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[123D-M]

Depending on how bent they are rims can be fixed. I had one that was grazed and a bit out of shape due to runflats. 100€ to fix the graze and an extra 30€ to "unbend" it. So about $200 all up.

All BMW dealers are rip off merchants. My dealer quoted me 1,600€ ($2,020) just to replace my runflat tyres. Spent less than half that at an independent tyre outlet.

[SupremePower3335]

Originally Posted by roscoe

For sure. There's been a lengthy drought in southern Ontario the past 2 weeks or so, and today was the first rain we've had since I got the new tires on the rear wheels. And I mean torrential rain. Slip and slide is gone, no more white-knuckle driving.

Which stealership is this? Do you wish you had purchased the Wheel and Tire Insurance..after reading this article I almost wish I did..

[escobar929]

Originally Posted by roscoe

For sure. There's been a lengthy drought in southern Ontario the past 2 weeks or so, and today was the first rain we've had since I got the new tires on the rear wheels. And I mean torrential rain. Slip and slide is gone, no more white-knuckle driving.

haha, i know what you mean. Any RWD car w/ worn out tires is very scary to drive in the rain, specially w/ as much power as these cars can have

[jacknotjil]

Do you have tire and wheel insurance through them? Ive gone through this problem. Ive gone through about 8 flat tires already with the 135i coupe and Im talking FLAT tires. (so much for run flats). I think the main problem with the 1 series is that the summer tires are very soft so they wear out easily and secondly the run flats are very stiff, making it tough on the suspension when you hit pot holes or any uneven pavement. I just got 2 flat tires last week, both my front tires and it happened when I was parked in the drive through at Taco bell. I took my car to BMW and they wont cover my tires because the cause of the flats are bubbles and supposedly bubbles aren't covered by the insurance. Anyways, a flat bed had to take my car to the shop, when they took a look at it they told me both my front rims are bent, which makes no sense at all, cuz Ive never hit big enough pot holes and ive never driven my car when it was completely flat. I really do think there's a malfunction with the rims, because Im constantly running into alignment problems, uneven ware and dents in my wheels.

[NM_135i]

Well, I've just experienced this same issue. The car has ~60k miles (it's a 2009 but there were 18 months of HARD commuting), and at service, the dealer here in Albuquerque said that both front wheels are bent. When asked why, he said "well, they're aluminum wheels and all it takes is a pothole."

That, to me, sounds like a recall issue and a design flaw. Why would you sell a $55k car with wheels that can't handle a pothole? He offered to have a 3rd party come true them - or whatever the term is for auto wheels, I'm used to cycling - for $115/wheel, which isn't that bad. The whole issue pisses me off though, because I think it's unreasonable that BMW would sell stock wheels that deform that easily.

Apart from fixing the issue, is there any recourse? I can't find any information about this being a recall issue.

Thanks in advance for any help!

[ptack]

Don't be meek - tell us who it is and call them out on it. First, it's possible that you really only need new tires, second, you can easily get replacement OEM wheels and 2 new tires for a less than half of that. Places like that aren't to be trusted.

[texasmojo]

New tires will take care of your grip issues. A wheel repair shop will charge about 125 per rim.

[Lambobimmer]

I just bought my car and I had a bent rim. I bought the car from CARMAX and I took it to my service advisor at BMW for a PPI. They are usually very good to me and agreed to complete the PPI for free.

Anyways the found the following:

1. Only 2/32 tread left on front tires and 3/32 left on the rear tires.
2. Rear lower trailing arm on drivers side was bent. This is uaually caused from towing. I had this car shipped from CARMAX Houston to Charlotte so it could have been their damaged during shipping.
3. Rear passengers wheel was bent.

Long story short CARMAX agreed to replace all tires with Bridgestone RFT, they fixed the bent rim , replaced the trailing arm and completed an alignment.

Always, always get a PPI before you buy a BMW. The PPI took only about 20 minutes it it saved me about $2,000.

There are companies out there that can straighten rims if they are not too bad. CARMAX hired a local company to fix my rim.

[Jaguar66]

Run flat tires have a thick hard inflexible side wall, necessary to function as a tire than can run flat. This places tremendous stress on the rim when hitting pot holes, much more than non RFT. To diminish the possibility of bending the wheels when hitting pot holes, non RFTs have a definite advantage. Not to mention making the car smoother riding. I put Michelin PS2s on my car. Love it, I do.

[Smac355]

Originally Posted by roscoe

Oh, I'm not arguing that $3K is a total joke. I have no intention of paying that. I'm just wondering if bent rims is that common an issue. Even if it isn't, can I still get away with just replacing the rubber at a local tire shop?

you on runflats.... my SA told me BMW has tons of bent wheels since the runflats are so hard. don't absorb the impact as well.

[fancyfl1ght]

Originally Posted by roscoe

So I'm driving down the freeway in the rain this morning, and my rear end starts breaking out sporadically. It's happening even when I'm coasting in a straight line. Pretty hair-raising, let's just say.

Thinking it's potentially a suspension issue, I take my 135i into the dealership (I was scheduled to get my HPFP checked out anyway). They tell me that both rear tires are very low on tread – almost at the point of touching the wear bars. Not only that, they further tell me that BOTH rear rims are bent.

The dealer is quoting nearly $3,000 to replace both rear tires and the rims. I've only had the car for 25,000 miles. Sure, I've hit a few potholes and ruts during that time, but nothing major. Not one, but two bent rims? Seriously? (The worn rubber I can believe - I've got a lead foot same as the rest of you ).

Has anyone else experienced this? Should I be calling BS on the dealership?

The wheels on the 1'er are soft on the inside rim while hard on the exterior rim. Combined with RFT, it is a recipe for inevitable bent rims.

That's why I am replacing all 4 rims with non-runflat tires.

[moveswiftly]

Take what your dealer says with a grain of salt.

In November I took my car to an independent shop to have 4 snow tires mounted / balanced onto my OEM wheels. The Tech there said I only had 1 bend.

Last week took my car in for an oil change, vehicle checkup, brake fluid and fuel pump recall and complained of the Vibrations again to the SA. He called me and told me I had 4 bent wheels and that I needed to spend 860 per wheel to get them replaced. I told him 860 is absurd! 3200 total!!

I'm rather curious of whether the dealer is exaggerating the amount of bent wheels I have or whether the indy shop didn't notice the other 3 bent wheels.

[BrokenVert]

lol $860 a wheel? These are the shittiest $860 wheels ive ever seen.

[mosx]

They probably get those crazy prices all day. They just figure you'll file it on insurance, pay the deductible and move on.

Here's a "wear bar" also for anyone wondering:

[AuxNuke]

I have bent both front rims (on different occasions) on my 135i driving around in horrible NJ.

You can tell from the slight to moderate vibration (shimmy) when traveling at speed on the highway.

I paid ~$120 a rim to have these repaired at my dealer. The dealership then used a Roadforce balance machine at a sister Cadillac dealership to balance the tires. No more shimmy!