Anyone Buy the Tire/Wheel "Warranty" and USE IT?

[Big Panda]

When we took delivery, we purchased the smart "Tire/Wheel Warranty" (insurance?). Seemed like a good deal at the time.

So far (knock on wood), I've not had to use it and was curious: has anyone else bought it and actually USED IT?


Also, has anyone decided they DIDN'T want to keep it can ask their smart center to cancel it and request a refund????

[Big Panda]

BTW, the reason I'm asking is that I 'may' want to cancel my warranty.

[psychobeth]

I have it and also haven't used it yet on my Tiny Red, but I had it on a previous (GM) car and DID use it when I was on a highway between Nothing and Nowhere and some unknown thing decided to slice my sidewall and damage my (expensive) wheel. It paid for replacing both the tire and wheel and I was a happy puppy because the bill would have been about a $600 hickey if it hadn't.

Now I know my smart wheel and tire wouldn't hit me for that much change, but I feel better having the wheel/tire deal - just in case lightning does indeed strike me twice...

[chieftmc]

Well Big Panda,

I too bought the wheel and tire warranty and hope to NEVER use it

Warranties are ALWAYS a gamble, you're gambling something will happen and THEY are gambling that it won't !

My thought is, IF I have to use it even once; it's WELL worth the money

[mvaldes]

Yes, one of our NJ potholes bent one the steel rims I have on my snow tires. No quesions asked, just replaced at no charge. (Smartcenter Englewood offered to flatbed it to there, but since there wasn't an air leak I just drove there.)

[SmartCabrio]

If I had to do it all over, I would get the warranty. I had a blow-out at around 20K miles (I'm at 40K currently) and it was difficult for me to find a replacement tire right away. But that is always the way you know: if you buy the warranty, you wind up not using it... if you don't, you'll find yourself wanting it.

[sandalscout]

I think SmartCabrio is 100% correct. I bought GAP and the extended warranty on my Hyundai Accent, and the ONLY thing that was ever replaced by the dealer was a headlamp that I broke trying to figure out how to remove the lenses to polish them. Oh well, I bought GAP and the tire warranty on my smart also, hope I never get the chance to use them either, but I know if I don't have them, I'll need them.

[Carl242]

I have the warrenty and I have used it. I few weeks ago I was driving with my windows open and I heard a "clicking" sound from the back of my car. I looked at it when i got home and found that a big screw had made its way into my rear tyre, but remained embedded in there and luckily the tyre was not loosing air. On the way to work the next day I drove to the Smart center of San Francisco, and Felipe greeted me. They had the car in and out with a repair in 10 minutes.

I was fortunate to have been able to drive there for a quick repair, but in San Francisco where the road surfaces remind me of many 3rd World countries I've been to. If I was in a place where the roads were great (I'm sure the exist somewhere) I might have risked not getting it.

[dlomshek]

No wheel/tire warranties for me. If the company/dealer can make money off these things so can I. It's not like a wheel or tire will break the bank.

Why would I need a wheel warranty anyway? Don't run into curbs then there's no problem.

[OCMike]

Originally Posted by dlomshek

No wheel/tire warranties for me. If the company/dealer can make money off these things so can I. It's not like a wheel or tire will break the bank.

Why would I need a wheel warranty anyway? Don't run into curbs then there's no problem.

Don't run into rocks also. Coulda used it today if I had purchased it. But, by not purchasing it, I'm still ahead.