Check your stock tires!

[nhs156]

It's getting cold outside so I thought I'd check the tire pressure on the tires of my garaged 13 GT500 bought in Feb this year. Sure enough, the rear tires have cracked in line with the Goodyear PSB, and it looks like the middle tread is starting to separate from the sidewall on one of the fronts. The irony is that the car has not been driven in cold temps, and while it may have dropped to high 30s at night a couple of times, my garage is always warmer.

Will be switching to Michelin PSS - the stock Goodyears are death on wheels. The traction was crap to begin with but I'd been holding out on making the switch as I was getting decent mileage/wear on the stockers.

Now I have even more of an incentive (beyond wanting more traction) to switch.

Any idea whether I can get some money back from Ford/the dealer for the Goodyears I'm otherwise going to throw away?

 

[AntiHeightPunk]

call ford and goodyear one of them will give you money, issue is i bet goodyear will want you to switch towards another set of goodyears

 

[93 347 Cobra]

That's scary, it's too damn warm in Tejas for that to be happening. Mine sits in the garage and I hope this doesn't happen to mine. Good luck.

 

[14_GT500]

I just put Michelin AS/3 on and love them so far. I've been driving in the 20's on dry days...

 

[nhs156]

Update: dealer said they couldn't do anything; advised me to call Ford Customer Service and Goodyear. Ford Customer Service said they couldn't do anything and I had to call Goodyear. Goodyear was willing to apply some prorated value of the tire to a new Goodyear tire - no thanks.

Unimpressed that Ford doesn't stand behind it's own product. Don't care that it's not them that made the tire - the car is a Ford sold by a Ford dealer. To argue that "we didn't make the tire" is ridiculous. That's like not standing behind 80% of components in the car. Radio doesn't work? Call Shaker. Brakes don't work? Call Brembo. You get the gist. Am pissed that I still had 4-5K miles of tread left, and now I have to spend $1.5K early to replace the downright dangerous stockers.

I can only hope that threads like this one discourage consumers from buying Goodyear. I for one won't by another set of Goodyears ever again!

 

[Lethalchem]

It's strange this only happens to some tires and not others. Some people have had no cracking in 20 degree weather, and some people like you are having it occur in the "high 30's". I have every reason to believe my car sat outside in snow waiting to be put on the rail car for delivery in December (it got here in January) and I have not had any cracks. Sorry to hear of your experience. I would have expected to hear of this more from the northern states than down here.

 

[BLK93GT]

Great it was 7* here in NY yesterday! I better look at mine! Parked in my unheated garage.

 

[Snoopy49]

2013 Tire Warranty. Look at page 21.

 

[R.D.P.]

I've read that tires should be broke in, similar to a motor. Especially high performance tires. That may be part of why the results are different for different people.

 

[nhs156]

2013 Tire Warranty. Look at page 21.

Appreciate the post... unfortunately I won't be taking advantage of the replacement/proration policy as I don't want a replacement Goodyear tire. Aside from the crack(s), the tires simply aren't able to get the power down "safely", so a switch was called for anyway.

Unfortunately for me only tirerack seems to have PSS's in stock currently so my choices (incl. my buying power) is limited. Will pay around $1,400 for a set of 4 in stock sizes, and then pay a local shop $25/tire to mount/balance. These guys have one of those amazing "touchless" mounting machines that is guaranteed not to scratch or scuff the rim; something that most local/national installers can never guarantee. Including my local Ford dealer who suggested I not get the tires changes there for fear of damaging the wheel... at least he was honest!

So all in, this will cost me close to $1,500 - which makes me grumpy.

 

[nhs156]

I've read that tires should be broke in, similar to a motor. Especially high performance tires. That may be part of why the results are different for different people.

I don't think this is an issue of break-in. Was warm in late Feb when I bought the car in Houston, and have nearly 8K miles on the tires. No issues until this week - when it started to get a bit chilly. Think it's just crap engineering on Goodyear's part - or poor quality control. Never had an issue like this with Michelins - and up until the GT500 purchase I've been almost exclusive with Michelin and the PSS predecessor - the PS2. Heck, I drove the PS2s in the snow with no issues (other than traction!)

 

[AntiHeightPunk]

Unimpressed that Ford doesn't stand behind it's own product. QUOTE]

ford has some neat cars but they have never really had good customer service on a brand stand point

 

[eagle eye]

Update: dealer said they couldn't do anything; advised me to call Ford Customer Service and Goodyear. Ford Customer Service said they couldn't do anything and I had to call Goodyear. Goodyear was willing to apply some prorated value of the tire to a new Goodyear tire - no thanks.

Unimpressed that Ford doesn't stand behind it's own product. Don't care that it's not them that made the tire - the car is a Ford sold by a Ford dealer. To argue that "we didn't make the tire" is ridiculous. That's like not standing behind 80% of components in the car. Radio doesn't work? Call Shaker. Brakes don't work? Call Brembo. You get the gist. Am pissed that I still had 4-5K miles of tread left, and now I have to spend $1.5K early to replace the downright dangerous stockers.

I can only hope that threads like this one discourage consumers from buying Goodyear. I for one won't by another set of Goodyears ever again!

If your tires are not that worn, perhaps Goodyear will replace your tires for next to nothing. If it works out that way, sell the brand new GYs and use that money to help offset the cost of the Michelins you want.

 

[Snoopy49]

Unfortunately I won't be taking advantage of the replacement/proration policy as I don't want a replacement Goodyear tire. Aside from the crack(s), the tires simply aren't able to get the power down "safely", so a switch was called for anyway.

Another option is to get the Goodyears and sell them. New tires are worth more than damaged tires. Have the dealer take your old tires off and install the Michelin's, then sell the new, never mounted Goodyear's. That will save you the tire installation charges.

 

[Snoopy49]

I just put Michelin AS/3 on and love them so far. I've been driving in the 20's on dry days...

What sizes did you buy and where did you buy them?

 

[14_GT500]

What sizes did you buy and where did you buy them?

I bought them from Tire Rack. They are the stock size for front and rear. Front 19s, rears, 20's.

Front: 265/40ZR19
5-Rib Tread Design
Sidewall Style: Blackwall
Serv. Desc: 98W
500 AA A
Price: $368.00 (each)
Estimated Availability: In Stock


Rear: 285/35ZR20
6-Rib Tread Design
Sidewall Style: Blackwall
Serv. Desc: 100W
Price: $312.00 (each)
Estimated Availability: In Stock

 

[GOTSVT?]

Post pics when done!

 

[Snoopy49]

I bought them from Tire Rack. They are the stock size for front and rear. Front 19s, rears, 20's.

Front: 265/40ZR19
5-Rib Tread Design
Sidewall Style: Blackwall
Serv. Desc: 98W
500 AA A
Price: $368.00 (each)
Estimated Availability: In Stock

I'm glad to see they are making the 265's, they weren't listed the last time I looked. The price is a bit hurtful though on the 265.

 

[Farmer-Ted]

Tire warranties are always separate from the car warranty. There is a separate tire warranty book in your manual holder.

 

[nhs156]

I'm glad to see they are making the 265's, they weren't listed the last time I looked. The price is a bit hurtful though on the 265.

Wonder if it's the same reason the same size PSS tire is more expensive than the wider 285.... which is that the 265 is actually a BMW OEM version, complete with a small "star" on the sidewall to remind you that you paid more.

I've literally seen Michelin sell 3 versions of the same tire before: regular retail non-OEM version, a Cadillac version and a BMW version - with the BMW one being $50 more than the Cadillac version despite identical specs and compound (per the tire wholesaler). The 265 PSS I just ordered were more than the 285 rears, and the only difference that I could spot was that the fronts are BMW OEM as non-OEMs are currently unavailable.