Michelin Tires Thanks for Nothing !

[fyrdawg]

My first foreign car and I have an issue with my wheels!

I need some help here...I have a 2008 Toyota Avalon Limited with the tires that came from the factory. Michelin 215/55R17 93V
I have rotated them every 6000, and now at 31000, they are trashed.
According to my service mgr, who I trust!, the Michelins have had troubles.

Of course now I need to replace them. There is no way in hell I am getting Michelins again, so what are my options???

My srv mgr has suggested I go with Yokohama...any thoughts ???

Thanks in advance!

[Bob Coates]

I have a 2006 and the tires - Bridgestones - were replaced at 25K with Goodyear Eagles. I am very pleased with the tires although a bit pricey.

[fyrdawg]

Thanks Bob...what kind of Eagles were they???

[canddmeyer]

31,000? You did good. Get them again unless you believe something will last longer. Obviously you're not happy, but I don't see any tire complaint here other than 31,000 miles.

Now if you got 18,000 on your factory tires (Dunlops) like I did, then I might agree with you. Go to TireRack and read reviews there. You might find something better as tire technology and brands update all the time.

[fyrdawg]

Like I said, this is my first foreign car. The 3 Ford trucks I have owned, the Chevy Monte Carlo, the Pontiac Grand Prix and Bonneville I have owned have NEVER turned to dust after 30000 miles.

After my last rotation, 30-31000 miles, the svr mgr says time to get new ones. Again, HE was the one who told me they have had issues with this tire.

Am I to believe 30K is all that I can expect to get from tires on this car?

Say it ain't so!!!!

And about tire rack...is that a trusted site? It's not one of those sites by the tire dealers to promote the tire dealer??? They actually recommend the Kumho? Any thoughts on Kumhos?

Thanks for the replys...great forum! Very Helpful!

[CAPTMARK]

25.5 K Miles Here No Problem With Rubber- Plenty Of Life Left

[Tom in Tacoma]

I'm running the same Michelins that Toyota put on it at the factory. They currently have 54,000 miles on them and at last service had 5/32nd's of tread remaining.

I've rotated regularly and always (I'm pretty anal about this) maintained 32psi on all four corners.

I've worked in the tire retail industry for a while and have learned that Michelin is a superior tire brand to most others. For me there's no decision needed - I'll get another set of Michelin's when the time comes.

FWIW - As far as the Avalon being a 'foreign car' - it was designed in the USA by Americans, built in the USA by Americans and more than 75% of the parts are considered 'domestic'. How's it a 'foreign car' again?

[TrailDust]

Originally Posted by fyrdawg

Am I to believe 30K is all that I can expect to get from tires on this car?

Say it ain't so!!!!

I have Goodyear Assurance tires on my Avalon and so far have 30,000 on them. A visual inspection looks like I'll get a minimum of 50,000 out of them, and that's with a driving ratio of 70% city and 30% highway. The only negative about these tires is their rain performance is poor. I knew that when I bought them, but since I live in SoCal rain is not a major issue. I bought them primarily for their excellent wear and low road noise.

-

[fyrdawg]

Originally Posted by Tom in Tacoma

I'm running the same Michelins that Toyota put on it at the factory. They currently have 54,000 miles on them and at last service had 5/32nd's of tread remaining.

I've rotated regularly and always (I'm pretty anal about this) maintained 32psi on all four corners.

I've worked in the tire retail industry for a while and have learned that Michelin is a superior tire brand to most others. For me there's no decision needed - I'll get another set of Michelin's when the time comes.

FWIW - As far as the Avalon being a 'foreign car' - it was designed in the USA by Americans, built in the USA by Americans and more than 75% of the parts are considered 'domestic'. How's it a 'foreign car' again?

Well, someone should tell my salesman and my dealership that. I was told, repeatedly, that my avalon was built in Japan. It was actually delayed because of a shipping problem.

As far as anal goes, I am also anal about maintenance. Having never spent that much on a car, I make sure everything is done as required.

Having said all that, I am obviously not the only one with rubber issues. Maybe it's the Ohio winters and pothole stricken roads, but my service department says it is definately an issue with the Michelins.

[fyrdawg]

Originally Posted by TrailDust

I have Goodyear Assurance tires on my Avalon and so far have 30,000 on them. A visual inspection looks like I'll get a minimum of 50,000 out of them, and that's with a driving ratio of 70% city and 30% highway. The only negative about these tires is their rain performance is poor. I knew that when I bought them, but since I live in SoCal rain is not a major issue. I bought them primarily for their excellent wear and low road noise.

-

Thats exactly the kind of mileage It like to get. Unfortunately because of the frequent monsoons and the artic winters, traction is a must!

[inov8]

Fyrdawg wrote: "Well, someone should tell my salesman and my dealership that. I was told, repeatedly, that my avalon was built in Japan. It was actually delayed because of a shipping problem."

I'm continually amazed at the misinformation that emanates from Dealerships. Everyone employed there should know the first character of the vehicle identification number ("VIN") identifies the country of manufacture. The second character identifies who made the car.

Look at the 1st character of your VIN:
1 or 4 = USA
2 = Canada
3 = Mexico
W = Germany
J = Japan

My '05 Avalon VIN begins with "4T", which means a Toyota manufactured in the USA.

[Bob Coates]

If I'm not mistaken, all Avalons are built in Kentucky.

[RningOnFumes]

Originally Posted by fyrdawg

And about tire rack...is that a trusted site? It's not one of those sites by the tire dealers to promote the tire dealer??? They actually recommend the Kumho? Any thoughts on Kumhos?

www.tirerack.com is an online store/dealor of tires and most tire/wheel/suspension related parts. When you select a particular item, you may read customer reviews about that item- sort of like Amazon with it's customer reviews.

[TrailDust]

Originally Posted by fyrdawg

Thats exactly the kind of mileage It like to get. Unfortunately because of the frequent monsoons and the artic winters, traction is a must!

I would assume they have the same size for the Avalon, but a different tire I had before on an Acura Legend I once owned were Yokohama Avid. Couldn't say anything bad about those tires: excellent road handling, low road noise, very good rain performance, and although I had 40,000 miles on them with the same 70/30 driving, when I sold the car there was at least another 20,000 miles on them. Just a suggestion if they're in your size.

[CAPTMARK]

Originally Posted by fyrdawg

Thats exactly the kind of mileage It like to get. Unfortunately because of the frequent monsoons and the artic winters, traction is a must!

LIVE IN CLEVELAND AREA- NO PROBLEM AT ALL HEADING OUT IN THE SNOW WITH MY STOCK TIRES