[minky]

Took my MC in for a list of 12 fixes (18.5k miles)

One tyre required replacing as it was balding on the outside edge (Front Passanger tyre). So I took the opportunity of having both front tyre replaced.

I accepted the fact that I have done 18.5k miles on them and that the warranty willnot cover the worn out one.

The dealers calls me up and asks whether I want the tyres tracked!! well like uh huh!!!!

But he says it will cost £100 so I told him where to go. And quizzed him why is it not covered under warranty. He said it is not due to the milage I have done!!!

Now is this BU*****T or what? I thought we have unlimited milage warranty on our MINI's????

I need to know how to proceed as I am picking my MINI up in a few hours.

[niall]

How much are your tyres going to be???

[nickworld]

Tracking is a piece of pi55 and a two minute job. If they want £100, tell them to **** right off!

[KenL]

The tracking can go out as a result of hitting potholes etc and they may be suggesting you need it done as the ytres are not wearing evenly.

£100 is very expensive just to adjust the tracking.

I'd tell them to go poke it

[minky]

Well the dealer is quoting me £410 for two tyres plus the tracking, and the tracking is £100 so 310 for tyres 155 per tyre!

I might argue with teh service guy and say that car may have mis-aligned and want it tracked under warranty! but if they won't buge I tell em to ****** right offf!

[Tone]

Well, we've all learn't something there, haven't we? Typical main dealer!

[minky]

yup BMW- pAh Con artists with a corporate suit on!!!!

[minky]

a mate just said to me that quick fit are offering free tracking as part of the tyre campaign! ha - STUFF bmw £100

can you tell I am narked off that they are trying to rip me off. Who do they take us MINI drivers for? some lady that has no mechanical sense (no offense to the ladies)!!1 I think not!

[sjbartnik]

Tracking (alignment) is specifically excluded from the warranty in the U.S. except for a very short period of time after the car is delivered.

I imagine they do that since hitting potholes, curbs, etc. can upset the alignment.

Might want to check your warranty documentation to see what is covered and what is not.

[Dark Silver S]

Covered or not, that's a huge amount. Is there something peculiar about the suspension that makes it more difficult? Minky, report back when you have an estimate from a tire or suspension place.

[SugarBelly]

WOW Minky, sorry to hear this!

Absolute rip-off it seems...do you all have something there equivalent to a Better Business Bureau, - here they track companies transactions w.r.t. customer satisfactions, problems, resolutions and Fair Trade Practices. Poor remarks can often hurt their ratings and thus effect merchant accounts.

...I would suggest to them that you feel you are being mis-led as to a correct diagnosis and you'll return after getting a 2nd professional opinion and go with their reaction. Try to be as calm & perfectly professional as possible, so they may have worry as to repercussions resulting from you filing complaints.

Look for a happy medium; Can they can give you the tyres at invoice cost to cover the unmeasurable question of chicken or egg 1st?

Regardless, do check your warranty data as Sjbartnik suggests.

Tracking will go out due to uneven tire-wear, especially if you're running around a track in circles.

If you're not, most likely the tyres(sp.) wore unevenly because the tracking HAD gone out, - which may be covered via warranty. They look to approach the problem vice-versa, as it benefits them that way.

So sad to hear this crap! It makes me want to upgrade however I want, voiding our warranty & going to other solid, decent mechanics, as I can't support these fools trying to take us like this.

Good luck, Minky. Do report back upon your resolution please.

[Bonjour]

I've found that the dealer's rarely the best place to go regarding tyres and/or tracking.

A tyre specialist, such as Northway Tyres, should be able to sort it out cheaper (especially tyres!).

[dietcokeplease]

With all due respect, anyone who goes to a main dealer for tyres and tracking is asking to be ripped off.

Tracking alone will cost £15-£20 at Kwik-Fit/ATS and most of the specialist tyre firms (the ones who supply the MaxPower boys are the best ones to go to) will only charge £100 max for a MINI tyre.

I've posted a few times about this. My Saab 900 has 205/50/16 Goodyear Eagle F1 EMT. Kwik-Fit wanted about £180 per tyre. Elite in Rainham, Essex, charged £80. I also use their 4 wheel laser alignment at £29.95 a pop.

Most main dealers will actually get a mobile tyre fitter in from the main chains anyway.

[Sputnik]

Very amusing. I work in the motortrade and trust me when I say that a track and camber on a modern car is not a 5 minute job! I have witnessed lots of my customers getting a quickie track and camber and come back later to me wondering why there tyres are still wearing oddly. If my MINI requires a track and camber I will be trusting my BMW/MINI dealer to do it. Worth it in the long run!

[Bonjour]

On previous cars (of mine and people I know), the dealer have got it wrong and charged the earth. Taking the car/s to someone specializing in tyres/tracking has usually sorted the problem out whilst costing less.

I can only comment on my own experience.

[Tone]

Sorry to pursue this again, minky, but as the machines I use seem incapable of translating the pounds figures properly, please can you spell the sum in words? As according to this computer the cost of Max's chip came to three times the cost of the JCW conversion!
Thanks in advance.

[minky]

Thnaks for all your comments folks. got the car back last night and here are the results!

Originally the dealer wanted to chrage me £100 ONE HUNDRED GBP thats $160approx

.... anyway


Went to pick up my car and the dealer goes through the list (i'll set up a post, as it s not relavent to this one), and he said that he has balanced and tracked the wheels FOC without me having to say a word. He obviously understood by my initial reaction on the phone, that no way in HELL would I pay £100 for it, when I can get it cheaper somewhere else.

The tyres have also come down in price. My MC has been on the road since Oct 2001, and when I got a stupid unrepairable puncture after a few months the runflats were £160inc, I had no choice either as I made loads of calls to tyre shops to see if they can get teh runflats and no one AT THAT time did. That has obviously changed, but the dealer is charging me £116 per tyre (+vat)which is alright!


All turned out fine again!

[niall]

Glad to see it all turned ok. What make of tyre is that??

[minky]

Quote:

Originally posted by niall
Glad to see it all turned ok. What make of tyre is that??

they were 195/55/hr16 emt goodyears ones

[Richard Crofts]

If the tyre was balding on one edge then its a suspension fault causing it most likely tracking...unless you were continuously running under inflated tyres. If it is balding on edge then they need to fix the problem...therefore its warenteed!...the damage(need for a replacement tyre) is caused by this faulty part so should also be replaced free and then because this has to be done the tyres should be balanced and etc etc for free also!.

The replacement for the sake of it on the other front tyre is your choice and therefore understandable they want to charge you....but £100 just to balance one wheel!...excessive!!!

The tracking is most likely what caused the tyre to wear uneven in the first place so should be fixed for free on warrenty...unless you bashed a curb or something...if you didn't then it was not correct when bought or its a faulty t r end.

My view is they should pay for all the worn tyre work...and then just drive a mile or so to an ETB or ATS etc etc to get the wheels balanced. Got a Suzuki Alto done for the missus (4 wheel tracking/alignment and wheel balancing) for £25