Hi
I reside in NJ and have a leased 2024 BMW iX50 with 7k mile on it. I took my vehicle for the annual check and learnt that in the front 2 tires, the tread is measured at 8 but on the inside portion of the tread, they are measured at 3. Dealership is quoting 1100 for tire replacement / 350 for alignment. Any suggestions on what I should do?
Thanks for your time and responses here.
Turn the steering wheel in either direction to full lock, park and get out. Can you visibly see the inner tread is way more worn than the center and outside?
If you do then yeah you’ll need new tires soon and an alignment. Costco and tire rack are your best bets for tires.
Thanks for the reply. Seems like I will need replacement. Should I try and replace with the exact same brand as the one the car came with or do I have some leeway (relevant for when I need to return the car back after the lease ends next year)
Brand doesn’t matter. The other specs (size, speed rating, etc) need to match. Just enter your vehicle info on Costco or tire rack’s website.
Take it to a tire place for an alignment and new tires, these are never more expensive than at the dealership.
IIRC you have to match the size and speed rating of the OEM tires, runflat or not, and they have to be the same brand on each axel. Easiest to replace with the same exact tire, Costco/Sams/BJs/Discount Tire should be less than you were quoted.
BMW uses a special tire for electric and hybrids that have a softer rubber and a foam insulation inside that limits tire road noise from infiltrating the cabin. The softer tires along with the heavier vehicle cause the tires to wear out expeditiously quicker.
True. Flipside there, I had the Michelins on mine and they made it nearly 25K with a corrected alignment and regular rotations.
Our iX need rear tire replacement every 8k miles due to the excessive wear at the middle. The inside/outside still have 7/32 when the middle down to 3/32. The recommended pressure for rear is higher than the front. Our front can last 20k without issue. Good luck
As a note, load rating is very important on EV’s
First off, verify those measurements independently, either yourself or by a trusted shop. And if the inside is really much worse than the outside but has at least 4/32 left, consider taking those off and putting them back on at return if you have a place to store them.
Excessive tire wear in the middle is a sign of over inflation. Have you tried lowering the pressure to see how it affects wear and handling?Also check pressure with a gauge and don’t rely solely on the TPMS readings. I realize these are heavy vehicles but your situation sounds strange.