Hi All,
I'm new, just got an 2010 pepper white S! It has run flat tires, the dealer offered me insurance for the tires... saying that they pick up nails easily and get damaged easily by pot holes and will likely need to be replaced before the tread wears out for the previously mentioned reason. The cost is $1000 U.S. no deductible and unlimited replacement for 5 years.

So my question is, for those of you that have run flats, this is my first car with run flats, how often have pot holes or nails caused you to replace yours?

thanks

 

Hey, fr1sco, welcome to NAM! I would suggest doing a search for this insurance plan, as there are some widely divergent opinions on this matter. I personally got it, but I'm of course wondering about it at this point (the underwriter of the program declared bankruptcy in the spring, about 6 weeks after I purchased my policy). I also spent more than you did. My dealer ponied up and guaranteed that they would honor the policy as written, but I suspect that may change over time. Oh, mine was also a 'tires for life' plan.

Good luck on the decision. Also, many people have swapped to non-runflats for multiple reasons, the most popular of which is the loud, rough ride of the runflats.

Again, welcome!

 

$1000 is insane for tire/wheel insurance, unless it actually covers you for a set of worn tires. Wow!

 

You do know that you can buy 4 new run flats for less than a $1000? How many people have you ever heard of that got 5 or more flat tires (even in the car's lifetime)?

 

u r been taken for a ride...

 

If they cover worn tires for 5 years, I could get my money's worth. But I doubt normal wear and tear is covered, in which case the $1000 is a foolish purchase.

 

Hell no.

first of all those potholes wont hurt the tire most likely...your going to bend the rim... just like one i had.

and youll probably bw wanting to ditch the things ASAP anyway as they are loud, uncomfortable, and they are not any more prone to getting punctured than a regular tire is.

Most will tell you, one of the best mods for this car is getting rid of em!

Also, they probably wont last for 5 years, depending how you drive... most get like 25K out of them... some get 10 if theyre aggressive drivers

 

Def negotiate that down. I got it for $600 and covers wheels, tires, and curb rash. Only got it because i used it a few times on my first mini and i got my money out of it.

 

I paid $350 for mine, no way I would have forked over $1000!! My Run Flats only lasted 22,000 miles anyway, I was so ready to ger "real" Tires put on my Baby!!

 

First of all not all insurance programs are the same so ask:

Will it cover non runflats
Will it cover aftermarket rims

My personal experience is as follows, I bought the insurance and to date I have had 1 runflat replaced, 2 regular 18" tires replaced, and 2 18" ASA R1 rims fixed. Overall close to $1K covered no out of pocket. My coverage is for a total of $4500 which I probabaly wont get to.

Also the insurance is negotiable.........They were charging $650.00 and I got them down to $300.00. Also you might try stores like America's Discount Tires I think they sell wheel/tire warranties. Use this as leverage with the dealer and see how badly they want to make the sale.

Good Luck

 

For well under $1000.00 you can pick up a set of new (or nearly new) rims and tires right here in the NAM marketplace from owners who've swapped out their rims for aftermarket. Recently a set of 17" OEM rims and tires, less than 1k miles, sold for $700.00

Even if you added $100.00 for shipping you'd come out way ahead, and actually get something for your money!

 

Old thread, but I also purchased the wheel/tire warranty when I bought my MINI. I could easily justify this purchase seeing as I have several sets of wheels/tires for my car.

Just to clarify (this may vary but I dont think it does), my warranty with MINI on my tires covers my run-flat tires and S-Winder wheels. If any damage due to a blow out occurs they replace the tire for free or if they cannot repair it. Also, if this causes a bent/damaged wheel this gets replaced free of charge also.

And the main reason I purchased this is, it covers aftermarket wheels and tires. I now have some 18s on the MINI with non-runflats and my contract covers these against damage, blowouts, and damaged wheels all for free. This is the only reason I could justify it..New Mexico always has construction going on and its likely Id hit a pothole or a nail around these areas before my tread ran out.