[ezmaass]

I had yet another tire blowout today on the 550xi. This time I was 100 miles from home with my wife and our 22 month old toddler.

Being Sunday, I was told by BMW Roadside Assistance that I was essentially out of luck - STRANDED - all of the service centers were closed. Their only suggestion was to tow the car and have it fixed on Monday.

Meanwhile, my wife and I were the hosts of my parents' 40th anniversary party - missing half the party to sort out a simple flat tire. Needless to say, over 100 guests were flabbergasted that an $85k car didn't have a spare, and a simple flat tire was the virtual equivalent to a mechanical breakdown, requiring professional service and availability of the right "parts" (runflat tires) to fix it.

The BMW Roadside Assistance folks were USELESS. The woman on the other end didn't understand that the car didn't have a spare tire - come on BMW, your people aren't trained. She kept asking me if they could send someone to change the tire. I said sure, so long as you provide the tire and can mount it to the rim!

I was lucky enough to find a Mavis Discount Tire that had the right (crappy) LS2 tire just an hour before they were ready to close shop. I got the car down there and tire replaced just in time. I ended up missing a good majority of the VERY EXPENSIVE party we were hosting for my parents at the same time.

The fact that BMW doesn't have a spare tire has now become a deal breaker. It's unacceptable for me, or my family, to become stranded somewhere with ZERO help from BMW... all because BMW has decided that spare tires are unnecessary. While I appreciate runflat tire technology, it's not a REPLACEMENT for a spare tire. It's designed to allow you to safely continue to your destination or the nearest safe place to change the tire. However, because BMW doesn't include a spare, it means that a simple flat tire essentially turns into a mechanical breakdown situation - you need to find a service center that's open and also hope they stock the right tire. And if it's a Sunday, or after hours, get prepared to hear, "You better get a hotel room and plan to spend the night!"

As you can imagine, I no longer feel confident driving the 550xi anywhere substantial. If I'm more than 50 miles from home, and one of the car's notoriously terrible RFTs goes out, it could mean that my family and I are stranded.

In today's day and age, that's just unacceptable. It's the equivalent to having a very unreliable car. My 550xi has less than 10k miles on the odometer, and this has now happened TWICE. There's just no rationale or excuse for a flat tire becoming a debilitating situation in the year 2015. However, BMW has tied us, the owners, to the mercy of service shop hours and tire availability - no less a LOT of time necessary to rectify the situation... mounting a tire versus simply swapping a wheel, which could be done anywhere with a jack.

So, what's left to do? I could take the RFTs off the car and replace them with non-RFTs. Perhaps they'd be less likely to pop (the LS2s are apparently horrible), but if they DID pop, I'd be left in a similar situation. I could carry some fix-a-flat to deal with small punctures, but a large blowout (like today's) would require a spare. The only solution there would be to give up the majority of the trunk space to carry a spare wheel - unacceptable and unworkable, especially when this car costs $85k.

I've sent BMW Customer Relations a pretty unpleasant e-mail this evening about the day's events. But admittedly, I'm not sure what they can do about it. It's not something they can really "fix" as it's a design flaw. But I'm still going to press them to do what they believe could help make it right - perhaps starting with paying the $500 cost to replace the latest tire.

I've driven BMWs for 15 years, and I do love the cars. So it's a shame that this may very well be my last unless BMW decides it's important to once again carry spare tires. I can't risk having my family stranded due to a simple flat tire - especially when they seem to occur so easily on this car.

I'll be seriously looking at selling the 550xi and moving to another brand. Overall, I've loved this car, but a car is of NO use if it's unreliable, and BMW has made a FATAL mistake in allowing its tires to become an Achilles Heel.

[r33_RGSport]

@ezmaass , isn't RFT is still driveable at 55mph even at no pressure? Isn't that is why it is called Run Flat Tire?

I am sorry that you missed your parents 40th anniversary.
I had to call BMW Assistant once due to my brand new F15 X5 doesn't want to start. They are useless. It seems like the service is outsourced to some company that handle the other brands also.

[Simple5]

On my old 335i that had runflats and no spare, I ran out and bought a 17" e36 M3 rim with a tire for 120 bucks and stuck it in the trunk if I went anywhere remotely far. I eventually just kept it in the trunk and used bunji cords to tie it down. Needless to say it saved my ass once and a buddy of mine that had the same setup.

I plan to do the same thing with my f10. I found a used 17" rim for 120 bucks and will get a used 17" tire to stick on it for under 40 bucks. That way I will have a full sized spare. The trunk to the f10 is pretty big so I'm not worried about space. Its a lot better than a full on mobility donut spare.

They also have bags for spare tires as well. The no-spare thing sucks, it does, but there are work arounds...

[G-Bus]

You can drive on the run flat tire, depending on the damage. What exactly happened?

[andyhazza]

That's a pretty crappy situation ezmaass. Sorry to hear about it, and i'd be interested to hear what BMW have to say if you take it further with them.

My understanding was that run flats can be driven on up to 55mph for approx. 50 miles only. So if you're 50miles + away from home or a tyre place (especially on a sunday - as above), then they are pretty useless.

I'm weighing up what to do with wheels etc. and tyres is a big question. If i go non run flat, then i'd at least be thinking of getting a self inflating repair kit including a compressor to keep in the boot.

Pretty much every major manufacturer now though aren't selling new cars with spare tyres. Audi let you purchase one as an option for some models if you really want one. Otherwise, its runlets or a self inflating repair kit and thats all you get.

[martin mustang]

Yep, the issue is many cars don't do spare tyre anymore and put the foam nonsense pomp to supposedly seal any puncture, a test by one consumer show on TV showed how useless this is, so I made the jump and got normal tyres for my car plus a spare space saver tyre the only issue with the F10 compare to the E60, the space under the carpet in the boot is no longer available so my spare tyre is lying in my boot taking extra space, at least with the E60 the old space was around to hide it under the boot flooring!

Here in Europe it is all down to CO2 emission so majority of cars come with spare wheel to save on weight, and save is tax! So to be honest the one to blame is our tax system and not the manufacture as their aim is to reduce tax payed on purchasing price, it should be an option available when ordering the car!

Question what was the answer from your insurance company? With no spare tyre many in Europe offer a way out in situation like this in the cover!

[535DMSport]

Buy a low mileage E39. Problem solved.

[valbmw]

You can see how the global companies are trying to follow a good idea (i.e. ecology) however introduce it with the weird way then making the bona fide customers’ life more challenging and complicated. Now they want less CO emissions – so we get electric (software driven) steering, the EGR that slowly kills the engine and no spare in trunk that in your case made the whole family stranded at roadside in a middle of family event .

The effect of RFT isn’t still clear to many of us. They are heavier, harder and more expensive, tire shops charge more for servicing them. In return you will (maybe) not notice a minor puncture when driving and (maybe) see TPMS alarm then reach a tire shop when the tech will tell you: the tire is now worn and dead.

The F10 which is noticeably bigger than the older models doesn’t have a small room at least for a compact emergency wheel. Instead of it they put the bloody battery that you cannot replace without a software engineer, and the energy recuperation thing that none of us asked for.

With no trust to the emergency spray, I’ve got the Compact spare-wheel system (part 36112159862) for an equivalent of 500 bucks and now feel safe.

Are BMW responsible for making a simple tire outage a mechanic issue? Yes. Should they offer a choice: normal tires with a spare OR the RFT thing with 24x7 guaranteed support? Yes. Are they the only premium vendor following the stupid trends? No. What has happened to you could even happen with another car. I am just curious: did you check by chance how it could work with the Audi R8?

However I understand your feelings of having the whole family in danger, and then missing a big part of the important family event because of lousy fantasies of car engineers. No excuses for that, also the car is the brand new top liner.

[HighlandPete]

I fully understand the issues, but personally I don't see how changing to non run-flats is an answer. Keep the run-flats and carry a mobility kit... extend the mileage range if possible, pump it up again and again if you can. If you can keep the tire at least partly inflated you can drive many more miles before it's used up the "run on flat" mileage. It is only at zero pressure you have the most limited range.

For me the run-flat is a better solution - in many cases - than a space saver, which is the only option in a lot of cars. Where do you put a full sized wheel in a vehicle with only space for a temporary wheel? Has to go in the trunk space anyway and that applies not just in a BMW.

Problem is (besides all the emission regs' driving this 'no spare wheel' issue, particularly here in Europe), is the size of wheels these days, require a massive wheel well to accommodate them under the trunk floor.

I drive remote in the Highlands of Scotland, so very aware of the negative issues surrounding run-flats. If necessary - for added security - I'll carry a full sized wheel, and jack. etc. I'd rather this solution than think of changing car brand to "partly" eliminate the issue.

Many cars in Europe don't come with spare wheels these days, not even "run on flats", just a mobility kit, so at least BMW have a better solution than some drivers find themselves in when they get a flat. Some not even a mobility kit as standard, totally reliant on a recovery solution.

Others have the space saver and find its limitations and the problem of a full trunk and no where to put the full sized rear wheel. Imagine where you'd put a 275/35 R19 wheel when there is only room for a space saver wheel under the floor.

HighlandPete

[The Beast]

I'm really surprised at the number of RFT blow outs being reported by US users. I have had BMW's for the last 13 years now and have had RFT's on four of those cars, my wife's current A Class also has them. These tyres have predominately been Bridgestone, but we are currently running Dunlop and Michelin. I have had multiple punctures and never been left stranded and have also manged to get some of them repaired. I always carry a compressor in the boot so that I can inflate if I get a slow puncture.

So I wonder whether the LS2's are a major part of the issue. I had never heard of a run flat blow out before joining this site. Most of my family and friends run BMW's and most are happy with the RFT's and never reported a blow out.

I remember getting a flat on the morotway (highway) on a dark and cold winters evening after work in rush hour in my E36, it was bloody frightening changing the wheel on the side of the car facing the road with lorries hurtling past at 70 mph! So I personally like the benefits of run flats

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by valbmw

However I understand your feelings of having the whole family in danger, and then missing a big part of the important family event because of lousy fantasies of car engineers. No excuses for that, also the car is the brand new top liner.

If it was only that simple, engineers have a brief and are now driven, even hampered, by more than simple regulations.

Take as a example the emergence of the hybrid, space is at a premium, being rid of a spare wheel is a godsend.

Was reading an article the other evening about tires, where the goal is still to make practical puncture proof tires, the run-flat is partly there, as it gives us driving range. The idea of driving on to a safe place to change a wheel, or get to our destination without having to intervene, is still high on the list of many users. Lot of conflicts in what we want and how it can be provided.

HighlandPete

[HighlandPete]

I'm also surprised at the number of references to tire blowouts on the US forums. Not sure if they are blowouts as we'd define them over here, total tire failure, or are these fast punctures?

If tires are regularly blowing out, something is seriously wrong either with tires supplied to the US market, road debris, or some other factor. I know we also read a lot more comment on tire bubbles, bulges, sidewall pinching, with pictures to show this is occurring.

HighlandPete

[valbmw]

You see, some owners are happy with the RFT while some are not. I see the mistake in not providing people with a choice, at the premium money though.

I didn't have any issues with RFT at all simply because I sold them (OEM ContiSportContact 3) at the first convenience and put the 20" Vorsteiner rims with 255-295 Michelin PSS the same way as a majority of members here.

But what is not good: the spare (or compact spare) with a jack that used to be a standard solution for many decades, now is an exotic retrofit because of space saving in the F10 which is big like the 7-series.

This is the same as making chairs with 3 legs because of power and wood saving. Or you pay for a cup of cappuccino but get it served in a glass, because of space saving in a dishwasher.

I strongly believe, the proper (and polite) way would be: having different configuration options. Otherwise customer's rights seem to be neglect, and the OP experience is another fact about it.

Love BMW, no matter what they say!

[remmib]

Sorry to hear this, must have been so frustating on a day like that.

What RFT tires do you have? It sounds really unlucky to get two tire blowout in 10k miles that makes to RFT tire undriveable.

[Pimpsy]

Sorry, friend.

Thanks for taking the time to share your story, you've inspired me to pick up a mobility kit which may one day save my family from a similar fate.

[NewM3driver]

I've seen two complete blow outs on the F10 (19 inch rims) but in both instances the car was able to be driven on the damaged tire with ZERO air (sidewall obviously cracked) for long distances to the final destination.

I'm wondering what kind of damage rendered the tire unable to be driven on?

The roadside assistance folks are a joke. Been there, found that out.

[wrickem]

Here's another one asking why you couldn't drive on your "flat" runflat and sort the tire out afterwards.

[E90Fleet]

Originally Posted by NewM3driver

I've seen two complete blow outs on the F10 (19 inch rims) but in both instances the car was able to be driven on the damaged tire with ZERO air (sidewall obviously cracked) for long distances to the final destination.

I'm wondering what kind of damage rendered the tire unable to be driven on?

Same here.

Have done 80km on a completely flat RFT with a couple nails in it and once did 50km on one with a hole big enough for a kid to get his hand into it.

Handling was still perfect and the tires held up with no other visible damage.


Also had a couple shorter trips with partial or fully deflated RFT. (Bad roads here)

[The X Men]

Originally Posted by HighlandPete

I'm also surprised at the number of references to tire blowouts on the US forums. Not sure if they are blowouts as we'd define them over here, total tire failure, or are these fast punctures?

If tires are regularly blowing out, something is seriously wrong either with tires supplied to the US market, road debris, or some other factor. I know we also read a lot more comment on tire bubbles, bulges, sidewall pinching, with pictures to show this is occurring.

HighlandPete

Blow out to me means that the tire lost all pressure in less than a second or two, that is a very dangerous situation if it happens at high speed. One of the advantage of runflat is that it can keep the car stable in a high speed blowout. Sounds like what the OP had was a large puncture that lost all pressure in a matter of minutes, BMW recommend that we can ride on a flat for 50 miles with no air, but I bet the runflat will last longer than that.
Runflat technology has come a long way, but it still has a long way to go. With each generation of runflat, the technology gets better, but in my opinion, the final product has to be a runflat that has no limitation on distance and speed when it is deflated.

[martin mustang]

Originally Posted by AlanM

Sorry, friend.

Thanks for taking the time to share your story, you've inspired me to pick up a mobility kit which may one day save my family from a similar fate.

I still get a spare wheel space saver take it with you when going for long wk-end trips with the risk of no open business and all! It's a fraction to pay for knowing that you will get there even if your tyres is out of use!

[The_Transporter]

Originally Posted by E90Fleet

Same here.

Have done 80km on a completely flat RFT with a couple nails in it and once did 50km on one with a hole big enough for a kid to get his hand into it.

Handling was still perfect and the tires held up with no other visible damage.


Also had a couple shorter trips with partial or fully deflated RFT. (Bad roads here)

Agreed. Took a late flight home to atlanta from the west coast and arrived at my car around 11pm when I noticed my front driver side tire was flat. Knowing I had RFT's I simply drove home! I was cautious the entire time, however the car handled perfectly and even at 60mph on the highway I didn't feel any instability. Got up the next morning and drove it to a shop to have it swapped. Very sorry to hear about your bad experience ezmaass, however was the damage super bad or were you taking the overly cautious route? As with most things the rating given is not the limit, but more of a guideline saying statistically speaking this RFT can do 50 miles at 50mph 999 out of 1000 times without any issue. Can it go farther, sure but this is what they have tested it over and over to do. Just like the spare on a civic that is "good for 50 miles under 50mph" people will always push these things which isn't recommended and not saying a RFT is the same but they are certainly capable of more than stated.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by valbmw

You see, some owners are happy with the RFT while some are not. I see the mistake in not providing people with a choice, at the premium money though.

I've had mixed views on the whole RFT issue from the early days, many of my views (and experiences) with RFTs expressed on this and other forum discussions. I totally agree on owners having a choice, have expressed that view to BMW UK in the past.

For me I've analysed the risks, (over ten years of 'chewing the fat' regarding the fore's and against of RFTs) decided to come back for more by buying a the present 535i. I'd prefer a spare in an under floor well, of course I would. But the whole motoring scene has moved on, not just with run-flats, I sense we won't be going back to the "good old days" of full size spare wheels.

I still don't grasp how running non run-flats answers anything about the spare wheel situation, in fact I can see negatives, as I did when running my 330d with non run-flats.

Plus I am concerned with the blowouts that appear to be happening, and why users can't drive on the RFT as intended.

What is the mode of failure users are experiencing, which means there is little "run on flat" capacity?

HighlandPete