Table 1 shows one common wheel related problems of the 2008 BMW 335.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Wheel problems |
I purchased my vehicle in March of 2010. I average less than 650 miles per month and drive only on los angeles county streets. A month after leasing my vehicle, all four of the tires split and I was informed by the dealership that it was due to the previous owner not maintaining the alignment. I immediately replaced all four (4) tires with bridgestone potenza run-flat tires, as required by my lease. Six months later, in October of 2010, I again had numerous tire pressure issues, and returned to the dealership November 19. I was informed that there was no issue with the tires, but a tire sensor issue. When I picked-up the vehicle, the sensor was on. I have now been informed that the rear wheel rims are cracked and that the rear tires may need to be replaced again. According to my research, my issues are common among owners with the BMW factory rims in combination with the bridgestone potenza run-flat tires, and causes a significant safety risk. Furthermore, my first set of tires was so damaged from the interior walls (not visible unless on a lift) that they could have easily split in normal driving, placing me again at a severe safety risk.
BMW 3 series and also other series with run flat tires have an issue that with an average bump like a manhole cover the wheel will crack. I have replaced 3 so far on my wifes 2008 335xi at my cost. After research I have seen that this is a common issue and that everyone has had the same experience with BMW denying it was the wheel. The car only has 35,000+/- miles on it. When brought in due to rapid air loss BMW states it was the driving conditions not their wheel. I accepted this the first time but after 3 wheels I feel there is a major design or material defect. It seems to be the run flat style tires. I thought maybe it was the tires so I switched from the factory tires to a different brand based on the dealers recommendation after the first wheel cracked and still have had the issue two more times. My wife has an older mercedes that she drives the same way and it has the same wheels from 2003. It must be the wheels supplied by BMW.