So, I have a slow leak in one of my tires and need to get it fixed.

Luckily, I have the tire and wheel warranty from Mini, but the problem is I am not remotely close to any dealerships as I am in College.

Does anyone know where I could redeem the warranty without going all the way to the dealership? I only ask because I just called my Mini dealership and they basically told me to ask around because they did not know .

I did call a BMW dealership that is only 30 miles from me to see if they would redeem it and they told me "we do not have the equipment to work on Mini Cooper tires." Sounds like some serious BS to be. So can anyone help?

 

I would got to a major tire retailer that sells that brand of tire. The warranty is from the manufacturor of the tire, not mini if it is like every other new car I have heard about.

 

Man if you only live 30 miles from a Mini dealer drive over there and have them fix it . If you have the extra tire protection on your mini . 30 miles is not far . El Tiger

 

I am 30 miles away from a BMW dealership, not a Mini dealership. I am over 100 miles away from the closest Mini dealership and I am not going to spend the gas to drive there if I can get it fixed locally under warranty.

 

I don't have any first-hand experience with MINI factory tires, but from all my other new cars, the factory tires tend to have little-to-no warranty. At least not anything like the warranty on same-brand retail tires. Basically, the auto maker negotiates away the warranty for a lower volume discount.

I even remember back when Goodyear Eagles GT's were all the rage. The ones sold at retail were 4-ply, but the ones from Detroit were only 2-ply (but still the same name and logo on the sidewall).

 

First off your BMW dealer is full of Sh**. If they can pull a tire off a bimmer they can pull one off any other car. If there's a "Discount Tire" store near you, they fix flats for free even if you didn't buy it from them. Also try "Pep Boys" or "Belle Tire"

 

Better idea - Great opportunity to get rid of the run flats. For a smooth ride and better MPG see the tires in my sig.

And yes many BMW dealerships will not work on MINIs, I also asked if NW BMW dealership next door to NW MINI in Tacoma would change out my wheels and tires when NW MINI was 14 days out, NOPE. Heck I think they have the same owners.

Both lost my business and Discount Tire earned a new customer for life.

 

Wait, why would Discount Tire just fix it for free? Also, I don't think the tire is fixable because of where the cut or slow leak is.

This is why I am trying to redeem my warranty on the tires because I might need a new one.

Oh, I full intend to get rid of my run-flats when they wear out. I already have some real tires picked out .

The thing is I have about 1000-2000 miles left in the tires, so I don't want to get new tires just yet.

Plus, I am going to a drag strip in a month, where I will probably burn those damn run-flats up .

 

As long as the leak is not from the sidewall it can be fixed, and yes they fix it for free. It's there way to get you to come back. Done it many times.

 

Well, I think I found my answer. The tire and wheel insurance that Mini/BMW sells is through Autonation.

With this insurance, I can go to a place like Discount Tire and have the tire fixed or replaced.
All I have to do is call Autonation and file a claim before any actual work is done.

Also, I think the leak is in the sidewall, so I might be getting a new tire .

 

Cool glad you got your issue solved. I forgot, Discount guarantees lowest prices, if you find lower either email the site or bring in the ad and they'll match it. They also just came out with a new program that will replace your tire no matter what. They don't pro-rate, they swap as long as its within the milage zone of the contract, but it cost about 10 bucks a tire to add.

 

so take the insurance money and put it on the tires you've picked out

 

Hmm, I'll see if I can do that as run-flat tires are stupid expensive.

 

But the deal is you have to pay for the replacement tire out-of-pocket first, then they'll reimburse you for it. At least that's how it worked when I had one blow. Luckily I am close to a dealer, and they handled the claim for me. But they said I had to pay to replace the tire first. Not sure how that would work -- i.e., if you could get reimbursed for the one flat one -- if you decided to replace them all with non-runflats. That's probably the one thing I really dislike about MINI -- the whole runflat deal and the TPMS that goes with it.

 

Tire pressure monitoring systems aren't unique to run-flats or MINI.

 

Go to Discount Tire, and get them to verify you need a new runflat tire, and have them file the claim with the tire insurance company. Then get Discount to apply that money toward a new set of nonrunflats. You said your original expensive runflats are almost gone, so why get a brand new runflat when you want to ditch them anyway. Runflats cost roughly twice as much as non runflats, so you could be halfway toward a new set if you just take the money and run.

 

I am leaving for Discount right now. Hopefully, they will determine I need a new run-flat so that I can get some $$$ for new, real tires .