AppleFan1

This really irks me. I was driving home on the interstate this evening after tennis. I was going 70 mph when suddenly there was a brick on the road on the passenger side. I did not spot it soon enough to avoid it and my right front RFT went right over it with a big thump. I was really worried that the tire got damaged. Sure enough when I got home, my fears were realized. My right front tire has a small bubble on the side wall. Disgusting! Now I need to purchase at least one tire and maybe 2 in order to have a match. These tires have 18,500 miles on them. Upsetting!

Germancar1

You're not blaming the car or the tire I know right?

M

MTrauman

I believe you are inferring something that is not in Bean's statements. He is a bit upset but nowhere is he blaming the car or the tire. I am sure it just pisses him off. I could see myself saying the same thing but in no way blaming the car or the tire.

AppleFan1

Of course I'm not blaming the car or the tire. In fact, had it not been an RFT, the tire may have exploded. Taking the car to the dealer this afternoon.

Germancar1

Ahh ok. Just asking I've seen some really limited owners on here blame the car for their foolishness or mistakes.

M

pdeacon

Sorry to hear about your tire issue. With 18K miles I would go for two tires to match wear. I don't anticipate getting long wear out of these tires. I'm running 20's so I suspect tire life to be in the 20K range if I'm lucky. I'm sure the dealer will check the wheel for any bending. Been down that road before.

hyperion667

sorry to read it Bean......could that be considered under any warranty? tire or anything? even though it was road debris?


gotta love our good pal Germancar1

AppleFan1

I had this checked at the dealer. Actually, the other 3 tires are in very good shape and the service advisor told me that I only need 1 tire. But there is an unforeseen problem. The original tires are Bridgestone Turanza, 245/50R18, EL 400. Unfortunately, this tire is very difficult to find at this time. I was told that it would be May 20 or after before they can get me one. I checked with the dealer in KC as well and they told me the same thing. I also called the local Tire Plus here and they cannot even find this tire. I was given the line that this tire was replaced by the EL42 and that it costs $450. I told him to forget it. The dealer told me that the tire I need will cost me $250. The bubble on the tire is not too big at all so I can drive the car with no problem. However, I will not risk driving it for long trips. I do not plan any long trips this month so I should be okay.

I am having much better luck than you are on the tire wear. I think I can drive for another 15,000-20,000 miles on the original tires. So when the other 3 tires need to be replaced, I will replace all 4.

If any of you have any idea how I can get one of these tires any sooner, I would love to hear from you.

AppleFan1

Hype, I was told that this is not covered under the warranty. Oh well, it's not the end of the world.

hyperion667

I'm assuming they're the stock tires and wheels......yeah?
sounds like you're out of luck.....good time for a new set maybe, I'm weary about replacing just one tire, then it's always better than the rest

ChuckinTucson

It wouldn't be covered under the car's warranty, but if there is Tire & Wheel protection package (at extra cost), it would be covered under that. I've replaced several tires on my ML. That package has more than paid for itself.

AppleFan1

Yes, these are the original tires. I was told today they are still in very good shape and that I would only need to buy one tire.

wilassasin

Wow, lucky that brick didn't cause more damage to the wheel or body of the car. Good that u are ok, sometimes I feel it's just me that those freak things happen to.

pdeacon

Did you try Tire Rack? They have fast delivery and a large inventory.

AppleFan1

The dealer uses Tire Rack to search. When I searched Tire Rack on my own this evening, I found that they have a Bridgestone Potenza RFT in stock. It states that this is an ultra high performance all season tire. I'm not sure if this is basically the same as the Turanzas I have from the factory. I will talk to the dealer again tomorrow. I haver a feeling that I cannot use this Potenza but I'll see tomorrow.

Streamliner

I don't suppose now is a good time to play the old "WHAT IF" game, but, WHAT IF said brick was encountered while on a trip far away from a large metro area, say, in the middle of the Black Hills, or maybe near the Grand Canyon? And, WHAT IF said brick was just an inch of so in a different position and WHAT IF the tire not only blew, but the wheel got damaged to the point where if could no longer be used? Well, I would simply pull over to the side of the road, pull out my trusty W222 jack & tool kit--that I had to buy on eBay, remove the damaged wheel, replace it with my unused W221 compact spare--that I also had to buy on eBay, and I would be on my way, getting myself and my family out of harms way and to a motel where we could relax and make repair arrangements. Too bad the legendary maker of our $100K+ luxo saloons DOESN'T seem to feel that a jack & spare are necessary anymore. I'm part German. For decades a huge portion of my income was derived from marketing German goods. I traveled there many times. I love GERMANY and the people there, but at times, they can be THE most pig headed, obstinate IDIOTS on the face of this planet. Just sayin.

pdeacon

Tire Rack has Turanzas on sale for $201 special. At that price you might want to by more than one. Shop their sight under brand Bridgestone. Hope this helps.

AppleFan1

Thanks for your efforts pdeacon. I checked all those tires out last evening. The Turanza that you see there is not an RFT. Therein lies the problem.

Also, I just found out the Potenza TFT has a different tread than the Turenzas. So, I would need to buy 2 of those as I understand it. I'll just wait a while and see if the Turenza RFT becomes available later this month.

Streamliner

Some might say therein lies a huge opportunity.

AppleFan1

I hear you Streamliner. You obviously had the parts and went through a lot of effort to fix it the way you want it. Most of us are not able to do this. I would MUCH prefer that MB would equip these cars with non RFT's with a spare. Even the dealer admitted to me that the regular tires ride more comfortably. I'm not about to go with regular tires with no spare. I guess, I can't fight city hall.

MBZFAN55

I just went through this same ordeal, needing to replace a 19" Continental RFT, with 4000 miles. I had a sidewall cut, so replacement was critical as MB decided I don't require a spare tire or jack. I am "in the business" and could not find a Continental SSR replacement tire ANYWHERE. It wasn't until I called an industry contact who "found" a tire.

After contacting Mercedes to determine why no replacement tires were available, I was told that due to winter driving conditions, overall demand was higher than expected. They also stated that the problem was exacerbated by utilizing multiple tire vendors rather than one vendor with a larger backup inventory.

My anticipated ride quality issues never materialized with the run flats, but my inability to drive without fear of a tire failure and no spare is outrageous.

Streamliner

Each and every one of us, who are unhappy with the lack of a jack & spare in our new, megabuck cars, NEEDS to call MBUSA Customer Satisfaction at their 1-800-FOR-MERCEDES number and TELL THEM! It's great that we complain on this board, but MB needs to hear from ALL of us, so they finally get the message. In addition, EVERY time you interact with an MB dealer, whether it be a sales person, service advisor, etc., YOU NEED to tell them how unhappy you are, how vulnerable you feel and how utterly disappointed you are that your big, luxurious, very expensive W222 has not even a PLACE for a proper spare. We all need to do this, the sooner, the better.