So i just got my used mini cooper s from the dealership with 12000 miles. The car has runflat tires and the dealer is offering a special price for tire and wheel coverage. I can be protected for 5 years by paying 600 dollars. Whatever happens to my tires or wheels, they will fix free of charge. I heard runflats are expensive to replace, so is this a good deal? How much are runflats if i need to replace them?

 

Well, alot of folks get rid of the runflats pretty quickly (mine were gone after 200 miles). I think the general consensus is No on the dealer thing.
Annette

 

I would carefully check into this "coverage" and what they mean by "whatever happens". Yes, runflats are expensive (about $300 or so for each tire) but these sorts of agreements typically do not offer full replacement value for the tire, they derate the replacement value by the wear on the tire and stop coverage at some minimal wear point. They may also only cover repair rather than replacement if the tire is still repairable. Fixing a runflat costs about $25. The wheel coverage probably doesn't include accidental road rash (which is likely) and may limit coverage of warpage due to bad roads saying it is normal wear and tear. So the wheel coverage may be useless. You runflats are unlikely to last 5 years (maybe 2 to 3 at best). So saying 5 years sounds good but...

I think you ought to read the agreement and not accept the saleman's interpretation of it. My suspicion is that should you take the coverage you are flushing $600. My runflats lasted 2 years. When they went, they went flat, were unrepairable and were totally worn down. I doubt the coverage of the sort you are considering would have been of any use.

 

As always, it depends on your situation. That is, are you planning to drive it daily?--do the tires need to be repaired by them at their facility? If not, do they reimburse you if you need a tire or wheel repaired cross-country? How much tread is left on the current tires?

If you consider that a new set of runflats will run at least $800 installed, and there are 12,000 miles on these, then perhaps $600 is worthwhile. However, you should also consider that they will have the benefit of your $600 up front. Just my thoughts, but something I would consider before I purchased their warranty.

 

Check out Tirerack.com for pricing on tires. In general, 17 inch runflats are around $200 a pop (teehee). Your insurance will already cover wheels damaged by potholes/ accidents.
As to the "is it worth it?" only you can answer that. Some folks like the peace of mind offered by additional protection. Others, like me, are tightwads.

 

Hi love the color of your car.

For me it wouldn't be worth it. I couldn't stand the runflats & replaced them at about 5,000 miles. The non-runflat wheel & tire package I bought from Tire Rack cost me $1000. If I need to replace a tire it will only cost me $75. I've heard runflats can be $200 or so. If you converted to non- runflats & used your original wheels the cost of a set of 4 would be much less than my package was. Add a MINI donut spare from a Cooper & you are good to go.

 

Find out if its just a road hazard warranty, or if it covers wear on it. More than likely, your going to break even regardless Personally, I would pass, and whenever the time does come to replace, just get the roadhazard warranty on them. Tire rack has run flats for 148 and up each. So why not keep the money until that point, and let it work for you? I`m all about keeping money in my pocket these days. Put it in a short term investment if you have the money just sitting around. You can make a decent return on a 5 year investment.

 

I wouldn't do it.

 

thanks for all the helpful input........im gonna call the dealer soon and get all the info

 

$600 seems high. My dealer offered something like that for around $400 (but it was just 4 years I think).

I had a Z4 for 3 1/2 years, with 18" runflat tires, and I never had any road damage to them - despite the potholed roads in Philadelphia PA USA.

But it might be worthwhile. Make sure the coverage applies to the car - the package my dealer offered was good for 4 years and covered ANY tire or wheel you installed on the car (up to the value of the stock wheels and tires, which is relatively high on cars with 17" performance runflats). And no deductible.