Anyone have any information on tire tread wear/warranties?
02-01-05, 07:31 PM
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35,000mi on original tires?Anyone have any information on tire tread wear/warranties?
Ok, heres my question, I would greatly appreciate anyone that has any information on tread wear warranties for my 2003 RX300
I purchased the vehicle brand new and always had my tires rotated when it was due, but for some reason I feel I didn't get my tread wear out of the tires.....they are the stock Bridgestone or howevere the heck they are spelled...anyways...I have approx. 35,500 miles on my RX300 now and I was wondering if I am entitled to any sort of money back or money towards a new set of tires, because my tires now are pretty much done........any info greatly appreciated...I thought these tires were good for 50,000 miles???
Thanks,
Mike
mgfedorak@gmail.com
I purchased the vehicle brand new and always had my tires rotated when it was due, but for some reason I feel I didn't get my tread wear out of the tires.....they are the stock Bridgestone or howevere the heck they are spelled...anyways...I have approx. 35,500 miles on my RX300 now and I was wondering if I am entitled to any sort of money back or money towards a new set of tires, because my tires now are pretty much done........any info greatly appreciated...I thought these tires were good for 50,000 miles???
Thanks,
Mike
mgfedorak@gmail.com
Last edited by MR_RX300; 02-01-05 at 07:47 PM. Reason: title change
02-01-05, 07:59 PM
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Just got rid of the OEM Bridgestones at 33,000. I probably could have gotten a few more thousand miles, but I wanted to take advantage of the Michelin sale at Costco.
The Bridgestone's have a "B" stamping for treadwear, whereas the new Michelin Cross Terrains are rated "A" for treadwear. Probably explains why they have a 65,000 mile tread warranty.
Yes, it would have been great to get another 20,000 miles on the Bridgestone's, but then when I think about it, I would have been stuck with tires that suck in the snow for another 2 years. The Cross Terrains's were awsome in the 15 inches of snow Chicago got last week.
The Bridgestone's have a "B" stamping for treadwear, whereas the new Michelin Cross Terrains are rated "A" for treadwear. Probably explains why they have a 65,000 mile tread warranty.
Yes, it would have been great to get another 20,000 miles on the Bridgestone's, but then when I think about it, I would have been stuck with tires that suck in the snow for another 2 years. The Cross Terrains's were awsome in the 15 inches of snow Chicago got last week.
02-01-05, 08:04 PM
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Hmmmmm that seems pretty bad that an average of 35,000 miles on the stock tires??? i can't believe they even get away with selling them on the vehicle....40Grand car with cheapy tires??? pathetic.....I am pissed now 
02-04-05, 04:37 AM
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Does anyone have a list of recommended tires to replace the stock Bridgestones I have now, I didn't really have any complaints except that the tread wear sucks.....i travel back and worth from Philly to Pittsburgh quite often and need something that I can really on in all weather conditions but have a nice comfortable ride at the same time........I guess I am looking at 100 bucks a pop for each tire regardless of what I buy. 
02-04-05, 05:56 AM
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Bridgestone's web site is pretty evasive about the treadlife warranty... it almost looks like there isn't one! The Tire Rack doesn't show a mileage warranty for them, either.
Short tread life doesn't mean the tires are cheap - just the opposite. it means they're made of a softer rubber that grips better on dry pavement. For example, Goodyear "gatorbacks" are good for about 25,000, but they're pretty expensive! Cheap tires have 60,000+ warranties because they're hard as a rock. Depending on the conditions, a hard tire can lose traction a lot easier than a softer tire.
You need to have the right mix of material and tread design/engineering to have a good tire.
Short tread life doesn't mean the tires are cheap - just the opposite. it means they're made of a softer rubber that grips better on dry pavement. For example, Goodyear "gatorbacks" are good for about 25,000, but they're pretty expensive! Cheap tires have 60,000+ warranties because they're hard as a rock. Depending on the conditions, a hard tire can lose traction a lot easier than a softer tire.
You need to have the right mix of material and tread design/engineering to have a good tire.
02-04-05, 06:38 AM
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Out of Warranty
Like almost everything else in life, treadwear is a tradeoff, usually with dry traction, comfort, and cornering ability - like rxdriver said. We can engineer a tire for 60K miles, but you probably wouldn't want to ride on it. Depending on your driving style, road conditions, maintenance, and load, 30K - 35K is not at all unreasonable tread life for an OEM tire. Of course, YMMV..
As far as the warranty is concerned, remember it is pro-rated - it means that it worth less at higher mileages. If you can get a 40K warranty and the tires wear out in 35K, well you've just earned about 15 bucks toward a replacement tire of the same make and size. Big deal!
If I got such sub-par wear out of a set of cheap tires, I wouldn't want another set!
The often-recommended Michelin Cross-Terrains, in an up-size 235 width were great on my RX 300, and if you watch for sales you may be able to find them for around $100. (I paid $108 in '01) Count on considerably improved tread life from these - despite what CU might say - along with improved all-weather traction. Mine ran over 38K by the time I traded the car, and they were about half worn.
As far as the warranty is concerned, remember it is pro-rated - it means that it worth less at higher mileages. If you can get a 40K warranty and the tires wear out in 35K, well you've just earned about 15 bucks toward a replacement tire of the same make and size. Big deal!
If I got such sub-par wear out of a set of cheap tires, I wouldn't want another set! The often-recommended Michelin Cross-Terrains, in an up-size 235 width were great on my RX 300, and if you watch for sales you may be able to find them for around $100. (I paid $108 in '01) Count on considerably improved tread life from these - despite what CU might say - along with improved all-weather traction. Mine ran over 38K by the time I traded the car, and they were about half worn.
Last edited by Lil4X; 02-04-05 at 06:46 AM.
02-04-05, 08:58 AM
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Hey thanks for the info. I will have to look into the Michelin tires you mentioned....I did see a few posts about them and will definitely consider them!!! 
Originally Posted by Lil4X
Like almost everything else in life, treadwear is a tradeoff, usually with dry traction, comfort, and cornering ability - like rxdriver said. We can engineer a tire for 60K miles, but you probably wouldn't want to ride on it. Depending on your driving style, road conditions, maintenance, and load, 30K - 35K is not at all unreasonable tread life for an OEM tire. Of course, YMMV..
As far as the warranty is concerned, remember it is pro-rated - it means that it worth less at higher mileages. If you can get a 40K warranty and the tires wear out in 35K, well you've just earned about 15 bucks toward a replacement tire of the same make and size. Big deal! If I got such sub-par wear out of a set of cheap tires, I wouldn't want another set!
The often-recommended Michelin Cross-Terrains, in an up-size 235 width were great on my RX 300, and if you watch for sales you may be able to find them for around $100. (I paid $108 in '01) Count on considerably improved tread life from these - despite what CU might say - along with improved all-weather traction. Mine ran over 38K by the time I traded the car, and they were about half worn.
As far as the warranty is concerned, remember it is pro-rated - it means that it worth less at higher mileages. If you can get a 40K warranty and the tires wear out in 35K, well you've just earned about 15 bucks toward a replacement tire of the same make and size. Big deal!
If I got such sub-par wear out of a set of cheap tires, I wouldn't want another set! The often-recommended Michelin Cross-Terrains, in an up-size 235 width were great on my RX 300, and if you watch for sales you may be able to find them for around $100. (I paid $108 in '01) Count on considerably improved tread life from these - despite what CU might say - along with improved all-weather traction. Mine ran over 38K by the time I traded the car, and they were about half worn.
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02-04-05, 06:24 PM
#8
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My Michelin CTXs didn't wear as long as Lil4X's (maybe 25k and they were ready)but if we'd kept the RX300 any longer, I'd have certainly put another set on; highly recommended!!! He has also very succinctly stated the compromises involved in tire design. It just ain't possible to have high mileage, high performance in all weather, comfortable, and quiet tires.
That said, mileage is really the last thing that I care about in my tires. If I get the performance that I expect (given the type of vehicle I'm driving), reasonable comfort, and a quiet tire, I'm satisfied. Tires are one of the less expensive costs of owning a luxury vehicle.
Welcome to the fold!
That said, mileage is really the last thing that I care about in my tires. If I get the performance that I expect (given the type of vehicle I'm driving), reasonable comfort, and a quiet tire, I'm satisfied. Tires are one of the less expensive costs of owning a luxury vehicle.
Welcome to the fold!
02-04-05, 07:07 PM
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I love the C/T's so far on my RX300. They come with a 65,000 mile tread warranty.
We had a set on our old '97 Expedition and the wife's new GX came from the factory with them.
We had a set on our old '97 Expedition and the wife's new GX came from the factory with them.
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