How much for a Run Flat tyre?!!😱

hintonwood · March 4, 2023

I have an NX 350h with 10.5k miles on the clock. I travelled 460 miles to Scotland last week and 80 miles into the journey noticed a nail in my tyre

As it is near the edge I realise it can’t be repaired. (Interestingly Bridgestone are one of the few tyre manufacturers that allow repairs by Bridgestone authorised repairers - but you still have to follow the rules about areas that can be repaired - and mine doesn’t qualify).

I drove the remaining 380 miles with no issue as there was no loss of pressure.

I then ordered a replacement. There was a 4 day lead time for most fitters and most quoted over £ 290. Asda tyres were the cheapest I found and they quoted £ 284 fully fitted.

I have no qualms about paying out the money as it is a safety issue, but I am a bit horrified by the cost. I knew I could save over £100 per tyre by going to non- run flats but I do like the ability to drive after a puncture rather than carry a space saver or a compressor + goo.

Chance521 · March 4, 2023

Sooo expensive, I didn’t even realize that the new NX are with RFT

steve2006 · March 4, 2023

Are they 19” or 20” tyres then?

Klaudiusz · March 4, 2023

New NX is 18 or 20 inches.

hintonwood · March 5, 2023

8 hours ago, steve2006 said:

Are they 19” or 20” tyres then?

They are 20 Inch.

Brian R · March 5, 2023

All that aside I am no fan of run flats albeit I can understand the rationale behind them but I think they completely ruin a car. Regretfully I have them on mine and also 20 inch but come the day when they need replacing, I will be looking into self sealing tyres which now seem to becoming more readily available. Ken, I just wondered if you had looked into/known about these?

hintonwood · March 5, 2023

1 minute ago, Brian R said:

All that aside I am no fan of run flats albeit I can understand the rationale behind them but I think they completely ruin a car. Regretfully I have them on mine and also 20 inch but come the day when they need replacing, I will be looking into self sealing tyres which now seem to becoming more readily available. Ken, I just wondered if you had looked into/known about these?

I hadn’t heard of self-sealing car tyres Brian and I was thinking i had some time before considering what to replace all 4 run flats with! No point in having a mixture of run flat and non run flat I think?

Andy B · March 5, 2023

12 hours ago, hintonwood said:

I have an NX 350h with 10.5k miles on the clock. I travelled 460 miles to Scotland last week and 80 miles into the journey noticed a nail in my tyre

As it is near the edge I realise it can’t be repaired. (Interestingly Bridgestone are one of the few tyre manufacturers that allow repairs by Bridgestone authorised repairers - but you still have to follow the rules about areas that can be repaired - and mine doesn’t qualify).

I drove the remaining 380 miles with no issue as there was no loss of pressure.

I then ordered a replacement. There was a 4 day lead time for most fitters and most quoted over £ 290. Asda tyres were the cheapest I found and they quoted £ 284 fully fitted.

I have no qualms about paying out the money as it is a safety issue, but I am a bit horrified by the cost. I knew I could save over £100 per tyre by going to non- run flats but I do like the ability to drive after a puncture rather than carry a space saver or a compressor + goo.

Thanks for the info Ken.

Aside from the considerable expense of the run flats fitted to the new NX, my other slight concern was availability. Was the tyre easy to source?

steve2006 · March 5, 2023

I remember many years ago I had a MG Metro turbo and this had metric sized tyres with only one manufacturer I think.

You would be lucky to get 10,000 miles out of the fronts and replacements cost an arm and a leg even back then compared with conventional tyres.

Looks like nothing has really changed then except the price and the size.

hintonwood · March 5, 2023

2 hours ago, Andy B said:

Thanks for the info Ken.

Aside from the considerable expense of the run flats fitted to the new NX, my other slight concern was availability. Was the tyre easy to source?

I am guessing it would not be easy to source if it had gone flat Andy. We were travelling on a Sunday and the earliest anyone could offer fitting was late Wednesday for one and Thursday for the rest. I guess if it was flat we would have to be recovered by Lexus Assist and driven to our destination unless a local Lexus Dealer or Tyre company near Oxford had one.

Brian R · March 5, 2023

Hello Ken

The self sealing tyres are tested and comprehensively explained in this video: SELF SEALING

In practice, they are more akin in characteristic to "normal" non rft's. I appreciate you might be under some time pressure but perhaps at least worth considering for the next "occasion".

BTW when I chopped out my BMW rft's, the car had a staggered set up i.e. wider tyres on the rear. I had the rears changed first and a month or so later the fronts. No problem running two types (rft and normal) side by side and the ride improved dramatically and even more so once all four were swapped out.

NiCoRe · March 5, 2023

My (soon to be ex) Passat station wagon has self sealing tires. Last set made 60K kilometers around 37 K Miles (Pirelli Scorpion)
Way cheaper than runflats (and 2dB quieter with better fuel economy according to stickers).
I will probably switch to autosealing tires at first opportunity

Brian R · March 5, 2023

1 hour ago, NiCoRe said:

My (soon to be ex) Passat station wagon has self sealing tires. Last set made 60K kilometers around 37 K Miles (Pirelli Scorpion)
Way cheaper than runflats (and 2dB quieter with better fuel economy according to stickers).
I will probably switch to autosealing tires at first opportunity

Hello Nicolas

Would you mind me asking what brand of self sealing tyre you used?

NiCoRe · March 5, 2023

Pirelli (P7 Cinturoto) on the VW. I drive 90% of the time on highways...this explains also the 35 k+ miles performance.
I don't think you can find them in 235 55 R20 size. The closest will be the Scorpion from the same brand.

hintonwood · March 5, 2023

4 hours ago, Brian R said:

Hello Ken

The self sealing tyres are tested and comprehensively explained in this video: SELF SEALING

In practice, they are more akin in characteristic to "normal" non rft's. I appreciate you might be under some time pressure but perhaps at least worth considering for the next "occasion".

BTW when I chopped out my BMW rft's, the car had a staggered set up i.e. wider tyres on the rear. I had the rears changed first and a month or so later the fronts. No problem running two types (rft and normal) side by side and the ride improved dramatically and even more so once all four were swapped out.

Thanks for that Brian. Very interesting video. I had no idea they existed. I will do the research. As @NiCoRe said, I expect there to be limited choice in the 20 inch tyres. I did see somewhere else that people were fitting 245 wide rather than 235’s so that may be a possibility.

Las Palmas · March 5, 2023

https://www.continental-tires.com/car/tires/continental-tire-technologies/contiseal

hintonwood · March 5, 2023

1 hour ago, Las Palmas said:

https://www.continental-tires.com/car/tires/continental-tire-technologies/contiseal

Thanks John.

Their Tyre finder doesn’t recognise the ‘new’ (over 12 months old now!) model NX

Tyre search by size shows no self seal tyres available for the 20 inch NX.

Las Palmas · March 5, 2023

1 hour ago, hintonwood said:

Thanks John.

Their Tyre finder doesn’t recognise the ‘new’ (over 12 months old now!) model NX

Tyre search by size shows no self seal tyres available for the 20 inch NX.

Try search in size: width - cross section - diameter. Or ask nearest dealer.