[Viffermike]

The vast majority of OEM BMW wheels have been manufactured by three companies for BMW: BBS, Koenig, and Ronal. All are top-quality companies with long histories in the wheel business; the first two in particular are what I would consider "first-tier" wheel manufacturers. (Ronal would be second-tier and is a relatively recent wheel supplier for BMW. All OEM 2-series wheels are manufactured by Ronal.)

That class-action suit, if it ever gains steam, will likely not be about the wheels per se; it will be about BMW's use of run-flats and tires with ultralow-profile cross sections, frequently in conjunction with each other. The average consumer has no idea about the risks involved with the use of either.

Thing is, BMW's been doing this since the early 2000s with MINIs -- which also has most of its OEM wheels supplied by the same three companies -- and nary a peep about manufacturer negligence has been uttered about either the low-profile tires or run-flats. Why? Because the average MINI owner, believe it or not, is more knowledgable about them because of the nature of MINIs (think "go-kart handling" marketing) and the lengths MINI dealers took to educate MINI buyers about the risks.

BMW doesn't do this nearly as much because it could damage the brand. It didn't damage the MINI brand; it actually helped it.