Dear Tom and Ray:
My friend has a fancy-shmancy 2007 BMW 3 Series. Recently, one of his tires blew out through the sidewall and left a gaping, scary-looking hole. That tire and the other three all have plenty of tread, so the blow-out seems troubling to me. He took it to the dealer, who told him: (1) All of his tires need to be replaced ASAP, because the same thing probably will happen to them soon; (2) he shouldn't have Goodyear tires of any kind because they're no good for this particular car; and (3) the only tires he ever should put on it are the model and brand they have at the dealership, which cost about $160 each, plus installation. He doesn't do any racing or any crazy driving -- he just drives normally. I'm convinced they're trying to pressure him into buying four of the most expensive tires possible. What do you think?
-- Ernie
Ray: I don't think they're trying to pressure him into buying the most expensive tires possible, Ernie. They're just trying to get him to buy the most expensive tires they have in stock.
Tom: I'd have to disagree with the dealer on all counts here. First of all, Goodyear makes some excellent tires. The only thing that's wrong with Goodyear tires in this case is that this dealer doesn't happen to sell them.
Ray: We don't know why your friend's sidewall blew out. It could have been a defect in the tire. Or he could have banged the tire against a curb and created a weak spot or a bubble that eventually blew.
Tom: We can't see the tires. So, to be fair to the BMW dealer, it's also possible that all four tires are in worse shape than you think they are. Or they could have the wrong load or speed rating for your friend's car.
Ray: But I would suggest going back to the Goodyear dealer where he bought the tires. First of all, he can get a second opinion on the condition of the other three tires. And if the one that blew out failed due to a defect, they might replace the tire for free under warranty.
Tom: Or, if the tires are older but still good, they may be able to sell your friend a used one that's a close-enough match in tread life to its axle-mate that he'd have to buy only one tire.
Ray: I'm sure the tires that the dealer is recommending would work very well on the car, but they're hardly the only ones that will work well. And as long as the tires meet the specifications set by the manufacturer (check the owner's manual), your friend can buy any brand of replacement tires he likes, Ernie.
(Car Talk is a nationally syndicated column by automotive experts (and brothers) Tom and Ray Magliozzi. Write to them at the Car Talk Web site.)
3 Comments
By jerry on August 28, 2009 11:01 AM
Since 2006 most BMW models have used run flat tires which are more expensive than non-run flat tires and the 3 series is no exception. Unless the existing tires were new BMW would recommend replacing all 4 tires. Installing one new tire would affect the ABS system. The new tire would have a different circumference than the other three.
By Goodyear Sucks on August 28, 2009 2:31 PM
I had three out of four Goodyear RSA tires de-laminate on me after only 8,000 miles of ordinary usage. They came standard on a Mitsubishi Eclipse I owned. Two different Goodyear dealerships refused to replace them under warranty claiming I must have hit a curb. When I asked how hard I'd have to hit a curb, they said, "pretty hard." I asked them to explain how I could do that without damaging the wheels and they said I must have replaced the wheels. Right.
Tom and Ray's advise to visit the Goodyear dealership is pretty weak (as is most of their advise). After looking at the NHTSA website, I found a huge number of complaints on the Goodyear RSAs that described the exact same de-laminating (i.e., sidewall bubbling) issues that I had. Bottom line is, I would never buy or recommend anyone else to buy a Goodyear tire. They make low-end garbage. The RSAs were one of their premium models as well.
By Kiley on September 10, 2009 12:20 PM
While it's true that there are plenty of different tire brands that would work for this car, as is previously mentioned, since BMW does use run-flat tires, most (if not all) of their cars now come with NO space for a spare, so, if you're not running their tires (which are RIDICULOUSLY heavy), you'll have to either cart around a spare in your trunk or not and risk being stranded.