I have until the close of business tomorrow to decide on the 5-yr wheel & tire plan for $1,079. Lady in MB finance department told me these tires and rims get damaged very easily and more frequently than "regular tires/rims" and are very expensive to replace. Has any of you GLK owners experienced an increase in tire/rim damage with the GLK's? I've never done any damage before to previous car tires/rims and find this a bit suspicious. Is this something you think I should seriously consider? Don't want to make the wrong decision, but also don't want to throw almost $1100 away for nothing (or an extremely remote chance). Please let me know what you think! Thanks!

 

I think a lot of it depends on where you normally park.
There is no question that curbs can do a number on the wheels. However, I haven't parked next to a curb in years.
All my parking is in my garage or in a parking lot.......even my friends don't live where there are curbs.........
So, obviously I passed on the insurance.

 

Thanks....I am torn as to what to do. I will sleep on it tonight!

 

I think the above advice is good. You have to consider that is a little harder to bend/damage an SUV wheel than it is on a car. However, it does cover the tires as well, so if you get a flat, you're covered. Personally, I think it's worth it considering how much they cost.

 

I think you should get it.

 

I got it and am glad I did. I am used to my old Pathfinder where the tire extended out more than the rim, thus giving me some protection against the curb. In the GLK the rims are pretty much flush with the tires, so no protection...

 

I didn't buy the wheel / tire coverage because in a few years if all 4 mags are scratched (most likely just the passenger side), I'll use the $1000 to buy new mags instead.

Or most places will refinish each mag for about $100ish.
At the end you'll save about $400 - $500 (if all 4 need to be refinished).
Tire patch is about $25ish

 

parking has nothing to do with tire and wheel insurance. Scratches on rims are not covered, coverage kicks in only if it's bent and has to be replaced.


To OP:
It all depends what roads you drive on.
I got tire/wheel insurance as I got 20 inch wheels and was afraid of bubbles in the tires since I drive on pretty crappy roads. So far haven't had problems but I have another 4 years to go. Basically one bent rim or 2-3 damaged tires will pay for the insurance. Also insurance can be rolled into your financed amount at low apr so it's added 20 bux a month. One guy here hit huge puthole and blew two front tires and wished he had the insurance, some here will never use it.

Bottom line I'd get it if you have 20 inch rims and crappy roads. If you have 19's or drive on good roads don't bother.

 

We were told ANY road hazard damage to the rims was covered. I asked specifically about a parking curb doing cosmetic damage to the rims and was told it was covered. If I was told the truth, I think the coverage is worth it. If I was lied to, then it probably isn't worth it.

 

Not sure you should buy the coverage.

In term of how easy it damage the rim, my experience is Yes, I just scratch my badly in the drive thru, because the 20" rim is really big.

For other smaller rim it would only leave some mark in the tire wall, but not the rim.

 

I was also told scratches were covered, but I still didn't purchase it.

 

oh no way....i'm gonna check into this as I put a scratch on my rim a week into my onwnership. From what I heard those cost about 100-150 to repair.

 

Take it back and buy a Q5.

 

I was told the same thing...that is why I bought the insurance.

 

I got them but its for real damage like hitting a pothole and having a damaged rim or tire. It is true that the 20" rims will scratch easily on curbs due to the extreme low profile tires.

 

I have it on my current car. I suggest reading the fine prints very carefully as to what is covered. Honestly I felt scammed by my current road hazard / wheel & tire coverage. The dealer told me that it covered everything ie. scratches, bent wheels, patches, and up to 3 new tires. A year ago I was driving in the middle of a highway when I suddenly hit an object in my lane (most likely pothole) and both my left front and back tire were torn, a rim was slightly gouged in the process. The car was towed to the dealer and both tires were replaced no charge, but they wouldn't cover the refinish of the wheel. Thats fine, and I paid for it ($100). A couple months ago I discovered that one of my tires went flat while parked in my garage. I must've picked up a piece of metal that made a wide but thin cut on the treads. So I went to the dealer explaining my situation and they inspected the tires. The dealer claims that the tire is unrepairable and wanted to get me a new tire, but the road hazard company refused the request and asked us to go to another tire shop to get it inspected. I went to Kal Tire and they said that the cut is too wide and its not patchable and that its dangerous, so they recommended getting a new tire. At this point I was quite frustrated and went back to the dealer to tell them that the road hazard package they sold me will not co-operate. Long story short they requested the actual tires be shipped to them to be inspected by their service center w/ me covering the shipping cost and they promised to replace the tire if they deem it unrepairable. I sent the tires to them, wasting another ($75) for a tracked package thinking that they would replace my tires for sure because 2 different tire shop said that it is unrepairable. 2 weeks later the tires came back PATCHED! I decided that its not worth the hassle to argue w/ a company like that and just bought myself a new tire.

On a side note, my current car has a relatively low profile tires (45) and I don't have a single scratch / curb rash. It really depends on your driving skills.

My advice: Be absolutely clear to what their policy is. What tire shop chains are authorized to perform for them. Avoid insurance where you have to make your own claim / have them inspect the condition. Buy an insurance if they have a reputable authorized shop locally.

 

I cancelled mine around December 2009 after bringing in my AMG rims for cosmetic work. Before any work was done my Service Advisor confirmed it is covered by the wheel and tire warranty. I almost got dinged with $395 because MB later denied the warranty claim. I am lucky my dealership didn't ask me to pay a cent as they asborbed the cost.

When I bought the car Feb 2009 I was told by the Finance Manager that cosmetic damages caused by road hazard is covered. Now they tell me that the rim has to be pretty banged up and useless to be covered by warranty.

I suggest you get the coverage in writing before you sign.

 

Quick answer..... NO. It doesn't cover much of anything.... they plug your tires, (unless the puncture is on the sidewall) and they bring in the WheelDoctor ($75 bucks at most) for a bent, scratched or dented wheels... they almost NEVER replace a wheel/tire for anyone.... total waste of money.... buy a brand new spare wheel (20" OEM for less than $700 delivered) and save it for that rainy day.... money much better spent in my opinion.

 

some people blew tires hitting a pothole and were happy they had insurance and other wished they had it. Many of us won't use it, but that's how insurance works. Tire bubbles is another thing that's not repairable.

All depends what roads you drive on.