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      06-03-2011, 04:27 PM   #1
whispered
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Tire Wheel Protection for the VA/MD/DC area.

I bought the tire/wheel protection for $1399 for 5 years. I have the m-package 19 inch wheels. I'll be commuting at least 130 miles a day for work between VA and MD area. Do you guys think that this warranty is justified? I know a lot has been discussed regarding this but I was just wondering if there were any more opinions based on my location and commute.

Thank you in advance!

SJ
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      06-03-2011, 08:31 PM   #2
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Same location. Past experience made it an easy decision for me. Right one? Only time will tell, but I'm good with it.
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      06-03-2011, 08:53 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nahoa View Post
Same location. Past experience made it an easy decision for me. Right one? Only time will tell, but I'm good with it.
Nahoa,

So you did buy it? Has it paid off yet?

Thanks,
SJ
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      06-03-2011, 08:58 PM   #4
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I did buy it. Haven't used it on this car yet. Wished I'd had it on two previous BMW's in the area and saw a friend use it to advantage.
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      06-03-2011, 11:23 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nahoa View Post
I did buy it. Haven't used it on this car yet. Wished I'd had it on two previous BMW's in the area and saw a friend use it to advantage.
Thanks for the insight. It's about 87 cents a day for piece of mind in the next 5 years. I'm going to ask if the warranty still applies if I change my tires to non-rft. Hopefully they do. If this warranty forces me to stay with expensive rft, then I don't know if it'll be worth it. Then again this car doesn't have a spare. Argh, decisions decisions ...
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      06-04-2011, 05:59 AM   #6
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For me the cost of the RFTs was one of the motivating factors -- a nail in the tire and it's a whole different ball game. Not really the end of the world at all, but more expensive than the regulars. This happened to me enough on the last car to pay for the insurance. Noted the huge convenience during a very busy time when the same happened to a friend and they just popped new tires on. No tire order, scheduling appointment, etc. No purchase of a tire immediately at an inflated (is that a pun?) price. That the insurance also includes the wheels themselves kind of sealed the deal for me considering the level of post-Winter potholes and beltway construction (not to mention DC in general). At the end of the day, it's insurance. If all goes well, it's money in a hole. When it's health it's clear which to hope for, when it's a tire it's not so clear to me which scenario shows the value!

When I got mine they said it covers "any tires" and any wheels within spec for the car. I did not ask specifically about non-RFT tires. On previous threads on the topic I believe folks said they were able to negotiate the price down -- it hadn't even occurred to me to try on something like this. Should have!
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      06-04-2011, 09:51 AM   #7
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Remember that plans like this overwhelmingly favor the seller/insurer -- there's a reason this is a big business. Statistically, most drivers never need it, so from a financial point (especially if rolling onto a loan or lease) it's a bad idea. That said, the plans could potentially save your butt if you're in the statistical minority. My advice would be to calculate the cost of one full wheel/tire replacement, and compare that to the cost of the insurance (including any long term interest tacked onto the cost over the life of a loan/lease). Weigh the cost/benefit for yourself. Definitely read the fine print as to what's *not* covered, as it can be a lot of common scenarios.

I've only had one hazard damage in about 25 years of owning a bunch of cars, when a rusted VIN tag (from an old clunker) laying in the road sliced into a sidewall. In that case, I absorbed the cost of a new tire for a few hundred bucks and went on my way. That's a total of say $300 over 25 years and 5-6 cars.
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      06-04-2011, 10:42 AM   #8
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I live in the DC area and have the tire and wheel insurance on my 135i. I've used it three times around here it's generally worth it, although I was less than happy with the hassle of dealing with the insurance company. All four wheels are slightly bent from random potholes, but they would not cover that. For some reason tire replacement for a nail in the tire was not covered the last time I brought it in. I might pass this time.
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      06-04-2011, 12:16 PM   #9
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Thank you everyone for your insights. I have decided to keep the insurance for now. Instead of focusing on how I can save the 87 cents a day tire/wheel insurance, I will try to figure out how to make more money and recoup that cost!

Thanks everyone!
SJ
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      07-06-2011, 07:55 PM   #10
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Another thing to consider, beside extended warranty, paint protection, leather protection etc.
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      07-07-2011, 01:10 AM   #11
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The insurance was offered to us at $950. We passed. We also went with the 18's. IMO, the decision to purchase really could go either way.
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      07-07-2011, 10:26 AM   #12
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We opted for the Tire & Wheel insurance when we picked up our new X3 last week.

We've had periodic flats on our current vehicles with non RFT tires. With the RFTs on the new X3, and their being lower profile tires than on our current vehciles, I assume there is a reasonable probability for getting flats in the future. With the industry push to replace rather than repair, the insurance gives us peace of mind.

I'll be curious to see if it's worth the cost 5 years from now.

Thanks
Bruce
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      07-07-2011, 02:41 PM   #13
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I did not buy it on my X3 based on my experience of 2 slow leaks in the last 9 years with my X5 which were nails. The slow leaks allowed me to drive the X5 to Merchant tires for repair.

On the x3 I was happy to to find out that the Pirellis NFTs have a 1 year road hazard replacement warranty, then it is pro rated until the minimum thread.
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      07-07-2011, 09:24 PM   #14
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Wow I feel lucky, I only paid $799 USD for the insurance.
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      07-07-2011, 09:38 PM   #15
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Does the insurance cover rashes to the wheels? What are the conditions/fine prints? Say I hit a curb, or some rocks scratch the wheel they will replace?
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      07-08-2011, 04:00 AM   #16
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I boughtthe insurance for 5 years....within 5 weeks I had a slow leak (nail). filled tire went to local tire mercahnt...wanted to replace tire.....got more air....stop again ...same thing....got more air...pulled in BMW dealer replaced tire no questions....No charge bil $400.

Now think about this.....on 2000 miles....so roughly no tread wear. what about when it happens at 25,000. Warranty takes care of 1st $400. But will it cover the next $1200?
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      07-08-2011, 10:04 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mizzou81 View Post
I boughtthe insurance for 5 years....within 5 weeks I had a slow leak (nail). filled tire went to local tire mercahnt...wanted to replace tire.....got more air....stop again ...same thing....got more air...pulled in BMW dealer replaced tire no questions....No charge bil $400.

Now think about this.....on 2000 miles....so roughly no tread wear. what about when it happens at 25,000. Warranty takes care of 1st $400. But will it cover the next $1200?
At least for my policy, the tire and wheel protection is applicable for any road hazard damage within the tread life (tire depth down to 2/32") and within the warranty period. So replacement due to road hazard damage would be covered assuming the above is true.
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