I was good to move forward in this transfer and spoke with the owner and confirmed some of the details. In confirming condition, it was shared the front right tire has a bubble in the sidewall and chunks out of the rear tire as well as some significant wheel rash. He shared his BMW dealer advised him against replacing the tire(s) and that he’s had a number of BMWs and never been charged for wheel damage. I’m looking for the community to weigh in here as my local dealer said both tires need replacement and if the tread on the good tires was less than 7/32 then they would need to be within 30% matching tread depth. This could be $2k in tires plus a wheel repair. My dealer also said the wheel is absolutely chargeable.
Needs wheel refinished (probably a mobile wheel guy could do it for $150-$175) and a new tire. No question.
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Two tires right? The front has the bubble and the rear has chunks out of the sidewall.
Yes sorry - missed that they were separate.
Not going to cost that much and this is such a good deal that it would be worth it even after repairing the wheels.
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Looks like at $1,200 for tires, install and wheel repair. Seller advised the tread is at 10/32nd. So $1,700 including the transfer fee to get this baby going.
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I think it may still be a good deal, but definitely annoying. It’s one of those things I’d probably leave since I’d have to replace the tires later anyway. As long as it’s not a safety risk of course.
The wheel I’d take care of right away.
Having a tire potentially explode when going 70mph is not something you want to increase the chance of, especially as it’s a performance vehicle so you put more stress on them.
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A big car on 35/20 tires. Crazy, IMO.
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The bubbled tire I would absolutely replace. But I’d drive the other tire as is if tread is good.
Let me weigh-in here because no one has stated the obvious regarding the tire questions.
Buy used tires off eBay with free shipping.
I slapped on 2 used tires when turning in my BMW 7 series recently. Total cost including shipping of 2 identical RFT rears? $140 shipped. Install? $20.
Total: $160
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If turning the car in maybe, driving on em the rest of the lease? Nah. Some tire installers won’t install used tires either. My life is worth more than saving a couple bucks on ebay used tires
Glad to hear the original leasee disclosed the details but annoying it wasn’t in the initial ad.
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Agreed Trato, I should have disclosed this earlier. That’s my fault for not thinking this was a major issue. Overall even if you need to replace the tires, which my service advisor said to just change them when they wear down, I still feel that the overall deal itself is better than any other offers on this optioned up M550 and more than compensates for any tires that may need to be replaced.
Get the star RSC tires not MO. Anyway i agree. You’d need to buy tires for this car anyway before lease is up. Lovely car and i wish i could take it!
I’ve purchased used Continental ContiSport Contact tires used for another BMW and got three of them on no problem. The fourth has a bubble in the sidewall that makes the one pictured look small. (In many cases you can’t see hidden tire damage until they are on and inflated). Then I had to hunt down another tire with similar usage then go back to the installer. It was a headache to say the least albeit there was a healthy savings.
I wouldn’t take down this path for this car though.
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I’d seriously consider finding a new SA. Bubble in tire means a belt had broken, or the inner liner has failed. Broken belt in tire is not something you want to test and see how long you can drive on before replacing, especially on a sidewall that small.
For him to recommend just continuing to drive on them has to be one of the dumbest things he could’ve recommended.
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Regarding the wheel, I had all 4 of them in way worse condition than that and, when I turned my BMW in, they didn’t say anything about it. They did however reached under the the bumper and noticed some curb rush there and charge me for that, and a dent in the door about 3" long. They asked me if I wanted an estimate from a 3rd party but we eventually settled for 10% less than what they were asking.
Also, if the tires are run-flat, which mine were, there isn’t a big risk if they blowout according to Edmunds:“Better stability after a blowout: Because this tire can support the vehicle for miles without air, a sudden deflation results in less weight transfer and tread destabilization. Steering and handling will remain near normal.”
Adypoko, these tires are non run flat unfortunately.
You should seriously consider replacing these tires ASAP, as you’re not only jeopardizing your own safety, but also that of every one you are driving around should that tire give out before you transfer it. Arguably, this should also be noted in your description of the car, as someone could overlook this safety issue should you transfer without them noticing, putting their life in danger as well.
Check out this video on I95 in PA…maybe this will help your decision.
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