OEM Tires Suck...

[goredsox]

Well my Corolla is 9 months old now... It came from the factory with 195/65/15's Goodyear Integrity's... Reading reviews from Tire Rack they seem to be low end tires at best... Well yesterday i went and had my 2nd oil change and 2nd tire rotation at 10,200 miles, when i went to pay the girl gave me the paper and said the tires are unevenly worn. 2 were at 5/32, 1 at 6/32 and 1 at 7/32.... Quite uneven for a new car with only 10K on them...

I do drive "spirited" plus i have a 5 speed so it is quite easy to break the tires loose from a start and at a redline shift to 2nd... Also some of my 90 degree turns are in the 30+mph range... I have added air 4 time to the tires.

Im thinking i might call the dealer and have them check my alignment?... But i was looking at tire rack for a new set soon, i was looking at the Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S, also i read reviews where other corolla drivers up'ed the size to either 205/60/15's or even 205/55/16's... would that work with the stock alloys? They said the car handled so much better...

My Integrity's squeel real easy and they dont seem like they will last much longer... I want to go Michelin because i had them on my GA and they handled very well and they had 50,000 miles on them when we traded her, they still had life as well.

Any other suggestions, also i really dont want to spend more that $125 a tire...

[99GrandAMSE]

... your car is under warranty, right? ... if you only have 10,000 miles then I would EXPECT at least something in the form of assistance in the replacement ... maybe, even them covering the entire cost as almost any tire should last longer than 10,000 miles ... direct on topic, my friend has a 06 Corolla that was still under the 1 year 'complete' coverage (not sure what they call it) and when she went in for an oil change, the same as you, she was told he rear tires were bad ... anyway, long story short, she complained about having to replace tires on a car with 10-15000 miles and the dealership agreed and installed a complete set of new tires ... apparently, the dealer found something within Toyota's records indicating there has been quite a few similar problems with these Good-Year tires ... anyway, might be worth a visit to the Service Manager or owner as 10,000 miles for a set of tires is unacceptable!!

[Dave C]

are most of your harder turns in the same direction? if you drive "spirited" then turning in one direction frequently could cause uneven tire wear. how you describe your driving patterns, you should expect your tires to wear out more quickly, although 10k miles sounds really short (unless of course you go to the track).

also, from what I understand, Michelin puts more R&D into their product than most other tire companies, so I say they'd be a good new tire selection even if they cost a little more.

and finally, a lot goes into selecting OEM tires... trust me, there are people who want to get the best tire possible on every car, but due to cost and supplier relations this can't happen. in this particular instance you are unhappy with the current tires on your car, and that can be either the OEM or the supplier's fault (or perhaps even your fault somehow, so as to include all possibilities). with this I would like to contest your blanket statement regarding OEM tires in general.

[tenspeed]

Of course OEM tires suck. Tire manufactures know that people will replace worn tires with the same type that were on it from the factory. The factory will ask for bids and manufactures will sell them cheap to get additional sales when they wear out. They also know that a percentage of people will not use the tire warranty that comes with the car.

Tires usually have 9/32 - 11/32 tread when new. Front tires wear faster than rears because they do most of the stopping, all of the pulling, all of the steering and have the most weight on them.

In cars with only a driver aboard, the right front tires spin the most because of less weight on them. Right side tires tend to skid more when braking due to less weight and debris near the edge of the road blown by passing cars and rain water drainage from the road crown. Add to that the tendency of drivers to turn left harder than right.

No tire does everything well. Some are hard and last a long time. Some are soft and grip in the corners. Some are made for the rain. Some for the snow. Some are expensive and some are less expensive. All are expendable.

What you buy depends on your wallet, how you drive, where you drive and how long you are planning on keeping the car.

[goredsox]

i have next mon and wed. off i may have to call my service mgr...

i was quite shocked myself at the fast wear...

[goredsox]

well i called the sevice center at the dealer and the advisor told me that they are not high mileage tires, the wear i have isnt uncommon, he told me 25,000 is the norm for life...

even the OEM Kuhmo's on the old 93 GA lasted my dad almost 40,000...

[Nighthawk243]

Generally Manufactuer installed Goodyear and Continential tires, and even Pirellis tend to suck. Poor traction, poor performance, poor life.

[Matt95GT]

even the OEM Kuhmo's on the old 93 GA lasted my dad almost 40,000...

Kumho's were not OEM tires on the GA.

Generally Manufactuer installed Goodyear and Continential tires, and even Pirellis tend to suck. Poor traction, poor performance, poor life.

x2. The OEM Goodyear's on the GA were "ok" in the mid-90's, but not that good. The Conti's that were OEM on my Spec V were absolutely the worst tire I ever had.

[99GrandAMSE]

well i called the sevice center at the dealer and the advisor told me that they are not high mileage tires, the wear i have isnt uncommon, he told me 25,000 is the norm for life ...

OK, so why did you only get 10,000? ... less than half the 'normal' life is not acceptable and I would continue to press them for some new tires!!

[Nighthawk243]

The problem is that tire warranties are very subjective and filled with so many conditions that you'll probably have problems getting them to replace them free.

Plus anyways, even going through the headache, they'll probbly just replace it with the same POS model of tires...

[GregFarz78]

OEM tires are awful I got about 20k on my spec v stock tires but that was my fault, my wifes mini got about 18k on the stock tires they barely passed inspection definitely not her fault you can't make that car spin tires with a mighty 115hp, dealers just put crap tires on these days so you have to go back to them and get new ones every 2 years or so

[matts]

you admit to basically driving the piss out of your car and you're complaining about tire wear?? what do you expect?

i HOPE you didn't tell the service manager all of that when you talked to him. if so, he probably laughed at you, and you can kiss free tires goodbye. if you really want them to be replaced under warranty you'll more than likely have to let your mom/dad handle it (they're going to blow you off at your age, nothing personal, just the way things are) and they'll probably have to go over the service managers head. the dealership isn't in the business of doing stuff for free. even though it would probably fall back on the tire manufacturer. and like someone else said, IF they do put a new set of tires on it will be the same exact tire that came on it from the factory

and i agree, for some reason OEM tires suck. you can take an OEM tire and the same model tire in the aftermarket version and it seems like the aftermarket version is better. :???: i fell like i'm doing good with my TBSS tires. they've got 23,000 miles on them and they've still got a little bit of life in them. not much, but not to the wear bar yet.

i'd say just bite the bullet and buy a new set of good tires. if you're wanting something to last a long time get something with a high treadwear number. it's not going to handle as well, but the tire's will last longer. i've got a brand new set of tires sitting in my shed for my trailblazer, but i haven't liked the goodyears on mine since i got it.


and yes, you can put a bigger tire on your car. just make sure everything fits without rubbing.

[tenspeed]

The service manager won't do anything for free. They never do.

The tire are made by Goodyear, they are who you go to. All you will get is money off another bad set of the same tires.

[Matt95GT]

All you will get is money off another bad set of the same tires.

Bingo. Bite the bullet and purchase some good replacement tires. You'll be much happier and safer.

[99GrandAMSE]

... sorry guys, I disagree ... I had a set of tires start to wear on my Topaz when I bought it at abut 7500 miles and they replaced them ALL ... my friend who has the Corolla, like I mentioned, had the same problem as originally stated and Toyota admitted to their being a 'situation' with the tires and she got them ALL for free without a fight ... all it takes is a little assertiveness, facts and you're good to go ... sure, he'll end up with garbage tires again but free is free not to mention it is the point of the matter being the dealer would be more than pleased for you to simply go out and buy new tires so he doesn't have to warranty them :lol:

[goredsox]

OK, so why did you only get 10,000? ... less than half the 'normal' life is not acceptable and I would continue to press them for some new tires!!

no, no... i still have 5/32 on 2, 6/32 on one, and 7/32 on the other... so i will probably just squeek out 25k, but tht is still crappy...

[goredsox]

you admit to basically driving the piss out of your car and you're complaining about tire wear?? what do you expect?

i HOPE you didn't tell the service manager all of that when you talked to him. if so, he probably laughed at you, and you can kiss free tires goodbye. if you really want them to be replaced under warranty you'll more than likely have to let your mom/dad handle it (they're going to blow you off at your age, nothing personal, just the way things are) and they'll probably have to go over the service managers head. the dealership isn't in the business of doing stuff for free. even though it would probably fall back on the tire manufacturer. and like someone else said, IF they do put a new set of tires on it will be the same exact tire that came on it from the factory

and i agree, for some reason OEM tires suck. you can take an OEM tire and the same model tire in the aftermarket version and it seems like the aftermarket version is better. :???: i fell like i'm doing good with my TBSS tires. they've got 23,000 miles on them and they've still got a little bit of life in them. not much, but not to the wear bar yet.

i'd say just bite the bullet and buy a new set of good tires. if you're wanting something to last a long time get something with a high treadwear number. it's not going to handle as well, but the tire's will last longer. i've got a brand new set of tires sitting in my shed for my trailblazer, but i haven't liked the goodyears on mine since i got it.


and yes, you can put a bigger tire on your car. just make sure everything fits without rubbing.

i only drive it like i stole it sometimes...;) when i'm by myself i drive quite civilized...

i did call the service mgr, just to find out the expected life outta the tire, i didnt complain or anything...

[goredsox]

i looked at tire rack, i'll probably get Michelin Hydroedge , seems to be a good tire plus they have a 90K traedwear warrenty...

i had michelin Harmonys on the GA, they were nice tires, never heard any squeel, and me personlly i got almost 60K out of them and they still had life, the hydroedge actually outperfomed and out scored them.

Another question, i want to go wider on my stock alloys... is that possible... i have 195/65/15's... would 205/55/15's be possible, i know that i could go shorter without problems, just a harsher ride, but wider??? a guy at tire rack did that to his corolla, but her lost about 2 mpg....

[gt00]

Another question, i want to go wider on my stock alloys... is that possible... i have 195/65/15's... would 205/55/15's be possibleYou need 205/60/15 . Edit: 205/55/15 are smaller diameter than stock , not recommended ...

[goredsox]

You need 205/60/15 . Edit: 205/55/15 are smaller diameter than stock , not recommended ... well the 205's would be wider, just shorter, hence the 55... i like the rims and dont wanna shell out money so thats why i asked...

[99GrandAMSE]

no, no... i still have 5/32 on 2, 6/32 on one, and 7/32 on the other... so i will probably just squeek out 25k, but tht is still crappy...

OH ... my bad ... I thought they were worn out NOW!

[gt00]

well the 205's would be wider, just shorter, hence the 55... i like the rims and dont wanna shell out money so thats why i asked...I don't think you understand the concept of plus sizing , the stock tires you have now are 24.98 in diameter , the 205/55s would be 23.88 in diameter , way off . The 205/60s would be 24.69 , still slightly smaller in diameter than stock but alot closer . But it's your car , and you can put whatever you want on there ...;)

[goredsox]

I don't think you understand the concept of plus sizing , the stock tires you have now are 24.98 in diameter , the 205/55s would be 23.88 in diameter , way off . The 205/60s would be 24.69 , still slightly smaller in diameter than stock but alot closer . But it's your car , and you can put whatever you want on there ...;)

i guess i dont... :(:???:wouldnt the 205's be 10mm wider than the 195's hence more tire on the road for more grip, and the 60 or 55 would be shorter than the 65 so less sidewall flex...

how does the diameter make a difference? i know my speedo would be off...

P.S. i really want to know, im not making smartass remarks...:):)

[gt00]

i guess i dont... :(:???:wouldnt the 205's be 10mm wider than the 195's hence more tire on the road for more grip, and the 60 or 55 would be shorter than the 65 so less sidewall flex...

how does the diameter make a difference? i know my speedo would be off...

P.S. i really want to know, im not making smartass remarks...:):)Yes the tread would be wider which is generally better , but the aspect ratio is a % of the tread width . ( IE 60% of 205mm = sidewall height ) So you have to consider that when plus sizing tires . If you have a lower diameter than stock your speedo will be off and so will your final drive ratio . The tires would look too small for the wheel well and give a harsher ride as well . But if thats what you want :lol: I'm not being a smart ass either , i just want to see you get the right tires . ;)

[gt00]

Gary , if you want a lower tire profile , you really need a different rim say 16s with 205/55/16 tires . Or to 17s if you want even lower :)

[goredsox]

Yes the tread would be wider which is generally better , but the aspect ratio is a % of the tread width . ( IE 60% of 205mm = sidewall height ) So you have to consider that when plus sizing tires . If you have a lower diameter than stock your speedo will be off and so will your final drive ratio . The tires would look too small for the wheel well and give a harsher ride as well . But if thats what you want :lol: I'm not being a smart ass either , i just want to see you get the right tires . ;)

;) thanks for the info, i didnt know it also changed the drive ratio as well...

i never took you for a smartass, it is just sometimes my responses can be taken the wrong way so i thought i would throw that out...:lol: :P

[goredsox]

Gary , if you want a lower tire profile , you really need a different rim say 16s with 205/55/16 tires . Or to 17s if you want even lower :)

well i do know that the rims from the scion tc bolt up, i have seen that in person... they are 17's probably 215/45's...

do you think that just a good set of tires, even in stock size would just make a big difference? Like i said i am looking at the michelin hydroedge's, im sure they would be a big improvement over the badyear integrity's...:)

[gt00]

do you think that just a good set of tires, even in stock size would just make a big difference? Like i said i am looking at the michelin hydroedge's, im sure they would be a big improvement over the badyear integrity's...:)Good tires are very important and one area you shouldn't skimp on . The Michelins are all season type tires and are a compromise of all things , good in dry & wet and OK in snow . Not great , but if you need an all season they may be fine . There are better tires , but they may not be suitable in the winter , and you'd need another set of rims etc. ( maybe not where you live ) The stock size would be fine with a better quality tire , and if you're happy with the way they performed then go with that . But there would be no problem going up one size to 205s either , just don't go any wider on the stock rims ...;)

[goredsox]

would i be able to use a summer performance tire year round in AZ, it never snows and we hardly ever get rain... but the tread would wear incredibly fast...

the hydroedge's have a 90k warrenty.. i really dont want to spend 500 bucks every few years for performance tires, that is why ill prob. go all season, since the usually last a long time...

[gt00]

would i be able to use a summer performance tire year round in AZ, it never snows and we hardly ever get rain... but the tread would wear incredibly fast...I think performance tires would work fine for you , but like you say the trade off for good grip can sometimes be quicker treadwear . The hydroedge leans a bit toward wet weather all season traction , i 'm not knocking it , i just don't see you needing a tire like that . I have BF Goodrich Traction TA tires on my daily driver which i like , but i have to drive in all kinds of weather here . Take a look at the BFG G Force tire , and see what other guys on here are recommending before you buy .... ;)