Hello All,

I'm the proud owner of a new MCS - laser blue.

I purchased in NY and have been offered "Tire and Rim Insurance" for $500. This is a policy that would replace any tire &/or rim damaged due to road conditions (pot holes) for five years.

Has anyone heard of or purchased this?

What do you think? Needless add-on or wise investment.

Thanks!

 

That's a lot of money for what's basically road hazard insurance. IIRC, Discount Tire offers road hazard insurance on their tires for cheap, but I'm not at all certain that it covers the wheels. It may if you buy the wheels from them, but as I said, I'm not at all sure of that.

 

For me, it would depend on whether the warranty would cover curb rash on the rims (it probably doesn't), and whether there's a deductible (there probably is), but in general, the cost of a wheel/tire is too small of a potential loss to insure.

Just remember - the dealer wouldn't offer it to you if they didn't come out ahead in the long run.

 

It's a wise investment if you have pricey 17" or 18" wheels and live in an area with poor roads. Mine just paid for itself: Pothole vs OZ

 

WOW thats crazy

 

DONT DO IT!!!!!!! As someone who has been bamboozled into it, i can speak from experience. For oem rims/tires, there is no need to purchase protection, but I can definitely see it being of value if the car was purchased with aftermarket wheels and tires...

I hit a deep pot-hole in my hometown and got a bubble in the sidewall of my 17" pirelli run flat. Went to dealer and got a new tire mounted/balanced, cost me $297. Filed claim with wheel and tire protection, was only reimbursed $275 and took 4 weeks to get a check...

It doesnt cover curb damage, no matter what the salesmen tell you (nick*cough*alexander*cough*mini*cough*)

 

Yeah in most cases I would agree - don't do it. But if you're going with pricey wheels and your policy covers OEM aftermarket (and you live near terrible roads) it's not a terrible idea.

I'll let my wheel speak for itself

 

The person who collects the commission on selling the insurance is the finance person. They have a vested interest in charging you as much as they can. Knowledge is power - tell him/her that you know they receive a spiff and or commission and offer them half - then negotiate up -but not to far - as I believe this insurance cost them $200.

I hit a pothole and took out two rims and two tires and the policy more than paid for itself.

Be aware that the terms of the policy limit you to exactly the rims and tires that you have at the time of purchase - if you desire to change tire or rims to something else - you're out of luck.

 

Not the policy I have. Again I'd urge anyone interested to read the fine print.

 

Mine either. Although, I was told that it only covers up to the cost of the OEM rim and tire (which we all know how pricey they are). Im digging out the paperword again....

 

They wanted $ 850 for it when I bought Squirt. I weighed the pros and cons and decided against it. Squirt leads a sheltered life, most of the time he'll travel in his mobile garage, a 16' x 7' covered trailer with an interior designed just for him.

 

I think it is just one of those things that if you do buy it, you probably won't need it. If you don't, you will. I didn't have it and ended up spending about $700 replacing two rims, tires (mounting, etc.).

The best thing to do is just put the money you would use for the policy in a savings account in case you need it. If you don't use it, you have money for mods!

 

I hit a rock in the road at night and ruined an OEM rim on our GTI. Insurance didn't cover it because the rock wasn't moving when I hit it. Seems like it was around $400, and that was several years ago. I *might* just buy it, and I'm not the kind that buys extended warranties.

Of course, if you watch, you might try picking up a spare rim from someone here that's gone aftermarket. That's cheap insurance too.

 

So it sounds like the there may be some discrepancies with the Tire/Wheel insurance policy and what it covers and doesn't cover? I thought this is a universal thing, same for all Mini Owners who bought their Mini's from the dealership.

I'm leaning towards it myself given that the car is without a spare or reduced sized spare even. I know that in the end that someone is getting a kickback for it. Maybe its better for the peace of mind. Where I live (Eugene) there are a lot of potholes that need to be fixed, my current car (SLK 320) hits them and I feel them! Anyone feel like posting their policy w/ fine print up here?

 

If it had a low or no deductible, if it was for full replacement value and if it covered stuff like hitting the curb, a snowplow damaging it, etc., it could be worth it. I don't know what a MINI replacement wheel would go for, but 1 alloy wheel on my 2003 Benz was $800.

 

I paid the $500 to ward off the tire and wheel gremlins. If I hadn't bought it every nail and sharp edged curb would attack my MINI knowing that I lacked the mojo.

May the blanket of Tire and Wheel Plan protect me! Amen

 

Exactly. You can go 30 years w/out ever having a flat and get three in two weeks.

R90s from MINI run about $435, others cheaper.

Tire insurance is one of those things that all depends upon how expense the policy is vs. how expensive to replace a tire, mounting, balancing and the cost of wheel repair/replacement if they are expensive.

I refused to buy it for the MINI for $500 simply because the tires are pretty cheap and took the gamble of not needing a new R90 wheel.

However, I did buy it on my current car and it has more than paid for itself in a short time. You need to balance the initial costs vs potential replacement costs.