2011 X5 50i bald tires 12,000 miles, BMW will not warranty it!

[rans09vert]

My front tires are bald on the outsides at 12K miles. 20" factory original bridgestone dueler H/P sport 275 40 20. My car has never been in service, have not had one issue with it (knock on wood) went in for my complimentary oil change, and showed dealer. They told me I need an alignment which is not covered under warranty or free scheduled maintenance. They said it is my fault for probably hitting a pothole and throwing the alignment out. Car tracks perfect, no pulling to either side on steering wheel, seems perfect. Dealer wants 299.00 for a 4 wheel alignment, plus I have to buy new tires (279.00) each plus tax install disposal fees blah blah. About 1000.00 total. To my knowledge I have never hit any major potholes. I think maybe it was aligned incorrectly at the factory. I think they should cover the alignment and sell me tires prorated. I thought u had everything covered except gas and tires from normal wear, say 25-30K miles. What should I do?

[XCUSM5]

I think you are screwed here man. BMW dealers are very uptight about tire replacements. You were able to drive them for a good amount of mileage so they won't "try" to help you. I find it hard to believe that the alignment was incorrect but it is very suspect that only your fronts have started to bald. That tire is known for wearing quick. You have a 5.0 X5 so I'm not surprised you didn't get close to 25k. If BMW does not help you, which will probably be the case, you should take your car to a good alignment shop. The same alignment you would pay $300 for at the dealer would be half of that at this kind of shop. You can shop around for tires on your own or through the shop and get a better rate. BEST OF LUCK.

[SCardamon]

While unlikely, it is possible there was a bad alignment initially or something knocked the alignment out on both the front tires enough so they basically both pointed inward evenly enough for you not to notice a pull.

Good test I have used for alignment is go get up to 55 on a three lane highway, get in the middle lane and let go of the gas and wheel and see where you go. Then do the same on the right and left lanes, a properly aligned vehicle will list toward the direction of the road's drainage (the side of the road). If you are on a road with a bit of a lean to the right or left and your car does not veer that way when not holding the wheel that can be an alignment issue.

[SCardamon]

OH and for what they want for tires I would suggest just going to TireRack and get some non runflats, the ride is GREATLY improved. RFT are not my favorite in the least, can not wait until I need to replace mine.

Here is something interesting (I say interesting, not fact, take this site as an opinion only) for all concerning RFT, they are harder on the suspension than radials:
BMW Run Flat Forum - Run Flat Experiences, Run Flat Problems

[deutsch100]

I'll PM you the number and name of my Mercedes Salesman!! HA ha ha ha

[o-steve]

12,000 miles is about right for those tires. Be happy you don't have the Dunlops. They are almost double the price. Went through 3 sets in under 40k miles on previous X5.

Non RF will definitely last longer if you decide to change.

[BGM]

Yeah that's probably about right 15K miles on RFTs though on the Bridgestones they are supposed to last longer than the Dunlops (most of those go at 15K miles). Could be an alignment issue unless you just really burned through the tires. I have the Dunlops with 8K miles on them but still have about 60% tread so hoping to get 15K+ miles on them. I have no spare since I have third row seats and most likely will get RFTs again but I haven't decided yet.

[Lawfarm]

Originally Posted by deutsch100

I'll PM you the number and name of my Mercedes Salesman!! HA ha ha ha

Not to hijack...but I totally don't understand the mentality of your posts over the past few days. Congrats on your new car. Find yourself a nice MB forum. If you have a constructive piece of info to add, go a head. Otherwise, we all see that you bought a new car. I'm glad that its HVAC system works well, that you believe it to be superior, etc. That's great for you. But are you really that insecure in your purchase that you feel the need to constantly come to an X5 site to post about your new MB?

[dbox]

You should switch to non run flats. Contis are great! You'll be so pleased with the new ride quality you won't care about only getting 12k from the originals.

[IndyRon]

Originally Posted by Lawfarm

Not to hijack...but I totally don't understand the mentality of your posts over the past few days. Congrats on your new car. Find yourself a nice MB forum. If you have a constructive piece of info to add, go a head. Otherwise, we all see that you bought a new car. I'm glad that its HVAC system works well, that you believe it to be superior, etc. That's great for you. But are you really that insecure in your purchase that you feel the need to constantly come to an X5 site to post about your new MB?

Excellent post and points...