[Neil McRae]

Originally Posted by mark@vorny.co.uk

Picked this up today, interesting....

All the BMW's parked up at Bruntingthorpe holding ground had the 19" rims removed last week and replaced with 18" rims. Apparantly there is a huge amount of these rims awaiting collection as a result. Heard this from a local guy who is aware of the issues I have had and his good friend works there.

Is this finally an admission by BMW they are not fit for purpose ? Be good to hear from anybody who has picked this info up via a dealership ?

or that they have ran out of replacements for those buying them?

[JUI1489]

Well, Im in exactly the same boat as many others here. We've got 18"'s on our car and we got a puncture last Sunday and took it to our local Kwikfit for replacement, first thing Mon. Tyre had to be ordered in for next day so asked they check the other tyres too for wear etc in case they needed replacing at the sametime.

All other tyres were fine, and collected car next day - no problem.

Anyway, my partner was coming home late in the evening and the car handling changed suddenly so he pulled over. New tyre extremely hot and didnt appear to have much air - but no warning light on the dash.

He took car back to Kwikfit to investigate and they found hairline cracks all around the alloy and said that we would have to take it up with the dealer, as the alloy certainly wasnt like that before the tyre was replaced, otherwise they wouldnt have replaced the tyre and we would have been informed.
He was left stranded at Kwikfit so we called BMW Assistance who arranged for the car to be taken to dealer for further investigation.

Having investigated the car, the dealership have said that the car actually has 2 cracked alloys on the rear and requires 3 new tyres!?!? Thats some bill for a puncture!! It does NOT fall under warranty and we have obviously hit a pothole 'wrong'? or mounted a kerb? and not realised it. Even though there is no signs of impact anywhere. We KNOW we havent hit anything.

When we quized the dealer about whether any other customers with the same problem and they said that there had been probably only 2 other customers over the last couple of years - but same thing - impact damage!

So, having joined your website, I couldnt believe how many others have had the same problem and we arent actually losing our minds!

Obviously next option to write directly to BMW then small claims. Has anyone had any luck at all with this?

Jules x

[Carrera RSR]

Bridgestone are launching a 'new' 3G RFT tyre

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=279333

I noticed they are only 5% stiffer than conventional tyres not 15% for the current RFT. Although this will help with ride comfort it will obviously help in reducing alloy rim fatigue and failure that is obviously a common occurance with BMW wheels. Not that BMW will admit to!!

Also noticed they used 17 and 18" rims rather than 19"s

[pjs]

Originally Posted by JUI1489

Well, Im in exactly the same boat as many others here. We've got 18"'s on our car and we got a puncture last Sunday and took it to our local Kwikfit for replacement, first thing Mon. Tyre had to be ordered in for next day so asked they check the other tyres too for wear etc in case they needed replacing at the sametime.

All other tyres were fine, and collected car next day - no problem.

Anyway, my partner was coming home late in the evening and the car handling changed suddenly so he pulled over. New tyre extremely hot and didnt appear to have much air - but no warning light on the dash.

He took car back to Kwikfit to investigate and they found hairline cracks all around the alloy and said that we would have to take it up with the dealer, as the alloy certainly wasnt like that before the tyre was replaced, otherwise they wouldnt have replaced the tyre and we would have been informed.
He was left stranded at Kwikfit so we called BMW Assistance who arranged for the car to be taken to dealer for further investigation.

Having investigated the car, the dealership have said that the car actually has 2 cracked alloys on the rear and requires 3 new tyres!?!? Thats some bill for a puncture!! It does NOT fall under warranty and we have obviously hit a pothole 'wrong'? or mounted a kerb? and not realised it. Even though there is no signs of impact anywhere. We KNOW we havent hit anything.

When we quized the dealer about whether any other customers with the same problem and they said that there had been probably only 2 other customers over the last couple of years - but same thing - impact damage!

So, having joined your website, I couldnt believe how many others have had the same problem and we arent actually losing our minds!

Obviously next option to write directly to BMW then small claims. Has anyone had any luck at all with this?

Jules x

Welcome to the thread. I'd reccomend you go after the dealer. BMW (UK) Ltd will stick with the line that they only market and distribute the vehicles to independent dealers. Keep hold off your cracked wheels though, one day we can all get together with them for a great photoshoot! check out post 126

[28 AC]

Just in the process of taking action against BMW (UK) Ltd.
I should have looked at the forums first then I would have listed the dealer as second defendant.
Although the dealer went bust, into admin or whatever just before christmas.

[Neil McRae]

which dealer went bust?

[28 AC]

May not have been bust in the legal sence, but serious financial difficulties resulting in them beeing taken over by Rybrook

[crackerjack]

after 15 months of hard work on my part i.e sourcing MIRA to prepare a report on my wheels and some excellent litigating by my solicitor , i have today banked a cheque by my local BMW dealer for full settlement of my claim.....however may i add that it was settled on a goodwill basis without acceptance of liability.

It included all costs including legal ones that i incurred during this lengthy process (please note my wheels were replaced in March 2008)

I feel repeated badgering and issuing proceedings finally did it......in summary dont give up.i look forward to my next meeting with the Service Manager

[willhollin]

Originally Posted by crackerjack

after 15 months of hard work on my part i.e sourcing MIRA to prepare a report on my wheels and some excellent litigating by my solicitor , i have today banked a cheque by my local BMW dealer for full settlement of my claim.....however may i add that it was settled on a goodwill basis without acceptance of liability.

It included all costs including legal ones that i incurred during this lengthy process 9 (please note my wheels were replaced in March 2008)

I feel repeated badgering and issuing proceedings finally did it......in summary dont give .look forward to my next meeting with the Service Manager

Well done and a great result for all your hard work.

How I chuckle when these huge companies pay out "without prejudice"

[xenon]

Excellent news crackerjack. I suspected they would settle without admission of liability but it's still a good sign for the rest of us.

Well done for seeing it through.

[kellyann]

I'm glad to here someone has won a case against BMW for the damage to the alloy's.

I just replaced all the tyres on my car, and I was told that one of the wheels has 3 fractures on the rim.
These are not hairline cracks or no where near it.


My car is still in warranty, so i contacted the dealer in NI, and there is nothing they can do.
The response is the car is not built for the roads here... So why are they selling them.

They just admitted the wheels are not fit for their purpose so why the hell are they allowed to sell them.

I'm tired of these big firms ripping us off.

I have to buy a new alloy wheel and it is going to cost me 600 euro.

The dealer tried to tell me that I hit a pot hole and it caused 3 cracks in 3 different locations on the alloy rim.

If the crack was in one spot maybe it was a pot hole, but 3 different cracks, come on.

I am going to take this further, I think everyone should report this to watchdog, the more people that do this, maybe BMW will have to own up to their mistakes.

[pjs]

Originally Posted by crackerjack

after 15 months of hard work on my part i.e sourcing MIRA to prepare a report on my wheels and some excellent litigating by my solicitor , i have today banked a cheque by my local BMW dealer for full settlement of my claim.....however may i add that it was settled on a goodwill basis without acceptance of liability.

It included all costs including legal ones that i incurred during this lengthy process (please note my wheels were replaced in March 2008)

I feel repeated badgering and issuing proceedings finally did it......in summary dont give up.i look forward to my next meeting with the Service Manager

Well done Sir. Any chance of some evidence of this victory?

[crackerjack]

i hope the following will suffice
id rather keep the exact costs claimed out of it
thanks

[markcow]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum, and stumbled on it whilst looking for evidence of other people having problems with the 225 alloys.

We have a 330i Convertible 57 plate with 12K on the clock, which we bought from Lloyd BMW in Colne four months ago.

Cracks were found on the inside of both rear wheels when the car went in for a routine service last week. Lloyd informed us of the problem, put the car on the ramps and let us have a look at it.

There was absolutely no damage to the tyre walls, or surrounding area that you might expect with an impact; and they said they would keep the car in and run testing the following morning when they could speak with BMW.

To be fair to Lloyd, they have given me a courtesty car to use until I have spoken with BMW customer services today (something i am just about to do).

Lloyd came back to me just after 6pm yesterday evening (right after BMW Customer Services had closed), and told me that having run the radial run out test that the rear wheels exceeded the .3mm limit and that BMW's opinion (not BMW's not theres) was that the car had had impact damage from a pot hole or a high curb.

I know absolutely that the car has not had any serious impact, and has never been driven off a curb. Driving a low profile tyred car of of a high curb is not a good idea .

Having now had a look around the internet last night and this morning, this issue appears to be world wide, I have seen postings from the US and all over Europe.

I have also submitted the fault (as was suggested on this forum) to Watchdog too. Irrespective of what happens to me and whether BMW sort it out or not, they have to accept that there is a faulty batch, or design issue with the 225 alloys, especially when coupled with the low profiles. They appear to simply not up to the job.

Thanks to all the other posters on this thread and the forum for their comments on their own problems, this has certainely assured me that it was not my fault.

[markcow]

Well, just spoke to BMW Customer Services. Spoke to a very nice lady, who listened to what i had to say, and was going to speak with Lloyd BMW and then contact me back.

Let's see what happens now.

Just also wanted to say something that I missed out above. This is our first BMW, and the service at Lloyd throughout this issue has so far been extremely good. I know, from reading the forums, that other people have had issues with their dealers on this, but we really have not. So well done to them; let's hope BMW UK now can follow their dealers lead.

[pjs]

Originally Posted by crackerjack

i hope the following will suffice
id rather keep the exact costs claimed out of it
thanks

Thanks for that mate, makes interesting reading (with a new angle on the cause of the front wheel crack) and well done. I guess you were prepared to risk a substantial amount in your own legal costs to get this result.

[F31-340i]

That letter looks like a cop out to me. Basically it appears to me that BMW decided that they were on a looser for all wheels but were concerned over the flood gate ramifications of admitting it - hence they drum up a plausible front wheel story while reinforcing their "rear wheels impact damage not our problem" line. It therefore appears in public that they are not infact admitting liability when infact if push came to shove they would have had to if they hadn't effectively kept crackjack happy (by stumping up).

[Rushall]

Originally Posted by crackerjack

after 15 months of hard work on my part i.e sourcing MIRA to prepare a report on my wheels and some excellent litigating by my solicitor , i have today banked a cheque by my local BMW dealer for full settlement of my claim.....however may i add that it was settled on a goodwill basis without acceptance of liability.

It included all costs including legal ones that i incurred during this lengthy process (please note my wheels were replaced in March 2008)

I feel repeated badgering and issuing proceedings finally did it......in summary dont give up.i look forward to my next meeting with the Service Manager

Congratulations Crackerjack - great result.

If you haven't done so already, is it worth you outlining what approach you took (e.g. which entity you took proceedings against, what evidence you provided, which solicitor you employed, what legal position they took etc?)

Whilst I'm not one of the unfortunate owners, it maybe that those who are affected might want to mirror your approach (and possibly take joint action using your lawyer).


best

Rush

[Neil McRae]

what that letter does give you is the fact that BMW (UK) Ltd are more than a marketing organisation - which is great news.

[edowen]

I would suggest if one person has won - the rest should just keep the pressure up.

I'd also recommend some repeated key words on this thread as per the Big Motoring World thread to ensure this thread is high up the google search for all the other people who havent found it yet.

So thats bmw alloy wheels suffering cracks, some hairline cracks, and BMW UK and BMW AG refusing to replace those cracked alloy wheels, stating that the BMW alloy wheels have suffered from an impact, despite the cracks being in more than one place, and the tyres showing no signs of impact damage. Shame on BMW AG and BMW UK saying they sell to independent dealers and trying to absolve responsibility - they dont tell you that when they sell you a car eh?

So, BMW sort the clear and obvious cracking alloy problem once and for all before it ruins your reputation completely.

[Rushall]

Originally Posted by edowen

I would suggest if one person has won - the rest should just keep the pressure up.

I agree, although I suspect it will be the specific nature of Crackerjack's legal case that has led to his success.

That's why I suggest it would be interesting to know the details of Crackerjack's case - then the effected people could club together and possibly pursuit group legal action using Crackerjack's lawyer.

I'm no expert but seems like a logical approach.

[charliemack]

what rims are having this problem My dad has a 06 550i that he just took in and found out he had a cracked rim in the rear.