Quote:
Originally Posted by Blu Yea
Are all 296's screwed up?
Just saw this thread and I'm Buying a 2011 35i tomorrow with 19" 296 and run flats.
Should i brace myself and get the dealer involved before purchase?
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The dealer will not admit anything up front. Wheel & tire insurance at about $1K has paid off for me on two rear punctures. As far as the life of the 296's BMW states up front that 19"+ wheel may be damaged by road hazards.
Many posters on this forum have different ideas as to the failure rate and cause of the 296's. I have over 15K miles on mine with no issues at all and am still running the original RFT's. Personally I belive the problem is more related to manufacturing defects in some wheels. They are cast - inclusions or voids will affect their stuctural integrity, especially when sustaining a major road hazzard at exactly the wrong place. Additionally, the extreme stiffness of the RFT sidewall likely contributes. Will BMW ever admit to an issue - I doubt it unless someone provides substancial evidence indicating a manufacturing defect. If one of mine ever cracks I will be doing some failure analysis investigation.
I still think they are one of the best looking OEM wheels on the road today. I 'd make the same wheel decision today that I did 2 years ago. I am no great fan of the RFT ride. I think it is a good concept and am still hoping that the 3rd generation comes out in a wider variety of sizes and performance options. Initial reviews indicate their ride is greatly improved. I will likely switch to non RFT's when these are gone unless the 3rd gen RFT are more readily available.