npa201

Hi all,

This morning I got a flat on the 18" run flats that come standard with the 2016 C450 AMG. I got a tow after the PSI sensor said I was at 0 and the dealership gave me a loaner. Well I just received a call from the dealership that my front tire is backordered with no estimated date. There are roughly 1400 (!) orders ahead of me and he couldn't tell me if this meant days or even months and for now I'm stuck with the loaner.

Does anybody know what's going on with these tires? 1400 people ahead of me seems like a lot of cars for a backorder, especially one that has been using the same tires for a few years now.

While the dealership is accommodating with the free loaner, this one in particular is really a base model compared to my nearly fully loaded C450. There is so much plastic...heck my infotainment system just has a wheel and not that weird hook contraption on top for touch screen capabilities (I've never seen that before on a C300).

Standingoten

Surprised they gave you a base C300. Don't most dealers give decent C300 Sports and E300s now?

npa201

I was also surprised but figured at the time it was due to this not being a scheduled appointment and this was all they had on the lot. I was literally at the dealership a week ago and they gave me a C300 Coupe Sport that was decently outfitted. And I also needed a loaner last summer and they gave me the outgoing model E300 (as the person said "well you have more than a C300 with that C450"). So who knows why this happened and at the time I just figured it would only be a few hours with one and now it could be weeks!

As an aside, is MB now piping the exhaust note into the car via the speakers with the couple model? It definitely sounded as though the engine was louder than my c450 but also coming from the front. If this is the case, that is sort of lame. In the end, I still find the base engine a bit lacking as well as the brakes.

MASSC450

Nope...you're thinking BMW, they do that crap.

npa201

I know that which is why I would be dismayed if they were going that direction with the c300 coupe. But it definitely sounded louder on the coupe than the c300 loaner I have. And at times it seemed louder than the c450. However it was the direction that it was coming from (up front) that was bugging me out.

kleinebin

Another reason to get rid of the run flats asap.

sean1.8t

1400 orders in front of you?

If that isn't another solid piece of evidence that the run-flats are garbage, I don't know what is.

npa201

Yes. 1400 orders in front of me. While I tend to agree that it's likely another reason to move away from RF, then I have to replace all my tires now (i'm at 7200 miles) and at the rate I drive, even if I only get to 15K miles, I'll have at least another year on the existing tires. Does it really make sense to replace them all now? What are people using instead for 18" wheels?

sean1.8t

Are they going to let you only replace the single tire? I'd be surprised as unless the tires are fairly new, putting a single new tire on an AWD car is a big no no. Most tire shops won't even do it as they do not want to be held liable if your differentials blow because of this.

You have to return (if you are leasing) the car with OE run flats that are in good condition so it would be wise to shelf them as soon as possible if they are still in good enough shape for your dealer to accept them.

Michelin pilot super sports are a great tire. But I dunno man. There are dozens of tires that will fit. find the ones that meet your needs and budget. It's not rocket appliance

powerrrrr

It's because Mercedes needs to put certain brand and models of "Mercedes approved" run flats on your model, their tires are probably also ordered through their own supply chain so somebody from your dealer probably messed up big time and forgot to order enough tires for the season since I've never heard of this even happening, considering parts and service is where your dealers make a huge chunk of their income.

Mike5215

Michelin Pilot Supersports will transform the car vs the OEM run flats. But have you tried TireRack for the front that's bad?

You didn't mention the brand of OEM tire, but they have the Contis in stock as of 1/19

jdag

I went to the Michelins, following in large part the advice of Mike 5215, and could not be happier. I bought a slime repair kit for the trunk, and don't think about not having a spare.

Long story short, when my run flat tire blew (~14,000 miles, decent amount of tread remaining), I was unable to drive to a dealership or get a replacement immediately. It really negates 1 of the primary benefits of run-flats.

Anyhow, the Michelins are simply a better option in terms of handling and road noise. I also assume they will be longer lasting. I've been driving for 33 years, and the OEM run flat was my 1st and hopefully last blowout. I would suggest getting 4 new non-run-flats, put the 3 you have in storage, and get 1 more before you turn in your lease to complete the set.

npa201

OK, I spoke with them today. They said somehow that the tire is coming monday (go figure). The rep told me that they "checked" the other tires and only the one needed replacement. I'm assuming they believe the tread on the other front tire is fine. I know there is that old rule of thumb that one should always replace all the tires or at least the matching front or rear tires at the same time but do you think this will really be a big deal to replace one? The car only has about 7300 miles and almost all of the mileage is on local driving at <45 MPH which I'm going to assume is less wear and tear on the tires?

And I will look into non RF when the other tires need replacement (I do not have a lease).

jdag

I know you only need 1 tire now...but I would still urge you to at least ask about moving over to the Michelins.

removedCFGaccount

Yes, the Pilots are smooth running!

chicago-guy

Anyone have a bad experience with Pirelli 18" all season run-flats? (245/40R18) They came with my car. I've been overall happy with them, although they seem to grip better on wet pavement than dry. There's also noticeable feedback from road conditions that isn't near as strong as other euro brands I've driven but certainly not cushy. ??

sean1.8t

I'm just guessing here, but, run-flat technology is run-flat technology. It's going to be more or less, the same when comparing brands given they are the same types of tires.

And the consensus among car enthusiasts across the automotive world, is that they are garbage. They can serve a purpose in a very very small instance, but their drawbacks outweigh their advantages x100.

I especially don't see the point of them when the car is equipped with complimentary road-side-service. And if you don't have a car that comes with that type of service, then you should have AAA. If you don't then you are crazy IMO. It's like $60 a year for Pete's sake.