NHTSA complaint #11378340

Owner complaint summary

MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING MY INFANT SON AND I AS WE WERE MERGING ONTO THE PA TURNPIKE. WE HIT SOME SMALL ROAD DEBRIS AT ABOUT 50-60 MPH. THE DEBRIS WAS SO SMALL THAT WE DIDN'T FEEL A BUMP OR ANYTHING, JUST HEARD A LOUD BANG AND FIGURED WE HAD A TYPICAL BLOW OUT. THE CAR DID JERK TO THE LEFT MODERATELY BUT WE WERE ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER. UPON INSPECTION, THE WHEEL SPLIT IN HALF ACROSS THE ENTIRE CIRCUMFERENCE IN THE DIRECTION OF ROLL. THERE WAS A SMALL BEND ON THE INSIDE EDGE OF THE WHEEL AT THE POINT OF IMPACT BUT THE SPLIT WAS SEVERAL INCHES AWAY FROM THIS DAMAGE. THERE WAS ALSO NO CRACK OR SPLIT AT THE POINT OF IMPACT. WE WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THERE TO BE A CRACK IN THIS AREA PERPENDICULAR TO THE ROAD BUT INSTEAD THE CRACK WAS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, AWAY FROM THE DAMAGE. THE TIRE HAD NO DAMAGE TO IT AND WAS THE ONLY THING HOLDING THE WHEEL TOGETHER AS IT WAS IN TWO SEPARATE PIECES. THE WHEEL CONTACTED THE BRAKE CALIPER, ROTOR, AND DUST SHIELD CAUSING ABRASIONS AND DENTS IN THESE PARTS. LUCKILY, THE BRAKES HELD TOGETHER BUT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. MY HUSBAND HAS SEEN BENT WHEELS BEFORE BUT THIS LOOKS LIKE A POSSIBLE CASTING PROBLEM WITH THE ALLOY WHEEL ITSELF AS IT LITERALLY SHEARED APART. THERE WERE 3 VEHICLES IMMEDIATELY BEHIND US THAT STRUCT THE SAME DEBRIS AND ONLY SUFFERED PUNCTURES AND NO BROKEN WHEELS. THE BMW IS EQUIPPED WITH NO SPARE BUT HAS RUN FLAT TIRES WHICH WERE COMPLETELY USELESS IN THIS SCENARIO. WE WOULD NOT HAVE EXPECTED THIS KIND OF DAMAGE FROM SOME ROAD DEBRIS, POTHOLE, OR ANY OTHER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCE.