james6290

Like many of you who bought a new RX400h with Goodyear tires, I am experiencing abnormal wear on mine. I have around 12K miles on my car and the tires are slipping badly in the rain and even in dry conditions under really hard acceleration. I have owned many cars and never experienced tire wear like this, even on the high performance sports cars that I have owned in the past. I took them in to talk to the dealer and they are acknowledging that the tires are slipping but they claim "there is no uneven wear." I don't really think they wearing uneven as much as they are wearing abnormally fast. So, to make me happy they say they will pay for 3 and I have to foot a $580+tax bill for the other two. I have been faithful to this dealership, this is my 4th Lexus purchased through them, however, if they make me pay for this, I will never return. Here is how I think this should go:

~First, I don't believe I should pay anything for Lexus putting dangerous tires on the 400h and not recalling them.

~Second, the Michelins that they want to put on are not that good and they are asking $290 for them even though tirerack has them for a little over $150...

~Third, I think they should pay for all 5 and installation, however, I want to go with a different, less expensive tire. Either the Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza or the Goodyear Fortera TripleTred. They are around $150 and are far better than the previous two. This will benefit both me, get a better tire, and them, pay around $750 for 5 new ones as opposed to $870 for the 3 Michelins.

The Question: Are they being fair or should I recieve compensation for the unsafe tires in the form of 5 new ones?

*I will withhold the name of the dealer until I see some responses, however, if I see support for my side, and they still refuse to pay, I will release the name.*

herbvdh

I have the factory Michellins which I found very good for my driving in all weather. The original Michellins I replaced at 35,000 miles probably could have gone another 5,000. I compared with Tirerack added in shipping, mounting, balance and alignment at a local shop then priced the dealer for everything at $1,133 if it was done locally I was going for $1,200.

james6290

I'm not talking about tires that have been run through their paces, i.e., have a good amount of miles on them. I'm talking about having the dealer pay for the stock tires because they need to be replaced at 12K miles. Thanks for the reply though, at least I know the michelins might be good.

davidsong

how low are the treads?? i replaced my "badyear" tires around 25k miles with mitchellins. the mitchellins are not that great in wet/icy weather too BUT compared to those badyear tires is significantly better.

also if your not happy with your dealer, go to another dealer (if possible). or just change them out at your own expense. sorry couldnt help much...

james6290

The tread barely passes the quarter test and they look low but I can't remember what they looked like new. Problem is, the two dealers within 75 miles are owned by the same person so I don't really have an option of going to a different dealer...

billy44bo

We got 48K on our set of mitchellins and now have a set of Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza on and they do fine. But we are on the gulf coast so no ice or snow just rain and a lot of it 64" so far this year which is about right for here. Ask your Dealer for the the tires that you want and see what they say . What could the say no .

joedaddy1

iTrader: (1)

you should let them know how dissatisfied you are and that it is the 4th lexus you've bought from the dealership.
But the dealer paying for half of the bill is not norm for this issue. It could be worse.

Grover1

I was offered the same - 5 Michelins for $580 - and I took the deal. My '06 was due for an oil change at 20K and the service dept. called to say my factory Goodyears were shot. It was dangerous.

I looked around a bit and decided it was a good deal. Plus, no separate trip to a tire shop that doesn't do gourmet coffee and free loaners.

I noticed a big improvement with the Michelins right out of the gate. Minnesota has had some serious snow the last couple weeks and they're giving me plenty of control.

My mileage was slightly better with the G-Years, but I'm happy with the decision.

Good luck.

AlexusAnja

Are the Goodyears you guys talking about the Integrity? More like non-Tegrity... They are trash, bad on rain and snow, and wear was terrible.

One thing to consider on the hybrids is that they're more fuel efficient when running on low rolling-resistance tires, so if you change to "regular" tires you're going to lose some fuel numbers. As with anything in life, it's give-or-take and LRR tires means of course less friction and so they'll tend to not perform as well on wet surfaces.

As for getting dealer to get them to pay for all five after you've put on 12K? Good luck, for them willing to pay for three is more than fair IMHO. They're not obligated to pay for your wear-and-tear items. If you can get a better deal at another dealer, then go for it. Best bet is always to purchase online (tirerack or discount tires) and get them mounted locally by a shop.

ggebhardt

I will have to agree with the other posters and Lexus does not have any obligation to you on the tires. You would have more luck taking it up with Goodyear and I would not hold up much hope on that.

The best way to avoid this in the future is demand that the dealer change your tires before delivery. You have the most leverage prior to delivery. Lexus would do something if they had recourse with Goodyear but Goodyear will insist that this is normal wear and not a defect.