Ah, the joy and agony of ownership...
I was going home around midnight when I hit a major pothole on Route 17 NB somewhere near the border of NJ/NY. Felt the bump then heard a loud pop. Then, the TPMS warnings came on. I was on the far right lane so I was able to easily pull over to the shoulder. It was my front right tire. Engaged BMW SOS. Talked to two different people to send out a flatbed. After waiting the longest 45 minutes, the tow truck hauled my ride and me to the nearest BMW dealership, Prestige BMW in Ramsey, NJ. Left the car in front of the garage door and key in a lock box. Then called my father to pick me at the dealership, was afraid he would be mad as it was nearing 2am. Felt like I was back in high school.
It was a very weird experience since I never had a flat tire let alone a blown tire. If it was just a simple flat or I had a spare tire, I'd have gotten the jack out and changed it and have been on my way home in minutes. But since the M3 doesn't come with a spare, I felt so lost. All the semi's and cars whizzing by did not help. I was just praying nothing crazy would happen, like a drunk/inattentive/tired driver slamming into me.
BMW Assist was a huge help. I'm glad that it comes with the car. When it ends, I'll be sure to get some sort of roadside assistance that can help when trouble hits.
Like many members, I bought the tire and wheel insurance at the time of purchase. So, I knew the tire would be covered. At 13,000 miles, all 4 tires had good tread life according to the dealership(I thought I drove this thing hard). However, it would be fine by me if I never have to use the insurance ever again as it is dangerous and inconvenient to be stranded on the side of a major highway, day or night.
My experience with Prestige was straight forward and smooth. Ryan was the SA who took care of my car. I received a phone call on Monday saying the tire would have to be ordered and it would be ready on Tuesday. Then, I received another call on Tuesday saying the car is ready. I never got to meet him because I picked up the car late after work. I signed a few documents and I was back in my baby.
It's been a little over a year since I got into this monster and it's been fantastic. I just wish the darn thing came with spare tire... AND white AEs.
So, in short:
Pothole -
Blown Tire -
BMW Assist -
Dad -
Wheel and Tire Ins -
Prestige BMW -