Honda CRV OEM Tires 11,000 miles and bad

[kingkarmann]

I can tell you from first hand experience that the CRV was most likely delivered with a alignment that was out of spec.
Let me paint a picture.
Assembling a car is fascinating to watch but I assure you with 20+ years of front line experience, if something goes awry in the choreography things go bad in a hurry.
One of those areas is the Vehicle Dynamic Testing Area. I've changed the name of the department a bit to protect the innocent.
Process time is the time allowed for an individual to do a task as a car passes by. The time in most auto manufacturer's is about 60 seconds per car. That time is constant from the time the panels are stamped from raw steel, painted and rolled through assembly to have engines, tire, glass, seats and all the other things put on to make a car a car.
"How does this affect my alignment" ? you might wonder.
The car rolls on to a pit that is vey much like the 10 minute oil change places.
We have 60 seconds to do an alignment. It has to be done quickly and precisely. I could explain the exact process to do this but I'm thinking this is already to long to explain premature tire wear.
So.... If the alignment pit gets behind the cars coming from final assembly start backing up. At some point the cars will back up to the point where the main line needs shut down.
Upper management hates this as output is one of the metrics their performance and bonus is based on.
Screaming and yelling ensues! Cars are rushed through the alignment bottleneck even if it means some do not get the proper alignment if at all.
And that is how you get premature wear from a brand new car!

 

[Ian S]

I would not even go to a Firestone Store for air, let alone repairs to tires.

We will not even consider Firestone branded tires.

While Discount Tire is my usual go-to store for tires, there was an instance a few years ago when we were all set for a trip to San Diego only to find a nail in one of our tires which was close to the sidewall so I knew it was irreparable. Unfortunately, it was Sunday and Discount Tire stores were closed in Metro Phoenix. The tires were all quite worn anyway and the closest tire store open was a Firestone store. We decided to replace all four tires with a set of Firestones and they were able to get us on the road in good time. The Firestone set lasted decently and while not performance tires, they were fine for a Camry. Depending on the particular tire, there is nothing generally wrong with Firestones (they are owned by Bridgestone.) Indeed, some of their tires do very well in Consumer Reports testing. https://www.consumerreports.org/tir...dded-to-consumer-reports-ratings-a1948868195/

 

[rmcelwee]

We had a 2005 turbo Miata that we only drove 500 miles per year. We would wear out the tires every 1-2 years. Yes, we bought new tires every 500-1000 miles (also changed the oil every 500-1000 miles). Have you considered that your son drives his car a little harder than the normal person?

 

[Gearhead Jim]

I'll go with the group that suspects improper alignment for the premature wear.

Best is to get an alignment shortly after buying new tires, so everything has settled but no significant wear.. They can still get knocked off by potholes, curbjumping, etc. So get one of those $5 gauges that will allow you to measure the tread depth precisely, check every 3-5k miles. If the wear is even all across the tread, you're probably ok. If not even, get the alignment redone.

Also, tires can age-out before they wear-out. Different tire makers have different standards but I use 6 years per my owner manual. By that time, I can notice reduced traction in starting/stopping/cornering, even if there is enough tread remaining. If you start getting any deterioration in the rubber before then, still time for new.

 

[Koolau]

The wheels probably got knocked out of alignment. Or the Firestone shop lied to your kid in their effort to sell things. The tires may have had their own mfr warranty.

We bought 2 cars from the same dealer in one year. Both came with the same brand/size/model of tire. 7 of the 8 tires went bad (side wall bulges) within 2 years. IIRC, we got some satisfaction from the tire mfg. They tried to tell us it was abuse, but of course I knew better and stared them down.

 

[aja8888]

Just passed 31,800 miles on my 2021 Hyundai Tuscon. The car came with Michelin Defender tires on it (225/55R 18). I don't drive like a manic and these tires have been rotated every 7500 miles at oil change time. I keep an eye on the tire pressure and the car has a TPMS which reminds me when tire pressures drop or one is out of spec.

I've owned a lot of cars in my life (50+) and had a hobby of restoring classics. Too old for that now and that game is gone nuts, cost wise.

The Hyundai's tires are about at the end of their life with minimal tread left. Maybe 5 K miles left, then I won't go any farther on them. No abnormal wear is evident looking at the tires (toe problems, camber/caster issues). Road handling is normal with no pulls, etc.

I honestly have to believe that tires produced for the major's outfitting the new cars are in some way not as robust as the ones made for the retail sellers. I had a set of Defender's (bought retail) on my last SUV and they lasted nearly 60,000 miles with adequate care.

 

[JoeWras]

Just passed 31,800 miles on my 2021 Hyundai Tuscon. The car came with Michelin Defender tires on it (225/55R 18).

...

I honestly have to believe that tires produced for the major's outfitting the new cars are in some way not as robust as the ones made for the retail sellers. I had a set of Defender's (bought retail) on my last SUV and they lasted nearly 60,000 miles with adequate care.

Defender is a family name. There are many models in the family. I don't know your particulars so I can't confirm that the manufacturer placed tires are different, but they probably are. This has been going on for decades, and yes, the new cars get the cheesier tires.

And it is interesting. Besides something like "Defender T+H" vs "Defender 2", there are sub-models that are only offered to the auto manufacturers and not available retail even though they have the same name. It is buried deeper in the fine print on the sidewall, and may even show up in different treadwear numbers.

 

[aja8888]

Defender is a family name. There are many models in the family. I don't know your particulars so I can't confirm that the manufacturer placed tires are different, but they probably are. This has been going on for decades, and yes, the new cars get the cheesier tires.

And it is interesting. Besides something like "Defender T+H" vs "Defender 2", there are sub-models that are only offered to the auto manufacturers and not available retail even though they have the same name. It is buried deeper in the fine print on the sidewall, and may even show up in different treadwear numbers.

Good info.

 

[RetMD21]

We got about 60k miles on the OEM tires on a 2010 CRV and nearly 70k on a 2014 Ford. Years ago they used to say that the OEM tires were bad but that hasn't been my experience. We had a 07 Civic that went through tires due to bad rear alignment.

 

[JoeWras]

I can't pick out any identifiers that I recognize on the tires that will indicate which Defender tire line it is from. When M came out with the Defender line years ago, I recall they were touted as LR (long range) life. What ever they are selling the auto companies are junk.

I have Defender T+H on two of my cars and they are the best tires I've ever had, considering the balance of noise, longevity, wet grip, snow grip, and price.

And they sure as heck last longer than 11k miles! More in the 50k range.

 

[Texas Proud]

Can't believe but true? My son purchased 2019 CRV.. He hardly drives it. Took it to Firestone for state inspection. Has 11,000 miles after 3 years. They said 3 tires were out of spec / treads.

He took it back to Honda dealership and asked what if anything could be done with Mfg OEM tires for such low treadwear performance. They sold him 4 replacements for $800. I can't believe there is no remedy from the mfg but Honda says no its not a warranted items of any sort.

Kinda too late for this... but my tires were 7 years at 18K miles...


I looked them up and they were 50K miles warranty if bought at a tire store... well, contacted the manufacturer and even though they said there is no warranty on OEM tires they gave me a 50% discount on new tires if I bought their brand... it was Michelin tires and I bought one of their cheaper brands but love the new tires...

 

[Raygun99]

Kinda too late for this... but my tires were 7 years at 18K miles...


I looked them up and they were 50K miles warranty if bought at a tire store... well, contacted the manufacturer and even though they said there is no warranty on OEM tires they gave me a 50% discount on new tires if I bought their brand... it was Michelin tires and I bought one of their cheaper brands but love the new tires...

Yes I would have been all over a dealer and tire company. Sadly (Love my son) but he is non confrontational.. He let it go too easy. But he is a big boy and life's lessons are many. I decided to let it go and advised him that its no sin to push back. In fact some countries are insulted if you don't "negotiate" That's the fun of the marketplace! What's to lose. Squeaky wheels ..... No pun intended.

 

[Texas Proud]

Yes I would have been all over a dealer and tire company. Sadly (Love my son) but he is non confrontational.. He let it go too easy. But he is a big boy and life's lessons are many. I decided to let it go and advised him that its no sin to push back. In fact some countries are insulted if you don't "negotiate" That's the fun of the marketplace! What's to lose. Squeaky wheels ..... No pun intended.

My daughter is the same way.... but she has learned to 'ask dad'...


But I sometimes get a bit pissed when she does that and has done nothing herself to see what she can get...

 

[Koolau]

Kinda too late for this... but my tires were 7 years at 18K miles...


I looked them up and they were 50K miles warranty if bought at a tire store... well, contacted the manufacturer and even though they said there is no warranty on OEM tires they gave me a 50% discount on new tires if I bought their brand... it was Michelin tires and I bought one of their cheaper brands but love the new tires...

Yes, Michelin tires are well worth the extra cost for anyone driving a lot. I'd pay the extra if I still drove 25K like I used to. These day, between home and the mainland, we drive maybe 5K now (in two cars.) No need for premium tires, but just "good" ones that last 6 or 8 years. YMMV