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Puncture leaves owner facing £800 bill

Puncture leaves owner facing £800 bill

Joseph Hamilton was told Porsche Cayman needed four new tyres when only one was faulty.

By Jack Rix

18th October 2008

Replacing a punctured tyre can be an unexpected expense – but imagine Joseph Hamilton’s shock when he faced a bill for more than £800! He had been charged for a full set of rubber on his Porsche Cayman, when only one tyre had been damaged.

Joseph, of Glasgow, recalled: “I bought the car from my local Porsche centre in May last year. When I punctured a rear tyre in August, I was told the factory-fit Continental SportContact2 tyres were no longer in production.”

What’s more, the dealer said Joseph would have to shell out £805 for four new Continental SportContact 3s instead, as they had a different ‘N’ rating to the older models, and all four tyres needed to match. Porsche explained it ran a goodwill scheme for customers who had to replace the rubber through no fault of their own. But Joseph didn’t qualify.

“I was told I wasn’t eligible because my other three tyres had more than 4mm of tread left, so they were too new to count. Porsche refused to give me a penny off,” he claimed. We contacted tyre maker Continental to see exactly where Joseph stood. A spokeswoman told us it wasn’t strictly necessary for Joseph to replace all four tyres. She said: “Porsche has its own set of rules. But in general, as long as the two tyres on the same axle match, that’s sufficient.”

So we called Porsche to find out what was going on. Its representative explained: “At the time we sold the car to the customer, we had no way of knowing the rubber would be discontinued so soon after.” Yet he maintained all four tyres should be changed, and refused to show lenience towards Joseph regarding the goodwill scheme.

However, the dealership did offer him a 10 per cent discount, bringing the price to £720. And as Continental was unable to supply his original spec tyres – which are now unavailable in Europe – it offered a further 25 per cent off the cost of the replacements. The combined discount took £300 off his bill, leaving him with a much more palatable £518 to pay.

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Get the right rubber

The cost of replacement tyres is often overlooked when buying a car. But as reader Joseph Hamilton (opposite) learned, it can add up to quite a considerable sum.

The price is dictated by the size of the wheel and the popularity of the product. If demand for the rubber
is strong, sourcing new ones won’t be an issue.

Tyres with specific manufacturer approval, such as Porsche’s ‘N’ rating, are less readily available. It’s worth finding out if the brand your car uses is still on sale – and in the size you need. As Joseph discovered, tyres can go out of production, so be sure to do your research on what replacement stock can be used, and how expensive it is.

A good start would be to visit a specialist website such as www.blackcircles.com for information. Bear in mind run-flat tyres are typically 10-15 per cent more expensive than standard models. And in the event of a puncture, it’s likely they will have to be replaced – the industry frowns on run-flat repairs for safety reasons.

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