LonnieR

I have had many exotics and never considered wheel and tire insurance. Then again I've never had a car with 20" low profile tires. I've read a lot of reference to this insurance in many threads. I was wondering what the consensus opinion is of getting it, why, and how much does it cost usually?

parkerfe

I have always declined such insurance on past cars. However, the service guy talked me into the tire insurance when I bought my 991C2S in June 2012, and I'm glad he did. I have had three tires replaced for free so far, two rears and one front, due to nails. The cost for those three tires already exceed the cost for the insurance and I have over three years coverage left.

chuck911

LonnieR

Curb feelers really brings back memories. I had them on my '62 oldsmobile.

parkerfe

Curb feelers do not help with nails/screws. My service rep says that the dealership replaces a least two tires a day due to nails or screws. There is a lot of residential and commercial construction on my daily commute route, so flat tires are inevitable.

Noah Fect

I've often wondered if a strong magnetic strip along each frame rail would be of any use in protecting tires. Seems that most flats happen to rear tires when the fronts run over the nail or screw and kick it up into the air. By the time the rear tire runs over the object it's more likely to be in a position to puncture the tire.

You can get some stupidly strong rare-earth magnets on eBay these days in all sizes and form factors. Attracting a nail or screw from five or six inches away seems doable. What has stopped me from trying it is that it might actually attract objects that otherwise would not have been a problem...

ny991

You need one big magnet to stop something moving 40mph!

Noah Fect

Or one long strip of very strong magnet(s). It could certainly be done, but I'm not sure it would be a good idea.

carcommander

LOL.

LonnieR

Between curb feelers and magnets, noone has answered the question about tire and wheel insurance. It just seems that until the 991 was introduced, this type of insurance was not as much an issue of conversation with other iterations of Porsche.

So again the question is... yay or nay...worth the cost?, needed more because of the wheel and tire profile? What's the scoop?

carsrmyvice

I was not even offered it. Some have said they got it for as little as 500 others say they were offered it for 2,000. So I guess it depends on the asking price.

What I am wondering is whether or not I can add something like this to my geico policy.

GSIRM3

Glad you have already recovered your money on the insurance. But, keep in mind that the tire and wheel insurance is like any other insurance, and the insurance company wins in most cases. If they didn't, they would be out of business. Get it if it makes you sleep better at night, but chances are, you will not recover your money spent on the policy.

In my case, I have declined the insurance on my last three 911's. At about $1,500 per car for the insurance, I would be out $4,500. Knock on wood and I know I shouldn't say this, but I have not had to replace a tire because of anything other than wearing out on either of the three cars, nor have I had any wheel damage.

clembo

I have never bought it, many low profile tires. Flats will occur, but over time paying for insurance is not a money maker, selling insurance is. Did they try to sell you the Lost Key Insurance for $500 yet?

Noah Fect

The real economic model behind the insurance is not that simple. My P-car is (will be) my daily driver. That means that my tire and wheel insurance is effectively being subsidized by a lot of people who buy it and then drive a lot less than I do. Also, the risk pool isn't limited to one marque -- as I understand it, the same insurance is offered at the same price to drivers of BMWs, Mercedes, and other cars that tend to get driven more than Porsches (so that actually argues in the opposite direction to some extent).

Wide, low-profile tires with expensive rims, plus my personal record of being careless around curbs, plus my intention to put a lot of mileage on my car, all make the insurance proposition more sensible for me than it might be for others.

P76

Funny you should ask....just took mine in today because i could hear that "slap-slap-slap" that signified either a stubborn rock that wouldn't dislodge over a week's time, or yet another nail. ...Aaaand it was another nail. This will be my third rear passenger tire due to nails in the sidewall. They never seem to hit in the middle. And I don't know why they like that back right corner so much. So, if tires were only $70- $100 per, like my old Camry, then I would say the tire insurance is a ripoff. However, seeing that this tire runs $600 installed and balanced, I would recommend taking a hard look at that insurance. Are you daily driving it? In my case, there's tons of construction around me now that the economy's picked up a bit. My dealer never has the tire in stock, so they're keeping the car overnight right now. They gave me a loner til it's done. It's all covered by the insurance. I've almost broken even after 2 nails in less than a year. I've got the wild idea to sell the car after the tire insurance runs out. $600 a pop is ridiculous. But, if you're not daily driving it, the insurance might not make sense.