popspin

Hi all;
Thanks to STG991 and his efforts and contacts, I am taking delivery of an ordered C4S on May 30th. Thanks George!!
I need to buy a Wheel/Tire Protection Package. The dealer I am buying the car from offered an agreement that contains way too many conditions and repair options for my comfort (Knight). The dealers nearest to me offer a better agreement (IAS) that appears to be a replacement contract. However, it excludes damage from metal plates on the road! Go figure!
My major question relates to a situation when a wheel is damaged by a covered road hazard and can not be balanced. It can still hold air but the vibration caused by the road hazard can't be fixed. It appears the agreements only replace a wheel if it can't hold air. Am I correct that I am not covered for this type of event? I had this issue with my M3 and eventually the protection plan paid for the wheel that couldn't be balanced. But signing an agreement noting wheels will only be replaced if they can't hold air doesn't help me sleep at night.
I called Porsche today because I heard they are offering their own Wheel/Tire Protection Plan. But they won't say anything about it; nothing about price or terms and conditions. It is due out in mid-June but I want protection from the moment I pick up my car. This was my first experience with Porsche customer service and it wasn't very satisfying.
Does anybody know anything about this new Porsche program? Should I wait the 2 weeks until it is available? Do any of you have experience with this type of claim?
Thanks!
popspin

Archimedes

Wheel insurance? Somebody actually sells that?

I'm struggling to understand all the Xpel condoming going on amongst the Porsche community, but getting insurance on your wheels? For real?

Probably some French ex-Evian execs..."Oui, we ver able to sell bottled water to the silly Americans for more than they paid for gasoline for years, but alas competition has come. What shall ve do next? I know, let's sell them insurance for the wheels on their cars! Brilliant!"

PDK1965

I'm about to take delivery on a new 911. Dealer is offering -- for $1895.00-- a Mercedes Benz sponsored, no deductible, unlimited coverage, wheel/tire "protection" plan covering all damage (includes curb rash, any tire damage) excluding track use. So it is out there.....

Dcrna1

I declined the plan just like that....they then offered it for 895 and I took it. Five year plan that covers wheels and tires Figured one wheel would cover it.

GSIRM3

Most of the plans I have seen are as you describe. A wheel will not be replaced unless the tire won't hold air. Good for you for reading the fine print. The plans, like all insurance, favor the company writing the policy. For some people, they feel better having the coverage. But the odds favor the company and not you. I guess you can tell, I never buy it.

STG

Bob, glad it worked out for you and delivery day is almost here! Please post pics when you pick it up. Exciting huh?

Sorry, can't help with the tire question. In all my years, I've been pretty lucky and haven't had many issues where it would have paid to get it. There should be others here with good info though.

Archimedes

BTW, years back I did some advisory work for a big dealer network in the Valley here. You can guess where they made their biggest margins.

popspin

Hi arch;
My brother in law lives near you in Tiburon. Driving those roads I can understand why you would question the need for the agreement. But...
Yes, it does exist and I would contend necessary in some areas like where I live around NYC. The roads here are horrible. Craters, not potholes, are everywhere you don't want them to be. And who knows where all those nails and screws come from but many have found their way into my tires! My C4S will be a daily driver, winter time included. The contract includes winter tires, and the winter wheels, if the are Porsche wheels.
I bought the tire plan for my M3. Smartest choice I ever made! 5 tires and 1 wheel replaced make me think I made the correct decision. In fact, just 2 weeks ago I lost another tire in a pot hole! Do the math!
I have spent my career in insurance and technology so I understand how a contract like this is written; to favor the warranty company Note these agreements state they are "not an insurance policy" so the warranty company doesn't come under the control of the state insurance departments.
I agree this is a bit of a crap shoot because the law of large numbers favor the warranty company. Some buyers just plain fail to use it; their favorite customers!
Another way to look at this is to consider the cost of the car and what a small percentage of the purchase price you might pay to avoid some potential larger expenses down the road, so to speak.
I am wondering if any of you out there have had claims you thought should be covered but were not??
popspin

Archimedes

I think you should simply drive more carefully rather than throwing money away. I've been driving sports cars for 30 years and in all that time, I've blown exactly one tire. Tire policies are a racket. These companies don't sell them because they want to give you a benefit. They sell them because they make huge margins on 'em. Sucker in the game and all that.

STG

Couldn't the same be said about any insurance? Why take any insurance policy out? The insurance companies always come ahead.

Not really a valid argument.

For people with higher risk concerns (NYC area roads) probably makes more sense than suburban Milwaukee (like myself). They might pay out to him, and probably never pay out to me.

Same could be said for gambling (house always comes ahead), and even buying a Porsche (highest margin cars out there)!

popspin

Hi George:
May 30th can't come soon enough! I feel like a kid again!
I grabbed that open production slot you advised me about and everything worked out!
You are setting a tough standard to meet with the tweaking you are doing to your gorgeous 911!
Next move for me is to find the local P car club so I can enjoy some camaraderie, weekend drives and an occasional visit to a track.
bob

Dr. Satan

I know to many people purchasing these wheel and tire insurance policies seems crazy. But you California guys have no idea what treacherous roads are. Northern east coast and northern midwest roads look like a war zone. Experienced motorcyclists hit these holes and crash. Seasoned drivers hit these holes and seriously damage sedans and sports cars. This is one reason most people in these areas drive trucks and suvs.

And it is not just potholes. The repairs used on these holes sometimes are worse than the holes themselves. Any California or southern state critics need to spend a year daily driving their sports cars in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, NYC, etc. before calling out the driving skill of the op. These places are Hell for performance cars.

JAM2

Drive I-95 from NYC to CT! Best insurance policy out there. I went through 3 tires last year on my 911 TT cab and 1 tire of my JEEP!

thomnellie

I was offered the tire and wheel protection plan by my dealer when I bought my car, and turned it down. Small puncture at 2000 miles, from as far as I can tell, hotfooting along rough country roads. Picked up screws in the tire three time in four years with my previous Porsche. Calling the dealer tomorrow to see if I can still get the wheel/tire plan.

NoGaBiker

I got the hard sell from my guy (the paperwork guy, not my SA) for about 8 different plans -- I still have the brochure sitting around somewhere. Would have added a nice four or five grand to the price to check all the boxes.

I look at it as something I don't need (I can afford to fix any damage without financial hardship), and I look at my Porsche driving history (one front 225-18 tire lost in the past 15 years, $260) and see that statistically the odds favor the company quite nicely to sell me that wheel and tire package. So I kept my money.

I'll grant that I've always picked up some road nicks over the years from stones and what not on the front clip, so I'm torn about that one. May just look into an aftermarket Xcel package (or whatever it's called), since fixing those little tiny chips is all but impossible without a respray, and that is the kiss of death on resale. I just don't like the idea of putting the condoms on there.