Need help

[Weazl]

I have a 2006 Hyundai Tuscon and have had the rear tires replaced already, by the dealership as they lost their tread after about 12k. Now, at 36k the dealership tells me all 4 tires are unsafe and need to be replaced. The service manager is suppose to call me tomorrow.

My questions are
1) What do I do complain a lot???
2) if they won't budge, where do I get new tires? certainly not from them I need 215/65R16's and I think I want summer & winter as I do not own winter tires and the vehicle was bad in the winter last year due to partially bald tires I imagine.

I am not too good with cars but am good with haggling and complaining so that was my thinking, any ideas or assistance would be appreciated!!!

P.S. if it were due to aggressive driving would my brakes not show signs of wear? And, my alignment is fine so it can't be that. I think they are using cheap tires!

[lms]

I buy my tires from http://tiretrends.com

You won't pay the PST as they are in BC, which will usually save you more than enough to pay shipping. I have very expensive tires, and save several hundred dollars by buying from here. Frisby's is one place that charges too much for tires, but is happy to install tires not bought from them.

I had Michelins on my SUV and they lasted over 100,000 km before requiring replacement.

http://www.tiretrends.com/tire_info.php3?detailID=11811

Locally Costco usually has good prices, they also carry Michelin.

[Marcos]

Hi Weazl,I assume that these were the original tires that came with the Tucson.Most car makers do not put high quality tires on there cars as you know for obvious reasons(profit)Having said that something seems wrong here.Either you are spining your wheels a lot or i think that a check of your alignement would be in order.You need to put summer and winter tires on all 4 wheels.This is very expensive but the rubber compound in winter tires is different and stays softer and grips more when the weather gets very cold.All season tires do not do this very well.We have been led to believe that these would be o.k.for all seasons but ,the reality is that winter tires will get you going better in deep snow and cold.I have Toyo tires on my 2002 Honda CRV and winter tires on rims that have over 70,000 kilos combined and teh summer ones will be due for next summer.Lots of life left on the winter ones.Get it done know before they legislate winter tires(like they are doing in Quebec this winter)and prices skyrocket.As far as a reputable dealer,shop around and get some feedback from different people on this board.Good luck.

[Wilster]

It sounds like your alignment could be off by quite some bit ,this should have been spotted during your regular maintenance schedules when they rotate your wheels (swap them around) , that may be your only way of defense in trying to get some money or tires from them , they should be making you aware of the problem during their inspection. I hope it works out for you .

[jeffc]

if you are looking for tires, go to Gary's Automotive. I bought some 2 years ago and they were the cheapest in town by a long shot.

[Golfer_Gofer]

do not buy from the dealership and do not buy cheap tires as you will just have to replace them again. price out different shops around town.

Garys
Parker Auto Care
even price out canadian tire

Aim for name brand tires, bridgestone/firestone..etc.
I have Blizzak winter tires for my VW jetta and they are pretty awesome winter tires. I would recommend have those Priced out.

[justsomeguy]

Locally Costco usually has good prices, they also carry Michelin.

I've used Costco for years - brand-name tires at excellent prices, balancing included, free lifetime tire rotation, good service.

[big mac]

If you watch CTC ads in the flyers---your tires eventually will be there---we just bought a set of Uniroyals for 1/2 the price as the dealerships or the larger tire guys I guess if the wheels don't shake the steering wheel--they did the job right.

[sharkshooter]

Alignment, rotation and proper inflation have a lot to do with length of life of tires, as well as the quality of the tire.

As others have said, keep to top names, but ensure they are balanced, aligned, rotated and inflated properly at all times.

[Weazl]

Thanks, got some BF Goodrich's from Costco today.

[Kiwi]

I put TOYO winter on my car (Honda Civic) two years ago and they work and wear well. I recall at the time that I did the internet/consumers check on them and they were the best value for the money. I got mine through my dealer, Honda, but I am sure there are other dealers around. I have been told to beware of CTC tires. They do sell the popular brands and they do have good prices but you have to compare apples/apples. There are other factors such as the speed and (I think) wear ratings. You may be buying a Michelin but it is cheaper because the ratings are less than if you buy it from a tire dealer (i.e. Frisby). I have also gone to them and found their after sales service to be excellent and they do free rotations for the life of the tire.

[McG]

I put TOYO winter on my car (Honda Civic) two years ago and they work and wear well. I recall at the time that I did the internet/consumers check on them and they were the best value for the money. I got mine through my dealer, Honda, but I am sure there are other dealers around. I have been told to beware of CTC tires. They do sell the popular brands and they do have good prices but you have to compare apples/apples. There are other factors such as the speed and (I think) wear ratings. You may be buying a Michelin but it is cheaper because the ratings are less than if you buy it from a tire dealer (i.e. Frisby). I have also gone to them and found their after sales service to be excellent and they do free rotations for the life of the tire.

CTC has a few tires made exclusively for them by Goodyear, Michelin and BFG. But if you can find a tire at CTC and someone down the road is selling the same make and model then I guarantee they are rated exactly the same. There is simply no such thing as a tire supplier selling a cheaper version of a tire to CTC for less.

Also OEM tires are not junk per se. Tires that come on cars from the factory were picked because they augment the cars ride. This generally means the tires are soft and will wear quickly. In general, I see OEM tires needing replacement after about 30-40,000kms of wear on average.

My shop just hooked up with a new tire supplier a few months back that offers Cooper tires. The new Cooper CS4 is the best bang for the buck I've seen in a long time.