[Deepankar Abrol]

Im picking my car on Tuesday and my dealer is offering a tire and wheel road hazard protection plan for $1995 what covers 5 years/60k miles for any damage to the wheels/tires for replacement. Definitely if the tires are worn out before that timeframe, they wont change, but it would cover any accidental damage and potholes etc.

Considering the crappy roads in Michigan, i think i might go for the add on, but please suggest if any 3rd party companies offer such coverage too what are a little cheaper?

 

[salayc]

I don't know how much it is in MI, but here it's around $125 per wheel to refinish them and about $20 to plug a tire.
How bad are your roads that you may need to refinish 10 wheels and will have 40 flats in 5 years?

 

[Deepankar Abrol]

Thats correct, but usually the dealers get you when you have 1 flat tire or a single one severely damaged beyond repair and you have to change all 4 for AWD vehicles (SQ4) in my case.

The roads are horrible here in Michigan and both my audi Q7 and E-350 had all tires replaced thrice in 3 years. The wheels were thankfully replaced only once in 5 years.

 

[masspark99]

Please note a few additional things based on what my service department recently made clear to me. Curb rash and wheel finish damage is not covered even if it was caused by a pot hole and to use this coverage to fix a rim it has to bent or cracked enough for the tire to be leaking air and not just any bend in the rim.

Not sure what your service department will cover by mine said this and I am in Manhattan in NY.

Tire coverage is more straight forward. They will fix flats and replace blown out tires.

 

[BeerGuy]

Im picking my car on Tuesday and my dealer is offering a tire and wheel road hazard protection plan for $1995 what covers 5 years/60k miles for any damage to the wheels/tires for replacement. Definitely if the tires are worn out before that timeframe, they wont change, but it would cover any accidental damage and potholes etc.

There is another thread on this (I started it) and the responses were very polarizing. From not needed to wouldn't be without it.

I have 20" Urano's ... if two tires and rims blow out due to road hazard and need replacement I've made paid the insurance off. If I had 18 or 19" rims ... I would have taken my chances.

The insurance is only good for that price at time of pick-up. Mine was $2495 for the Elite Tire & Wheel warranty which includes road service, replacement and dealer service charges ... nothing cosmetic. I over paid, but they started pricing at $3995 for 5 years ... ever little dealer add-on was a negotiation which ticked me off ... but switched to a new dealer today.

 

[salayc]

There is another thread on this (I started it) and the responses were very polarizing. From not needed to wouldn't be without it.

Insurance companies are in business to make money. They very carefully evaluate the risk vs. cost - therefore, you don't have to. You already know the cost of insurance will be more than you're likely to spend without it.
It may make people more comfortable, but it's a bad bet.

 

[doubledeetob]

As several others have indicated - its a smarter move here in the NE/Canada than in CA or FLA where potholes are few and far between

DD