Just wrapped up a lease on an EV6 GT with the 21 inch wheels.
I’ve been on the fence about the tire and wheel protection. The New England roads aren’t great but I wanted to know if anyone has experience with this protection on a KIA. Admittedly, curbing the wheels has been a pretty regular occurrence in my household and our Subaru seems to run over a nail every 3-6 months (heavy construction always going in the city).
Any opinions on the protection and if $595 is fair for the size of the wheels and tires?
Read the contract VERY closely and make sure you understand exactly what it covers and pays out…a lot of them don’t really cover much after reading fine print.
You need to understand EXACTLY what is covered and if there is any deductible. Will it cover minor cosmetic defects? Does it replace or just patch a tire with a nail?
You are correct that thorough reviews of any contracts should be standard practice.
I was more asking if people had experience with these kind of plans. For example, are dealerships hesitant to approve repairs (despite the contract language) or if the protection is not worth it because manufacturers have been lenient when assessing damage on wheels.
Appreciate the feedback and thanks for taking the time to respond!
I bought the lease return protection for $2k for my EQE. basically if you need to change tires/wheels etc during your lease, you go with the wheels and tire protection. I am more worried about returning the car with curb rash and worn tires, so lease protection provides that at a lower cost. If I get nails, it’s cheap. Even a single tire replacement is like $400-500. The tire and wheels coverage was quoted to me at around $3500. Not worth it I think.
Two words: used tires. I just bought two Pirelli 20 inch tires, ever so slightly used. Retail is close to $500 per tire with tax. I bought 2 of them for $500 all in.
There’s a reason why every dealership aggressively sells these
protection plans. They’re huge money makers for them. It’s like the Best Buy protection plans. Never buy those things.
If the price makes sense and the car has big wheels it’s usually something I opt for. I look at the cost of replacing a tire vs. the cost of the policy and how many it takes to break even.
At $595 it takes 1-2 tires to break even and you still have coverage for remainder of the lease term.
$595 is a very reasonable price for T/W. So if you think you will go through 2 tires or a tire and a rim, it is worth it.
The dealer wants to repair every tire they can since that is how they make money. It is up to the insurance provider to okay the repair. I have had T/W on all my cars and never had an issue making a claim.
I had one tire that needed replacing last year. Somehow a nail got in the sidewall and slashed it. That’s the only tire I can remember ever replacing for reasons other than normal wear. I’ve had plenty of nails which were repaired. Usually for free, sometimes $10-20.
Wheels replaced? NADA! I know how to parallel park. My wife on the other hand… hmm maybe it’s not such a waste of money after all.
I overlooked that his was only $600. That is cheap and probably worth it. For me, I am considering that it will cover all the worn tires, curb rashes, Panel dings, bumper scratches, leather discolorations/damage (I got white leatherette) etc. if I fix all those things for 3 years of use, I am pretty sure the $2000 is worth it for me.
From my past leases, I have not had to replace tires during the lease, but they are usually around the point of being charged for excess wear.
I think it also depends on the person. I have a 2 year old car and
Have you guys not been charged for tires? I thought about used tires but seems like quite a bit of hassle and spending
At ‘only’ 600 he really needs to read what all is actually covered and with what deductible… I’m thinking this particular policy may not be that comprehensive.
My wife on the other hand… hmm maybe it’s not such a waste of money after all.