So I just took Ninja in to the dealer finally for a transmission issue, only to find out that I now also have a bubbled side wall in one of my runflat tires.... conveniently they can replace it for the small price of $461.

So the question is do I spend $461 on one tire or ditch the runflats all together and get 4 non-runflat tires for about the same price? It seems like the second is the better option, but then what do I do with the 3 perfectly good runflats... am I throwing away $1200?

Also, how long do you think I have to drive on tire they say is bad? Grant it I haven't even seen this "bubble"... I've only been told over the phone.

I think my "bubble" of being elated with MINI might burst soon... this is ridiculous...

 

That runflat must be made out of precious metals. Go to tirerack ,find your tire and the equivalent price. Use that to help your dealer understand the price given is outrageous and try to negotiate. Otherwise order the tire from tirerack and have it put on locally.

 

Whoever came up with the runflat idea should have had his head pinched off when he was two to save the milk. Ditch 'em and get a good, reliable set of all season tires, a donut and/or a can of tire fluff.

 

Ditch the runflats and get some real tires! I sold my old runflats locally on Craigslist. They were gone within 2 hours of posting them!

 

I will put in the vote for the OPPOSITE. Run flats feel fine and work great for my use.

Seems I am in the minority, but I am proud to say.

"My name is Alex, and yes I love my runflats"

 

I don't subscribe to the "Runflats sucks" camp either. I think newer second gen runflat tire systems have improved significantly in the last few years. Also, in more than one occasion, the runflats have saved my bacon (In situations were radials would have been dead on the water like a total blow out).

Our Clubman had a small screw on the right front tire a few weeks ago. Fortunately, the tire was still holding air (It had only lost 6 pounds) but enough to trigger the sensor. I took the tire to my friend and he was able to repair it (Because it was on the thread). 20 minutes later I was on my way.

Both of our MINIs have 16" size runflats (Continental ContiProContact SSRs in the 2005 and Goodyear Excellence on the Clubman S). No problems whatsoever with handling or road noise of ride quality. Much improved over the first generation of these same tires (My '05 came witn Dunlop SP5000 SSR runflats from factory...They can't hold a candle to the Contis I have now).

So it is all relative. If you have 17" or 18" diameter, low profile tires, be prepared to put up with the additional cost of replacement. Lower profile tires look great but they sometimes can't take potholes or other road imperfections very well. It is the nature of the beast.

Don't buy the tires at the dealer unless you can not source them from third party tire vendors. Any reputable tire shop with the proper equipment can mount and balance the new tire, no problems.

For those of you that advocate radials, keep in mind that if you ever experience a complete tire blowout, your can of tire goo and cell phone are not going to get you to safety right away (In some areas of the country, cell coverage is pretty spotty as well). Something to think about. (Unless you decide to carry a small spare).

 

Actually, I think the person or people that developed this technology are geniuses in my humble opinion.

Probably the same rants were heard back in the 1970's when supporters of ply bias tires criticized the newly introduced tubeless radial tire technology.

 

And now, Dez finds himself (herself?) between two differing opinions. Ain't this what makes MINI motoring great? No two alike. Decisions, decisions.

 

A bubble on the sidewall is often caused by a defective tire. I would contact the tire manufacturer and explain the problem. If they won't help you out, try going through an independent tire dealer that sells that brand. You may at least get a discount off a replacement tire.

I would not recommend having the dealer replace the tire. Dealer pricing is usually much, much more expensive than any independent shop.

 

I have never had runflat tires, so I won't venture an opinion about whether they're better or worse than regular tires. However, I will never get runflats until they come with at least a donut spare tire as a backup.

It's nice to be able to continue to drive on a runflat, but their short driving range when flat, coupled with the difficulty of getting a replacement out on the road, makes them a non-starter with me without a spare. A donut may not be great, but it will always get you home (slowly).

 

I am with ClubmanS and MINIspud on the run flats. The newer versions are just as good if not better than non runflats.

As fro the inventor in am not sure he/she was a genius but did have a very good idea.

Now onto safety reasons to have a Run Flat tire:

1. during a blowout the car will not swerve or pull like a car with a non run flat.

2. the run flat gives you time to get to a location where it is safe to pull of the road or get to a parking lot etc to change the tire rather than having to pull off immediately for fear of ruining some other part of your car like bearings or rims.

3. For females it is a safety feature in that it will let you get to a respectable place rather than having some crepe along side the road help you to change it. (i am not saying that women can not change tires but that being out on a road at night can bring out the worst in others)

Not sure what size you are running but the one i am running on my car are 205/45R17, and at tire rack cost $267.00, where the same tire in a non run flat runs about $170.00, so yes there is a cost difference, but not $461.00. And okay the dealer needs to make some profit on the tire but not $200.00

You also want to consider how many miles are on the tire as well if there is more than about 3000 miles then i would replace two tires one on each side so the wear is more even side to side for that set of tires.

 

Wow - $461 to replace a single tire? I just bought a complete set of 16" wheels and runflat tires (with the TPMS's installed) in excellent condition from a fellow off this website. Cost me all of $500 for everything.

If I were you, I'd get to scanning the classifieds here and find a replacement wheel/tire, probably be less than $200 and you'll then have a spare for the next time...The dealer is trying to rape you, don't be a victim...

 

All great points!

When my wife rides with our son by herself, I have the peace of mind that she can still drive to safety if one of her tires gets punctured. In big cities (and anywhere for that matter) that is a huge consideration. Even with roadside assistance, you have to wait for someone to come and change your tire.

Runflats are not the bad evil things some people want to make them out to be.

 

I have purchased complete sets of tires and rims (take offs) for $400-$500 from other MINI owners. Those are the best deals I have had in recent times. But when you lose one runflat to an irreparable puncture (I have lost a few this way) you have to purchase the tire. Even in the best of circumstances, the single new replacement tire will cost you more than a set of 2 tires + rims bought privately from someone else

 

Here's a guy with 4 Bridgestone Potenzas, they are brand new. 225/50-16, $400. He says shipping is only $50. Near Columbus, OH. This is a smokin' deal...

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ate/1221614397

 

Here's a guy with 4 OEM Dunlop Runflats with only 2,000 mi. on 'em - he's asking $200 for all four!!!

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ate/1221614397

 

I'll agree with everyone else about the price. Tire rack will be cheaper by far! As for runflats, I ditched the ones on the kids 07 MCS and our 09 Clubman S. The kids car had one wearing badly on the outside, we checked the alignment and it was fine. Like an idiot, we bought a new RF for that one. Then, on the way back from Boston's MTTS a pot hole gave us a knot on the right front. Goodbye runflats. I just couldn't see spending around 500 bucks in 4 months for 2 tires. My Yokohama S drives are great and I'll never go back.

 

I've done both. RFs will cost you (at least) double is the rule of thumb, about $260/tire. NonRFs ride way way better and are quieter, there's no question about that. You make up your own mind how much the fact that you can drive 50+ miles on a punctured tire is worth to you versus messing with it yourself using fix-a-flat and a little pump or waiting for AAA somewhere. Bubbles on the sides sounds like a defect to me, not wear and tear. Try for a warranty replacement, they're usually good for a year.

 

To the OP: Is there any rim damage? If so you may have hit a pretty deep pothole. If the rim is fine, then you may have a valid warranty claim against the tire manufacturer.

 

TheBigNewt wrote:
>> I've done both. RFs will cost you (at least) double is the rule of thumb, about $260/tire.<<

Where are you guys shopping for tires? TireRack.com has the OEMContis for $139 each, about HALF of what you're saying. If you're paying $260 per tire, you are flat-out throwing your money away. The OP could buy 3 brand new Contis from Tire Rack and have them mounted for what the dealer is asking for a single tire....

But, as others have already mentioned, it would probably be a good idea to contact the tire mfgr. and see if they'll replace that shoe.

A bubbled sidewall is definitely a manufacturing defect and most mfgrs. will at least offer to cover some of the cost of a replacement. It's certainly worth the time and effort to make a phone call or write a carefully-worded email...

 

Dez, what brand of runflats do you have? How many miles on 'em? You could sell them here and recoup some of your cost for new shoes. But, if I were you, I'd probably jump on one of those deals I posted. You can then sell the ones you take off and cut your cost significantly...

 

The price of run flats is outrageous.. When I bought my car it had a bubble in the sidewall so the guy I bought it from got me 2 used run flats off ebay, but the bead was cracked so they too were no good. The run flats were my winter tires, so I ended up just picking up a set of Kumho all seasons for 400 shipped to my door after seeing how much it cost to replace all 4 run flats.

 

The OEM ones I replaced were Dunlap SP Sports and they are $267- $300 on Tirerack now. I had 27k on them, could have gone another 3k. You can go cheaper with Continentals ($200 for a decent OEM allseason one). You can probably go even less if you aren't picky and just want new shoes (but you may want to tighten the fillings in your teeth first ) . But for under $125 you can get a really good allseason nonRFs at tirerack. Mine were $117 shipped.

 

Wow thanks for all the replies... lots of good info/advice here.

I think i am definitely leaning towards the 4 new tires... I had previously looked at replacing the tires for non-runflats for performance reasons any way. So it seems like the better plan.

I currently have Dunlop Sport 1 DSST ROF 205/45R17 84V with approx. 11,700 miles on them... so i guess they probably only had another 4-5k in them anyway. Thanks for those marketplace links, but i have 17 inch rims.

I was thinking about going to a 205/50 for a bit more grip... haven't fully decided yet. I think I probably need to see the bubble before I can decide... Ninja is still, in the shop... but that is another post...

 

I had two 205/45R17 Dunlops bubble up. Mine were both the result of pot-holes. One was bad enough to bend a wheel. If the bubble runs radially (from the tread area towards the bead) it is indeed an impact break (not warrantable).
Once dimounted, you should be able to make out a crack in the innerliner of the tire. Depending on how bad the break will depend on how obvious the crack.
After the first impact break, I bought a used tire on ebay for $100.
After the second impact break, i decided to ditch the run flats for std. tires after only 11K. I also changed to a 215/45R17 tires. Slightly taller (3/10 of an inch), slightly wider (10mm), and a lot more brand options.
Yes, I noticed a little softer ride but after a couple of days, I couldn't remember what the RFs felt like.
I also bought a single wheel and mounted a "spare" just in case. I keep it at home but may carry it with me if i take a long trip.
I still have three used tires to sell.

I can see the argument both ways. I am in the tire business but personally I couldn't justify the higher price for the run-flats. I naturally pay close attention to my tires (being in the business, not because they are std. tires)

You can't make a wrong decision. The best decision you made was not letting the dealer sell you a tire.

Good luck!