Cracked Alloys

[Lauren87]

Apologies if this has been posted before. Has anyone else on here had any problems with cracked alloys? My car went in for a minor service last week (fluid change). Had a phone call from the dealer shortly after lunch saying that my rear (19' M sport, drivers side) had three cracks in it, knowing nothing about the problem I asked the dealer to change the alloy, doing a bit of research it seems like this is quite a common thing!

Has anyone else had a similar thing? We're planning on pursuing it with BMW UK, has anyone else done so and been successful in claiming back the money for the new alloy?

I went into the dealer today to pick up the alloy, they had kept it because they were going to do some tests on it to see if it was a manufacturing fault (shock horror it wasn't, was given the usual response 'You must have hit a pot hole!) I couldn't even see the cracks!!!!! Whilst I was in there another woman was in there, picking up her alloy, she had had the exact same thing, car had been in for a service it needs a new alloy. BMW's latest scam????? I'm baffled as also to why its only the rear wheel instead of the front, surely the front would have taken a lot of the impact.

Sorry is this has been discussed to death!

[g3org3y]

Lauren87 said:

BMW's latest scam?????

Seems a common prob, widely reported on many forums.

I suspect that's just what happens when one has 19+ inch alloys with elastic band tyres.

Never had a cracked 15 inch BBS cross spoke from normal driving :P

[roofer]

[Redarress]

Had my E60 525 M sport since 2005. Have three cracked wheels and one warped on sitting in my garage !

[tcarson]

Hi
I have a e93 m sport over the past six months both rear alloys have failed with cracks. I've had no issue replacing under BMW warranty. The only battle I had was to replace tyres which after some "discussion" was sorted.
My advise hold your ground it's a common issue and BMW should be seeking a good customer service level to rectify these issues. Google is your friend in seeking other examples.

[Lauren87]

Thanks for the responses guys, definitely going to be pursuing it! Clearly there seems to be a manufacturing fault which their not admitting too!

Seems like even the BBC have covered it too: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2009/10/bmw_al...

[ArsE92]

I had a cracked 19" 230 wheel last month at MOT time. My local BMW dealer performed a 'run off' test and as the results were outside the tolerances, BMW paid the bill.

Good thread here

[g3org3y]

Is this just an issue affecting BMWs or do other similarly over sized alloyed/under tyred German brands also have problems with cracking?

[Gaygle]

ArsE92 said:

I had a cracked 19" 230 wheel last month at MOT time. My local BMW dealer performed a 'run off' test and as the results were outside the tolerances, BMW paid the bill.

Good thread here

I think you mean "within the tolerance". BMW have set a 2mm tolerance for alloys. This is the maximum amount the alloy is allowed to be deformed to successfully pass the runout test. Any more than this and BMW conclude that you have bent the alloy going down potholes and it has cracked due to this.

[JNW1]

g3org3y said:

Is this just an issue affecting BMWs or do other similarly over sized alloyed/under tyred German brands also have problems with cracking?

The impression I get is that it's mainly BMW's that are affected and I just wonder whether the run-flat tyres - with their relatively stiff side walls - are a contributory factor? Manufacturers like Audi and Mercedes offer similar wheel and tyre combinations but with conventional tyres and I get the impression they suffer fewer problems with cracked wheels. The M-cars also come with conventional tyres and I don't recall many reports of cracked alloys on those either (although in fairness that could just be a reflection of there being fewer M-cars around to start with!).

[roofer]

JNW1 said:

(although in fairness that could just be a reflection of there being fewer M-cars around to start with!).

Not heard of it happening to 'M' cars, just run of the mill BMW's with 19'.

I've had it happen with 19 Alpinas with normal tyres and my cars always have the RF's removed as soon as i buy them.

Tyre fitter tells me Jag 20's are a common problem too. Its more the state of UK roads imo.

[g3org3y]

roofer said:

Not heard of it happening to 'M' cars, just run of the mill BMW's with 19'.

I've had it happen with 19 Alpinas with normal tyres and my cars always have the RF's removed as soon as i buy them.

Tyre fitter tells me Jag 20's are a common problem too. Its more the state of UK roads imo.

Plus I think we're just pushing things to quite the extreme, on 19s or 20s the sidewall is absolutely minimal and with run flats there is no 'give'. It's no wonder cracks occur.

Re the M models. On the E36, iirc the M3 alloys were forged rather than cast (lighter/stronger). Is this still the case for the M model alloys now?

[ThunderSpook]

I've just had a cracked 18 on my E61. Unfortunately BMW only seem to admit to a problem with the 19's.

[thegreatdogwood]

I got the tyre pressure warning go off this morning and 30 mins later was looking at the crack to the inside of my 20" E70 front alloy.

Charged £660 to order a new alloy and wheel to be inspected tomorrow albeit dealer was at pains to say he had never seen an x5 alloy cracked before. I was at pains to say I would have remebered hitting a pothole as the suspension is hardly cosseting so lrts see what they have to say on inspection

[bigdom]

It's due to the offset on the wheel. Older cars and M cars run a different offset. It's all to do where the weight sits over wheel in relation to rim, runflats do make this worse. The new models F10 etc, have gone back to running a more traditional wheel offset.

[stuart-b]

bigdom said:

It's due to the offset on the wheel. Older cars and M cars run a different offset. It's all to do where the weight sits over wheel in relation to rim, runflats do make this worse. The new models F10 etc, have gone back to running a more traditional wheel offset.

Gone back to a more traditional offset? Wonder why that was ...

[HFLagos]

thegreatdogwood said:

I got the tyre pressure warning go off this morning and 30 mins later was looking at the crack to the inside of my 20" E70 front alloy.

Charged £660 to order a new alloy and wheel to be inspected tomorrow albeit dealer was at pains to say he had never seen an x5 alloy cracked before. I was at pains to say I would have remebered hitting a pothole as the suspension is hardly cosseting so lrts see what they have to say on inspection

I had a cracked alloy on my E70 X5 (also on 20"). Had to pay £475 for a replacement, dealer denied there was any issue and that the wheels were fit for purpose.

Few months later, a different wheel cracked. This time, I had given up with previous dealer and took it to another one. New dealer also denied there was an issue, but was happy to speak to BMW UK about it. A day later I get a call from new dealer, "BMW will provide the replacement alloy free of charge, we were asked to examine the wheel and we agree there's a defect".

I called up BMW UK and mentioned I'd forked out £475 a couple of months earlier, remarkably they also confirmed they'd cover that. Old dealer issued a refund.

No cracked alloys since (been 2-3 years), but clearly 20" wheels on run flats with 35 profile tyres aren't a good combination, but this is what BMW happily fit.

[Reardy Mister]

Im too scared to look at my 230s as Im almost certain I will find more crack than Croyden.

Check out E90post forum where people have attempted action against BMW and got no where. I appears to depend on your dealer and the cars service history.

Add it to the list of "things that shouldnt happen to a BMW".

[Dealon]

Reardy Mister said:

Im too scared to look at my 230s as Im almost certain I will find more crack than Croyden.

Check out E90post forum where people have attempted action against BMW and got no where. I appears to depend on your dealer and the cars service history.

Add it to the list of "things that shouldnt happen to a BMW".

If anybody needs cracked alloys repairing I can get them welded and fully refurbished collection is available in the UK.

[Dealon]

Hi
Does anyone have cracked 19 inchs for sale?