UPDATE

All Four (4) tires were changed.

Brake Pads were changed.

Still awaiting to hear about the click in my seat.

 

Guess I need to buy this tire insurance plan. How much did it cost you? I hate buying any warranties from dealers because of the intense markup. But I ordered these 20 inch tires too and I need to take these bubble risks seriously.

 

If I recall, it was $2395.

I just put my first claim in a month into driving - for 4 tires.... $550 per.

Dealer officially hates me. lol


From here on - they lose money everytime i put a claim in.

 

worth every penny, I highly recommend both the paint and tire/rim warranty.

 

It also covers wheels. Not just the tires. Bend a rim - they pay.

 

Nope, it's a Goodyear problem. Check the BMW forums- BMW used those tires for a while on the 3, 5 and 7 series and it was horrendous for the 5 and 7 owners. At one point there were no tires in the northeast because they were all failing. I went though 11 in 10 months. Also happened to be the first 11 tires I've ever had bubble on me, and I've had many low profile tires. I think a major issue is the tires were not designed to handle the extra weight these vehicles have- there doesn't seem to be much of a problem on the 3 series with the same tire, only on the 5,6 and 7 series.

I'm surprised MB used them knowing how horrible they are. I had BMW switch me to Dunlop Sport Maxx and the bubbles ended- the tires were also significantly better!

 

Couldn't agree more. I just did the paperwork for my car today and added the coverage to my bill.

 

Exactly. Tried to point that out as well but I guess this is all new to MB owners (and dealers alike). Goodyear is very aware of the issue and appears to handle these claims fast, even without any tire/wheel insurance you should be covered.

 

UPDATE:

All Tires replaced. Warranty covered it all.

Also had my brake pads changed because of the squeal.

 

Congrats to you but it is just ridiculous that MB would go to runflat tires. Hopefully this won't be a repeating issue.

 

Not to be negative, but I do think this will happen again shortly after picking up the car this Monday. The roads are even worse now than they were this past month. The salt has turned our highway into multiple lanes of craters.

It has become IMPOSSIBLE to drive 2 or 3 miles without hitting a crater. They are spread across the lanes in random spots, and even the most skilled slalom driver couldn't avoid these holes.

Anyways, it was insurance well used! The bill shows I'd have had to pay $1700+. A couple more tires and I've exceeded the cost of the insurance!

 

+1

 

The worst part is, there is no distinct spot to carry a spare tire unless you want to leave it in the trunk above the carpet flooring.

So any contemplation of switching all 4 tires to regular Michelin Pilots is not feasible.

Go figure, TireRack doesn't even stock the tires for the Sports Package Plus 1 vehicle.

One would be forced to go to the dealer in this scenario.

 

So we couldn't go to the aftermarket for non-run flat tires?

 

According to Tire Rack - the 20" wheels option brings about a screen that says our tires are not offered.

 

Ok, then I must avoid potholes at all costs.

 

I do my best, but driving the car home today was literally a challenge. Belt Parkway literally is the surface of the moon.

They just paved it too. Ridiculous.

Unions getting whatever they want. The citizens have to suffer.

Not a single Union boss would allow their private driveway to have so much as a visible seam in the cement....ironic.

 

Well thank you for this thread. Without it, I would have not known this issue. I've never had run flats in my life, and really know nothing about them. All I've heard is this, and the fact that they create a harsher ride, which is something that bothers me about my car that's coming. I want the softest ride available, but I love the 20" wheels the best for this car. Man, tough decisions......

 

If it is truly a defective tire/problem why would they use that tire? That is a **** poor decision if so.

M

 

Unfortunately it is not a tire issue, but a bad road issue. Perhaps other brands might fare slightly better, but not significantly so. The sidewall on a 20" tire for the S-Class will not handle the potholes in the northeast no matter how good the tire is. No low-profile tire is designed to run on NYC type potholes.

My suggestion, buy a set of 18" wheels and winter tires. While these are great in the snow-season (Nov to Feb), they are also much better in pothole season, which extends into April or so....when they finally get them repaired.

Of course they dont look as nice, but you will not likely have this problem. Good luck!!!

 

Honestly, potholes I think they could handle "relatively" well.

Craters not a chance. I'm talking craters that can hold a good half gallon of water or more. The entire tire would be swallowed in one. Sick....

Picture this...in every lane....the entire length of the belt parkway.


Looks like someone else used my moon crater phrase.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/...ticle-1.410990

Potholes on two Belt Parkway bridges are so bad they slow traffic to a standstill and cause frequent flat tires, drivers charge.

"It's like the craters of the moon," said Annette Cordina, 61, of Bay Ridge, who said she has counted 20 potholes on the Mill Basin Bridge and 10 more on the Paerdegat Basin Bridge, some as large as 3 feet in diameter.

Cordina, 61, a retired social worker, said traffic tieups caused by the bumpy bridges add up to 45 minutes to the trips she makes to Long Island several times a week to care for an elderly aunt.

"You can't drive over that bridge going more than five miles an hour because it's so bad," she said.

 

http://brooklyn.news12.com/news/driv...ways-1.6885271


http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/03/...der-than-ever/

 

The Goodyear tires may be extra soft and sticky, but, this really has more to do with the lack of sidewall on a 20" wheel/tire combo. Go to Volvo forums and read about Pirellis tires bubbling or blowing. You can find every brand doing this with extremely low profile tires. The only available "hedge" at this time is to go with Run Flat tires. They are much more resistant to impacts. I left my S350 with the stock 18" and have never had a problem. Plenty of sidewall to absorb the impacts.

 

20" on an S-class are low profile tires but not extreme low profile in any way. Those would be 22's, given the size of the cars.

Bad streets clearly are destructive to tires and more so to rims, but Goodyear runflats are well known to bubble independent or road condition.

BMW has used these tires for a long time across their models and they are hated by most people.
Mercedes unfortunately has gone the same route, but their suspension setup appears to be better adjusted for it.

That said, run flats are still inferior in ride quality and comfort, traction and life span. I changed mine to performance tires and it's a world of difference.
I am sure there will be alternative tire options available for the 20".

 

+1,

I have 20" amg's on my 221 and hit normal size potholes with no damage to any of my wheels or tires. I agree any crater or impact that is very hard to any tire will be destructive but 20" wheels with the amount of rubber on our tires are safe to drive. I also had the amg 19" wheels and they ofcourse had a softer ride but I agree with Wolfman that the runflats also contribute to this issue as many will soon find out even when weather breaks and the roads are fixed. In my opinion, if one wishes to stick with the factory spec runflat tires I would suggest you go with a smaller wheel with more rubber to support such as a 19' on the Sclass. I would also suggest going with a different brand than goodyear if available, I've personally had nightmares with the michelin runflats as well but I do hear that the goodyears are terrible too.