit in any car, ever. Dealer replaced it under the tire & wheel warranty I bought at purchase (after a lot of head shaking they eventually offered me the BMW no deductible plan for $1150, I figured breakeven at anything more than 2 tire replacements was a decent deal). I'm guessing this will be atleast a one tire per winter type car.

Another compelling reason for me is that I'll probably change out the Michelin Primacy RFT, despite they being reliable, for some lighter performance NON run flat rubber and some much lighter rims in the near future. I'll keep a "BMW Mobility Kit" in the trunk for emergencies. Or I'll use BMW roadside service or AAA to tow me to the nearest tire repair shop. The warranty would then, for me, be useless.

Originally Posted by HDEddie1

Michelin Primacy HP ZPs going good so far for our family- 3800 mi on my 2012 F10 and over 24000 miles on my daughter's 2011 535i. No bubbles, nada. Feeling good about the Michelins, I even cancelled my BMW Tire Wheel Insurance.

They still have bmw no deductible plan? Is that michigan specific?

Originally Posted by kckc1016

They still have bmw no deductible plan? Is that michigan specific?

I'm not sure if it's a local thing or not, but they offered it in September '12 when I inked the deal on my ED. Perhaps things have changed since? And for what it's worth, they'd be crazy to offer it exclusively in Michigan, the roads here are atrocious.

Thought I'd share this with the group. Last night coming home from work, got off train to 2012 535xi, with 19" runflats. Check control yelled at me, you have low tire pressure, all 4 tires yellow, drive carefully. Every few months, have to add air, so didn't think much of it. Drove home sub-50 on the war-zone highway passing Newark, NJ. This morning, all tires within 3 or 5 pounds of optimal - 4th was completely flat. Upon closer inspection, nice little rip in sidewall. Oh well; stuff happens, I'm home, and I have tire/wheel insurance. Called roadside, very professional and helpful, flatbed was at my house within the hour. Great tow-truck driver, shooting the breeze, said that he picks up more BMWs than any other car, hands down. Had *8* the previous day. Either flat tires, or electrical problems. Mercedes not far behind, he says.

Get to Bloomfield BMW, they're packed, but they take me in (I drove in like I had an appointment anyway). After about an hour, service manager tells me "the insurance company doesn't have your contract on file, I faxed it over but it they said it will take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours". No loaner cars, they're booked. I'll wait, raiding their snack machine. Called OC BMW, to find out why (after a year of having the car) they never sent the contract info. Big strike on their business manager, though I can't say enough good things about their GM and staff in general. Chatted with Tom, Bloomfield service rep, for a while, and he managed to get insurance to replace left front and right front, which had a clear bubble.

Long story long, dealt with great people, took all day, but I have new front tires. Eagle RFTs, sigh. Best thing about them is they're shiny. Woohoo. Though if I didn't have the RFTs, I suspect I would have been stuck at the train station instead of being able to get home. Spare tire? hah, there is none. Mixed blessing. Cost of tires would have been a grand.

This is my 3rd BMW, my wife has had about 4. Love the car overall, though 2009 had much better seats and was sportier. Shame on BMW corporate for enforcing use of such a terrible tire. If in the future I get any flack from the insurance company where I have to pay for new tires due to RFT issues, it will be a tipping point, we'll be an Audi family - oh yeah, tow driver said he hardly ever picks them up off the road.

Purchased CPO 9/2012, '12 535xdrive with M sport. First tire replaced 11/12 with a gash in the side, no problem, second tire yesterday with a bubble, hit a large Cleveland pot hole, again no issue with the BMW wheel and tire package.
Really do not mind the RF but not happy with the LS2. Hopefully the new Michelin Pilot A/S 3 will come in a 40 or 45 aspect ratio RF.

RFT are the worst idea EVER. I had problems with the GY RFT from the very begining, that was when the dealer had no idea there was road hazzard coverage by Goodyear which I understand they have now discontinued. By the way, I bought my F10 in July of 2010 and did not have the benefit of reading about the "bubbles" appearing in Bimmerfest (3 months later). I of course refused the Tire and Wheel insurance when I was signing the finance papers, who buys that stuff anyway, Right? Well, almost 3 years later and oh how I would do things differently. The service manager finally replaced all of the GY's with a tire brand of my choice (nice jester on his part). I decided to go with the Pirelli's because they had a road hazzard policy. The first set went about 28,000 without a bubble, so when it was time to replace them (yes I put a lot of miles on my car) I went with the Pirelli's again. 1,000 miles and a bubble on the right front. My point I guess is that why should we have to worry about which tire comes on the car, how long before a bubble appears, how many days will I wait for a replacement (if they can be found) and did we spend our pound of flesh on tire and wheel insurance? This is a $60,000 plus car with tires (doesnt matter which brand) that are terrible and unsafe. Doesnt matter if you have xdrive or RWD like I do, and don't tell me one brand is immune over another. Just bad tires that should not be used on these cars. The 550 I had before the F10 had normal tires with a full spare in the trunk, I had low profile tires and sport suspension, great tires, never had a bubble never had a flat. Awwww, the good ol days.

Take it to small claims court and have BMW pay for it. There seems to be some design flaw with M packages. Lot of folks with 5 series M packages are reporting the same issue.

Just found this article on the internet that said "... Many owners on the AutoGuide Forum Network complained that they were replacing their OEM run-flat tires within 20,000 miles. This prompted a lawsuit, which was settled by BMW and Bridgestone. Members of the settlement will receive a full refund for the purchase of replacement tires if they were needed before 10,000 miles. If replacement occurred between 10,000 miles up through 30,000 miles, reimbursement will be 50 percent or less. If buyers are experiencing wear at around 20,000 miles, that's less than half the life of an ordinary tire." - http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2...*****them.html

So, if you do not have the warrantee, you should look this up.

Is anyone running 255/40R19 tires on the m sport style 351 19
Inch wheels as opposed to OEM size 245?

Is anyone running 255/40R19 tires on the m sport style 351 19
Inch wheels as opposed to OEM size 245?

Ive had my 550 x drive that I bought certified 6 months ago. Ive gone through, COUNT THEM, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, SEVEN tires. My previous car was a 2007 M5. I replaced ONE due to a bubble in FOUR years!

Go ahead, blame me, but I'm fed up. After my 4th tire under warranty, I couldnt handle it, and swapped them out for Conti DWS's. I had a better ride and better luck with some bumps, but still had to swap out 2, and then a bad construction area left me stranded one night at 1am.

Now the car has to go. It seems I cant find a solution to keep this car in the area that I live in. If anyone is interested, let me know!

Wow, I will be having my BMW flat tire kit with the Michelin A/S.

Originally Posted by ThemisN

Ive had my 550 x drive that I bought certified 6 months ago. Ive gone through, COUNT THEM, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, SEVEN tires. My previous car was a 2007 M5. I replaced ONE due to a bubble in FOUR years!

Go ahead, blame me, but I'm fed up. After my 4th tire under warranty, I couldnt handle it, and swapped them out for Conti DWS's. I had a better ride and better luck with some bumps, but still had to swap out 2, and then a bad construction area left me stranded one night at 1am.

Now the car has to go. It seems I cant find a solution to keep this car in the area that I live in. If anyone is interested, let me know!

Add me to the list of disgusted 550 drivers. I have gone through 8 tires and 2 rims in 2 years. The last and final incident for me happened when 2 tires simultaneously blew out after hitting a pothole an hour away from home! I am SO fed up with this car and am in the process of breaking my lease. Not sure what my next car will be but guaranteed that it will never be another 5-series.

Originally Posted by tovj829

Add me to the list of disgusted 550 drivers. I have gone through 8 tires and 2 rims in 2 years. The last and final incident for me happened when 2 tires simultaneously blew out after hitting a pothole an hour away from home! I am SO fed up with this car and am in the process of breaking my lease. Not sure what my next car will be but guaranteed that it will never be another 5-series.

Have you tried google there spike?

East coasties have pot hole and tire issues regardless of car brand or tire brand.

BMW warned you on their web site, selling a tire warranty should have been another warning sign. How much do people have to be warned? Do not buy cars designed for good roads and use them in pot hole infested war zones.

I wish I can say this is only a BMW problem, those pesky run flats and all that jaz. But it is simply not the case. Sure some of the goodyears may be bad, but by in large this is an environment issue and those that did not do their homework are whining now.

Prove me wrong and show me the massive coverup and the pending class action lawsuit.

Until then you'll are just shouting at the rain.

Originally Posted by sdbrandon

Have you tried google there spike?

East coasties have pot hole and tire issues regardless of car brand or tire brand.

BMW warned you on their web site, selling a tire warranty should have been another warning sign. How much do people have to be warned? Do not buy cars designed for good roads and use them in pot hole infested war zones.

I wish I can say this is only a BMW problem, those pesky run flats and all that jaz. But it is simply not the case. Sure some of the goodyears may be bad, but by in large this is an environment issue and those that did not do their homework are whining now.

Prove me wrong and show me the massive coverup and the pending class action lawsuit.

Until then you'll are just shouting at the rain.

I have lived in the East Coast my entire life and have driven many cars over the last 20+ years, including other BMWs with low profile runflat tires, and have never had tire/rim issues outside of the occasional screw/nail causing a slow leak. The issues with these Goodyear tires were so widespread in the summer of 2011 that when my dealership had to replace the tires due to bubbles, there was no supply anywhere so they had to put Bridgestone runflat summer tires on the car until Goodyear could produce more tires. Those Bridgestone tires worked flawlessly for those 6 months and I even remember hitting a nasty pothole once on a highway that would have certainly destroyed the Goodyear tire. With the Goodyear tires I once got a bubble when I hit a small pothole while going no more than 20mph. So my gut tells me these Goodyear tires on this car makes them easily susceptible to damage.

Thank you for validating my point about why I will never get another 5 series. If you look at the BMW site, every model of the 5 series except the 528 has the warning about the tires being susceptible to damage!

I am just sharing my experiences and opinions so that others who are considered getting a 5 series can be fully aware of the potential issues they too may experience and have absolutely no interest in wasting my time looking for cover ups or pending lawsuits.

It is unfortunate that a buyer has to accept the 40 profile tires if they want other desirable options on the F10. We could debate forever what the real cause of the failures is with the 19” 40 profile tires but, it would only be conjecture since we don’t have engineering data to back it up and I would not expect that BMW will release that data.

There is no question in my mind that the BMW 19” 40 profile tires on the F10 fail at a disproportionately high rate compared to low profile tires on other cars. There is also no question in my mind that there is a solution. Do as I and others on this forum have done and swap out the 40 profile tires for 45 profile tires. Either 245/45/18 or 245/45/19 sizes will do. Will it eliminate tire failures? Absolutely not, but they will bring them into the realm of reality. These are still low profile tires, but the extra sidewall height will save you almost every time.

My experience went from 8 failures in 6.000 miles to no failures in 12,000 miles after the swap and I’ve hit some pretty terrible pot holes with my 45 profile RFT tires. I was prepared to dump the car prior to the tire swap. Now I am really glad that I didn’t. What’s the penalty? There is the cost, of course, and then there is the esthetics of the higher sidewall and finally the handling. Driven back to back I noticed an ever so slight difference between the 40’s and 45’s. It’s a difference that is only a faint memory and is not noticeable in day to day driving although I would bet you could measure it on the track with a g-meter. So what! What are really important to me are no tire failures in 18 months and I get to drive a really great car. If I were to buy another F10 sport, I would simply factor in the cost of four new 45 profile tires right off the bat instead of buying tire insurance.

This reminds me of the high pressure fuel pump issue. It took BMW years to resolve.

As large as BMW is, how hard is it to go to another tire company (i.e., Bridgestone or Continental ) and ask them to take an existing run flat tire in the same size to replace the LS2?

I realize things take time but it has been nearly 3 years.

It makes me wonder what stupid exclusivity contract did BMW sign with Goodyear for the LS2's that is preventing common sense from prevailing?