Sold a BMW without run-flats

LonanIreland

I was sold a used BMW 320d last year by a 'reputable' Dublin car dealer and got it appraised last month to see how much I could get for it if I sold it on.

It turns out the the car has not got run-flats, which BMWs should be fitted with as there is no spare tyre.

Looks like the previous owner has put on standard winter tyres instead. No response from the dealer who sold me the car when I emailed him. Can I go after him to get them replaced? Can cars be sold without a spare tyres that do not have run-flats - i.e. has he broken any rules.

Anyone who knows the consumer rights on this would be appreciated. I know it should be buyer beware, but that's why I went to a 'decent' garage in the first place.

Hogzy

You dont have a leg to stand on unless he told you there were run flats fitted on the car.

Jimdagym

Hogzy wrote: »

You dont have a leg to stand on unless he told you there were run flats fitted on the car.

And you have it in writing.

Hogzy

Jimdagym wrote: »

And you have it in writing.

Thats not an absolute necessity.

Voodoomelon

LonanIreland wrote: »

Anyone who knows the consumer rights on this would be appreciated. I know it should be buyer beware, but that's why I went to a 'decent' garage in the first place.

So you bought it without run flats, and now you want to go back and get him to pay for them? There is no legal standing regarding run flat tyres, its just a route BMW down regarding spares.

This has absolutely no reflection on the dealer in the slightest, just the previous owner. Buy your own tyres.

mloc123

Crazy idea.... look at the car before you buy it?

listermint

OP,

You should be celebrating, because if you knew anything about BMWs you would know most owners despise Run Flats because of the ride, because of how hard they are on suspension components, because they can make an absolute meal of alloys and because of their price.


You should be happy as larry that you do not have to put up with runflats as they are the devil incarnate.

bazz26

Plenty of cars are sold these days without a spare wheel that are not fitted with run flats from the factory.

If the previous owner replaced run flats with normal tyres and no spare wheel then that's hardly the dealer's fault who sold you the car imo. Based on that I don't think he tried to trick you and I really don't see where your consumer rights being infringed come into it, to be honest.

You could go back to the dealer and mention it to him, he may try to find you a spare wheel but I don't think he is under any obligation to do so. BTW there is no tyre well in the boot of a 3 Series for a spare wheel. You can buy a spare wheel kit from BMW for about €300 and through it in the boot or you can go with the cheaper option of buying a can of tyre weld and a compressor.

Eric Cartman

if anything the car not having run flats and having winter tyres indicates somebody who cared about how the car drove and wanted to look after it, not just hand it to the dealer and pay whatever or put the cheapest summer rubber on it. Id say its a good thing you didnt get runflats here.

Matt Simis

I was sold a used BMW 320d last year by a 'reputable' Dublin car dealer and got it appraised last month to see how much I could get for it if I sold it on.

No, you bought a used BMW last year.

listermint wrote: »

You should be happy as larry that you do not have to put up with runflats as they are the devil incarnate.

The old Irish motorist finds something positive about car, misunderstands it, wants legal compensation story..


OP, put a can of Tyreweld in the boot, no solicitors required.

Tea 1000

On a sidenote, does that tyre-weld stuff ruin the tyre afterwards? As in you drive over a nail, get a flat, pump that stuff in, get home, and now your tyre is bollixed? Or can you clean the stuff out when you get to the tyre centre to repair it?

listermint

Tea 1000 wrote: »

On a sidenote, does that tyre-weld stuff ruin the tyre afterwards? As in you drive over a nail, get a flat, pump that stuff in, get home, and now your tyre is bollixed? Or can you clean the stuff out when you get to the tyre centre to repair it?

It can be cleaned out. Tyre repair folks dont generally like doing it however.

Matt Simis

Tea 1000 wrote: »

On a sidenote, does that tyre-weld stuff ruin the tyre afterwards? As in you drive over a nail, get a flat, pump that stuff in, get home, and now your tyre is bollixed? Or can you clean the stuff out when you get to the tyre centre to repair it?

The tyre place will clean it out, its written on the side of the can that some places may charge a minor "cleaning fee" when fixing the tyre later.
Ive used it quite a bit, there is very little evidence of it being used actually, way less than you think (ie you visualise the tyre cavity filled with foam and its more like little bits of white coloured sealer on the edges). Never been charged for this "cleaning" either.

biko

On a rainy night on the side of M6 I'd take Tyreweld/similar over manually changing the spare any day
Cannae hurt to have a can in the boot, someone else might need it and you can't lend them your spare wheel.

MadsL

biko wrote: »

On a rainy night on the side of M6 I'd take Tyreweld/similar over manually changing the spare any day
Cannae hurt to have a can in the boot, someone else might need it and you can't lend them your spare wheel.

Squirt. Pull over somewhere safe. Call your breakdown company.

Have a read of the paper whilst they arrrive.

No need for a spare in Ireland really. Drove a Smart for years without one. Got one puncture in six years - (on the way to Electric Picnic annoyingly)

dr.fuzzenstein

MadsL wrote: »

Squirt. Pull over somewhere safe. Call your breakdown company.

Have a read of the paper whilst they arrrive.

No need for a spare in Ireland really. Drove a Smart for years without one. Got one puncture in six years - (on the way to Electric Picnic annoyingly)

Proof that you kind of do...:D
I have had years of no punctures, but they're like buses, they seem to come on twos and threes...

LonanIreland

Ended up feeling like a bit of a muppet on this one. It was a BMW sales guy that told me he would have to put run flats on the car if I traded it in with him.

I did more research and it turns out that my model does not use run-flats. Something to do with the economy drive configuration. I thought the puncture repair kit was put in by the previous owner but it turns out that it is BMW standard issue.

The remaining question now is whether to change the winter tires. I'm thinking just leave them on in the wet Irish climate. Any thoughts?

dar83

Change them before our average temperature goes above 7/8 degrees. (Which is happening about now)

Unless you don't mind replacing them before next winter, as they won't last too long if the temperature is above 10 degrees for any extended period (ie. from now until September).

Alanstrainor

Yup, change them.

Anan1

listermint wrote: »

OP,

You should be celebrating, because if you knew anything about BMWs you would know most owners despise Run Flats because of the ride, because of how hard they are on suspension components, because they can make an absolute meal of alloys and because of their price.


You should be happy as larry that you do not have to put up with runflats as they are the devil incarnate.

Only if the car has big wheels.

bazz26

LonanIreland wrote: »

Ended up feeling like a bit of a muppet on this one. It was a BMW sales guy that told me he would have to put run flats on the car if I traded it in with him.

I did more research and it turns out that my model does not use run-flats. Something to do with the economy drive configuration. I thought the puncture repair kit was put in by the previous owner but it turns out that it is BMW standard issue.

The remaining question now is whether to change the winter tires. I'm thinking just leave them on in the wet Irish climate. Any thoughts?

Very unlikely a dealer would take off perfectly good tyres and replace them with expensive run flats for a new owner unless it was built into the sell on price of the car. I've seen used BMWs without run flats being sold by BMW dealers, my opinion is that the sales guy was using it as leverage to knock money off your trade-in.

mickdw

bazz26 wrote: »

Very unlikely a dealer would take off perfectly good tyres and replace them with expensive run flats for a new owner unless it was built into the sell on price of the car. I've seen used BMWs without run flats being sold by BMW dealers, my opinion is that the sales guy was using it as leverage to knock money off your trade-in.

Yes an absolute chancer of a bmw sales guy - and that model didnt evrn have runflats from new.
I thought it was only the base engine version that were offered without the runflats.
It would appear the garage who sold you the car sold you are good straight example if the bmw salesman couldnt find any real issues other than making stuff up when trying to knock the price.

LonanIreland

mickdw wrote: »

Yes an absolute chancer of a bmw sales guy - .

Yep. Complete chancer. Led me on a wild goose chase - but hey I ended up finding out alot about run-flats and winter tyres.

On the winter tyres question for the summer - I've done a bit of research and while most commentators say you should change them around about now, there were a couple of sites that said if you HAD to chose one set for all-year use in the British/Irish climate, you should go for Winter.

I drove them all over the west of Ireland for long weekends last summer and it's mostly weekend motorway miles at the minute, but I have to say they are still in very good nick.

Might hold onto them, see what they're like in the autumns and try selling the car then coming into the winter.