Both the dealer in Encinitas CA & BMW refuse to do anything re the very noisy 18" Potenzas on my 06 330i. Even though there is still about 1/3 tread left after 15k, the tire noise is almost unbearable. The dealer & BMW area rep refuse to do anything for me. All seem to agree that there is a problem (not with the car) but they refuse to do anything about it. All I'd like for them to do is prorate the tires and reimburse me for what tread life is left. I'd then take that bit of $$$ and buy Michelins. Not so sure about this Ultimate Driving Machine business. I'll keep plugging away and go to the next level.
I too have the Bridgestone Potenzas (on my E92 328i). They have become a big problem. I have 17,000 miles, the tires are noisy as hell and they are "cupped" despite having factory recommended pressure settings over their entire life. The cost of repalcing them is between 1500 and 2000, mounted and balanced. I contacted Bridgestone, and they were EXTREMELY helpful and knowledgeable. They explained that these tires have a tread wear rating of 140, one of the lowest allowable by the DOT. There is no warranty on these tires for tread wear at all... BUT-- Bridgestone recommends tire rotation every 5,000 miles to eliminate cupping issues -- and BMW's staggered setup denies the consumer this protection from uneven tread wear. After a lengthy debate with my (new) BMW service advisor, I managed to get BMW NA to pay for 1/4 of the expense. Good luck to you and I would make these points to your SA. Turanzas have a SIB, because they too are junk and fail prematurely. Your Potenzas are from the same manufacturer and have similar issues -- ie the tires are noisy and degrading before 20,000 miles, and you were not warned by your salesman that these tires are EXPECTED to fail after 15,000 miles. I am constrained by the fact that I have a leased vehicle. If I did not have to turn this car back in with OEM tires, I would have gone with something non RFT, and a space-saver spare. I have also heard that BMW will not offer free towing for cars without RFTs, even on their maintenance program.
Potenza Noise Follow up Thanks for your info. I tried calling BMW NA Customer Service again today . Got a much more cooperative person. Instead of telling me to call Bridgestone he called the dealer & spoke to the service director. BMW NA then called me right back to tell me that BMW will pick up 50% of the replacement cost. I still have to work out the details with them, but this is actually more than what I was expecting since the tires are over 1/2 gone. I guess it is another case of "squeaky wheel" syndrome. But I wish BMW had been this cooperative from the get-go.
Wow. I guess it depends on the dealer. I had the same tires on my '06. After 8,000 miles they gave me a new set at no charge, no questions asked. They did, however, replace them with the same brand. After 15,000 miles on the new set, I complained of serious road noise and they gave me ANOTHER new set free of charge. This time the Continentals and they are so much better. We have had 5 BMWs from 3 different dealerships and this is always the kind of service we have received. That's why we keep going back to BMW. I am sorry your experience was very different.
Where is your dealer? Mine's in Encinitas CA. Third car from this dealer. I need to switch to yours! It was pretty obvious to me that BMW NA and the dealer are very aware of the problem with the Potenzas, but both are unwilling to publicly admit it. I'm having the Michelin PS2 ZP RFTs put on tomorrow. Hopefully they will work out for the best. You mustn't have the sport package since from what I can tell only Bridgestone, Pirelli & Michelin make RFTs in the 18" sizes on my car. How many miles do you have on the Continentals? I was was seriously thinking of ditching the RFTs and going with the ContiSportContact 3s
18" Bridgestones do not have the inherent issues that the 16" el42 rft's have. The svc. bulletin only covers the 16" tires. The other tire concern is for the 545/550 sport package with 18" dunlops. Hate to break it to you, but 18" run flats don't last longer than 16-20k depending on driving style. That's just the way it is.
No. no sport package. And I have about 3,000 on the Continental rfts. And I must agree. The rfts only get between 16 and 20k miles. At least this is what I have found from my research. However, I just ordered a new set of wheels and the Conti's. No more rfts for me. There is a noticable difference.
