[David Duchesne]

2005 Prius bought in NH August 2005


Eight months later at 21,500 miles:

Tires are now smooth on outer edges. Less then 2 by their measurments. Tire is not worn in center. I am hydroplaneing in rain.

Went to Berlin City Toyota in NH. They said I have no warranty options.

In Saint John NB Canada, my Toyota dealer phoned Goodyear Canada. I have received a 50% off deal the list price of the Goodyear Regatta (99.00 canadian regular list.) tire. I also pay installation $75.00 canadian for 4 tires (install/balance).

Was I given a fair deal?? The Regatta is rated for 80,000 miles. The Integrity for 60,000 miles. (see goodear.com) All their tires are rated no more then 80,000 miles. Is tire wear improving?

 

[wstander]

All 4 tires did this?

I will ask the obvious: Did you rotate every 5,000 miles (or whatever distance is recommended in Canada)?

My Goodyears were smooth on the edges too at 23,700 miles as well, although I did not religiously rotate the tires. I bought the car new in July 2005.

I just replaced my OEM Integrities with Yokohama Avid H-rateds; spent 447USD for the 4; I think that you got a good deal on the 'better' tires.

I guess time will tell for the both of us :wink:

 

[DanMan32]

Did both of you inflate at factory recommended pressure of 35F/33R or did you inflate higher? The wear pattern you both describe is typical of under-inflation and so I am starting to believe Toyota set the specs way too low.

 

[wstander]

Initially, I ran 38/36 and changed to 42/40 after 3,000 miles. I rotated once at 7,000 miles and just got distracted/lazy/cheap after that.

As I noted, my roads are twisty mountainous roads with 45-55MPH limits. Those make up about 1/2 of my commute; the remainder is evenly split between 65mph freeway and 25-30mph city.

The tire place where I bought the new tires is open on Saturdays and offers free rotations

<free> operative words in cars and politics :lol:

 

[Phish Phood]

Did both of you inflate at factory recommended pressure of 35F/33R or did you inflate higher? The wear pattern you both describe is typical of under-inflation and so I am starting to believe Toyota set the specs way too low.

Oddly enough, all my tires are inflated to 36--this is how it came and this is how the maintenance guys have kept it.. No real sign of wear and I'm already hitting 13k miles (rotating at 5k).

 

[firepa63]

Did both of you inflate at factory recommended pressure of 35F/33R or did you inflate higher? The wear pattern you both describe is typical of under-inflation and so I am starting to believe Toyota set the specs way too low.

Oddly enough, all my tires are inflated to 36--this is how it came and this is how the maintenance guys have kept it.. No real sign of wear and I'm already hitting 13k miles (rotating at 5k).

Check the sticker inside your driver's side door. Toyota has the recommended pressures for your tires posted there. You should be following those guidelines at a minimum regardless of what the "maintenance guys" do. I always need to adjust tire pressure after the tires are rotated. I don't think Toyota "maintenance guys" know how to read a tire pressure gauge.

 

[Phish Phood]

Did both of you inflate at factory recommended pressure of 35F/33R or did you inflate higher? The wear pattern you both describe is typical of under-inflation and so I am starting to believe Toyota set the specs way too low.

Oddly enough, all my tires are inflated to 36--this is how it came and this is how the maintenance guys have kept it.. No real sign of wear and I'm already hitting 13k miles (rotating at 5k).

Check the sticker inside your driver's side door. Toyota has the recommended pressures for your tires posted there. You should be following those guidelines at a minimum regardless of what the "maintenance guys" do. I always need to adjust tire pressure after the tires are rotated. I don't think Toyota "maintenance guys" know how to read a tire pressure gauge.

Well the "maintenance guys" put it at 36.. which is what I remember the manual saying (I had the great "should I increase it?" debate).. and I don't take their word for it--its what I get when I check the tire pressure..

 

[hyperion]

I believe for every Prius sold in the United States you will find 35 frt and 33 rear stipulated. Those numbers were chosen for handling,comfort and fuel economy.
Any tires needing replacing on a Prius below 30,000 miles have to be because of alignment problems. I have never heard of a car before that five thousand mile tire rotations were required but when Toyota service says this is "VERY" highly recommended I will give them no argument and just figure it as an added expense of owning a Toyota and obviously well worth the small charge.

 

[David Duchesne]

goodyear warranty- response

My tires were rotated every 2nd service- each 10000 miles. This is what toyota canada recommends. Initially they were kept at 38/40 psi. After1st service (5000 miles) I kept them at toypta recommended pressure 32 psi on all tires. Still Goodyear allowed the claim.

 

[Phish Phood]

Re: goodyear warranty- response

My tires were rotated every 2nd service- each 10000 miles. This is what toyota canada recommends. Initially they were kept at 38/40 psi. After1st service (5000 miles) I kept them at toypta recommended pressure 32 psi on all tires. Still Goodyear allowed the claim.

Don't you guys do things in KM over there?

 

[jeromep]

I'll have to look at my door sticker again, but Toyota recommended tire pressure on the Prius is a lot higher than 32psi all around. I'm almost certain that hyperion is correct that the door sticker is 35/33.

Judging only from the coments here, most Toyota service departments are not all that detail oriented when it comes to basic maintenance. Their grease monkeys that run the lube racks typically run by one or 2 sets of blanket rules for auto service.

It confuses me that fast food restaurantes with complex menus, like a Quiznos, can put up posters and pictures of the various menu items and their construction and their employees can put a sandwich together correctly and Toyota dealers cannot put up a spec chart in their lube/maintenance area for their employees to reference when a car comes in so that at least, at the very minimum they put in the correct amount of oil, use the correct filter, check tire air to the spec pressure. Absolutly amazing how this simple addition to basic shop procedure could eliminate a lot of customer complaints and add to overall consumer satisfaction.

 

[DanMan32]

Page 313 of 2004 owners manual certainly says 35/33 PSI.

 

[JimboK]

I tend to agree with hyperion's suggestion that alignment is the likely cause. I was in the tire business many years ago. Almost invariably when tires showed excessive wear on one edge only, the front end was out of line. Underinflation typically causes excessive wear on both edges. Admittedly, cars have changed a lot since then (Prius a case in point) and I've been out of the business for years. So there may be other mechanical factors at work I don't fully appreciate, if at all. Still, my first step (after replacing the tires) would be to have the alignment checked.

As to your question about a good deal: I think it's very fair. This, or for that matter, virtually any form of uneven wear, is not the tire's fault, and Goodyear doesn't have to make any adjustment.

Jim

 

[DanMan32]

I guess we need to know what was meant by 'smooth at outer edges' if that means both sides of the same tire is smooth, or only the side facing away from the car when mounted.

 

[wstander]

Mine were smooth on the outer edges 100% and smooth on the inner edges ~60%.

Alignment was checked and verified as within specs; In my case, the wear is simply due to my driving situation and the surface of the roads, I assume. Recall that I also experimented a bit with pressures before setting them at 42/40. At my last oil change, about 2 months ago, I think that they may have reset the pressures to 35/33. In retrospect, I know that the above stated wear pattern was showing then (because the shop owner pointed it out to me). As the wear was even, side to side, and the alignment checked out, I just waited until now to get new tires.


As I did not follow Toyota's mandates on pressures and rotations, I assumed that I was to blame and hence did not file any claims for tire wear. I generally view tires as expendables/consumables, like printer ink and paper and brake pads.

Walt

 

[DanMan32]

Yes, tires are consumables, but if you get half the life due you or less, there's a problem.

 

[wstander]

Yes, tires are consumables, but if you get half the life due you or less, there's a problem.

Yes, that is true. OTOH, I got 2X the mileage out of these OEM tires compared to what the Honda Civic Hybrid gave me

And, by this time on the HCH, I had replaced the front brakes TWICE

 

[David Duchesne]

new tires are now on- very poor service- with a smile

Toyota took close to 3 hours to fo an oil/filter service, install balance 4 tires and do a 4 wheel alignment. I told them to hold on the alignment if it would cause me to miss an appointment. I allowed then 2 hrs 10 minutes- then I said I had to have my car. They were 45 minutes over the allowed time and I had to cancel my appointment. I was clear about my time constraint but my instruction was ignored.

This was my 2nd attempt to get the vehicle serviced- the first time (4 days previous) I arrived at my appointed time, waited an hour to have the oil and service, and was told the service was backed up and they could not fit me in. They did do a tire inspection and negotiated a warranty claim on my Goodyears- but I had to rebook for the service.

I am pretty steamed about this dealership but I held my breath and left.

At another dealer (Halifax N.S.) You arrive and your out in 30 minutes for an oil/filter service.

The front line person is very nice but the car disappears and your held ransom.!!

 

[wstander]

At my local mechanic (not Toyota, but trusted), took 15 minutes for oil/filter + air filter and out the door.

At Eiler tire, got 4 new tires mounted and alignment verified in 30 minutes and out THAT door...

Dealers..... :roll:

 

[DanMan32]

One time I missed a job interview because of a repair chain not following my time instructions. I needed a tire replaced (flat, and then I trashed it), but my other tires were due to be replaced. Asked about the wait time for the 4 tires. About an hour. That was fine. 2 or more hours later, no car. A lady ahead of me was promised a ride home. She was still waiting.

After calling my interviewer to appologize for not being able to make it, I let the manager have it. If it was going to take that long, I would have had only the one tire replaced and would come back later for the rest.

I got the job by the way, though after 8 years of working there, I will probably have to work somewhere else.