Suspension/Runflat Tires

[sc4922]

I own a 2011 750Li with about 6,500 miles on it; I leased the car in August of 2010. The car has the M sports package and 20" wheels. Within the first 2,000 miles, I had to replace 3 of the Michelin runflats--the first one with less than 500 miles on the car; all of the replacements were due to pot holes. When the 4th Michelin blew out on a pot hole, I had all of the tires replaced with Pirelli Pzero runlets, with the dealer bearing part of the cost. Last night, one of the Pirelli's was shredded on yet another pot hole.

In addition to the tire problems, the suspension sometimes crashes when I hit a pot hole or other imperfection in the road. There's a very loud "boom" and the car shudders--this used to happen just every once in while, now it's 2 to 3 times a week. It's rather scary and when I have people with me, they usually gasp and then ask whether we need to stop a check for damage.

Since 1984, I've owned six BMW 7 series cars, a Mercedes S class, a Mercedes SL550, and 2 Porsche 911s. Although I live in Houston (where the roads are not in very good shape), I've never had this problem with another car. I currently also own a 2011 Porsche 911 and while I certainly feel every road imperfection when I'm driving that car, the suspension doesn't crash over potholes, and I've never had any problem at all with the tires.

Has anyone else had these problems? Any advice? Is it possible to put smaller wheels/tires on the car and would that fix the problem? I'd get rid of the car if I didn't have two years left on the lease--I no longer enjoy driving it, and I'm afraid to take it on long trips. Monday morning, I'll give the BMW dealer a piece of my mind, but so far that has not accomplished very much.

[newowner35i]

its been a long time since i visited, anyway my 740 with m sport and 20 in wheels had problems with the tires too. i did 70000 miles before giving it to my dad and i replaced 2 rims and 4 sets. Putting the car in comfort mode along with being cautious and avoiding visible pothole and imperfections will save u trouble. Ask ur dealer to put 19s on and give them the 20s so u dont have to worry

[sc4922]

Originally Posted by newowner35i

its been a long time since i visited, anyway my 740 with m sport and 20 in wheels had problems with the tires too. i did 70000 miles before giving it to my dad and i replaced 2 rims and 4 sets. Putting the car in comfort mode along with being cautious and avoiding visible pothole and imperfections will save u trouble. Ask ur dealer to put 19s on and give them the 20s so u dont have to worry

Thanks for the response. I always keep the car in comfort mode, and I do try to look out for potholes, although it is not always possible to avoid them--the latest incident happened at night. If the car cannot be driven normally over local roads (like every other car I've had) without blowing tires and wheels repeatedly, then to me that means the car is defective. I wish someone at the dealership had warned me about this, and I'd never have bought a car with the 20" wheels. Live and learn, I suppose.

[newowner35i]

Well my 740 wasnt that bad, my current weekend car a 2008 911s has the 19s that cant be driven in the city because the suspension once collasped and i had to pay $10000 in repairs. Im gettin rid of it within this year. My dad lives in the suburbs with my 740 and no problems have been reported so far.

[NlckyBlack]

leasetrader or swapalease if you want to dump it

[TheBry]

I've got a 2012 740Li with the M package and 20" wheels. Picked up the car in Europe (European Delivery) in mid-September 2011, and now have 12,000 miles on the odometer -- I do a lot of driving.

I live in San Francisco, where driving over pot holes is a normal everyday occurrence. I leave my car in Comfort+ mode and have only had one problem with my tires. My front passenger-side tire had to be replaced early on due to a bubble that formed in the sidewall, ostensibly due to hitting a pothole at speed. It happened pretty shortly after re-delivery here in the US, so there was no need to replace both front tires.

The other three tires are original equipment that came with the car when I picked it up in Munich (and drove 1400 miles in Europe). They've been great, knock-on-wood.

[sc4922]

I spoke with the servicer adviser at the dealership this afternoon, and he very helpfully said that this happens a lot in Houston and that I needed to be more careful with the car. I'm taking the car in tomorrow and will ask to speak with the manager. If the "be more careful" response is all that I get out of them, I'll keep the car for the remaining two years of the lease, drive it as little as possible and replace the tires and wheels as they blow. Then, even though this is my sixth 7-series BMW (and the fifth I've bought from this particular dealership), I'll never darken the door of another BMW dealer. If they're going to treat me this way after all of the business I've done with them over the years, then the least I can do is to vote with my feet.

[BlownM3]

Originally Posted by sc4922

I spoke with the servicer adviser at the dealership this afternoon, and he very helpfully said that this happens a lot in Houston and that I needed to be more careful with the car. I'm taking the car in tomorrow and will ask to speak with the manager. If the "be more careful" response is all that I get out of them, I'll keep the car for the remaining two years of the lease, drive it as little as possible and replace the tires and wheels as they blow. Then, even though this is my sixth 7-series BMW (and the fifth I've bought from this particular dealership), I'll never darken the door of another BMW dealer. If they're going to treat me this way after all of the business I've done with them over the years, then the least I can do is to vote with my feet.

I think you are blowing this out of proportion. Potholes and bad roads will destroy wheels and tires on any brand of car especially if you are running on the low end of the recommend psi. I would recommend trying to be more carefully. It would not matter if you have 20" or 18" wheels. The 20" tires on the 7 series have huge sidewalls already. Just be more careful and you will be fine. There is nothing defective on your car.

[dbs600]

I know exactly how you feel, SC4922. There is something 'off' about the F01/02 7 Series in this department, from which I do not believe W221 S550 drivers suffer (as direct as direct competition gets).

[sc4922]

Originally Posted by BlownM3

I think you are blowing this out of proportion. Potholes and bad roads will destroy wheels and tires on any brand of car especially if you are running on the low end of the recommend psi. I would recommend trying to be more carefully. It would not matter if you have 20" or 18" wheels. The 20" tires on the 7 series have huge sidewalls already. Just be more careful and you will be fine. There is nothing defective on your car.

As I mentioned before, over the years I'ved owned six 7 series BMWs, 2 Porsche 911s (both with low profile tires), a Mercedes SL550 (also with low profile tires), and a Mercedes S class. While I had the occasional problem with a tire on those cars, it was infrequent--I am not very hard on cars and don't put that many miles on them. I've had the 2011 750Li for 18 months and have blown the equivalent of an entire set of 4 tires + 1 in 6,500 miles. To me, that is a defect by any reasonable measure. And God knows how many I would have blown by now if I hadn't replaced the Goodyear POS runflats--I went through 4 of those in less than 3,000 miles--with Pirelli Pzeros.

If the car was not meant to be driven on Houston streets (which have lots of potholes), then the Houston BMW dealership that I bought it from should never have sold it to me or warned me about the issue in advance.

If you do a goole search for "BMW runflat tires", you will see that I am far from the only person with this problem, although it is more common on the 5 series. In fact, BMW has already been sued once (and settled) in a class action involving defects in runflat tires.

[visionthedj]

How about purchasing a tire/wheel warranty? It'll set you back $700-$800 but you'll have full coverage and peace of mind. With two years left on the lease, it may be worth considering. The run flats are so expensive it'll pay for itself once you have a couple tires replaced. Just a thought.

[sc4922]

Originally Posted by visionthedj

How about purchasing a tire/wheel warranty? It'll set you back $700-$800 but you'll have full coverage and peace of mind. With two years left on the lease, it may be worth considering. The run flats are so expensive it'll pay for itself once you have a couple tires replaced. Just a thought.

Thanks for the suggestion. I thought you had to buy a wheel/tire warranty when you first purchased the car---I didn't realize they were available later on. I will look into this.

[visionthedj]

Here's my post from bimmerfest, this is what I did..

The dealership sells aftermerket warranties, the one I use is excellent. It is from NSD (Nation*Safe*Drivers), 5 years of coverage around $700-$800 for the Titanium package. Check out*http://www.nationsafedrivers.com/dealer/titanium.asp.*I purchased mine from Bill Jacobs BMW in Naperville, IL and most recently from Autobarn VW in Mt Prospect, IL. It offers 5 years of coverage from date of purchase, and includes tire/rim coverage, winsheild repair (used this last week, they paid Safelite to come and fix it), roadside assistance, and dent/ding protection. On my 2006 750 with the 21" inch OEM 128s, I went through 5*tires*and 3 rims, all were covered for repair or replacement.

I think it's definitely worth it for the peace of mind.. Let us know what you do!

[NlckyBlack]

Originally Posted by sc4922

I spoke with the servicer adviser at the dealership this afternoon, and he very helpfully said that this happens a lot in Houston and that I needed to be more careful with the car. I'm taking the car in tomorrow and will ask to speak with the manager. If the "be more careful" response is all that I get out of them, I'll keep the car for the remaining two years of the lease, drive it as little as possible and replace the tires and wheels as they blow. Then, even though this is my sixth 7-series BMW (and the fifth I've bought from this particular dealership), I'll never darken the door of another BMW dealer. If they're going to treat me this way after all of the business I've done with them over the years, then the least I can do is to vote with my feet.

Although i understand your frustrations, but i can't see how it's the dealers faulth that you tend to hit evey pothole you encounter. Up here in the north east NYC especially we learn to manage and drive more carefully especially after the winter months when the streets have been ravaged from the salt and freezing temps of the winter. Most of my cars have had low profile tires most on aftermarket wheels and they all survived unscathed. A little attention while driving is what you need, or a good tire insurance plan. Don't blame the dealer.